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Bloomsburg University student Kyle Bower was APSCUF’s summer government-relations and communications intern. Click here to learn more about APSCUF’s internship. APSCUF file photo

I applied to APSCUF’s internship program needing to fulfill a graduation requirement. I was fortunate to have a professor who is a member of the Bloomsburg APSCUF chapter. One day she sent me an email with a three-character message: “FYI” and a hyperlink leading to the APSCUF internship application. Before this, I had never heard of APSCUF, even though I had felt its effect during the fall 2016 strike. And although the university asked me to detail my expectations for the internship, the truth is I had little sense of what to anticipate. On a logical level, I had an idea of what the experience would entail, but I did not imagine that I would feel a connection with the organization, the team members and my work experience because it didn’t even really cross my mind. I’m sure it is no surprise to anyone familiar with APSCUF and its internship that the job is a wonderful opportunity in an enjoyable working environment, but I must stress that I am truly, truly happy that I stumbled into this lovable group that nurtured my development in a way that blows my other working experiences clean out of the water.

How do I properly commemorate APSCUF and go beyond a simple obligatory round of thank-you’s, without getting too gushy? First, it is important that everyone know — or be reminded — that there is a mutual respect and appreciation between the members of the APSCUF team that extends to the interns. I felt as if I was treated like an adult more so then I have in my entire life, and that is no exaggeration. There was a remarkable balance between being offered help without ever feeling condescended to, and a level of trust in my abilities that I really appreciated. In addition to the work I did and the support I had, I learned a lot just from watching my supervisors, our president and others on calls, videos, etc. Needless to say, they do an amazing job, and I could see how well they carried themselves, how organized they were and how well-respected APSCUF is.

I had a sense of responsibility with APSCUF that I have not experienced before. Being tasked with interviewing members, giving meaningful input on policy issues, and writing stories and posts for the website and social media all made me feel like I was doing meaningful, appreciable work —and that is something I crave. Something I know we all deserve. I speak with full sincerity when I say that I’ve looked back on the stories that I’ve written for the website and felt a deeply satisfying sense of gratification. I’d even be so bold as to say I feel sentimental about my time with APSCUF, despite the fact that my internship was entirely remote and only lasted 10 weeks. While being remote meant that I had less opportunity to spend time getting to know my co-workers and to meet legislators, my supervisors were great about keeping me connected. I was still able to meet and make connections with the team members, and I attended virtual meetings and public hearings. In fact, one of the first things APSCUF interns do is meet all of the department heads individually. This is such a simple gesture, yet so poignantly emblematic of what students get with an APSCUF internship.

There is too much to talk about to give a full picture of my experience at APSCUF and my appreciation for what it’s done for me and for young minds across the State System. I wish more students knew about APSCUF and understood its impact, but I will be sure to spread the word as far as I can. I also wish I could have spent time with the team in person, but even through virtual meetings and phone calls I feel as though I’ve made some valuable connections and made some wonderful friends.

Thank you to Kathryn and Sean for hiring me and guiding me, and thank you to Jamie Martin and the rest of the APSCUF team for being so supportive and welcoming. It was a short few months, but I will forever look back on them fondly.

—Kyle Bower,
APSCUF intern

Matt Girton has applied his background in organizational communication and conflict management to various roles in APSCUF — from strike council to negotiations committee, and now to the executive council as an officer-at-large. Girton said he understands the problems facing Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education, and he is ready to tackle them.

Matt Girton

“You cannot cut your way out of a structural deficit,” he said. “It will not affect every school equally. That is the challenge going forward.”

Having helped to organize the fall 2016 APSCUF faculty strike and to negotiate a one-year contract, Girton said he uses a conflict-management strategy based on the five conflict-management styles, emphasizing the collaborative style of conflict resolution.

“If you can understand some superordinate interest, the end result is something that both parties can buy into,” he said. “If what it comes down to is competition, you get what you’ve gotten in previous years. The process will break down if one or both parties believe that their interests aren’t being taken into consideration.”

Girton began his career as an adjunct professor for Shippensburg University before transferring to Lock Haven University and beginning a tenure track. He became a member of the chapter’s executive council, before serving as chapter president from 2017 to 2019. Girton worked toward greater involvement in APSCUF from the beginning.

“It is hard to get into committees,” he said, “but I pestered Steve Hicks (then chapter president), and he was good about getting me involved.”

Hicks, also a past State APSCUF president, regarded Girton as having qualities that illustrated his potential.

“Matt was a fairly new, young faculty member,” Hicks said. “But he was enthusiastic. He was clearly unafraid of getting involved. On top of that, he was not shy about speaking and had things to say.

“Of course, as a chapter leader, one is always looking for new talent — the next generation, if you will. And he looked like that. That he would someday be chapter president and then on state exec council, well, I wouldn’t have been surprised.”

In entering his new position, Girton said he feels his experience and the union’s previous success have prepared him for his current role.

