Reviewing Pitt’s decision: Gallagher mysterious choice until further notice

Not long ago, a secretive chancellor selection committee announced Patrick D. Gallagher as its choice to succeed the current University of Pittsburgh chancellor, Mark A. Nordenberg. On Aug. 1, Gallagher will accept the position of chancellor and chief executive officer of Pitt, thereby stepping down from his current post at the U.S. Department of Commerce and as director of the National Institute of Science and Technology, which he was appointed to by President Barack Obama himself.

While the assembly mindlessly follows and greets any new leader who is graciously and unanimously bestowed upon it, my natural reaction is skepticism. It would be rude to throw about inquiries based on gut feeling, so instead, let us resort to reason.

In lieu of specialized dean hours, speeches of things yet to pass, petty meet and greets, dry jokes and void appeals to youth, it is important that we consider the rhetoric and previous experiences of the chancellor-elect and compare it to the academic, social and economic circumstances in which our University currently stands.

The secrecy of the aforementioned appointment panel is actually quite admirable. This allowed it to conduct an important decision free from unnecessary public interference. But now that the process is over, I believe the public, students and faculty should have full access to the minutes of every session the committee held and a list of names of the top choices of successors for our University.

The availability of this information will allow us, the public, to follow the method and thought stream that led to the placement of the chancellor-elect. It will act as a proof of why the Board of Trustees felt Gallagher was more capable than what, according to Bill Schackner of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, University officials say were “hundreds” of candidates.

Gallagher, through his recent appearances at Pitt gatherings, including a meet and greet in the William Pitt Union and a pregame introduction at a basketball game, has promised many things to students. 

In terms of tuition, Gallagher noted, “What you really need to ensure is the affordability of the college doesn’t affect access and education.”

This statement is almost hard to digest in light of his set salary of more than half a million dollars a year with “retention incentive payments of $100,000.”

Moreover, Pitt ranked first in an unfortunate category in 2013, the Department of Education Data listed Pitt as the most expensive public university in the country. The University Times reports that this year students were slapped with a whopping 3.25-percent increase in tuition, bringing the annual in-state total for full-time students to more than $16,000 and the out-of-state total to a whopping $26,000. 

Gallagher, in seemingly genuine good-heartedness, vowed to strengthen ties with various local Pittsburgh institutions, including our medical system. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, one of those entities, has long since been marred by controversy. It has been accused of a wide variety of misdeeds ranging from poor worker treatment to poverty wages and was criticized for its recent decision to close down one of its branches in an impoverished neighborhood only to open another in a wealthier area by groups representing UPMC employees.. 

In his acceptance speech, Gallagher said that he wanted to prioritize students. Conversely, through my eyes as a student who’s both employed by and attends Pitt, I see nothing but empty grandiloquence from a man who was elected CEO by a collection of individuals who, in and of themselves, do not fully represent the actual modern racial and socioeconomic diversity of our great school. Namely, these individuals, though some have direct academic experiences at Pitt, do not adequately represent the current student body and local community. Although their achievements have proved them worthy of their positions, there is no adequate representation of the student body and community, which is necessary to make a more cohesive decision.

So, until Gallagher proves otherwise, he does not have my full support. I support him inasmuch as his office holds due respect from students, but I refuse to give my full personal support to any man “just because.” This is especially true of someone of his position because his choices will affect our lives not only here at University of Pittsburgh, but after. 

Write Yusuf at cmd123@pitt.edu.