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The same day Mahfuzul Khondaker signed his contract as associate professor at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, he signed up to be a member of APSCUF.

Mahfuzul Khondaker was elected an APSCUF officer-at-large in April. Photo courtesy of Mahfuzul Khondaker

“I knew what it (APSCUF) was,” he said. “(I) knew what they did for faculty.”

Khondaker understood how APSCUF’s mission affected the lives of faculty, staff and students at every level of the university, because he graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with his doctorate. He earned his other degrees from the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh, where he taught for three years prior to attending IUP.

“(I) could see the role of APSCUF in state schools, so I came to a state school.” Khondaker said.

The State System alumnus said he wanted to give back to the Commonwealth.

“I had a responsibility to give back to people who contributed to my success,” he said.

Khondaker became involved with APSCUF through his Kutztown University chapter. As a new member with a young family, Khondaker felt wary of becoming too involved in any organization, he said. He wanted to start small; he joined the university-promotion committee in 2006, and became the committee’s chair in 2016. It became increasingly apparent that APSCUF occupied an important position in his life, he said.

Khondaker’s peers on the KU APSCUF executive council noticed his activity in the chapter. Tabetha Bernstein-Danis, Khondaker’s colleague and an APSCUF KU legislative-assembly delegate, commented on his growth as a member.

“I have seen Mahfuzul grow from being a presence within the KU community to really showing statewide APSCUF leadership,” Bernstein-Danis said. “He is now a member of the State APSCUF Executive Council. He is thoughtful and fair and is always trying to center the needs of faculty and students. He is very much an advocate for both of those constituencies.”

Before running for officer-at-large, Khondaker ran for president of the KU APSCUF chapter, and he ran for multiple committees in the 2010s. However, it was not until 2019 that he first thought about a leadership position in State APSCUF.

Kutztown University faculty member Mahfuzul Khondaker, right, learns about APSCUF’s labor-relations department from Mary Rita Duvall, head of the department, in 2019. APSCUF file photo

Khondaker’s faculty internship with the State APSCUF office granted him a new perspective on government and labor relations.

“I wanted to contribute more and have a better idea of what they (State APSCUF) do, or gain an appreciation for APSCUF state work,” he said.

After the faculty internship in Harrisburg, Khondaker followed a desire to advocate for others and in April won a position of officer-at-large.

His advocacy efforts influence his coursework as well. In the classroom, Khondaker teaches his students how to walk in another person’s shoes, and in his campaign platform he discussed a similar message.

“We want to make changes,” he said. “We have to understand each other. People in power need to do that. People that need it cannot make changes. Powerful people have power to make change.”

Seeing how retrenchment and consolidation cut individuals from the bottom resonated with Khondaker, and he made consolidation transparency and democracy key elements of his campaign platform. He addressed the human aspect of consolidation and financial cuts. Similar to his lectures, he proposed that people in charge see the world from another person’s perspective.

Examining the world from various angles means taking developments in policies and their effects on individuals seriously. Albert Fu, another legislative-assembly delegate for APSCUF KU, said that Khondaker’s position as chair of the university promotions committee involves this level of attention to detail.

“Promotion is governed by the collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which means Mahfuzul has had to be on top of changes in the CBA and ensure faculty know what is expected of them as well as their contractual rights,” Fu wrote in an email.

Thus, Khondaker, as officer-at-large, said he aims to help his fellow faculty members, students and staff members at every level. Regardless of the issue, one must reflect on how people view one another, something he supports in his APSCUF position, he said.

When he isn’t advocating for social justice in his community, you can find him reading or spending time gardening with his family. The Khondaker family recently received a beehive, so wish him luck with this newest outdoor adventure.

—Melissa Stough,
APSCUF intern

The June 30 Board of Governors meeting took place via Zoom and streamed via YouTube. Below are APSCUF President Dr. Jamie Martin’s comments as prepared. 

Chairwoman Shapira, Chancellor Greenstein, governors and guests,

I will keep my comments brief today, as we are all eager to hear how you have incorporated the hundreds of comments, concerns and suggestions about the plans to consolidate six universities into two. I hope everyone will digest all the feedback available from a variety of sources.

The most important theme from the comments was concern for the impact on our students. Speaker after speaker expressed concerns about the difficulties that students faced in taking their courses via distance learning during the pandemic. These included a lack of broadband access, distractions at students’ residences that interfered with their classes, declining participation/engagement, and a resulting decline in performance. Many commenters wondered how a forced hybrid model at “New U’s” will affect the residential experience of our students and how that may impact enrollments. A recent study, which the State System conducted, provides a clue.

The Blue Beyond Consulting Group conducted this student survey at the three northern universities slated for consolidation. More than 1,300 students from Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield responded to it. One of the first questions was this:

Imagine you are a potential incoming student for Fall 2022. With the new integrated university, you would have an expanded selection of majors to choose from but may have to take some classes via distance learning. How might the new array of offered programs and majors affect your decision to attend the integrated university?