“This is one of the most challenging times that I’ve ever been in, and I’ve been in the strike.” he said. “There was a concern then in terms of how unified we would be. And we answered that definitively. Hopefully that still resonates with the officer of the chancellor.”

Girton said he finds inspiration from his parents and his wife, Joanette.

“My heroes are the people that I am closest to,” Girton said. “I have parents that are truly remarkable. I point to those two individuals, in addition to my wife. She is self-made, somebody who came up and educated herself through her own initiative.”

More about Girton

Girton said he likes to play tennis and run to stay active. He also loves to travel with his wife, who works in the travel industry. Girton is also a tenor saxophonist who has played in the Rose Bowl and appeared in the movie “Naked Gun” as a marching-band member.

“At the end of the movie, you can see the top of my head for a brief moment,” Girton said of his cameo in the film. Girton resides in Lock Haven with his wife.

—Kyle Bower,
APSCUF intern

In September, APSCUF honored Bloomsburg University Chapter President Dr. Steve Kokoska with its Distinguished Service Award. APSCUF file photo

Steve Kokoska is retiring as Bloomsburg’s longest-serving APSCUF chapter president, holding the position since 2003. A professor of mathematics, Kokoska came to Bloomsburg from Colgate University in New York, which did not have union representation at the time.

“Within the first few years at Bloomsburg, I realized the value of a union,” he said. “In addition to protecting salaries and benefits, there was always someone representing your best interests, and that’s why I became involved. And I wanted to see my colleagues be well represented and have a voice in campus decisions.”

Kokoska began his work with the Bloomsburg chapter on the grievance committee, working closely with staff to understand needed improvements in working conditions, filing grievances on behalf of Bloomsburg faculty, and helping to protect salaries, benefits and academic freedom for professors. In this position, Kokoska said he was able to “ask management difficult, analytical questions, ensure management followed the CBA, and advocate for faculty rights and benefits.”

As chapter president, Kokoska also served on the local planning and budget committee, the budget subcommittee, space and facilities, the president’s advisory committee, and as an adviser to the BU Foundation board and the BU council of trustees. He stressed his belief in shared governance and faculty involvement in decisions that affect the entire academic community.

Bloomsburg’s new chapter president is Eric Hawrelak, who worked with Kokoska as vice president and has also served on several university and APSCUF committees. Hawrelak’s first semester as president will be the first one since the lockdown in March.

“It is a little intimidating to follow someone that was CP for as long as Steve was CP,” Hawrelak said. “I am also excited. I learned from Steve to be patient and listen. I also learned that you have to have a thick skin to be CP. Finally, I learned to never make a decision in a bubble.”

Kokoska recognizes the challenges ahead. He also said he worries about a loss of community in the universities, and he wants students and faculty to “support each other at university activities outside of the classroom.”

But he remains very confident in his chapter.

“I think they will do a wonderful job,” he said. “Recovering from the virus is a challenge. I think the nature of higher education is going to radically change. But I have a lot of confidence in the APSCUF team to respond and adapt.”

Kokoska said he enjoys academia, the lifestyle, the students and the chance to learn something new every day.

“I love to teach,” he said. “I love being in the classroom. And I love talking about mathematics and the challenge of making difficult concepts accessible and understandable.”

Kokoska said he is eager to continue working on academic projects. The third edition of Kokoska’s “Introductory Statistics” was released this year, and he plans to begin work on a second edition of “Calculus for AP.” Kokoska said he also plans to play more pickleball in his retirement. He would like for those in higher education to remember the importance of community, he said.

“Never make a decision in isolation,” he said. “It’s important to work together, communicate, reach a reasonable compromise and grow and change together.”

—Kyle Bower,
APSCUF intern

In this month’s survey about reopening, members told APSCUF their needs for the fall semester. Now it’s time to tell the State System leaders directly: Faculty teach and students learn better when we’re safe. In the first week, we collected more than 1,600 signatures in support of this message. If you have not yet added your voice, please take 30 seconds to stand with APSCUF by reading and signing the petition. Thank you to the more than 1,700 (updated July 23, 2020) APSCUF members and supporters who have signed so far.

The July 16 Board of Governors meeting took place via Zoom. Click the video above to listen to APSCUF President Dr. Jamie Martin’s comments, or read them below as prepared:

Chairwoman Shapira, Chancellor Greenstein, governors, university presidents and guests,

Good morning. My name is Jamie Martin. I am the president of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF), which represents the faculty and coaches at our 14 great universities.

March 16, 2020, is a date that I clearly recall, as it was the last one that I spent in my campus office at IUP. On that date, there were 76 cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The first death in the state occurred two days later, on March 18. Around that same time, Chancellor Greenstein made the decision to stop all face-to-face classes for at least two weeks, to coincide with Gov. Wolf’s order to close K-12 schools for the same period. The chancellor stated, and rightly so, that he made the decision in the interest of the health and safety of all Pennsylvanians. As we know, we did not return to face-to-face classes.

