New University Calendar Launches, Features Personalized Search Options

With 16 schools at the Pittsburgh campus, four regional campuses and myriad centers and offices, activities at the University of Pittsburgh are abundant. But finding events that suit one’s needs and interests can become an education in itself.

That search will be much easier from now on, thanks to the new University Events Calendar created by the Office of University Communications and its University Web Services department, with input from numerous schools and departments on campus. The calendar is designed to be the primary resource to share and find events from participating University units — thus beginning a shift away from having calendar listings scattered across various University websites.

Additionally, the calendar allows departments, schools and other University units the chance to assign a designated communicator. The designee will receive training on the calendar system and will be able to publish events instantly.

Those at Pitt without designated communicator status can still submit events to calendar.pitt.edu, and a moderator will review them for publication. To do so, scroll midway down the site and click the “Submit an event” button in the right-hand column. Only users at Pitt or who create an account can contribute.

Currently, the calendar only lists events from University units or that are University sponsored. Listings will expand as more users join.

Carol Mullen, director of communications for the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, the largest school at Pitt, said the calendar will help people more easily find events they might enjoy.

“Departments across the Dietrich School are always looking for new and more effective ways to promote their events and activities to the Pitt community, but it can be challenging because there’s so much happening on campus that it’s easy to get lost in the mix,” she said. “We see the University calendar serving as a centralized, accessible resource to help the departments raise awareness about their programs to the targeted audiences they’re trying to reach.”

Users also have options beyond merely scrolling through a chronological listing of University events. Events are sorted by type, department, location and date. Users can also search for keywords. Once users find an event, they can also import the information into their personal calendars, receive email notifications for upcoming events and invite friends to attend.

“From the end user perspective, it’s a great tool because it’s convenient and easy to use — you can find the types of events you’re interested in without scrolling through endless lists,” said Mullen.