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Student Services
Housing
On-campus Housing. There is no residence hall on campus for graduate students during the Fall or Spring Terms. Accommodations are available, however, in the Summer Term. Rates are available upon request from the University Housing Office, which is listed below. Most rooms will be single occupancy and share bathroom facilities with several other students. Cooking facilities are not provided and a meal plan is required for all on-campus living. For general information about on-campus housing, see the Web site at www.pitt.edu/~housing/index.html.
Off-campus Housing. Limited housing is available for graduate students in University-owned apartment buildings. Buildings include Ruskin Hall, Oakland Apartments, Centre Plaza, and College Gardens. For more information, contact the Office of Property Management listed below. Apartments are leased for 12 months at market rates on a first-come-first-served basis. All units include kitchens. For more information about University-owned apartments, check the Web site at www.pitt.edu/~property/pm.html.
This is the primary University service for graduate students seeking housing assistance. It maintains lists of apartments-inspected by the City of Pittsburgh-in the University area for student, staff, and faculty rental. The center also offers a roommate matching service and subletting service to support the University of Pittsburgh community. Maps of the area, free Internet and local Pittsburgh telephone service, bus schedules, landlord-tenant mediation, apartment leasing information, real estate classified listings, rental guides, apartment directories, and the Student Housing Guide are all available at the center and on its Web site at www.pitt.edu/~property/hrc.html.
Unlike many large cities, Pittsburgh has a number of pleasant residential neighborhoods with both private homes that have been converted to apartments and traditional apartment buildings. Many graduate students live in Oakland, where the University is located, or in the surrounding communities of Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Bloomfield, East Liberty, Greenfield, or Highland Park. All of these areas are within walking or easy commuting distance of the campus. Bus transportation is widely available and reliable in Pittsburgh and free to registered students with a Pitt I.D.
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University Housing Office |
Property Management |
Housing Resource Center |
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Litchfield Towers Main Lobby |
Ruskin Hall |
Ruskin Hall |
The Student Health Service, located in Suite 500, Medical Arts Building, 3708 Fifth Avenue, provides Pittsburgh campus students with outpatient health care. Services provided include general medicine, allergy injections, dermatology, psychiatry, orthopedics, sexually transmitted disease counseling, and an on-site pharmacy. Health educators provide programs and information that emphasize preventive approaches toward health care. Contraceptive education and gynecology services also are offered for students seeking education, counseling, and medical services. Note: All services are provided at Suite 500.
All full-time students are assessed a health fee for services on their invoice. Part-time students may elect to purchase the health fee by term or session. All others may pay a fee-for-service at the time of the visit. The health fee covers most services offered by the Student Health Service. There are additional charges for certain elective procedures and medication. Students are encouraged to acquire hospitalization insurance for emergency and inpatient medical care.
Appointments are necessary for most services; however, same-day appointments for urgent problems are usually available from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday during Fall and Spring Terms. Hours may vary during Summer Term and Summer Sessions. The Student Health Service is closed on weekends and major holidays.
Health Insurance
Teaching Assistants, Teaching Fellows, Graduate Student Assistants, and Graduate Student Researchers with eligible academic appointments may enroll in a health insurance plan offered by Highmark SelectBlue (98/99). The University will cover the cost of individual coverage. Coverage is available for eligible spouses and dependents by paying the difference between the Individual and the Spouse/ Dependent Options through a monthly payroll deduction. In addition, Teaching Assistants, Teaching Fellows, Graduate Student Assistants, and Graduate Student Researchers with eligible academic appointments may elect dental or a combined dental/vision plan if they elect the available SelectBlue coverage. The University does not cover any of the costs of the dental or dental/vision plan; payments are made through payroll deduction.
Students supported by fellowships and traineeships may be eligible to purchase Highmark SelectBlue membership by paying the full cost of the coverage through a monthly payroll deduction. Information about this payroll deduction plan can be obtained in the Office of Human Resources, 200B Craig Hall, (412) 624-7000. More information on these plans is available on-line at http://www.hr.pitt.edu. (National Science Fellows are reimbursed for Individual coverage if they choose to enroll in the Highmark SelectBlue plan.)
Direct pay medical insurance plans are available to students through various health care providers. The available plans are designed to provide insurance benefits for services not offered at the Student Health Service as well as hospitalization and emergency care. Applications and product information are available at the Student Health Service, Suite 500, Medical Arts Building, 3708 Fifth Avenue, (412) 383-1800.
