University of Pittsburgh

Infobox University


name=University of Pittsburgh
motto= "Veritas et Virtus" (Latin)
mottoeng= Truth and Virtue
tagline= "Leader in education, pioneer in research, partner in regional development"
established= February 28, 1787
type=State-related [cite web
url= http://www.pdehighered.state.pa.us/higher/cwp/view.asp?A=6&Q=41016
title= PA Higher/Adult Ed.: State-Related Universities
date=03 |year=2008 |month=04 |format= |work= |publisher= Pennsylvania Department of Education
accessdate= 2008-07-06 ]
endowment=US $2.254 billion [cite web | title=2007 NACUBO Endowment Study | year=2008 | url=http://www.nacubo.org/Images/All%20Institutions%20Listed%20by%20FY%202007%20Market%20Value%20of%20Endowment%20Assets_2007%20NES.pdf | publisher=National Association of College and University Business Officers]
chancellor=Mark Nordenberg
provost=James V. Maher
city=Pittsburgh
state=Pennsylvania
country=USA
students=27,020cite web | title=University of Pittsburgh Fact Book 2008 | year=2008 | publisher=University of Pittsburgh | url=http://www.ir.pitt.edu/factbook/fbweb08/fb08.pdf | format= PDF | accessdate=2008-03-07]
undergrad= 17,208
postgrad=9,812
faculty=4,485
staff=6,495
campus=Urban
colors=Blue and Gold color box|#002b5e color box|#cdb87c
nickname =Pitt, Panthers
mascot= Roc the Panther
athletics = NCAA Division I
Big East, EWL, EAGL 17 varsity teams
affiliations=AAU, NASULGC, EDUCAUSE, ORAU
website= [http://www.pitt.edu/ www.pitt.edu]

publictransit = Port Authority of Allegheny County|The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a non-sectarian, coeducational, independent, state-related, "public" [Upon joining the Commonwealth System of Higher Education in 1966, the University of Pittsburgh remained legally a private entity and, in practice, retained the freedom and individuality of a private institution, both administratively and academically. It sets its own standards for student admission and retention, faculty, and teaching. Its assets remain in the hands of the corporation, its employees are employed by the corporation, and its affairs continue to be governed by an independent Board of Trustees.^"A" In-state tuition is subsidized by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and, overall, the state provides approximately 11% of its annual operating budget.^"B" The University of Pittsburgh is categorized as a public university in the Carnegie Foundation Classifications^"C" and is typically listed as a public university in third party publications.^"D" For simplification, Pitt sometimes refers to itself a "public university".
:^"A" cite book | url = http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittmiscpubs&cc=pittmiscpubs&idno=00c50130m&node=00c50130m%3A9&frm=frameset&view=image&seq=363
last = Alberts
first = Robert C.
title = Pitt: The Story of the University of Pittsburgh 1787–1987
pages = p. 343
year = 1987
id = ISBN 0-8229-1150-7
publisher = University of Pittsburgh Press
:^"B" cite web
url= http://www.news.pitt.edu/m/FMPro?-db=ma&-lay=a&-format=d.html&id=3379&-Find
title= University of Pittsburgh Trustees Approve 2008-09 Budget, Set Tuition Rates
author= |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors=
date= 08-07-11 |year= |month= |pages= |publisher= University of Pittsburgh: News From Pitt
accessdate= 2008-07-15
:^"C" cite web
url= http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/classifications/sub.asp?key=748&subkey=16063&start=782
title= Classifications: University of Pittsburgh-Main Campus
author= |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors=
date= |year= |month= |pages= |publisher= The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
accessdate= 2008-07-15
:^"D" cite web
url= http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_3379_brief.php
title= America's Best Colleges 2008: University of Pittsburgh: At a glance
author= |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors=
date= |year= |month= |pages= |publisher= USNews.com
accessdate= 2008-07-15
] research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Chartered in 1787, Pitt is a renowned leader in academic fields as diverse as philosophy and medicine, and is well known for pioneering work in the development of the first polio vaccine, among other achievements.

Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of higher education in the United States. Pitt evolved into the Western University of Pennsylvania with an alteration to its charter in 1819, and upon relocating to its current campus in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh in 1908, the school received its current moniker, the University of Pittsburgh. For most of its history, Pitt was a private institution until it became part of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education in 1966. [ cite book | url = http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittmiscpubs;cc=pittmiscpubs;rgn=full%20text;idno=00c50130m;didno=00c50130m;view=image;seq=0021;node=00c50130m%3A7
last = Alberts
first = Robert C.
title = Pitt: The Story of the University of Pittsburgh 1787–1987
pages = book One; p. 1
year = 1987
id = ISBN 0-8229-1150-7
publisher = University of Pittsburgh Press ]

Pitt's dramatic rise from its humble frontier beginnings to its current stature is due in part to its ability to withstand early pressures to abandon its commitment to liberal education. [ cite book | url = http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittmiscpubs&cc=pittmiscpubs&idno=00c50130m&node=00c50130m%3A8&frm=frameset&view=image&seq=37
last = Alberts
first = Robert C.
title = Pitt: The Story of the University of Pittsburgh 1787–1987
pages = book One; p. 17
year = 1987
id = ISBN 0-8229-1150-7
publisher = University of Pittsburgh Press ] [ cite book | url = http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittmiscpubs&cc=pittmiscpubs&idno=00c50130m&node=00c50130m%3A8&frm=frameset&view=image&seq=83
last = Alberts
first = Robert C.
title = Pitt: The Story of the University of Pittsburgh 1787–1987
pages = book One; p. 63
year = 1987
id = ISBN 0-8229-1150-7
publisher = University of Pittsburgh Press ] Along the way Pitt has achieved strong reputations in a variety of academic disciplines including philosophy, physics, astronomy, history of science, creative writing, chemistry, business, biological sciences, jazz, engineering, education, international studies, and a variety of medical and health sciences. [ [http://www.stat.tamu.edu/~jnewton/nrc_rankings/nrc41.html NRC Rankings in 41 Areas] ] In 2006 Pitt was placed in the top cluster of 7 leading U.S. public research universities and among the clusters comprising the overall top 26 research universities [Citation
editor-last = Lombardi
editor-first = John
editor2-last = Capaldi
editor2-first = Elizabeth
editor3-last = Abbey
editor3-first = Craig
title = The Top American Research Universities: 2006 Annual Report
year = 2006
pages = 8 & 16
place = Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
publisher = TheCenter for Measuring University Performance
url = http://mup.asu.edu/research2006.pdf
accessdate = 2008-04-03] , was ranked in "U.S. News & World Report"'s top 20 public universities,cite web | url = http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/t1natudoc_brief.php | title = America's Best Colleges 2007 | work = U.S. News & World Report | year = 2007 | accessdate = 2007-06-18 ] and has also been recognized as one of the top universities in the world by multiple studies. [cite web | url = http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14321230/site/newsweek/ | title = The Complete List: The Top 100 Global Universities | work = Newsweek | date = 2006-08-10 | accessdate = 2007-06-18 ] [ [http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/rank/2006/ARWU2006_Top100.htm Top 100 World Universities] ] [ [http://www.ui.edu/indonesia/extra/tabelqs.pdf THES Top 520 World Universities] ] Pitt regularly produces internationally recognized scholarship and fellowship award winners. [ [http://www.umc.pitt.edu/chancellor/publications/2006ChancellorReport.pdf 2006 Pitt Chancellor Report] ]

