PRINTER'S NO. 2454
No. 396 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY YEWCIC, HESS, BAKER, BASTIAN, BEYER, BOBACK, BRENNAN, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CAUSER, COHEN, CREIGHTON, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, ELLIS, FLECK, EVERETT, FREEMAN, GALLOWAY, GEORGE, GIBBONS, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HELM, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, JAMES, KOTIK, KULA, MANTZ, MARKOSEK, McILHATTAN, MILLARD, MOYER, MUSTIO, NAILOR, PALLONE, PHILLIPS, RAMALEY, READSHAW, ROEBUCK, ROHRER, ROSS, SAINATO, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, SIPTROTH, SONNEY, SURRA, VULAKOVICH, WOJNAROSKI AND RAPP, SEPTEMBER 19, 2007
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, SEPTEMBER 19, 2007
A RESOLUTION 1 Congratulating the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (UPJ) 2 on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of its founding; and 3 designating the week of September 23 through 30, 2007, as 4 "UPJ Week" in Pennsylvania. 5 WHEREAS, UPJ was founded in 1927 as one of the first regional 6 campuses of a major university in the United States; and 7 WHEREAS, UPJ is celebrating the inauguration of its fifth 8 president, Dr. Jem Spectar, during its 80th anniversary; and 9 WHEREAS, In announcing Dr. Spectar's appointment, University 10 of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg offered: "Dr. 11 Spectar is a visionary leader and celebrated teacher with the 12 skills and experience necessary to build effectively upon the 13 strengths of our Johnstown campus and to enrich the lives of 14 students, faculty, staff and administration"; and 15 WHEREAS, UPJ is committed to strengthening its enviable
1 position as one of the region's most respected providers of 2 high-quality undergraduate education with more than 40 degree 3 programs; and 4 WHEREAS, UPJ is committed to increasing the scope, quality 5 and visibility of the success of its outstanding graduates; and 6 WHEREAS, UPJ is a vital knowledge center and foremost 7 contributor to the region's intellectual, social and cultural 8 environment; and 9 WHEREAS, As a top employer in the community, UPJ offers 10 employment to 143 faculty, 210 staff and 112 food service 11 employees and generates an additional 174 jobs within Cambria 12 and Somerset Counties while shaping the region's economic future 13 as a key partner; and 14 WHEREAS, UPJ is home to 2,750 full-time and 350 part-time 15 students per year, and its retention and graduation rates exceed 16 the national averages of similar institutions; and 17 WHEREAS, UPJ has graduated 17,250 students since 1927; and 18 WHEREAS, UPJ is a major economic resource to the residents of 19 southwestern Pennsylvania, with a direct impact of more than $60 20 million in the Cambria and Somerset region; and 21 WHEREAS, Further impacting the region, 55% of UPJ students 22 and 83% of UPJ faculty and staff donate their time to charitable 23 nonprofit activities, with more than $720,000 in-kind gifts of 24 volunteer time; and 25 WHEREAS, UPJ has been ranked for five consecutive years by 26 U.S. News and World Report, Best Colleges, as 3rd in the North 27 in Comprehensive Colleges and Universities; and 28 WHEREAS, UPJ confers $15 million in scholarships and 29 endowments, a demonstration of its continued growth and its 30 importance to the region that extends and enhances the benefits 20070H0396R2454 - 2 -
1 it already provides to its students and communities; and 2 WHEREAS, UPJ's capital campaign is part of a $2 billion 3 campaign of the University of Pittsburgh, the largest in this 4 Commonwealth, and one of only eight American universities 5 pursuing campaigns of $2 billion or more; and 6 WHEREAS, For 80 years, UPJ has served with distinction the 7 needs of western Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh, 8 this Commonwealth, the nation and the world; therefore be it 9 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives congratulate UPJ 10 on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of its founding and 11 designate the week of September 23 through 30, 2007, as "UPJ 12 Week" in Pennsylvania. H31L82BIL/20070H0396R2454 - 3 -