Pitt named JW Tabacchi as its first Title VI coordinator

The University of Pittsburgh has named JW Tabacchi as its first Title VI coordinator and director of equal opportunity, a new role that will strengthen the institution's efforts to make sure that students, faculty and staff have a place to turn when they experience discrimination.

In the role, Tabacchi (EDUC '17G) oversees complaints tied to protected classes and works to ensure a fair, consistent process for members of the Pitt community. "I'll be making sure that they receive the support and resources that they need, no matter where they're at in the process," he said.

Tabacchi is new to the role but not to Pitt. After growing up in Oakmont, a borough near Pittsburgh, he earned his doctorate from the School of Education in 2017. Tabacchi has spent most of his career in student affairs, most recently as senior director of student affairs at Saint Vincent College, with earlier roles at Penn State and Point Park University.

The position aligns with a recommendation from the University’s Working Group on Antisemitism, as well as subsequent efforts to restructure Pitt’s compliance and civil rights functions, including aligning Title VI work within the Office of Compliance, Investigations and Ethics.

Tabacchi said the role also reflects a renewed federal focus on Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — which bars institutions that receive federal funding from discriminating based on race, color, national origin or shared ancestry — and that the Office of the Chancellor has made the work a priority across Pitt's five campuses. His position is situated within the Office of Compliance, Investigations and Ethics, and involves an ongoing, close partnership with the Office of Institutional Engagement and Wellbeing, led by Vice Chancellor Clyde Wilson Pickett, on education and outreach.

Tabacchi said his position has a dotted-line relationship to Pickett's office, and the two will meet regularly to coordinate directly as the work unfolds. Tabacchi said his office will handle the complaint process while working continuously with Pickett's team to identify where the community could use support and training.

"It's going to be more collaborative, which I'm looking forward to," Tabacchi said, adding that the two of them earned their doctorates together at Pitt. "We're going to be working together to figure out where the needs are for the community."

In his first year, Tabacchi said his priorities are building a clear, equitable process and making sure the community knows where to go for support, which is why he's planning a campus-wide listening tour to introduce the office and hear directly from community members. Anyone who believes they have experienced discrimination can file a report through the Pitt Concern Connection reporting system.

"People need to feel heard, and they need to feel supported, and they need to know that whenever they're feeling that type of discrimination, there's a place to go where they can receive resources and receive a process to resolve that," Tabacchi said.

Tabacchi encouraged community members to reach out to him directly with questions or concerns. His office can be reached at titlevicoordinator [at] pitt.edu.