Pitt and State of PA to Commit $4M to Develop Titusville Hub

PITTSBURGH—In February, the University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees approved a new vision for the Pitt–Titusville campus as an Education and Training Campus Hub. Today, that vision took a significant step toward becoming reality as the University received a commitment of $2 million from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania — to be matched by more than dollar for dollar by Pitt — to transform some campus buildings into structures suitable for the new campus Hub.

“To the Wolf Administration and the General Assembly — especially the Titusville-area delegation: Thank you for your support,” said Chancellor Patrick Gallagher. “This grant will help us transform Pitt–Titusville into a vibrant educational and training hub. It’s an investment that will secure a stronger economic future for the six-county region. And it’s an investment that will infuse talent and opportunity into the area for generations to come.”

The Hub — to be home to Pitt programs as well as education and job training programs operated by other parties — will operate as a shared campus, necessitating the renovation of some buildings at Pitt–Titusville.

“The state support will be used to transform buildings on the campus to use by multiple partners: shared space for us, our community college partner and a training center,” said Lawrence Feick, interim president of Pitt’s campuses in Titusville and Bradford. “All the higher education institutions will be integrated, in part though the space. For example, all health-related courses will be taught in the same building regardless of which partner is offering the course.”

Pitt is continuing to work on a construction time frame and a final design for building renovations. Pitt, as founding partner of The Hub, will continue to seek private funding support for the project.

“From the Commonwealth’s perspective,” said state Sen. Michelle Brooks, who represents Crawford County, which includes Titusville, Mercer and parts of Erie and Warren counties, “this is a very worthwhile investment.

“I appreciated the opportunity to work with Dr. Gallagher, chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh, and members of the local working group, as we advanced toward a unified goal of increasing enrollment at the Pitt–Titusville campus.”

She added: “This campus is so important to not only our students and the region as a whole, but is also a valuable part of the Titusville community.”

Under the campus hub model, partners will offer specialized programs with active input from regional employers — a move that will directly address the region’s education and training needs. The University of Pittsburgh at Titusville will continue to offer programs for traditional college-age students in addition to developing programs for nontraditional students that may include online, evening, intensive and executive learning options. Pitt students in Titusville will have the option to complete programs at the Education and Training Campus Hub or seamlessly transfer to other University of Pittsburgh campuses to advance their education.