One of 62 elected members of the Association of American Universities, Pitt is among the top universities in total research expenditures and is a top 10 school in National Institute of Health research allocations, bringing in over $430 million a year for biomedical and health science research alone. [cite web | url = http://mac10.umc.pitt.edu/u/FMPro?-db=ustory&-format=d.html&-lay=a&-sortfield=issueid%3a%3aissuedate&-sortorder=descend&keywords=NIH&-max=50&-recid=38849&-find= | title = University Times | date 2006-09-14 | accessdate = 2007-10-31 ] Pitt and its medical school are also closely affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, a leading academic medical center and the most active neurosurgical and organ transplant center in the United States. These resources have propelled Pitt to a leadership role in, among other fields, stem cell science, bioterrorism defense, and tissue engineering.

Pitt is popularly recognized for its National Landmark centerpiece building, the Cathedral of Learning at convert|535|ft|m, the tallest educational building in the Western Hemisphere; for its central role in developing the first polio vaccine; [ cite book | url = http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittmiscpubs;cc=pittmiscpubs;rgn=full%20text;idno=00c50130m;didno=00c50130m;view=image;seq=0230;node=00c50130m%3A24
last = Alberts
first = Robert C.
title = Pitt: The Story of the University of Pittsburgh 1787–1987
pages = book One; p. 210
year = 1987
id = ISBN 0-8229-1150-7
publisher = University of Pittsburgh Press ] and for fielding nationally competitive NCAA Division 1 athletic programs.

History of the University

The Founding

Founded by Hugh Henry Brackenridge as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787, the University of Pittsburgh is among a select group of universities and colleges established in the 18th century in the United States. It is the oldest continuously chartered institution of learning in the U.S., west of the Allegheny Mountains. [ cite book | url = http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittmiscpubs&cc=pittmiscpubs&idno=00c50130m&node=00c50130m%3A51&frm=frameset&view=image&seq=509
last = Alberts | first = Robert C.
title = Pitt: The Story of the University of Pittsburgh 1787–1987
pages = Appendix A; p. 453
year = 1987
id = ISBN 0-8229-1150-7
publisher = University of Pittsburgh Press ] The school began its life as a preparatory school, presumably in a log cabin, as early as 1770 in Western Pennsylvania, then a frontier. Hugh Henry Brackenridge sought and obtained a charter for the school from the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that was passed by the assembly on February 28, 1787, just ten weeks before the opening of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. [ cite book | url = http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pitttext&cc=pitttext&idno=00adc8925m&q1=pittsburgh+academy&frm=frameset&view=image&seq=353
last = Killikelly | first = Sarah H.
title = The history of Pittsburgh: its rise and progress
pages = 269 | year = 1906
publisher = B.C. & Gordon Montgomery Co.
location = Pittsburgh, PA ] [ cite book | url = http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittmiscpubs&cc=pittmiscpubs&xc=1&idno=00afj8718m&g=documentingpitt&xg=1&q1=hopkins&node=00afj8718m%3A6&frm=frameset&view=image&seq=48
last = Starrett | first = Agnes Lynch
title = Through one hundred and fifty years: the University of Pittsburgh
pages = 26 | year = 1937
publisher = University of Pittsburgh Press | location = Pittsburgh, PA ] A brick building was erected in 1790 on the south side of Third Street and Cherry Alley for the Pittsburgh Academy. cite web
url= http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittyearbooks;cc=pittyearbooks;rgn=full%20text;idno=1909e49702;didno=1909e49702;view=image;seq=22;node=1909e49702%3A7;page=root;size=s;frm=frameset;
title= "The Owl"
date= | year= 1909 | pages= p. 9 |publisher= Western University of Pennsylvania
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ] cite web
url= http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittyearbooks;cc=pittyearbooks;rgn=full%20text;idno=1910e49702;didno=1910e49702;view=image;seq=12;node=1910e49702%3A4;page=root;size=s;frm=frameset;
title= "The Owl"
date= |year= 1910 | pages= p. 7 |publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ] cite web
url= http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittmiscpubs&cc=pittmiscpubs&idno=00c50130m&node=00c50130m%3A8&frm=frameset&view=image&seq=21
title= "Pitt: the story of the University of Pittsburgh, 1787–1987"
last= Alberts |first= Robert C
date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ] The small two-story brick building, with a gable facing the alley, contained three rooms: one below and two above. [ cite web
url= http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pitttext;cc=pitttext;q1=pittsburgh%20academy;rgn=full%20text;idno=00hc14502m;didno=00hc14502m;view=image;seq=0012
title= "Rev. John Taylor: the first rector of Trinity Episcopal Church of Pittsburgh and his commonplace book"
last= Dahlinger |first= Charles W
date= |year= |month= |publisher= | pages= p. 10
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ]

The Western University

Within a short period, more advanced education in the area was needed, so in 1819 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania amended the school's 1787 charter to confer university status. The school took the name the Western University of Pennsylvania, or WUP, and was intended to be the western sister institution to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. By 1830, WUP had moved into a new three-story, freestone-fronted building, with Ionic columns and a cupola, near its original buildings fronting the south side of Third Street, between Smithfield Street and Cherry Alley in downtown Pittsburgh. It was in this era that founder of Mellon Bank, Thomas Mellon (Class of 1837), graduated and later taught at WUP.

Fires

The University's buildings, along with most of its records and files, were destroyed in the Great Fire of 1845 that wiped out 20 square blocks of Pittsburgh. Classes were temporarily held in Trinity Church until a new building was constructed on Duquesne Way (on what was the site of the former Horne's department store). Only four years later, in 1849, this building also was destroyed by fire. Due to the catastrophic nature of these fires, operations were suspended for a few years to allow the University time to regroup and rebuild. By 1854, WUP had erected a new building on the corner of Ross and Diamond (now Forbes Avenue) streets (site of the present day City-County building) and classes resumed in 1855. It is during this era, in 1867, that Samuel Pierpoint Langley, inventor and aviation pioneer for which Langley Air Force Base is named, was chosen as director of the Allegheny Observatory that was donated to WUP in 1865. Langley was professor of astronomy and physics and remained at WUP until 1891, when he was succeeded by another prominent astronomer, James Keeler. Growing quickly during this period, WUP outgrew its downtown facilities and the university moved its campus to Allegheny City (present-day North Side).