The response to that question should raise concern, as approximately 60% of all students said they would be less likely to attend the New U.

Commenters wondered aloud about the program arrays that will exist across the campuses, and they asked questions about the location of departments at the New U’s. There are unanswered questions about the impact of consolidation on accredited programs, about the decision of the NCAA regarding athletic teams at the six campuses and about the number of online courses that students will be required to take.

I think we all agree that we must work together to improve our State System of Higher Education, and APSCUF is committed to partnering in that work. However, we believe that rather than doing something, we should strive to be certain that it is the right thing.

Students deserve answers to important questions, some of which I highlighted. Students at the six affected universities deserve face-to-face town-hall meetings when they return to campus in the fall. Based on the results of the student survey, it is imperative that student voices be heard and their questions and concerns addressed. If student input is not considered, and there are enrollment declines at the New U’s, how does that benefit our students? How does it help our students who rely on the universities in our State System to complete a degree and to improve their lives? Our students are the reason our State System exists, and we should all be willing to provide them an opportunity for input — and answers to their questions.

Thank you for your time.

During an academic year like no other, APSCUF’s members continued their work in their campus communities and beyond the gates of their universities.

Bloomsburg University’s Jennifer Haney, assistant professor of geography, directed a statewide recycling survey.

Kelton Edmonds from California University of Pennsylvania entered the New Pittsburgh Courier’s “Men of Excellence” class of 2021.

Cheyney University Professor Gooyong Kim delved further into the South Korean K-Pop perspective with publications this year.

Jane Walsh and Paul Klenowsk from Clarion University were chosen to perform research for the “I Fear For My Life Project” by the Frederick Douglass Institute Collaborative for the State System of Higher Education.

The Drexel Writing Festival welcomed Artress Bethany White, East Stroudsburg University associate professor of English, as a visiting author.

Jalen Middlebrooks became the first black female head coach at Edinboro University.

Professor Shundong Bi from Indiana University of Pennsylvania co-authored a paper on the discovery of a dinosaur preserved sitting on a nest of fossilized eggs.

Kutztown University’s head softball coach, Judy Lawes, secured her 1,000th career win.

Lock Haven University English Professor Marjorie Maddox’s poetry book won an award from The National Council of English Teachers.

Coach Edith Gallagher made history as the first female coach at Mansfield University to reach the 300- and 400-win milestones.

PRNews named Millersville University’s Jennifer Wood as its first Mentor of the Year.

Jen Clements from Shippensburg University found COVID-19 vaccinations for more than 600 people in Phase 1A.

Jeremy Lynch, associate professor of special education, and Nick Artman, assistant professor of communication, launched their podcast to recount Slippery Rock University stories.

West Chester University Professor Anita Foeman continued her work on DNA testing and its significance to African American identities and communities.

Thank you for your outstanding work, and please continue sharing your successes with APSCUF, so we can promote them across social media. Share your news by emailing .

—Melissa Stough,
APSCUF intern

We have one week to share our feedback about university consolidations, before the State System’s public-comment period ends June 30.

If you haven’t already:

• Submit written comments via the State System’s form.
• Write to Gov. Tom Wolf using this form.

Thank you to all who shared your stories and a feedback during the State System’s and APSCUF’s comment sessions.

Watch APSCUF’s sessions below:

June 3 – APSCUF public-comment recording session 1

June 8 – APSCUF public-comment recording session 2

June 14 – APSCUF public-comment recording session 3

Student recording

Cal U student Justina Arena recorded her statement with APSCUF June 15:

Learn more about consolidation on APSCUF’s Students page.

APSCUF President Dr. Jamie Martin and APSCUF intern Melissa Stough spoke about the need for state support of public higher education today during a press conference introducing the Nellie Bly Scholarship bill. Click here to read the bill, and click here to read more about how you can advocate for the plan to provide money to Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education students and help graduates earn their degrees with little to no student debt. Other speakers were Sen. Wayne Fontana, Sen. Tim Kearney, Tanya I. Garcia of Pennsylvania Department Of Education, and Adam Oldham of Pennsylvania School Counselors Association.

Read Martin’s comments as prepared:

Good morning. My name is Jamie Martin, and I am the president of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF). APSCUF represents about 5,000 faculty and coaches who work at Pennsylvania’s fourteen state-owned universities.

APSCUF President Dr. Jamie Martin discusses the student-debt crisis in Pennsylvania. “Luckily, there is a very real legislative solution proposed by these legislators committed to providing our amazing students with the support they deserve,” she said during a June 15 press conference introducing the Nellie Bly Scholarship bill. Photo/Kathryn Morton

Today I am proud to stand here on behalf of APSCUF and support the Nellie Bly Scholarship proposal. I want to thank Sen. Fontana, Rep. Harris, Gov. Wolf and all the supporters who have recognized the need for this game-changing scholarship proposal for our State System students.

