May 2021 Minutes

May Postdoc Council Digest
 
A summary of Senate committees and Postdoc Council deliberations relevant to postdocs at Pitt.
 
Bylaws & Procedures, Sushobhan
Continuing discussion on allowing part-time faculty to run for Senate executive positions. Questions surrounding eligibility and burden were discussed. Matter to be discussed further.
Proposal to create issue-based caucuses within the Senate.

Original proposal was to tie it to professional affiliations (e.g., school) but committee favors making it more informal.
Factors such as eligibility, membership, and structure to be discussed further.
Current proposal excludes postdocs and students from caucuses. UPPDA will work to have them included.

Committee will continue to meet over the summer. 

Budget Policies, Jenny
In Fall 2021 recruitment cycle, the proportion of under-represented minorities increased over previous years.
Continuing efforts to unify School- and Unit- specific Planning and Budgeting Committees under the Senate BPC with the goal of greater transparency and more effective advocacy on behalf of the PBCs at the Senate level. 

Tenure & Academic Freedom, Chloe
 
No meeting in the preceding period. 

Governmental Relations, Stephanie
 
Committee decided not to meet this year. 

Miscellaneous
 
Replacements for current postdoc representatives still need to be recruited; either Jenny or the next Advocacy chair will connect the new representatives with their predecessors.
The new UPPDA Advocacy chair will be debriefed on the past year of the Postdoc Council and will be able to decide how to continue during the next academic year.
Members thanked Jenny for her service as Advocacy Chair.