A move north

The University eventually found itself on a ten-acre site on the North Side's Observatory Hill at the location of its Allegheny Observatory. There, it constructed two new buildings, Science Hall and Main Hall, that were occupied by 1889 and 1890 respectively. During this era, the first collegiate football team was formed at Pitt in 1889. In 1892, the Western Pennsylvania Medical College was amalgamated into the University. By 1893, the University had graduated its first African-American, William Dammond. [ cite web
url= http://www.pitt.edu/history/1893.html
title= Pitt History — 1893: William Hunter Dammond
date= |year= |month= |format= |work= | publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ] In 1895, WUP established its School of Law and Andrew Carnegie and George Westinghouse were elected to the Board of Trustees where they joined Andrew Mellon who was elected in 1894. The Pittsburgh College of Pharmacy and Pittsburgh Dental School also joined the University in 1896. In 1898, the first women, sisters Margaret and Stella Stein, graduated from the University. [ cite web
url= http://www.pitt.edu/history/1898.html
title= Pitt History — 1898: Margaret and Stella Stein
date= |year= |month= |format= |work= | publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ] During this period, University engineering professor Reginald Fessenden was conducting pioneering work in radio broadcasting. By 1904, playing at Exposition Park, the University had its first undefeated football team. [ cite web
url= http://www.pitt.edu/history/1906.html
title= Pitt History — 1906: Reginald Fessenden
date= |year= |month= |format= |work= | publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ]

A new name and home

Citing a need to avoid confusion, distinguish itself from the University of Pennsylvania, and return to its roots by identifying itself with the city, the Western University of Pennsylvania, by act of the state legislature, was renamed the University of Pittsburgh in the summer of 1908. During this time, Pitt had also outgrown its accommodations on the North Side of Pittsburgh and its departments had been scattered throughout the city for years. To consolidate all of its components on one campus, WUP bought 43 acres of land in December 1907 in what is now the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh and began relocating departments there by 1909. [ cite web
url= http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittyearbooks;cc=pittyearbooks;rgn=full%20text;idno=1909e49702;didno=1909e49702;view=image;seq=23;node=1909e49702%3A7;page=root;size=s;frm=frameset
title= "The Owl"
author= |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors=
date= |year= |month= |pages= p. 10 |publisher= Western University of Pennsylvania
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ] The initial campus plan for the University centered on the winning submission from a national architectural contest that incorporated a Greek Acropolis design by Henry Hornbostel for 30 buildings. [cite book | url = http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittmiscpubs;cc=pittmiscpubs;rgn=full%20text;idno=00c50130m;didno=00c50130m;view=image;seq=81;node=00c50130m%3A8;page=root;size=s;frm=frameset; | title = Pitt: the story of the University of Pittsburgh, 1787–1987 | last =Alberts | first = Robert C | pages = pp. 60–61
publisher = University of Pittsburgh Press | id = ISBN 0-8229-1150-7 ] However, due to financial and other constraints, only four of the buildings were constructed in this style, of which only Thaw Hall remains today.

A national landmark

In the 1920s, new university chancellor John Gabbert Bowman declared that he had a vision for a centerpiece "tall building" for the university. The convert|14|acre Frick Acres property in Oakland was soon purchased and plans for the campus shifted focus from the hillside to a neo-Gothic Revival plan that today comprises the Cathedral of Learning, Heinz Memorial Chapel, Stephen Foster Memorial, and Clapp Hall buildings. By 1925, Bowman had settled on a design by Charles Klauder for the "tall building": an attention-getting convert|535|ft|m|sing=on tower whose great height, with open spaces all around, would suggest the "character that ought to be in an educated man." The building's "parallel lines going up and up...would express courage [and] fearlessness" and it would "unify Pittsburgh into a community conscious of its character." The Cathedral is "cut off" flat at the top to suggest that its lines, like education, have no ending. The building was financed by donors as well as a campaign to collect dimes from local school children. Bowman was a persuasive leader and although the Great Depression intervened, the Cathedral of Learning, on which construction was begun in 1926, was finally finished in 1937. Today, it remains the second-tallest education building in the world and contains an equally-impressive interior highlighted by a half-acre (2,000 m²) Gothic hall Commons Room with convert|52|ft|m|sing=on tall arches surrounded by 27 Nationality Rooms.

The Pitt shot

In the early 20th century, epidemics of polio began to hit the United States and other industrialized countries. As hospital wards filled with patients in iron lungs, and tens of thousands were left crippled, fear of contracting polio grew rampant and led to the closing of many public facilities. Meanwhile, Dr. Jonas Salk had set up the University of Pittsburgh's Virus Research Lab in the basement of what is now Salk Hall. By 1951, Salk and his team had begun immunization experiments in monkeys using dead polio virus. Soon, however, Salk began to test inoculations in paralyzed polio patients and by 1953 human trials among the general population were initiated. By the spring of the following year, the largest controlled field trials in medical history were underway and by 1955 the vaccine developed by Jonas Salk and his team of Pitt researchers was declared effective and by 1962 had reduced the incidence of polio in the United States by "95 percent". The breakthroughs in immunology and vaccine development at Pitt by Salk and his team are considered one of the most significant scientific and medical achievements in history. [ cite web
url= http://www.polio.pitt.edu/
title= Remembering Polio: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Salk Polio Vaccine
date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ] [ cite web
url= http://museum.pharmacy.pitt.edu/salk/
title= The Shot Heard 'Round the World
publisher= University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ]

tate relations

In 1966, Pitt was designated by Pennsylvania as a state-related university. As such, Pitt receives public funds (currently more than $200 million per annum) and offers reduced tuition to Pennsylvania residents, but is under independent control. It is typically categorized as a public university. Upon affiliation with the state, subsidized tuition led to a massive influx of new students and rapid expansion of Pitt's size and scope. In the 1970s, Pitt's football team returned to greatness with a national championship season in 1976 led by Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett and continued success in the 1980s with players such as Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino. In the 1980s, significant medical research in the field of organ transplantation was conducted by Thomas Starzl, establishing Pitt as the world leader in the field of organ transplantation. In 1991, long-time chancellor Wesley Posvar retired after 24 years in office. His administration is best known for elimination of the university's debt from its 1960s financial crisis and for increasing the school's prestige and endowment. Under Posvar, Pitt's operating budget grew sevenfold to $630 million and its endowment tripled to $257 million. [ cite web | url = http://mac10.umc.pitt.edu/m/FMPro?-db=ma&-lay=a&-format=d.html&id=2788&-Find
title = Pitt Ranked 4th Among Public Universities, 10th Among All U.S. Colleges and Universities With Endowments in Excess of $1 Billion in The FY 2006 Percentage Increase in Its Endowment
date = 2007-01-24
work = University of Pittsburgh ]
Mark Nordenberg has been chancellor of the University since 1995 and is leading Pitt through a period of substantial progress, including a $2-billion capital-raising campaign that is over half-way toward achieving its goal [ cite web
url= http://www.giveto.pitt.edu/
title= Pitt Giving: Office of Institutional Advancement
date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ] and a $1-billion 12-year facilities plan. [ cite web | url = http://mac10.umc.pitt.edu/m/FMPro?-db=ma&-lay=a&-format=d.html&id=2929&-Find | title = University of Pittsburgh Announces 12-Year Facilities Plan To Support Programmatic Direction |date=2007-05-17 | accessdate = 2007-06-21 | work = University of Pittsburgh ] Pitt's endowment in 2007 reached $2.254 billion, a 25 percent increase from 2006. It ranks 28th among all college endowments and 8th nationally among public universities. [cite web | title=2007 NACUBO Endowment Study | year=2008 | url= http://www.nacubo.org/Images/All%20Institutions%20Listed%20by%20FY%202007%20Market%20Value%20of%20Endowment%20Assets_2007%20NES.pdf | publisher=National Association of College and University Business Officers]

