Attendee Information

• The University of Pittsburgh is a member of Eduroam, a fast, reliable, and secure global Wi-Fi network developed for the research and education community.  If you are visiting Pitt from an institution that also participates in Eduroam, just follow these steps to connect:
  • Select "eduroam" from the list of available Wi-Fi networks.
  • Enter the email address and password from your home institution.
• Pitt Guest Wi-Fi is available for others without Eduroam access. It does not require a password or a University-affiliated sponsor access.
  • When you arrive on campus, connect your device to the network named Pitt Guest Wi-Fi.
  • Read the Terms of Use and click Accept.
  • You will be connected and redirected to the University's main website (www.pitt.edu).

• Recordings, transcripts, and written notes may be created and processed using Claude for Education, an AI system developed by Anthropic, to identify key themes and produce a summary report shared with participants and co-sponsoring institutions.
• All data will be handled in accordance with applicable privacy guidelines, and contributions will be attributed anonymously in any published outputs unless you explicitly request otherwise.
• By participating in sessions, you consent to your contributions being captured and processed in this manner. Presenters who wish to opt out of having their session captured, please let the registration desk or email ucisconference@pitt.edu.

• Photography and/or video/audio recording may occur at this event. By entering or being present at the conference, you are deemed to have consented to all of the below:
  • You understand that you may be photographed, filmed and/or otherwise recorded and consent to the unrestricted worldwide use by the University of Pittsburgh and its agents or licensees (“University”) of such photograph or recording, including your image, voice and/or likeness (the “Material”) in any form or media and for any purpose.
  • You further agree that the Material, including all of its elements, and anything derived therefrom, belong entirely and exclusively to the University, so that the University may use the Material, or any portion thereof, without limitation or restriction, and without monetary compensation to you.
  • You further agree to release the University from any liability arising from the use of the Material.

• As a celebration of its Centennial, Pitt’s Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Program will offer free tours of 31 Nationality and Heritage Rooms.
• To sign up for the tour, RSVP here.

The Note Synthesis project brings together in-person and virtual participants through shared reflection, using real-time, crowd-sourced notes and ideas to deepen engagement during the conference. It also builds a collective corpus of conference insights, combining notes, transcripts, and reflections to inform post-conference reports and discussions. This work supports ongoing stewardship, encouraging participants to carry forward key themes and drive meaningful outcomes beyond the event.

During the conference, attendees can use a structured notetaking template (also available as a Word document) to share observations and reflections. Participation is optional, and attendees may submit as many reflections as they’d like across sessions. The form also includes space to highlight emerging themes and indicate interest in continuing conversations after the conference.

• Most sessions will also have Pitt staff notetakers using the same template
• Submissions are compiled 2-3 times daily into a shared Live Notes document for all attendees to view and comment on
• Contributions are anonymized and synthesized each day to send as a daily digest.
• A full post-conference report will be shared within 2-3 months of the conference.

Note: Each day, anonymized conference notes are processed using Claude for Education (Anthropic) to identify themes, tensions, connections, and key quotes, and to generate a daily digest for attendees. At the end of the conference, AI is used again to synthesize cross-conference themes. All AI outputs are reviewed and edited by the organizing team, and any quotes are verified and shared only with permission.

Read more in this document for more details on the project, deliverables, and the use of AI.

• All plenaries will be recorded and made available to registered conference participants after the conference.

• Some of our sessions are virtual only (indicated in the program). If you wish to attend any of these sessions, we ask that you bring headphones and a laptop to enable you to listen and participate.
• Links to the virtual session will be password protected. The links and password will be shared by email later this week.  

Both Uber and Lyft service the Pittsburgh International Airport, as does the taxi service zTrip. Access Uber and Lyft from their apps, and zTrip from its app or by calling 412-777-7777. If you would prefer to take public transportation, you’ll use the 28X Airport Flyer bus. The stop closest to the conference hotel is Seventh Ave. at William Penn Place. The closest stop to the conference is Forbes Ave. at S. Bouquet St. Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) offers a few options for paying for bus fare using your smart phone, more information can be found here. 

The conference hotel is in downtown Pittsburgh, and the conference is in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh. You are not able to walk between the two. There will be two shuttles leaving the Omni on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning to bring attendees to the conference. The first will leave when it is full (we anticipate around 7:45/7:50 a.m.), and the second will leave at 8:15 a.m. The shuttles will return guests to the Omni following the last event of each day. The shuttle will drop guests off and pick guests up on Schenley Drive Extension, except on Friday evening when they will pick guests up outside of the Latin American Cultural Center (by the Oaklander Hotel). The shuttles will not run continuously throughout the day, attendees who need to return to the hotel during the day should arrange travel using public transportation, taxi, or ride-share.  

If you want to take public transit between the conference and the hotel, the 61A, 61B, 61C, and 71B are the most frequent and direct routes. To go from the hotel to the conference, catch one of these buses at the Steel Plaza PRTX station on Sixth Ave. between Grant and Ross Sts., and get off the bus at the Forbes Ave. at S. Bouquet St. stop. To go from the conference to the hotel, buses pick up along Fifth Ave., with the closest stop to the conference being at Fifth Ave. and Thackaray Ave., and exit the bus at the Steel Plaza PRTX station. Information on how to pay bus fare using your smartphone can be found here. 

The weather forecast has been holding steady, with highs in the low 60s and lows in the 40s. There is a chance of showers, and it might be a bit cold at night (and possibly in some of the presentation rooms). You may want to bring a jacket and/or sweater, and an umbrella. 

• All cancellations must be submitted in writing to conference organizers via ucisconference@pitt.edu. Cancellations submitted by other means (e.g. phone, social media) will not be accepted.
• For cancellations received on or before 11:59PM EST April 14, 2026, deposits will be refunded, less $50 USD administrative processing fee.
• For cancellations received after April 14, 2026, no refunds will be issued regardless of circumstance.
• A confirmation email will be sent upon receipt of your cancellation request. If you do not receive confirmation within 5 business days, please follow up at the email address above.
• Approved refunds will be processed after the conclusion of the event and returned via the original payment method. Please allow 4-6 weeks for processing.

As an alternative to cancellation, registration may be transferred to another individual from your organization.

• For transfer requests received on or before 11:59 PM EST on May 5, 2026, a handling fee of $35 USD per transfer will apply. All transfer requests must be submitted in writing to ucisconference@pitt.edu and must include the full name, email address, and affiliation of the replacement registrant.
• Transfer requests received after May 5, 2026 cannot be guaranteed, though we will make reasonable efforts to accommodate late requests. Additional fees may apply.

• In the event the conference is postponed, all existing paid registrations will automatically be transfered to the rescheduled dates.
• Registrants will receive written confirmation of the transfer to the new dates.
• If you are unable to attend the rescheduled dates, you must submit a written cancellation request to ucisconference@pitt.edu within 30 calendar days of the official postponement announcement to receive a full refund. Refunds will be processed within 4-6 weeks via the original payment method.
• Cancellation requests received more than 30 days after the postponement announcement will be subject to the standard cancellation policy outlined above.

• In the event the conference is cancelled by the organizers, all paid registrations will be refunded in full via the original payment method.
• Please allow 4-6 weeks for refund processing.
• The conference organizers are not responsible for any ancillary costs incurred by registrants, including but not limited to airfare, hotel accommodations, visa application fees, or other travel-related expenses.

• All dates and deadlines referenced above are final. The conference organizers reserve the right to update this policy with reasonable notice.
• Refunds will only be issued to the original purchaser or paying organization.
• No-shows who do not submit a cancellation request are not eligible for refunds.