The Plan for Pitt 2025 Gets a Revised Timeline

In June, Chancellor Patrick Gallagher announced a pause of the strategic planning process in a message to the Pitt community, explaining, “This pause will give us time to incorporate specific strategies to strengthen our commitments to racial equity and justice.”

While work on the Plan for Pitt 2025 began at the end of 2019 and progressed rapidly during the early months of 2020, it initially was slowed this spring as the University considered the long-term strategic shifts arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. The longer summer pause provided an opportunity to address these shifts, as well as to revisit and strengthen the plan’s goals for diversity, anti-racism and social justice.

The steering committee completed an initial draft of the plan in June 2020, and the Plan for Pitt 2025 is on track to be completed by June 2021, according to Melissa Schild, assistant vice chancellor for strategic planning and performance in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer.

“I have been so impressed with the University community’s enthusiasm around the strategic planning process and the diligence of the goal committee and steering committee members in thinking holistically about institutional priorities to position us for success,” Schild said. “We look forward to additional input on the Plan for Pitt 2025 as it continues to come together into a strategy that will drive our shared energies for the next five years.”

Revised timeline

In September, work on the Plan for Pitt 2025 resumed, with the chancellor’s senior leadership team reviewing the initial draft to ensure that it reflects their priorities for the coming years.

Starting now and extending through mid-December, shared governance bodies and other campus stakeholders will have the opportunity to weigh in on drafts. Beginning in mid-December and in collaboration with the University’s senior leadership team, the Plan for Pitt 2025 will be revised based on the input received from those groups.

In early 2021, the plan will be shared with the broader University community and external stakeholders for further feedback. Draft goals and objectives will be shared with the Board of Trustees toward the end of February. The final Plan for Pitt 2025 should be complete and ready for the endorsement of the Board of Trustees at its June 2021 meeting.

Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Ann E. Cudd and Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice Chancellor Hari Sastry are driving the planning process on behalf of the chancellor.