Location and campus

The University of Pittsburgh campus is in the historic Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, adjacent to Schenley Plaza, the main branch of the Carnegie Public Library, the Carnegie Museums of Natural History and Art, and the Carnegie Music Hall. Carlow University is just west of campus, adjacent to the University's medical center complexes. Carnegie Mellon University, Central Catholic High School and historic Schenley Park, site of the Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, lie across Junction Hollow on the east end. Some Pitt professors also hold adjunct professorships at Carnegie Mellon and "vice-versa". Pitt's main campus is convert|132|acre|km2 and is generally bordered by Darragh Street/McKee Place to the west and Bellefield Avenue/Dithridge Street to the east; Forbes and Fifth avenues traverse the campus from west to east. The campus comprises four general parts: upper (sports complexes, residence halls); mid (Benedum, Chevron, Allen and Thaw Halls); lower (Cathedral of Learning, Union, Posvar Hall); and on the west end of campus, the medical center complex.

The focal point of the main campus is the 42-story Cathedral of Learning. This and other University buildings are in the Oakland Civic Center/Schenley Farms Historic District (listed on the National Register of Historic Places) of Pittsburgh.cite web
url= http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/PA/Allegheny/districts.html
title= PENNSYLVANIA — Allegheny County — Historic Districts
date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= National Register of Historic Places
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ] The University of Pittsburgh campus contains an eclectic mix of architecture that includes Greek revival, Neogothic, Italian Renaissance, and modern. It has been termed "a theme park of replica buildings, representing the architecture of the past speaking to the present." [cite web
url= http://mac10.umc.pitt.edu/u/FMPro?-db=ustory&-format=d.html&-lay=a&-sortfield=issueid%3a%3aissuedate&-sortorder=descend&keywords=acropolis&-max=50&-recid=34374&-find=
title= "Weighing in on Pitt's eclectic architecture"
last= Steele |first= Bruce
date= October 24, 2002 | work= University Times | publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ] The campus was won multiple Green Star Awards from the Professional Grounds Management Society. [cite web
url= http://www.pgms.org/2007greenstar/category14a.htm
title= PGMS Green Star Awards: Urban University Grounds: University of Pittsburgh
date= |year=2007 |month= |format= |work= |publisher= Professional Grounds Management Society
accessdate= 2008-08-13 ] [cite web
url= http://www.pgms.org/pgmsnews/2003pgmsgreenstars.htm
title= PGMS News - PGMS Salutes Grounds Management Excellence; College and University Grounds Lead the Way
date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher= Professional Grounds Management Society
accessdate= 2008-08-13 ]

Historic buildings

There are two University buildings listed separately on the National Register of Historic Places: Allegheny Observatory (in Pittsburgh's Riverview Park on the Northside) and the Cathedral of Learning. [cite web
url= http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/pa/Allegheny/state.html
title= PENNSYLVANIA — Allegheny County
publisher= National Register of Historic Places
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ] Twenty-one of Pitt's buildings (including the 5 residence halls that make up Schenley Quadrangle, see below) are contributing properties to the Schenley Farms-Oakland Civic Center Historic District that has been designated a National Historic District.

Due to the historical nature of various sites in or around Pitt's buildings, the state of Pennsylvania has placed historical markers outside the
Allegheny Observatory, [cite web
url= http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/DOH/markerresults.asp?secid=31&namesearch=Allegheny+Observatory&Submit=Search+by+Marker+Title
title= Allegheny Observatory
work= Search for Historical Markers
publisher= Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC)
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ]
Posvar Hall, [cite web
url= http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/DOH/markerresults.asp?secid=31&namesearch=Forbes+Field&Submit=Search+by+Marker+Title
title= Forbes Field
work= Search for Historical Markers
publisher= PHMC
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ]
Salk Hall, [cite web
url= http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/DOH/markerresults.asp?secid=31&namesearch=Salk+Polio+Vaccine&Submit=Search+by+Marker+Title
title= Salk Polio Vaccine
work= Search for Historical Markers
publisher= PHMC
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ]
Stephen Foster Memorial, [cite web
url= http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/DOH/markerresults.asp?secid=31&namesearch=Stephen+C.+Foster+Memorial&Submit=Search+by+Marker+Title
title= Stephen C. Foster Memorial
work= Search for Historical Markers
publisher= PHMC
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ] and the William Pitt Union. [cite web
url= http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/DOH/markerresults.asp?secid=31&namesearch=V.F.W.&Submit=Search+by+Marker+Title
title= V.F.W
work= Search for Historical Markers
publisher= PHMC
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ] In addition, a Pennsylvania Historical Marker has been placed on campus near the Cathedral of Learning to mark the significance of the University of Pittsburgh itself. [cite web
url= http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/DOH/markerresults.asp?secid=31&namesearch=University+of+Pittsburgh&Submit=Search+by+Marker+Title
title= University of Pittsburgh
work= Search for Historical Markers
publisher= PHMC
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ] Another state historical marker has been placed to highlight the significance of Pitt's involvement in the archaeological excavation at the Meadowcroft Rockshelter in Avella, Pennsylvania. [cite web
url= http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/DOH/markerresults.asp?secid=31&namesearch=Meadowcroft+Rockshelter&Submit=Search+by+Marker+Title
title= Meadowcroft Rockshelter
work= Search for Historical Markers
publisher= PHMC
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ]

In addition, the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation has designated the following Pitt buildings as Pittsburgh Historic Landmarks: Allegheny Observatory, Allen Hall, Alumni Hall, Bellefield Hall, Chancellor's Residence, Cathedral of Learning, the Cathedral of Learning interior rooms, Gardner Steel Conference Center, Heinz Memorial Chapel, Thaw Hall, Salk Hall, Schenley Quadrangle residence halls, Stephen Foster Memorial, the University Child Development Center, and the William Pitt Union. [ cite web | url = http://web.archive.org/web/20070127092030/http://www.phlf.org/plaques/locallist.html | title = Internet Archive: Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation: PHLF Plaques & Registries| date=2007-01-27 | accessdate = 2008-02-25 ] [ cite web | url = http://www.phlf.org/2007/06/27/pittsburgh-history-landmarks-foundation-announces-historic-building-and-landscape-designations/ | title = Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation announces Historic Building and Landscape Designations| date=2007-06-27 | accessdate = 2008-02-25 ]