The hospitals of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center are adjacent to the Pittsburgh campus. Emergency health problems are 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.
Center for Instructional Development and Distance Education (CIDDE)
Teaching Assistant Services in the Center for Instructional Development and Distance Education provides instructional support for graduate students from the first day of class through the job search. New TA Orientation occurs in August and January, followed by a semester-long University Teaching Practicum (FACDEV 2200). The Teaching at Pitt handbook provides practical information on teaching and University policies; various teaching handbooks can be checked out from the Resource Room. Free and confidential consulting is available for enhancing one's teaching as well as for editing instructional materials to be submitted with job applications. Phone 624-6671 or visit our Web site at http://www.pitt.edu/~ciddeweb/FACULTY-DEVELOPMENT/.
The University Child Development Center, located at 635 Clyde Street, serves faculty, staff and students of the University by providing quality early childhood education/child care for children ranging in age from six weeks through six years. The program is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Parents use the program according to their work/study schedules. There is a full-day kindergarten available. A summer school-age program serves children from six through twelve years of age.
The program is staffed with professionals who design and implement plans based on their knowledge of early childhood education and development, and on the strengths each child has exhibited, as well as their individual learning styles. Children interact with the professionals and each other in a mutually respectful environment.
For information, fee schedules, application procedures, and other information, call the University Child Development Center at (412) 383-2100.
The Center, located in the William Pitt Union, is a free, confidential service for all graduate and undergraduate students.
Psychological Services. Counseling psychologists and social workers 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. Consulting psychiatrists are also available. Appointments can be made at 334 William Pitt Union or by calling (412) 648-7930.
Career Development Program. Counselors and a Career Resource Center provide comprehensive planning help, including individual and group career counseling and career testing. This program is also located in 334 William Pitt Union; phone (412) 648-7930.
Sexual Assault Services. These services include counseling as well as medical, legal, and police advocacy for survivors of sexual exploitation. There is also a volunteer, co-ed, peer education program whose purpose is to create an awareness of the dynamics of sexual assault on the University of Pittsburgh Campus. The office is located in 926 William Pitt Union; phone (412) 648-7856.
The Learning Skills Center offers group and individual assistance for improving reading, math, and study skills. Groups and workshops are scheduled at a variety of times throughout the semester and individual sessions can be arranged by appointment. All services are free and open to University of Pittsburgh students, faculty, and staff. For further information, call (412) 648-7920 or come to the LSC located in 311 William Pitt Union. Visit our Web site at http://www.lsc.pitt.edu/ for more detailed information.
Office of International Services
The Office of International Services offers credential evaluation for education records of education outside the United States, advice for foreign students and scholars on a variety of federal regulations, personal counseling, orientation, and programming assistance for foreign student organizations. The office also assists departments in bringing foreign faculty and researchers to the University.
The Office of International Services is located on the 7th floor of the William Pitt Union. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. International I.D. cards are available, as is information on the international dimensions of the University. Phone: (412) 624-7120.
Student Organization Resource Center: "The SORC"
Referred to as the SORC (pronounced Source), the office provides support services for student organizations. It administers the certification of student organizations which permits them to officially operate on campus, and houses the student activities business office which administers all activity fees assigned to SGB, CGS, and GPSA. The SORC offers fax, mail, notary, and copy services for undergraduate organizations and computer accounts for all groups. Assistance is available for recruitment, programming, officer training, and organization development. The SORC also offers an emergency student loan service center. The SORC is located in 119 William Pitt Union; phone (412) 624- 7115; Web site, http://www.pitt.edu/~sorc.
University Student Judicial System
The coordinator and staff of the Office of Judicial Affairs are responsible for the operation of an internal system of judicial bodies that adjudicate complaints or grievances initiated through the Student Code of Conduct. Information may be obtained in 738 William Pitt Union, or by calling (412) 648- 7918.
Through an on-campus recruitment program, referrals, and position announcements, the Placement and Career Services office helps students establish contact with employers in the fields of business, government, industry, private research, and education. A credential service maintains files of credentials including letters of recommendation that are sent, at the request of the student, to prospective employers. Special assistance and support are provided for FAS graduate candidates seeking positions in college and university teaching. The service also offers a student employment function where students may obtain temporary or part-time jobs on and off campus. Information can be obtained in 224 William Pitt Union, or by calling (412) 648-7130, or through the Web site at http://www.placement.pitt.edu.
