Point Park Globe Spring 2020 Week 6

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@PPUGlobe February 12, 2020

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Issue 6

Governor CUPID’S ARROW STRIKES PITTSBURGH Jim Acosta speaks at awards Playhouse university with Title Jim Acosta, the Chief White House Correspondent IX grant for CNN, spoke at the PittsBy Luke Mongelli Co-News Editor

Jordyn Hronec Editor-Elect

Governor Tom Wolfe granted 36 colleges and universities in Pennsylvania, out of 164 four-year colleges and universities across the state, with the “It’s On Us” Title IX program grant. Point Park University was one of them. Point Park received $30,000, the maximum amount that a school can receive for the program grant. The last time that the university received the grant was during the 2017-2018 school year. “It’s On Us” began as a national movement to end sexual assault under the Obama administration in 2014. “The mission of ‘It’s On Us’ is to combat college sexual assault by engaging young men and changing campus culture,” the “It’s On Us” website reads. “We achieve our mission by teaching prevention education, training the next generation of student organizers and disseminating large-scale creative campaigns. Our prevention education work is focused on three key areas: bystander intervention, consent education and survivor support.” The university’s 2019 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report records that four cases of rape were reported in 2018, with two occurring on campus and two occurring on “public property.” The report also states that five cases of fondling were reported in 2018, and three cases of dating violence were reported. According to Director of Title IX and Diversity, Vanessa Love, as well as a press release put out by the university, this year’s grant will be used to: ● Increase the frequency of Green Dot Bystander Intervention training ● Pilot a Sexual Assault Awareness Peer Educator Program in the Athletics Department ● Expand programming during Sexual Assault Awareness Month (April) ● Develop and disseminate detailed procedures about anonymous reporting for any member of the campus community and accommodations provided to survivors ● Pilot a student assistance program to create a culture of consistent mental health support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence ● Reissue a campus climate

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Jared Murphy | Pittsburgh Magazine Theresa Maxon (left), 27, of Morgantown, W. Va., proposed to Marcie Koenig (right), 26, of Pittsburgh, Pa., during Cupid’s Undie Run on Saturday, Feb. 8.

burgh Playhouse on Feb. 6 for another installment in the Media Innovations Speaker Series. Acosta was welcomed with open arms by some, but others in the audience shouted out with cries of “fake news,” and “Infowars,” among other claims of hateful intent, which Acosta quickly diffused. “You mean the same Infowars that claims that the Sandy Hook shooting didn’t happen?” Acosta responded. Acosta sat down in the sold-out PNC Theater with Point Park students and community members alike to answer questions, address the events taking place in Washington D.C. and analyze some key points in the most recent years of his career with the popular news network. Acosta was the third of four speakers to participate in the Speaker Series. Andy Conte, the director of the Center

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University provost announces retirement Dara Collins Editor-in-Chief

Dr. John H. Pearson, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, announced his retirement at last Monday’s faculty assembly meeting. Student Government Association President Jake Berlin tweeted the announcement on Monday evening. “Today at Faculty Assembly, Provost John Pearson announced his retirement,” Berlin’s tweet read. “I am grateful for his academic and philosophical contributions to Point Park-we will miss his wisdom and focus on campus but are lucky to have it for one last year!” Pearson was appointed in June of 2016, and will remain the university’s provost until May 2021. Dean of Students and Vice President of Student Affairs Keith Paylo was a part of the provost search that resulted in the hiring of Pearson. “He’s an incredible provost, the reason for that is the way that he works with people,” Paylo said. “His ability to work with faculty, staff and students, and the demeanor in which he goes about it has been wonderful in my time in working with him over these past few years.” Pearson said it was a hard decision when considering an

administrative position, but he ultimately wanted to make as many students’ lives easier as he could. “As a faculty member, I could help the students in front of me that I knew, and that felt great, but as an administrator, I can make some decisions, and make policy decisions especially, that might help thousands of students,” Pearson said. It’s a collaborative effort from everyone at the university, according to Pearson. “All the people who are here are here to try to deliver our mission, which is really to deliver the best possible education you can get,” Pearson said. According to O*NET OnLine, the job title of Provost falls under the occupation of Postsecondary Education Administrator. Some of the tasks listed with the occupation include development of curricula and recommendation of curricula revisions and additions, appointment of individuals to faculty positions and evaluation of their performance and preparation of reports on academic or institutional data. Other core tasks of the occupation include design AND use assessments to monitor student learning outcomes and formulate strategic plans

for the institution. According to Pearson, the discussion of Point Park’s five-year strategic plan will begin next year before he retires. During Pearson’s final academic year is the university’s Self-Study Evaluation visit from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). The MSCHE accredits the university “which makes your diploma worth something,” according to Pearson. In addition to strategic planning and the accreditation visit, Pearson looks forward to supporting faculty on creating new programs, revising programs and creating more opportunities for students in his last year. “He’s done a lot to move the university forward in every way, especially on the academic side,” Paylo said. “It’s truly his demeanor. He is mentoring, he is tough when he needs to be tough but yet he is so supportive of new initiatives and programs.” As May grows closer, Pearson will focus on a smooth transition period. “Ideally, it really will be me leaving on a Friday and somebody new comes in on Monday,” Pearson said. “Yes, it’s a different face, and they will be a very different person, but the work everyone does

will continue smoothly.” According to Pearson it will be a long process to find a new provost. During Pearson’s final 15 months, a search committee will be formed in March and a consultant will be hired to assist in the search. Applications will start appearing in the fall, which is typically the season for higher administration positions, according to Pearson. He speculates the committee will invite the finalists on campus in December and January, and the university should hopefully name a new provost by the end of January 2021. The new provost would begin that summer. “It’s going to be a very thoughtful and thorough process, and the best part about knowing that it’s until May of 2021 is that it gives you enough time to really do that kind of a search so that the next provost at Point Park University will be the right choice,” Paylo said. According to Pearson, he has thought about retirement for a while, but the decision of when to retire was difficult. “It’s a decision about not just leaving Point Park, but ending a career, which I’ve been doing for well over 30 years now in higher education

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Weather Forecast

Today: Rain H 41, L 36

Thursday: Rain H 43, L 18 Friday: Slightly Cloudy, H 22, L 11 Saturday: Slightly Cloudy, H 37, L 29

Sunday: Rain, H 42, L 34 Monday: Cloudy, H 48, L 41 Tuesday: Rain, H 51, L 37

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