Other Pitt buildings not designated individually as landmarks, but listed among the 17 Pitt-owned contributing properties to the Schenley Farms Historic District, include Clapp Hall, Ruskin Hall, Thackeray Hall, Frick Fine Arts Building, Music Building, University Club, and the University Place Office Building. [cite web
url= http://mac10.umc.pitt.edu/u/FMPro?-db=ustory&-format=d.html&-lay=a&-sortfield=issueid%3a%3aissuedate&-sortorder=descend&keywords=bellefield%20hall&-max=50&-recid=38544&-find=
title= "Hearing set on historic landmark nomination for two Pitt buildings"
last= Sajna | first= Mike | date= January 23, 1997
work= University Times | publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ]

Buildings not belonging to Pitt, but historic structures within, near, or adjacent to Pitt's campus, include the Carnegie Museum buildings, Frick School, Forbes Field wall remnant, Magee Estate iron fence, the Schenley Fountain, Mellon Institute, Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, the Pittsburgh Athletic Association, St. Paul's Cathedral, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Schenley High School, Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, and the Stephen Foster sculpture. Many of these buildings and their facilities are integrated into the events and activities of the university.

Other buildings

The majority of Pitt-owned buildings reside in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the home of its main campus. The major concentration of buildings comprise Pitt's main campus centered in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh including within the Schenley Farms Historic District, however a few facilities are scattered elsewhere throughout the city, including the adjacent Shadyside neighborhood. Along with regional campuses in Bradford, Greensburg, Johnstown, and Titusville, Pitt also has a Computer Center in RIDC Park in Blawnox, the Plum Boro Science Center in Plum, the University of Pittsburgh Applied Research Center (U-PARC) in Harmarville, Pennsylvania, the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology in Linesville, Pennsylvania [ cite web
url= http://www.pitt.edu/~biohome/Dept/Frame/pymatuninglabs.htm
title= The Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology
date= 20 February 2008 |work=
publisher= University of Pittsburgh, The Department of Biological Sciences
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ] , and the Allen L. Cook Spring Creek Preserve archeological research site in Spring Creek, Wyoming. [cite web
url=http://www.chronicle.pitt.edu/media/pcc060130/land_donation_main_2006JAN30.html
title= Pitt Honors College Receives convert|4700|acre|km2 of Wyoming Land Teeming With Dinosaur Fossils
work = Pitt Chronicle
date= 2006-01-30 | publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-30 ] [ cite web
url= http://www.umc.pitt.edu/pittmag/fall2006/feature1.html
title= "Go West"
last= Collins | first= Mark | coauthors= Cara J. Hayden
date= |year= |month= | work= Pitt | publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ]

Athletic facilities of the University of Pittsburgh Panthers that are located in Oakland in the upper campus and include the Charles L Cost Sports Center, Fitzgerald Field House, the Petersen Events Center, Trees Hall and .

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) consists of the following hospitals and facilities in the and the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute in the Hillman Cancer Center located in the Shadyside neighborhood adjacent to Oakland.

Panthers

In the fall of 1909, the University of Pittsburgh was the first college or university to adopt the panther ("Puma concolor") as its mascot. [cite web
url= http://pittsburghpanthers.cstv.com/trads/pitt-trads-mascot.html
title= The Panther
date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= Pittsburgh Panthers
accessdate= 2008-04-28 ] Popular as photo sites, there are ten representations of Panthers in and about Pitt's campus, and ten more painted fiberglass panthers due to be placed over the next year by the Pitt Student Government. The oldest representations are four panthers that guard each corner of the Panther Hollow bridge. Other Oakland locations include both inside and in front of the William Pitt Union, outside the Petersen Events Center, "Pitt the Panther" on the carousel in Schenley Plaza, the Panther head fountain on the front of the Cathedral of Learning, and the Pitt Panther statue outside Heinz Field on Pittsburgh's North Side.

Education

Throughout its history, Pitt has been committed to a liberal arts education with a well-rounded curriculum in the arts, sciences, and humanities. [ cite book | url = http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittmiscpubs&cc=pittmiscpubs&idno=00c50130m&node=00c50130m%3A8&frm=frameset&view=image&seq=37
last = Alberts
first = Robert C.
title = Pitt: The Story of the University of Pittsburgh 1787–1987
pages = book One; p. 17
year = 1987
id = ISBN 0-8229-1150-7
publisher = University of Pittsburgh Press ] Pitt has an increasing emphasis on undergraduate research experience and for providing real-world opportunities such as co-ops and internships.cite web
url= http://www.pitt.edu/~UGR/index.html
title= Undergraduate Research
publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ] Undergraduate degrees can be earned as Bachelor's of Arts, Bachelor's of Science, and Bachelor's of Philosophy. Along with providing certificate programs, graduate level masters, professional, and doctoral degrees are also awarded. Pitt has also initiated a University-wide Outside the Classroom Curriculum (OCC) that includes a structured series of extracurricular programs and experiences designed to complement students' academic studies and help develop personal attributes and professional skills. Students who complete the OCC requirements receive an OCC "transcript" and a green cord of distinction to wear at commencement. [cite web
url= http://www.news.pitt.edu/m/FMPro?-db=ma&-lay=a&-format=d.html&id=3393&-Find
title= Pitt to Offer Students Opportunity to Develop Professional Skills Through Extracurricular Experiences in a New Program: Outside the Classroom Curriculum to be implemented this fall
publisher= University of Pittsburgh: News From Pitt
date=2008-08-06
accessdate= 2008-08-06 ]

chools

Bachelor's, master's, doctoral and professional programs are offered through the following academic units:

tudent life

Traditions

:"See also: Pitt football traditions"

Annual Bonfire and Pep Rally hosted by the Pitt Program Council is held prior to or during some football games. Held on the lawn of the Cathedral of Learning, it often involves the band, cheerleaders, football team, visiting dignitaries, and giveaways. [cite web
url= http://media.www.pittnews.com/media/storage/paper879/news/2002/09/06/News/Turning.Up.The.Heat-1796099.shtml
title= Turning up the heat
last=Miller |first=Alexis |authorlink= |coauthors=
date= 2002-09-06| year= 2002 | work= | publisher= The Pitt News
accessdate= 2008-05-01 ] cite web | url = http://web.archive.org/web/20060822113321/www.pitt.edu/AFShome/s/o/sorc/public/html/thepitt/traditions.htm | title = Internet Archive: The Panther Pitt: Pitt Traditions| date=2006-08-20 | accessdate = 2008-05-01 ]

Football Tunnel is a tradition where student organizations, carrying standards, form a tunnel for the football players to run through as the enter the football field from the locker room. Originally, this long standing tradition involved only Pitt fraternities and sororities. The tradition was briefly lost following the 1999 season when Pitt's football program transitioned from playing in Pitt Stadium to Three Rivers Stadium in 2000 followed by Heinz Field in 2001. The tradition was resurrected beginning with the 2008 football season. [ [http://pittsburghpanthers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/GDC_Events.html Upcoming events: Pitt Students - Make Your Heinz Field Standard/Claim Your Grill Night (Aug 27), Pittsburghpanthers.com; accessdate 2008-08-24] ]