Office of Measurement and Evaluation of Teaching
A consulting service is available without charge to assist students with questions related to the area of research design, measurement, and statistical analysis. A library of standardized tests is available. An appointment is required, and calls should be made as much in advance as possible due to heavy demand for services. The office is located in G-33 Cathedral of Learning; phone (412) 624-6440.
The staff of this office assists veterans, war orphans, and veterans' dependents in the obtaining and use of their VA educational benefits. In addition to these services, the office implements the VA work study program. The staff serves as the veterans' representative with the University, the Veterans Administration, and related agencies. Contact may be made in G-3 Thackeray Hall, or by calling (412) 648-7885.
Office of Disability Resources and Services
The Office of Disability Resources and Services (DRS) provides a broad range of services and resources to assist students with disabilities such as visual impairments, auditory impairments, mobility impairments, and hidden disabilities (learning disabilities, AD(H)D, psychological disabilities). Services include, but are not limited to, tape recorded textbooks, sign language interpreters, adaptive computer technology, braille copy, adapted testing, and personal counseling. DRS can also assist students with accessible on-campus housing and transportation. Students interested in registering for services should contact DRS to schedule an appointment. Be prepared, if requested, to provide appropriate documentation of the disability. The office is located in 216 William Pitt Union. For more information or to set up an appointment, please contact (412) 648-7890 (voice) or (412) 383-7355 (TTY).
The Office of Affirmative Action is part of the Office of the Chancellor, and the Director of Affirmative Action also serves as an assistant to the Chancellor. This office is both an administrative and a service center for the University community. The Office of Affirmative Action facilitates the development and implementation of equal opportunity policies for the University, participates in a variety of training events, provides service in internal grievance procedures, cooperates with all other administrative and executive offices in monitoring recruitment and hiring procedures, monitors progress in implementing affirmative action programs and realizing affirmative action goals, prepares institutional and governmental reports, conducts studies and undertakes research projects, serves as a resource center and library on affirmative action and related topics, and serves as a link between the University and other institutions or agencies with related concerns across the nation. The staff is always available to answer inquiries or provide information. However, appointments are recommended for visitors. The office is located in 901 William Pitt Union; phone (412) 648-7860.
Graduate Student Organizations
Faculty of Arts and Sciences-Graduate Student Organization (FAS-GSO) officially represents all graduate students in FAS. Its primary objective is to identify academic, social, and economic problems of graduate students at the University of Pittsburgh, and to resolve them through discussion and collective action. Through representatives on various University councils, FAS-GSO participates in decisions on such matters as reviewing new and existing graduate programs, the grading system, academic and extracurricular programs of the University, policy governing Teaching Assistants and Fellows, improvement in on- and off-campus student living conditions, academic integrity, and student fees. The FAS-GSO has two main functions: communication and funding student activities.
The FAS-GSO provides a forum for graduate students to voice concerns to students in other FAS departments and to the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research and other members of the University administration. The FAS-GSO informs graduate students about potential policy changes, upcoming events, and services available to FAS students.
The FAS-GSO receives funds from the Student Activities Office; these funds are part of the student activity fees. Most of these funds are distributed to departmental graduate student organizations in proportion to the graduate registration in the department. The FAS-GSO also receives funds from the FAS Dean's Office for a Graduate Student Assistant who maintains the FAS-GSO office, which is located in 910 Cathedral of Learning.
All graduate students enrolled in departments of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences are members of the FAS-GSO. A council, composed of one delegate from each department, meets regularly and is the legislative body of FAS-GSO. At a well-publicized meeting, the council annually elects officers of FAS-GSO and representatives to the FAS Council, FAS Graduate Council, University Council on Graduate Study, University Senate Council, Graduate and Professional Student Association, and to other committees.
For more information, call (412) 624-6698, E-mail fasgso+@pitt.edu, or see the FAS-GSO World Wide Web site at http://www.pitt.edu/~fasgso.
Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) is the official umbrella graduate and professional student organization at the University of Pittsburgh. The purpose of GPSA is to represent both the academic and non-academic interests of all graduate and professional students, and to provide student-initiated and student-controlled services. GPSA is not intended to supplant graduate student organizations in departments or schools, but rather to coordinate joint efforts, promote communications among the schools, and provide a unified voice of graduate students to the University community. In recent years, the GPSA has offered a number of services to graduate and professional students, including Carnegie Museum passes, travel funding, and free appointments with a lawyer. For more information, see the GPSA Web site at http://www.pitt.edu/~gpsa2, E-mail gpsa2+@pitt.edu, or call (412) 648-7844.
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