We face a student-debt crisis here in Pennsylvania. Policy choices have led to devastating consequences for students attending public universities in the Commonwealth:

• Pennsylvania ranks 48th in average student-loan debt.
• Pennsylvania ranks 49th in student-loan debt per capita.
• The average student-loan debt in Pennsylvania is close to $40,000.
• And 66% of Pennsylvania students graduate with student-loan debt.

So what caused these rankings and this crisis?

• In 2001, Pennsylvania students covered 49% of their cost of college; in 2016, that number was 73%. We have moved from a state-funding model of public higher education to a student tuition-funded model.
• Depending on the metric and the source, Pennsylvania is consistently ranked 47th, 48th or 49th when it comes to funding for public higher education.
• Tuition at Pennsylvania public four-year colleges went up 26% between 2008 and 2018, and this is directly correlated to the inflation-adjusted 34% decline in state spending per student, and
• Pennsylvania spends about $3,500 LESS per public higher-education student than the national average.

A new report from the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) shows that Pennsylvania saw the largest negative change in the nation in state general-operating appropriations between 2001 and 2019, with a drop of 53%.

This trend needs to stop, and, luckily, there is a very real legislative solution proposed by these legislators committed to providing our amazing students with the support they deserve. We cannot cut our way out of this funding and affordability crisis. Pennsylvania needs to take a moment to reassess our priorities and figure out creative ways to grow and strengthen our remarkable institutions of public higher education. That same SHEEO study shows that increased state funding leads to increased enrollment and improved graduation and completion rates. These are important outcomes.

The Nellie Bly Scholarship program would be a game changer for our Commonwealth and public higher education. Imagine the impact of these scholarships on the estimated 44,000 students attending a university in the State System of Higher Education who would be eligible recipients. These scholarships could assist the students who will become our future teachers, nurses, business owners and even legislators. The Nellie Bly Scholarship proposal puts students first and addresses both affordability and student debt. The overall impacts of this plan will be significant. Pennsylvania will realize a huge return on investment when students graduate with little to no debt and begin their careers in the Commonwealth. College graduates will contribute to the economy by buying vehicles and homes, becoming taxpayers, and spending dollars on Main Street rather than paying off loans to private lenders. This scholarship program will break down one of the largest barriers students face: cost. Think of the benefits to the students our state-owned universities serve, if students can focus on succeeding academically instead of how to make that tuition payment or being behind on their room and board.

APSCUF is proud to support this proposal that benefits students, fights student debt, benefits our economy, and develops our future workforce. We look forward to working with the legislature to pass this proposal.

I think it is important to hear how the Nellie Bly Scholarship program could benefit students — and to hear it from a student. I want to introduce Kutztown University student, Melissa Stough.

* * *

Read Stough’s comments as prepared:

Good morning! I am so honored to be here to discuss the importance of an affordable college education. I began my college journey at a private institution with very few students, but that promised to give me substantially more money than any state university. After I was pulled in by this promise of opportunity and financial aid, I began to realize the limitations of a private college education.

Melissa Stough, Kutztown University student and APSCUF intern, discusses how resources — including the proposed Nellie Bly Scholarship — make a difference for Pennsylvania students. Photo/Kathryn Morton

The campus lacked resources. We did not have a women’s center, an LGBTQ+ center or a multicultural center. I found myself feeling suffocated by this lack of access to resources and my peers expressed similar feelings to me in private. We were stuck. Without proper assistance, we could not afford a state university, but if we stayed at our private college, we would never be able to embrace our identities to the fullest extent or feel supported by the school’s governing bodies.

With resources such as the Nellie Bly Scholarship, students will not have to make that choice between embracing their identities and receiving an affordable, quality public education. I have seen firsthand the effects of student-loan debt as many friends had to withdraw from universities or take on three jobs to make ends meet. Friends suffered from financial and academic stress, taking a toll on their mental health, and negatively affecting their overall ability to achieve as a student.

The Nellie Bly Scholarship gives students an opportunity to hone their academic and professional skills, and give back to Pennsylvania communities in need. Much like Nellie Bly herself, who risked her credentials, her very livelihood in order to expose the flaws in the mental healthcare system in the 19th century, students are risking their financial and mental stability for the sake of pursuing higher education. However this is not the 19th century, so resources such as these are long overdue.

I’d like to conclude with a quote from Nellie Bly. She stated: “Energy rightly applied and directed will accomplish anything.”

By assisting students through greater funding and financial aid, you are rightly applying that energy toward Pennsylvania’s future leaders and ensuring our success.

Thank you.