Point Park University President Chris Brussalis' Plan to Induce "Renaissance 3" in Downtown Pittsburgh

By Olivia Miller

A mural on Point Park University’s campus lists out their values, reading “distinctive, innovative, experiential, education, student success.” Newly appointed President Chris Brussalis plans to uphold these principles with his six-point plan that promises to lead both the university and Downtown Pittsburgh to new heights. 

The President’s plan centers around the university’s vision, which, in his words, is to be “recognized as one of the most dynamic urban universities in America.” He says that the university is “all about inciting and stimulating creativity and innovation [through] experiential learning.” The university’s emphasis on experiential learning is seen in their multitude of “cooperative educational programs” that take students out of the classroom and give them the opportunity to gain real world experience in their desired field of study. President Brussalis believes “adults learn best by doing.” 

His plan is composed of six main components: three of which are classified as drivers and three of which are classified as enablers. All six of these components synergistically work together to achieve Point Park’s ultimate goal “to advance society which [will] improve our community.” 

The first driver is the “excellence of [Point Park’s] academic programs.” President Brussalis notes that they have the potential to “lead the market in arts, entertainment, entertainment tech, and media.” 

With a “world class conservatory” that is “the best in the world”, he believes that the university will be able to make an impact as downtown areas change nationwide. He says that, still devoid of many office workers because of the pandemic, downtown areas “will morph into centers of arts and entertainment.” This presents an opportunity for Point Park to both grow and cement the areas they already specialize in. President Brussalis says, “That is where we are, that is what we do exceptionally well; we are going to own it.” 

The second driver is crafting a great experience for all of Point Park University’s students, faculty, and staff. The President adds that the student experience will be “[taken] up a few notches.” 

The third and final driver in President Brussalis’s plan is “adding value and advancing society.” He believes this will be done through “tripartite collaboration” between the university and local government and industry as well as a possible quadripartite collaboration made possible by Pittsburgh’s robust philanthropic community. 

The university soon plans to launch their Institute of Community Engagement. They have already published several studies about revitalizing Downtown to be safer and cleaner for all of those in the ecosystem, but this will take their community engagement efforts to a new level. The President calls this research and consultation hub a “think tank that focuses on problems confronting our communities.” 

This third driver also includes “the opportunity to be the catalyst for Renaissance 3 in Pittsburgh.” To The President, Pittsburgh’s Renaissance will “enhance vibrancy” in the city and allow the area “to become an even greater center for arts and entertainment.” He believes that the university can add to this by “[adding] more spaces for recreation and athletic and artistic performances Downtown.” 

To allow progress to occur, the plan is contingent on enablers, the first of which is growth. To grow, President Brussalis believes the university must “create and leverage synergies between the 5 schools.” With a strong sports management and arts program, the university has combined both specialties with their new entertainment management program. 

Point Park’s potential for growth is not just limited to their academic programs. President Brussalis also plans to grow the campus’s housing programs to include mixed generational housing and retirement living as well as housing for single mothers and their children and artists in residence. 

The second enabler is advancement. The President calls the university Pittsburgh’s “best kept secret” and wants to do a better job of promoting it. He says when people are shown the university’s facilities, like their $65 million Pittsburgh Playhouse, they are “blown away.” He says they “have a lot to share, a lot to be a part of” and no longer want to be known as Downtown’s best kept secret. 

The last enabler is capacity; Point Park must “make sure we have the most outstanding talent, great tech facilities and infrastructure to pull it all off.” This includes utilizing the university’s pre-existing facilities, whose big windows reflect their values of experiential learning and community engagement. 

As Point Park University starts classes this week, President Brussalis’s best advice for students is to “be engaged in the community.” He recalls his time in college and says, “As a college student, my academic experience was an enabler but I learned as much by being engaged in extracurriculars and in my community.” He believes that when you give to others, you get tenfold back. 

However, he calls the relationship between students and the community a “two way street” as the Pittsburgh ecosystem has an invaluable opportunity to grow by engaging with students. He adds, “I welcome the community to also approach us with opportunities to interact with them.”