The Pitt News
T h e i n d e p e n d e n t s t ude nt ne w spap e r of t he U niversity of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | april 4, 2019 | Volume 109 | Issue 135
SOFTBALL WINDS DOWN
DAVIS AND ELLISON TO TRANSFER FROM MEN’S BASKETBALL PROGRAM
Stephen Thompson Senior Staff Writer
Abby Edwards (23) pitches against Ohio State on Wednesday afternoon. Pitt lost 2-5. Knox Coulter | senior staff photographer
FACULTY BRACES FOR PITT’S UNION ‘STALLING TACTICS’
Neena Hagen
Senior Staff Writer With at least six months until Pitt organizers’ third attempt at a faculty union election, Pitt administration and faculty are deep in a debate over the merits of unionization — something Provost Ann E. Cudd has discussed since her first month on the job. In August, new faculty
asked Cudd at an orientation session explicitly whether she and the rest of the Pitt administration would support a union. “Faculty members own this institution, and they are the people who govern it,” Cudd said. “[But] I’m not really clear what the need would be [for a faculty union].” Despite Cudd’s conciliatory approach and administrators’ public indecision about the union
effort, many organizers said they know better than to think administrators have their best interests at heart. Tyler McAndrew, a prominent organizer and visiting lecturer in the English department, said he and others in the union effort are gearing up for a battle in the coming months. And up to this point, the process has been hard work. See Union on page 2
Pitt men’s basketball announced its second player departure in three days on Wednesday afternoon. Sophomore guard Khameron Davis and junior forward Malik Ellison will transfer at the end of this semester. After transferring to Pitt from St. John’s after the 2017 season, Ellison was forced to sit out the following year due to NCAA transfer rules. Ellison was named captain of this year’s Panther team and averaged 5.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game in 31 games. He expects to graduate this spring before departing, according to a University release. Davis announced his plans to transfer on Monday afternoon. Davis, who still has two seasons of eligibility remaining after he transfers, averaged 3.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in his two seasons at Pitt while shooting 35% from 3-point range. Davis and Ellison join Shamiel Stevenson and Peace Ilegomah, who also transferred from Pitt midseason after their playing time dwindled as the season progressed. The Panthers now have three open roster spots, which Capel and his staff are actively looking to fill by way of high school recruits and transfers. Neither Ellison nor Davis have released any details on potential transfer destinations.