As of this year, Pitt will present two students with Spirit of Pitt Awards during Homecoming week to recognize students who display a commitment to academic excellence, community service, and the Pitt Alumni Association’s values.
The awards will be given to the two students elected to the Homecoming Court who receive the highest number of votes from fellow students, replacing the previous designation of a Homecoming King and Queen.
As in previous years, Pitt students may apply to become members of the Homecoming Court, with a committee selecting 20 candidates. Those candidates will have the opportunity to campaign, and a student body vote at the beginning of homecoming week will narrow the group to the 10-member court. Several criteria have changed in order to open this tradition to more Pitt students. For example, candidates may apply whether they are sponsored by a student organization or not, and gender is no longer considered in creating the Homecoming Court.
The two students who receive the most votes from their peers will each receive the Spirit of Pitt Award, including $1,500 in student resource funding from the Pitt Alumni Association.
Program Details:
Junior & Senior Pitt students are eligible to run for Homecoming court.
The process to participate consists of an application and selection process to narrow down the top 20 candidates that capture the Pitt Alumni Association’s values, campaigning, and a student body vote.
The Selection Committee will consist of the Blue & Gold Society advisors, one PAA board member, one Student Affairs representative, one athletics representative, PAA ESJ Taskforce representative, SGB President, and the Blue & Gold Society VP of Traditions. The committee will narrow down the top 20 candidates.
Those 20 candidates will then campaign, and the student body vote will determine the top ten students who will be a part of the Homecoming Court. The Homecoming Court will be recognized throughout Homecoming Week via various social media channels and may be asked to make appearances for the PAA.
The two students that receive the most votes will receive the Spirit of Pitt Award.
Criteria for Homecoming Court:
- Must be a full-time junior or senior with a GPA of 2.5 or higher
- Must be in good standing with the University Student Conduct Board
- Sponsored by a student organization or by a group of 10 (or more) Pitt students, faculty, or staff members
- Ten hours of community service, which includes but not limited to volunteering with your student organization or through PittServes, volunteering for a non-profit organization, or volunteering for a community impact or equity organization
- Must be a member of the Student Alumni Association (NOTE: Students can simply opt into being a member of the SAA; the Pitt Alumni Association has eliminated membership fees)
Pitt Alumni Association Values:
- Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Social Justice – We foster a culture of dignity and respect in which diversity and acceptance can thrive for all members within the Pitt community of alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends.
- Excellence, Impact – We strive to provide value to the entire Pitt community by attaining the highest quality performance in all of our endeavors.
- Innovation, Agility – We adapt and develop new, creative ways to engage the Pitt community to be responsive to their needs and relevant to their lives.
- Pitt Pride, Traditions – We steward Pitt’s institutional spirit and create shared experiences across generations of Pitt students and alumni.
- Relationships, Collaboration – We create and nurture mutually beneficial relationships and partnerships among members of the Pitt community, its alumni, and its current and future students.