Forbes Field Home Plate Slide is a tradition for good luck on midterm and finals in which students slide into or step on a former home plate from Forbes Field, where the Pittsburgh Pirates played for many seasons. The plate is on display inside Posvar Hall near its original location. [cite web
url= http://www.pitt.edu/commencement/visitors/campus_tour.pdf
title= Campus tour map
date= |year= |month= |format= PDF |work= |publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ] [cite web
url= http://books.google.com/books?id=VLU2z9ic3n0C&pg=PA6&lpg=PA6&dq=university+of+pittsburgh+forbes+home+plate+exams+good+luck&source=web&ots=tNmppZhIMl&sig=ljHnN3jqMThWLm2GPxefySZskX4
title= "University of Pittsburgh" ("Off the Record")
last= Cruttenden |first= Jamie
date= |year= |month= |pages= p. 6 |format= |work= |publisher= College Prowler
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ] [cite web
url= http://www.teenink.com/College/article.php?link=Past/2007/April/21186.xml
title= University of Pittsburgh
last= Copley | first= Chris M
date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= Teen Ink
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ] [cite web
url= http://www.chronicle.pitt.edu/media/pcc050221/BHMseries_EDEKE.html
title= “Edeke Has It!”
last= Wojcichowski | first= Leigh Ann
date= February 21, 2005 | work= Pitt Chronicle | publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

Homecoming, as in other universities, revolves around one home football game each year. Pitt's homecoming involves activities hosted by the Pitt Program Council highlighted by fireworks and a laser-light display between the William Pitt Union and the Cathedral of Learning. [cite video |title=Pitt Homecoming 2004 laser/fireworks............ part 4 of 4 |url = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n7TbrP1rfg | publisher = YouTube | location = Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | year2 = 2004 | accessdate = 2008-07-13] This is followed by Casino Night in the union, the football game, and a homecoming cruise on a Gateway Clipper Party Liner. [cite web
url= http://www.pitt.edu/homecoming.html
title= Homecoming 2007
date= 2007-09-29 | year= 2007 |publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-05-01 ] [cite web
url= http://media.www.pittnews.com/media/storage/paper879/news/2006/10/20/News/Homecoming.Events.Include.Fireworks.Lasers-2378818.shtml
title= Homecoming events include fireworks, lasers
last=Polantz |first=Katelyn |authorlink= |coauthors=
date= 2006-10-20| year= 2006 | work= | publisher= The Pitt News
accessdate= 2008-05-01 ]

Honors Convocation is a ceremony begun in 1977 that is typically held in late winter to present awards and recognition for academic and service achievements of the students, faculty, alumni, and staff throughout the schools and departments of the university. [cite web
url= http://www.pitt.edu/convocation/index.html
title= Honors Convocation
date= | year= 2007 |month= |work= |publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

Lantern Night is an annual ceremony, initiated in 1921 one of the University’s longest standing traditions. It is a formal induction for freshman women to university life and unites them as they begin their education at Pitt. Traditionally held on the evening before the first day of classes, the ceremony today takes place in Heinz Chapel. Part of the Lantern Night tradition is for a distinguished alumna to give the freshman address, while other distinguished alumnae are flame bearers who light the lanterns given to each freshman woman as a keepsake. [cite web
url= http://www.provost.pitt.edu/whistory/passage/passage.html#
title= Rites of Passage
author= |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors=
year= 2003 | work= The History of Women at Pitt | publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ] cite web
url= http://www.chronicle.pitt.edu/media/pcc020822/lanternpanther.html
title= Lantern, Panther Ceremonies Set for Sunday
last= Fogel | first= Jessica
date= |year= |month=
work= Pitt Campaign Chronicle | publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

Omicron Delta Kappa Walk is a stone walkway between the Cathedral of Learning and Heinz Memorial Chapel that contains the engraved names of Pitt's Omicron Delta Kappa Senior of the Year award winners. The walk is the only one of its kind in the country. [cite web
url= http://www.honorscollege.pitt.edu/news-events/news-archive/odk.html
title= Pitt Honors College Senior Greg Heller-LaBelle Named 2006 Omicron Delta Kappa Senior of the Year
date= March 16, 2006
work= University Honors College | publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

Panther Sendoff is an annual free reception typically held in Alumni Hall to congratulate each year's graduating class and wish them well. [cite web
url= http://www.alumni.pitt.edu/impact/trad-right.html
title= Student Traditions
date= |year= |month= |work= |publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

Rubbing the Panther Nose is another good luck tradition in which students rub the nose of the Millennium Panther outside the William Pitt Union prior to exams. [cite web
url= http://www.alumni.pitt.edu/traditions/#wish
title= Pitt Alumn Association: Traditions: When You Wish Upon a Panther
date= 2008-06-30 |publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-08-15 ]

University of Pittsburgh Annual Jazz Seminar and Concert is a fall lecture and concert series founded by Dr. Nathan Davis, professor in the Music Department, and University officials in 1970. Renowned jazz musicians, critics, and historians lead seminar sessions for students and others in the local jazz community. These sessions are free and open to the public and deal with topics ranging from entering the music business to practice techniques, composing, arranging, and individual instrument mastery. Previous musicians who have attending include Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Clarke, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, and Max Roach. [ cite web
url= http://www.pitt.edu/~pittjazz/seminar.html
title= University of Pittsburgh Jazz Seminar & Concert
author= |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors=
date= |year= |month= |work= Jazz at Pitt | publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

Varsity Walk is a walkway between the Cathedral of Learning and Heinz Memorial Chapel on which is carved the names of former Pitt athletes (each year since 1950) who have promoted the University through their athletic (Panther Award) or academic (Blue-Gold Award) achievements. [ cite web
url= http://pittsburghpanthers.cstv.com/trads/pitt-trads-walk.html
title= The Varsity Walk
date= |year= |month= | work= Traditions | publisher= PittsburghPanthers.com
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

Victory Lights is a tradition where golden flood lights illuminate the top of the Cathedral of Learning after every football victory. [cite web
url= http://media.www.pittnews.com/media/storage/paper879/news/2002/09/18/Opinions/Homecoming.Must.Be.Preserved-1796200.shtml
title= "Homecoming must be preserved" (editorial)
date= 9/18/02 |publisher= "The Pitt News"
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ] [ cite web
url= http://mac10.umc.pitt.edu/u/FMPro?-db=ustory&-format=d.html&-lay=a&-sortfield=issueid%3a%3aissuedate&-sortorder=descend&keywords=victory%20lights&-max=50&-recid=33344&-find=
title= "Secrets of the Cathedral: Starting at the top"
date= September 11, 2003 |work= University Times | publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

