SGB discusses upcoming election season, resolution for staff union 

President Ryan Young began the Student Government Board meeting on Jan. 30 by introducing the upcoming SGB ‘24-’25 election season.

Elections Chair Abby Lowe elaborated on the election process by showing the current list of SGB candidates that can be found on the SGB website. 

“We have one president and eight board members so far, which is the number we need. That being said, if people are still interested in running and you are eligible, do so,” Lowe said. 

Lowe said late candidacy applications are being held until Feb. 13, where applicants can go to the SGB website, fill out the initial application packet and gain signatures to run, in addition to attending election events. 

“We have a lot of election events,” Lowe said. “On Thursday is a ‘meet the candidates,’ where the candidates will talk about themselves in room 549 of the WPU at 8 pm.” 

Sarah Siddiqui, vice president of initiatives, opened her report by commending Board Member Matt Jurich on his work to make election day classes asynchronous, with the exception of labs. 

“It’s something I’m very hopeful will come to fruition next academic year, which is very exciting,” Siddiqui said. 

Siddiqui also introduced the judicial position vacancy. 

“We will be selecting a member soon and will be sure to stay updated on the process,” Siddiqui said. 

Vice President of Initiatives Katie Fitzpatrick discussed the use of testing accommodations among students, Title IX and about meeting with advocates to lobby for disability access.

“A news article came out a few days ago on the increased use of the testing center and accommodations on campus,” Fitzpatrick said. “If you’re having issues getting space to take your exams, please contact your professor to identify the best ways to implement accommodations.” 

Additionally, Board Member Katie Emmert is working with other SGB members to plan a town hall on food accessibility. 

“The goal is to prove to the administration the urgency for a full-service supermarket, and we also want to highlight what organizations on campus are providing food for students,” Emmert said. 

Board Member Braydan Issermoyer introduced the gen-ed kickoff held on Jan. 29, which will begin a three-year process of restructuring the Uuniversity’s general education requirement. 

“The goal is to bring us in line with what learning outcomes really should be for general education requirements,” Issermoyer said. “We also want to align different schools and campuses into one more streamlined general education curriculum to allow for easier transportability between school majors, community college students and transfers. 

Issermoyer said he’s also part of the newly formed academic integrity policy committee, which is focused on reviewing the University’s academic integrity policies, especially with an emphasis on AI and the use of AI-generated courses. 

“That will be starting in the next two weeks, and I am very excited about that,” Issermoyer said.

Jurich introduced a resolution titled “Student Support for a Fair Staff Union Election,” which declares support for a fair staff union election and calls on the University to honor staff demands.

“The Student Government Board previously stated that it believes the University engaged in union-busting tactics to drain the morale of organizers and subvert the will of workers at Pitt to prevent unionization,” Jurich said. 

SGB concluded the meeting by calling on the University to cease efforts on what they call union busting, with the University allegedly holding anti-union meetings and denying the right to unionize, and for the University to cooperate with the staff union and for Pitt to bargain in good faith. 

Jurich said SGB firmly believes that Pitt staff are a pillar of the campus community and deserve representation in the decision-making process, higher quality labor conditions, livable wages and job security. 

“We believe that a staff union is in the interest of students, as unionization also provides a better work environment and therefore a better and more resilient University community,” Jurich said. “Let it be further resolved that we believe there is no evidence to support the idea that increasing staff salaries increases student tuition.” 

Allocations 

Autistic Student Union requested $5,609.30 to bring in an autistic comedian, AJ Wilkerson. The board approved this request in full. 

First Class Bhangra requested $3,000 for costumes in a performance. The board approved this request in full.

The Vietnamese Student Association requested funding for a speaker event. The board amended and approved the amount of $8,000. 

The Latin Student Association requested funding for a coming-of-age ceremony being held at the end of the semester. The board amended and approved $8,105. 

The Brazilian Student Association requested $3,110.04 for decor for their Brazilian festival. The board approved this request in full. 

Men’s ultimate frisbee requested $2,039.89 for transportation to a competition in Florida. The board approved this request in full.