The School of Dental Medicine is concerned with the total development of each student. Although the curriculum provides for each student's professional development, the Office of Student Services coordinates a number of programs to aid in personal and professional growth.
Career Development
To aid students in making career decisions, a Career Corner has been established in the Learning Resource Center where a student can examine materials about possible career options. Information is available on numerous graduate and specialty education programs, private practice opportunities, and research/teaching careers.
Libraries
The University of Pittsburgh libraries maintain collections totaling 3,627,100 volumes. The main undergraduate and research collections for the humanities and social sciences are housed at the Hillman Library in Oakland.
Hillman Library. Most of the general service departments, such as Reference and Lending Services, Government Documents, Maps, and the Reserve Collection are located on the ground floor. The library is a depository for U.S. Government publications and Pennsylvania documents. The Government Documents collection also includes most of the publications of the United Nations and associated international agencies. Additionally, access is provided to hundreds of on-line and CD- ROM databases in the database searching area.
The Interlibrary Loan Services are located at G-27 Hillman Library. The University's policies are based on the Interlibrary Loan Code approved by the American Library Association. The University is a member of the Center for Research Libraries, which makes available uncommon materials on many subjects. PittCat PLUS provides access to a catalog of these holdings, and patrons may borrow materials via Interlibrary Loan.
The first floor houses the African-American Library; the Alldred Browsing Room that contains a collection designed to serve the extracurricular reading interests of the entire University community; the Stark Listening Center with recordings and tapes of the spoken word and selected music; the Buhl Library of Social Work; as well as a CIS computer lab.
The second floor includes the microtext facilities. The East Asian Library, which supports chiefly the area studies on China and Japan, is also on the second floor.
The third and fourth floors contain the major research collections in the social sciences and humanities. Carrels are provided for graduate students and may be reserved each term at the ground floor lending desk. The Special Collections Department and Archival Services Center are also located on the third floor.
Other Libraries
In addition to Hillman Library, departmental and associated libraries at the University serve the various professional schools and their departments. The Allegheny Observatory Library concentrates on astronomy and astrometry;it contains an outstanding collection of star photographs. The Chemistry/Computer Science Library in Alumni Hall reflects the research interests of those departments. The Darlington Memorial Library is largely devoted to the Colonial period in America through the Revolution and the War of 1812, with emphasis on Western Pennsylvania. The Henry Clay Frick Fine Arts Library collections in art, architecture, and sculpture support research in art history of particular interest are oriental books and replicas of scrolls and materials covering the Byzantine, early Christian, Medieval, and Renaissance periods. The Langley Library of Neuroscience, Biological Sciences, and Psychology serves the research needs of those departments. The Mathematics Library is primarily a graduate study and research collection for advanced mathematics. The Theodore M. Finney Music Library is a research facility containing reference works, printed music, manuscripts, periodicals, microfilm, and recordings. The Physics Library contains books and journals in physics, astrophysics, and earth and planetary sciences.
The Health Sciences Library System supports the programs within the medical school. Also, the following professional schools and groups maintain libraries: Engineering, Business, Library and Information Sciences, Public and International Affairs/Economics, and Law.
Other Pittsburgh area libraries open to scholars for specialized study include those maintained by the Allegheny County (Law), Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, Mellon Institute, and the U.S. Bureau of Mines.
Learning Resource Center
The Learning Resource Center is a multi-use facility that is available for student and faculty use during normal operating hours as well as extended hours in the evening and selected weekends. The center houses study aids and reference material for classes and research. There are 16 study carrels equipped with audiovisual capabilities in addition to a separate quiet study area. There are 15 computer stations fully connected to a central file server with printing capabilities. The center also will be connected to the University's main network, which will allow access to Medline, E-mail, and Pitt Cat. There is a wide variety of audiovisual equipment, including a video camera for use in the classroom.
Student Health Service
The Student Health Service, located in the Medical Arts Building, provides Pittsburgh campus students with outpatient health care. Services provided include general medicine, allergy injections, dermatology, and an on-site pharmacy. Health educators provide programs and information that emphasize preventive approaches to health care. Family planning and gynecology services also are offered for students seeking education, counseling, and medical services.