E-Week is a spring celebration organized by the Engineer Student Council for a week-long, fun-filled series of activities and competitions to demonstrate engineering skills and foster a spirit of camaraderie. Activities include games such as Monopoly, Ingenuity, Jeopardy, Assassins, and include a talent show, relay race, mini-Olympics, and blood drive. The festivities reach climax with a parade on Friday, a soapbox derby on Saturday, and the `e-ball finale` on Saturday evening. Each year, a unique theme is chosen. Each engineering department competes against the others, while some smaller departments join forces. [ cite web
url= http://media.www.pittnews.com/media/storage/paper879/news/2004/03/30/News/EWeeks.50th.Anniversary-1789965.shtml
title= E-Week's 50th Anniversary
last= Miller |first= Brenda
date= 3/30/04 |publisher= "The Pitt News"
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ] [ cite web
url= http://www.engr.pitt.edu/news/article_view.php?id=1649
title= Pitt's School of Engineering Holds 50th Annual E-Week March 18–26: Pittopoly, Duct Tape Challenge, and Soap Box Derby part of this year's festivities
date= March 19, 2004
publisher= Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

Greek Week Greek Week is a year long initive for the Greek organizations on campus to raise money for different charitable organizations through different events. The two biggest events each year are the Pitt Dance Marthon and Greek Sing. The Pitt Greeks have signed a contract with the Hilman Cancer Research Center to raise $500,000 over the next five years. [ cite web
url= http://www.gogreek.pitt.edu/publications.html
title= Panther Greeks
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

tudent Programs

Bigelow Bash is a spring festival held by the Pitt Program Council between the William Pitt Union and the Cathedral of Learning, involving a range of activities, novelties, and bands.

Fall Fest is a fall festival held by the Pitt Program Council between the William Pitt Union and the Cathedral of Learning, also involving a range of activities, novelties, and bands.

Pitt Arts is a program founded by the University in 1997 to encourage students to explore and connect to the art and cultural opportunities of the City of Pittsburgh via three programs. "Art Encounters" provides trips to arts events for undergrads that include free tickets, transportation, a catered reception, and encounters with international artists and thinkers. "Free Visits" grants undergrad and grad students free admission using their Pitt IDs to the Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Senator John Heinz History Center, Phipps Conservatory, Mattress Factory, and the Andy Warhol Museum. "Cheap Seats" is a program that everyone at Pitt can use to take advantage of deeply-discounted tickets to the most sought-after arts events in the area, including the Pittsburgh ballet, opera, symphony, theater, concerts, and other cultural district activities. [ cite web
url= http://www.pitt.edu/~pittarts/
title= PITT ARTS
date= 4/9/08 |publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ] [ cite web
url= http://www.news.pitt.edu/m/FMPro?-db=ma&-lay=a&-format=d.html&id=3327&-Find
title= PITT ARTS Reaches More Than 32,000 Participants This Year
date= April 24, 2008 | work= News From Pitt | publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

tudent Organizations

Pitt Program Council is the all-campus programming organization at theUniversity of Pittsburgh. Comprising eight student committees: Advertising, Arts, Lecture, Leisure Learning, Public Relations, Recreation, Special Events, and Travel, Pitt Program Council offers an unlimited varietyof programs and ways to get involved. Each committee is headed by a student Director, and committee members plan and execute dozens of events each semester, such as Fall Fest and Bigelow Bash, Homecoming Laser and FireworksShow, trips to New York City, Cedar Point, and spring break in Panama City Beach, FL, art gallery exhibits, films, horseback riding, sports tournaments, lectures, fitness and dance classes, and Black and White Ball. All planning committees are open to student involvement at any time. [ cite web
url= http://www.pitt.edu/~ppc
title= Pitt Program Council
date= |year= |month= | publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GPSA) is the student government that represents the interests of all graduate and professional student at the University of Pittsburgh and serves as the umbrella organization for all of the graduate/professional school student governments. GPSA's mission is to act as the voice of our constituents and to actively ensure that the concerns of these students are heard.

GPSA includes both the GPSA Assembly and Assembly Groups. As the chief governing body of GPSA, the Assembly is composed of the four executive officers as well as representatives from each school's student governments. The Groups are organizations designed to represent specific needs of university students across different schools. GPSA funds come from the student activity fee. Examples of programs and services GPSA provides include the following: Annual funding to each graduate school's student government (in addition to supplemental funds for which any student groups may apply); travel grants to students presenting at conferences;free legal and financial consulting services (in conjunction with the undergraduate Student Government Board); sponsorship of additional activities ranging from social functions to academic workshops; representation on university-wide committees such as Provost's Advisory Committees, University Senate Standing Committees, and others; and free mentorship services for undergraduate students interested in applying to grad school. [ cite web
url= http://www.pittgpsa.org
title= University of Pittsburgh Graduate and Professional Student Association
date= |year= |month= | publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

Student Government Board (SGB) is the governing body that provides undergraduate students with representation as a student voice to University administration. The SGB represents the needs, interests, and concerns of all Pitt students. Another important aspect of the SGB is allocation of the student activities fee, which provides money to over 350 student organizations at the University of Pittsburgh.

The board is comprised of one President and eight Board Members, all elected by the student body. The SGB also has ten standing committees who address various aspects of campus life, including diversity, freshman involvement, and governmental relations. [ cite web
url= http://www.pitt.edu/~sgb
title= University of Pittsburgh Student Government Board
date= |year= |month= | publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-07-28 ]

Blue and Gold Society, founded in 1991, is a group of undergraduate student leaders chosen as liaisons between the student community and the Pitt Alumni Association. [ cite web
url= http://www.pitt.edu/~bluegold/
title= Blue and Gold Society
date= 1/23/06 |publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

Pitt Pathfinders is a student-run organization that hosts campus tours, assists prospective students in making well-informed college-related decisions, and promotes Pitt pride. [ cite web
url= http://www.pathfinders.pitt.edu/default.html
title= Pitt Pathfinders
publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

Quo Vadis is a student organization that conducts guided tours and interpretations of the Cathedral of Learning's 27 Nationality Rooms. [ cite web
url= http://www.sorc.pitt.edu/orgSearch.asp?ID=183&search=type&orgTypePick=7
title= Quo Vadis
publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

Telefact is an informational telephone service run by students that researches and answers callers' questions. The service is free to use and can be reached at 412-624-FACT.

