Student Advisory Council

OEIE Student Advisory Council

The Student Advisory Council (SAC) is an OEIE-affiliated student organization. The SAC will encourage and facilitate broad student participation regarding matters of diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, and belonging as it pertains to the Pitt Law community.

The SAC will meet weekly in the 2nd Floor Conference Room (aka Room #225) on Tuesday afternoons from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. from Tuesday, January 23rd through Tuesday, April 16th during Spring Term 2024.

All JD, MSL, and LLM students are welcome to attend and participate in any, and all of the meetings. Any student is welcome to attend regardless of whether or not one has participated in past meetings.

Resources for Psychological Safety

Why Psychological Safety Matters in Class - this focuses on the idea of a classroom environment where students can feel comfortable engaging in dialogue, but I like the concept of "deepening the wells of empathy" for students and think that as a concept it has applicability in a broader sense.

Creating a Through Line of Psychological Safety - this one explains that as much as we think about psychological safety of students, we should also think about the faculty members who are also sharing the stressors, acknowledgment of which gives room for a greater level of candor in moving through those shared experiences together.

Mitigating the Psychological Effects of Lockdowns - This one talks a bit about the effects that lockdowns and drills can produce on students. While it is more focused on the K-12 system, many of the students today have essentially grown up in a school environment where these drills were required and would have experienced some of these post-lockdown effects, which continue today. (disclaimer that I am not in the best position to talk about these experiences (and potential lingering effects) because I didn't grow up in the US school system and have not had this type of exposure). 

Navigating Lockdowns: How to Reduce Anxiety and Restore Safety - this is a somewhat oversimplified checklist, but it contains steps for "after," and talks about creating a reset by debriefing to acknowledge and center everyone's feelings before transitioning back into learning. The shape/form of that collective debrief is what I was imagining as a potential project for us to explore.

Resources for Support - Provided by "Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers"

A link to several resources which provide help and support to those who comprise our Pitt Law community.

https://www.lclpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/BIPOC-LGBTQIA-Resources-2021-1.pdf

Resources for Support at Pitt

  1. Graduate and professional students can participate in several counseling groups (https://www.studentaffairs.pitt.edu/cc/gradprofstudents/)
    1. Graduate Student Support: Good for “exploring personal, academic, and practical challenges that can affect your work in graduate school.”
    2. Understanding Self and Others: A “valuable way for members to learn about how they experience others and how others experience them.” This group seems to focus on enhancing “members’ abilities to create and sustain satisfying relationships and manage the variety of challenges that often arise in relationships, whether they be with friends, classmates, co-workers, supervisors, partners, or family members.”
  2. Pitt provides several counseling services and programs including, 24-hour crisis response, “Let’s (tele)Talk,” wellness workshops, drop-in services, and more. (https://www.studentaffairs.pitt.edu/cc/services/)
  3. Pitt provides links and guides for finding an off-campus provider: https://pitt.thrivingcampus.com/
    1. “Thriving Campus Help Guide”: https://pitt.thrivingcampus.com/help/
    2. Graduate and professional student health plans: https://www.hr.pitt.edu/students/graduate-plan
  4. The Student Affairs Office gives the following advice:
    1. Stay connected to loved ones and friends.
    2. Regularly practice gratitude.
    3. Maintain a healthy sleep schedule and balanced diet.
    4. Engage in pleasurable activities.
    5. Declutter your space regularly.
  5. Advice for Faculty and Staff for supporting students: https://teaching.pitt.edu/featured/student-wellness/
  6. Pittsburgh, PA Addiction Treatment Resource: https://www.addictions.com/rehabs/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/
  7. Free Rehab Centers: https://www.freerehabcenters.org/city/pa-pittsburgh  
  8.  Rehab Centers in Pittsburgh, PA: https://www.rehab.com/pennsylvania/pittsburgh