All full-time students are assessed a health fee for services on their statement. Part-time students may elect to purchase the health fee during the add/drop period each term or session. All others may pay a fee-for-service at the time of the visit. The fee covers all services offered by the Student Health Service except certain elective procedures, injuries, and medication. Students are encouraged to acquire hospitalization insurance for emergency and inpatient medical care.
Appointments are necessary for most services; however, walk-in services are available from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Monday through Friday during Fall and Spring Terms. Hours may vary during Summer Term and Summer Sessions, and the Health Service is closed on weekends and major holidays.
Health Insurance
A medical insurance plan is available to all students and is designed to provide back-up benefits for some of the services not offered at the Student Health Service. Although this coverage is provided by an independent firm, applications and claim forms are available at the Student Health Service, Medical Arts Building, Suite 500, 3708 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213,(412) 383- 1800. Teaching assistants, teaching fellows, and graduate student assistants are eligible to enroll in a Blue Cross/Blue Shield/Major Medical graduate student health insurance plan. The University will cover the cost of individual membership. Family coverage is available by paying the difference between the individual and family options through a monthly payroll deduction. Students supported by fellowships and traineeships may be eligible to purchase membership by paying the full cost of the coverage through a monthly deduction. Information about this payroll deduction plan is available in the Office of Human Resources, 200 Craig Hall, (412) 624-7000.
Other Health Facilities
The hospitals of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center are adjacent to the Pittsburgh campus. Emergency health problems can be treated in their emergency rooms, and excellent medical and surgical care is available for serious illnesses.
The Dental Clinic of the School of Dental Medicine, located on the first floor of Salk Hall, provides comprehensive dental care at reasonable rates.
The psychological counseling services offered by the University Counseling and Student Development Center are described in a later section. The Clinical Psychology Center, sixth floor of Old Engineering Hall, offers a number of services, including individual counseling of limited duration designed to help with problems or concerns that might require professional assistance.
University Counseling and Student Development Center
The center in the William Pitt Union offers the following professional services without charge:
Career Development Program. Career counselors and a career resource center provide comprehensive planning help, including individual and group career counseling, career seminars, and career testing. (412) 648-7930.
Learning Skills Center. The Learning Skills Center offers both individual and group help to students wishing to improve their reading, mathematics, or other study skills. Workshops are conveniently scheduled at various times; individual sessions in all areas are available upon request. All services are free and open to Pitt students, faculty, and staff. (412) 648-7920.
Psychological Services. Counseling pychologists and consulting psychiatrists provide individual counseling for students, as well as group counseling focused on specific problem areas. Among the reasons people visit the Counseling Center are relationship problems, emotional or social difficulties, and concerns about academic progress or direction. (412) 648-7930
Office of International Services
The Office of International Services is located on the seventh floor of the William Pitt Union; office hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Office of International Service offers admissions advising, personal counseling, and programming for international students and visiting foreign faculty at the University. The office also is responsible for all matters relating to regulations of the Immigration and Naturalization Service concerning international students, research scholars, and faculty. International ID cards are available, as is information on the international dimensions ofthe University. (412) 624-7120
Housing
Following admission, students are sent a housing information packet. This packet contains lists of real estate agencies, housing accommodations, "renting tips," and a map of the campus. Also included is a housing survey. Every year a list of potential roommates will be sent to students to aid in finding a roommate. The Office of Student Services does not select, match, or contact participants and trusts that the services offered can be of help in searching for proper accommodations.
Property Management located at 237 Atwood Street, 2nd floor rear, is a Universitydepartment providing apartment type housing owned and maintained by theUniversity. Units are located near the campus or shuttle routes. Information on other apartments and services is available. Look for us on the WWW.
Property Management
P.O. Box 7287
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: (412) 683-1460
FAX: (412) 683-6973
WEB address:
http://www.pitt.edu/~property/pmhousing
Meals
Several varieties of meal plans are available through the University to accommodate
students' needs. For information on meal plans call 648-1116.
Student Records
In compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the University guarantees that students have the right to inspect all personally identifiable records maintained by the institution and may challenge the content and accuracy of those records through appropriate institutional procedures. It is further guaranteed by the University that student records containing personally identifiable information will not be released except as permitted by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
