Kristin Kanthak opened her first Faculty Assembly as Senate president by talking about the new class of first-years, the largest in Pitt’s history.

“Our new students are some of the best we’ve ever seen, and we will all need to step up our game to meet them where they already are,” Kanthak said.

Kanthak set the tone for her tenure as Senate president at the first Faculty Assembly of the fall semester Wednesday in Posvar Hall. The assembly also discussed, voted on and passed Use of Human Cadavers and Recognizable Human Body Parts Policy RI 12. 

Kanthak shared that her family began navigating a series of “health challenges” over the summer, making her especially grateful for Pitt and UPMC. She said the experience “will be central to [her] leadership philosophy and [her] vision for shared governance.”

“The University of Pittsburgh is not only our intellectual home, but it’s a place that can both literally and metaphorically save lives,” Kanthak said. “The work is important, and we need to protect it, and I’m grateful to have all of you as my collaborators in that work.”

Kanthak updated the assembly on the work of Senate committees in the rest of her report. Campus Utilization, Planning and Safety is leading a group of committees looking into issues surrounding gym and pool availability for faculty and students, and the Governmental Relations Committee is currently arranging meetings with legislators in both Harrisburg and Washington D.C.

The assembly then moved to discuss RI12, a proposed University policy about the use of human cadavers and recognizable human body parts. Brittany Conner, a policy specialist in the Office of Policy Development and Management, introduced RI12, which is open for public comment until Oct. 3.

The policy formalizes regulations around use, management and disposition of human cadavers and recognizable human body parts as a University-wide policy. Previously, it only applied to the Oakland campus and medical school, according to Conner. 

“As we went through this process, we recognized that there are cadaveric materials at the regional campuses and also in other health sciences schools,” Conner said. “Therefore, it was needed to be a University-wide policy.”

The policy also states the University’s commitment to ethical practice and treating human cadavers and recognizable human body parts with respect. Conner said policy makers intentionally used language meant to recognize the humanity of donors.

“When we consulted with the department of anthropology, they shared with us that the term specimen, while it does have a clearly defined term within medical and research realms, in layman’s terms, it has been conflated with a derogatory term,” Conner said. “Therefore, in this policy public meeting, we wanted to avoid that, but also to take the opportunity to emphasize the humanity of these donors and their remains.”

The policy does not apply to human remains managed or procured by the department of anthropology or biobanks. According to Conner, the policy could not be “clearly and cleanly” applied to the department of anthropology.

Members of the assembly offered feedback on the policy before Kanthak motioned for a vote. It passed with friendly amendments — 33 in favor, two against and five abstaining from the vote. Since it passed, the policy will go to the University Senate and then Chancellor Joan Gabel for approval.