University of Pittsburgh Mock Trial is a year long extracurricular activity open to Pitt undergraduates that provides an opportunity to learn about the practice of litigation through a series of team-based mock trial competitions. Pitt Mock Trial has qualified for American Mock Trial Association post-season tournaments each of the last six years, finishing in the fifth overall place at the 2008 National Championship Tournament. [ cite web
url= http://www.pittmocktrial.org/Site/Welcome.html
title= University of Pittsburgh Mock Trial
date= 4.6.2008 |publisher=
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ] [ cite web
url= http://www.news.pitt.edu/m/FMPro?-db=ma&-lay=a&-format=d.html&id=3323&-Find
title= Pitt Honors College Mock Trial Team Places Fifth in American Mock Trial Association National Competition
date= April 23, 2008 | work= News From Pitt | publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

William Pitt Debating Union is a co-curricular program and hub for a wide range of debating activities, including intercollegiate policy debate, public debate, and debate outreach. 1981 National Debate Tournament champions, [cite web | url = http://groups.wfu.edu/NDT/Results/NDT%20results%201977-1986%20(31-40).pdf | title = Results from Previous National Debate Tournament, 1977-1986 | accessdate = 2008-02-28 ] it has qualified for the National Debate Tournament forty times [cite web | url = http://groups.wfu.edu/NDT/HistoricalLists/particip.html | title = National Debate Tournament Participating Schools, 1947–2006 | publisher= Wake Forest University | accessdate = 2008-02-28 ] and is one of the oldest organizations of its kind in the nation, growing from the University’s Division of Public Speaking in 1912. [ cite web
url= http://www.comm.pitt.edu/debate/index.html
title= William Pitt Debating Union
date= 4/2/08 |publisher= Department of Communication, Univ. of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

tudent theater

* University of Pittsburgh Repertory Theatre, or Pitt Rep, is the production company of the Department of Theatre Arts which puts public student performances of classic masterpieces revivals, cutting-edge contemporary productions, and student-directed labs. It also runs the Shakespeare-in-the-Schools which tours classic theater for K-12 students throughout the Pittsburgh area. [ cite web
url= http://www.play.pitt.edu/
title= University of Pittsburgh Department of Theatre Arts
accessdate= 2008-06-08 ]
* Friday Nite Improvs, Pittsburgh's longest-running theatre show, was started in 1989 by graduate theatre students. It takes place weekly inside the Cathedral of Learning's studio theatre.
* Kuntu Repertory Theatre, founded in 1974, is the second-oldest African American performing arts organization affiliated with a major research university. It promotes and encourages participation in theater arts centered on the African heritage and experience. [ cite web
url= http://www.kuntu.org/
title= Kuntu Repertory Theatre
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]
* The Redeye Theatre Project is a festival of one-act plays cast, written, and rehearsed in 24 hours. [ cite web
url= http://www.pitt.edu/~sorc/rtp
title= Redeye Theatre Project
date= 17 february 2008 |publisher=
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

tudent Music

*Heinz Chapel Choir is an accomplished and well-known "a cappella" choir consisting entirely of Pitt students that has been performing for over 65 years. [ cite web
url= http://www.pitt.edu/~heinzcc/index.html
title= Heinz Chapel Choir
publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

*Pitt Men's Glee Club, founded in 1890, is the oldest extracurricular club on campus. The club includes both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as staff members from throughout the University. Traditionally, the Glee Club has sung for a variety of campus-wide and community functions, including graduations, receptions, alumni gatherings, sporting events, and chancellor's events. [ cite web
url= http://www.pittmensgleeclub.org/
title= Pitt Men's Glee Club
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

*University of Pittsburgh Women's Choral Ensemble, founded in 1927, is open to all women of the University including undergraduates, graduate students, and staff. The ensemble leads the traditional lamplighter processional each fall and performs repertory ranging from traditional sacred and secular classics to international folk songs, popular music, and show tunes. [ cite web
url= http://www.music.pitt.edu/performance/womensChoral.html
title= Department of Music: Women's Choral Ensemble
publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-06-08]

*University of Pittsburgh Orchestra performs several concerts and consists of music students, students from the University at large, faculty, staff, and members of the metropolitan community. The orchestra performs not only works of the standard art music literature, but also new works of student composers. [ cite web
url= http://www.music.pitt.edu/performance/orchestra.html
title= Department of Music: The University Orchestra
publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-06-08]

*Pitt Jazz Ensemble, founded in 1969, has been recognized internationally as one of the best collegiate jazz groups. Under the direction of Dr. Davis, the ensemble has performed around the world. [ cite web
url= http://www.pitt.edu/~pittjazz/ensemble.html
title= Pittsburgh Jazz Ensemble
work= Jazz at Pitt | publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

*Pitt African Music and Dance Ensemble, founded in 1983 by a Ghanaian ethnomusicologist Dr. Willie O. Anku, specializes in music and dances from Africa. Under the direction of J. S. Kofi Gbolonyo, it presents a complete African artistic expression including music, dance, drama and visual arts. [ cite web
url= http://www.music.pitt.edu/performance/africanDrumming.html
title= Department of Music: African Music and dance
publisher= University of Pittsburgh
accessdate= 2008-06-08 ]

*Pitt Band, founded in 1911, is the varsity marching band of the University of Pittsburgh and performs at various athletic and other University events.

tudent Media

* WPTS-FM is a non-commercial radio station owned by the University of Pittsburgh, and offers a mix of student-run programming. The station operates at 92.1 MHz with an ERP of 16 watts, and is licensed to Pittsburgh. The station's [http://wpts.org web site] allows visitors to listen online.
* "JURIST" is the world's only law-school-based, comprehensive, legal news and research service staffed by a mostly-volunteer team of part-time law student reporters, editors and Web developers. It is led by law professor Bernard Hibbitts at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
* "The Pitt News" is an independent, student-written, and student-managed newspaper for the University's Oakland (main) campus. Founded in 1908, it is now published Monday through Friday during the school year and Wednesdays during the summer. It circulates 14,000 copies for each issue published.
* UPTV (University of Pittsburgh Television) is a student-managed, student-produced, closed-circuit television station. As of June 2006, only students living in campus dormitories can receive the broadcast.
* "Three Rivers Review" and "Collision" are two undergraduate, bi-annual, literary journals publishing both poetry and prose.
* "The Pittsburgh Undergraduate Review" is a multidisciplinary journal showcasing undergraduate research.
* "Pitt Political Review" is a student-created, student-written publication of the University Honors College. PPR, as it is called, provides a venue for serious discussion of politics and policy issues in a nonpartisan way.

Greek Life

In 2005 the University of Pittsburgh Greek system raised a total of $119,000, and $101,000 in 2006 for the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. This is part of the Pittsburgh Greek system's 5-year pledge to raise $500,000 for the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. [cite web
url= http://www.gogreek.pitt.edu/awards.html
title= Panther Greek Awards
accessdate= 2008-04-29 ]

Regional campuses

Regional campuses offer Master's, Bachelor's, and Associate's degrees at four locations in Western Pennsylvania. They also allow students to take preliminary courses and relocate to other regional campuses or the Oakland campus to complete their degrees. They offer several degrees and certificates:
* University of Pittsburgh at Bradford - Master's, Bachelor's, Associate's and Certificate
* University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg - Bachelor's and Certificate
* University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown - Bachelor's and Certificate
* University of Pittsburgh at Titusville - Bachelor's in Business Management and Arts in Human Relations, Associate's and Certificate

References and notes

Pittsburgh Campus Gallery

External links

* [http://www.pitt.edu/ University of Pittsburgh official website]
* [http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/ Pittsburgh Panthers intercollegiate athletics official website] Further reading:
* [http://digital.library.pitt.edu/d/documentingpitt/ Documenting Pitt – digital University archive]
* [http://www.pitt.edu/publications.html List of University and student publications]