Transforming a Campus Community—Together
In spring 2019, Pitt voluntarily participated in the second Association of American Universities Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct.
After reviewing the survey results, Chancellor Patrick Gallagher launched a community-driven response to preventing sexual misconduct at Pitt. Three months later, in January 2020, he checked in on the initiatives and identified early milestones.
Read Chancellor Gallagher’s January 2020 update »
Prioritizing Prevention
To jumpstart efforts, Chancellor Gallagher established a dedicated office for preventing sexual misconduct, a 12-member council for shaping and assessing the University community’s prevention efforts, and dedicated funding streams to support grassroots solutions and promote a positive culture change. The new funding streams took three forms: Pitt Seed grants, Momentum Fund research grants and grants to student organizations.
On Jan. 16, 2020, the University announced that it had awarded faculty and staff more than $300,000 in Pitt Seed grants and Momentum Fund grants to support research and initiatives related to preventing sexual misconduct. The University also set a submission window—Jan. 27 through March 31, 2020—for student organizations to advance grant proposals on this same issue.
Additionally, the University continues to support an evolving menu of educational and training opportunities on key topics, such as identifying, reporting and preventing sexual misconduct. These offerings—open to students, faculty and staff—play a critical role in ensuring that Pitt remains a fair, safe and welcoming campus community for all.
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