Now, four months later, on July 16, we have close to 100,000 cases of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania, and we are nearing 7,000 deaths from this virus. If, in March, we decided to keep our students safe at home to reduce the likelihood of them congregating on- and off-campus and risk contracting this deadly virus when there were 76 cases of COVID, why are most universities still planning on bringing students back to campus and delivering classes in a face-to-face format when there are nearly 100,000 cases here in our state? How is that in the interest of the health and safety of all?

We also now know what age group seems to be at the root of the increase in cases in Pennsylvania. On July 4, 2020, and again on July 9, 2020, the Pennsylvania Department of Health issued two alerts regarding an increase in COVID-19 cases in the state and about the “changing epidemiology of COVID-19 case demographics.” Dr. Rachel Levine noted the increasing numbers of cases among younger people, with transmission associated with “travel and social gatherings or social settings, including bars, restaurants, and parties.” Across the Commonwealth, cases are growing in the 19–24 age group. According to data collected by the State System of Higher Education, in fall 2019 over 90% of the students at our 14 universities were traditional age: the 18–24-year age range.

In short, cases of COVID-19 in individuals of college age are rising, and we do not know when the top of the “spike” will come. The surge in cases is primarily the result of social gatherings, parties and meeting up at bars. Still, those most at risk of more severe outcomes from COVID-19 are older adults, and the risk increases with age. This is one of the many reasons why faculty members have so many concerns about returning to face-to-face teaching in the fall.

APSCUF recently distributed a survey to about 4,800 of our members, and nearly 3,200 responded to it — a 66% response rate. We were interested in their views, concerns and issues regarding the fall 2020 reopening plans. I was not surprised by the number of responses that we received, but the results are sobering.

Over 40% of the faculty who responded have an underlying medical condition, as outlined by the CDC, that puts them at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Among those faculty, over half also live with or care for another who is at risk. Over 60% of our faculty are concerned about contracting COVID or potentially exposing their family to it. The faculty also have grave concerns about the COVID testing capability of their university and/or local community healthcare systems, as well as concerns about adequate contact tracing. In the survey, we asked if faculty felt they could safely teach face-to-face in the fall, and 71% said no. Another concern, expressed by over 90% of our faculty, is the belief that students will not appropriately social distance outside of the classroom — in their residence halls or off-campus housing, or when they congregate in social settings or at bars/restaurants. In short, we believe that our students will behave in the same way that other 19–24-year-olds are doing in our communities where they are driving the spike in COVID-19 cases. Please understand: I am not being critical of our students. I recall my college days, and while the curricular element was important, so, too, were the extracurricular activities, and these often involved congregating in groups with my friends.

To be sure, our members are anxious to be back in the classroom in the fall, but they are rightly fearful of teaching face-to-face classes: Only 12% of the survey respondents indicated a preference for in-person teaching this fall. So, what are we asking for? We are asking that our faculty be permitted to feel safe, that their concerns about their health and the health of their loved ones be taken seriously. My colleagues want to teach — they just do not want to become sick. The chancellor has repeatedly expressed appreciation for the faculty; we are asking that he demonstrate that appreciation by encouraging our universities to allow for flexible work options for our members who have underlying medical issues that put them at risk, or live with or care for someone who is at risk.

We would also like to know, in advance of the start of the fall semester: How many cases will have to occur on any of our campuses before action is taken? How many sick students, staff and faculty will it take to consider an alternative to face-to-face delivery of courses? My colleagues have asked me to ask all of you this question.

I recognize that our university presidents and their leadership teams have worked hard to assemble reopening plans. I know that Chancellor Greenstein has provided guidance and a framework for those plans. I do not envy the difficulty you have all faced in pondering the start of the fall semester. I know several of you very well, and I know that these decisions are causing angst.

However, we have heard often about the need to make data-driven decisions, and yet moving forward with fall 2020 reopening plans that include a significant number of face-to-face classes seems to fly in the face of the data. Just yesterday, Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said this:

“I am worried. I do think the fall and the winter of 2020 and 2021 are probably going to be one of the most difficult times that we have experienced in American public health … because of the co-occurrence of COVID and influenza”

We appreciate the decisions made by President Fiorentino and President Welsh and their respective leadership teams for looking at the data, examining the science and listening to the predictions being made by our public health officials about the upcoming fall and winter months. I can tell you both that after you announced your decisions to move to primarily remote learning, my friends and colleagues on your campuses breathed a sigh of relief. It was and is, palpable. To the presidents at the other 12 universities, I will ask once again that you be cognizant of what you are asking your faculty to do, and to bear in mind their concerns about the safety of our students, their own safety and the safety of their loved ones.

Before I close, I wish to express my appreciation for your recognition of Dr. Kenneth Mash today. There is no one who is more deserving of sincere thanks and gratitude. Dr. Mash fought tirelessly for our members, and I know that if he were still our president that he would be arguing for the same things that I have been. Dr. Mash will be returning to teach classes this fall at East Stroudsburg University, and I must tell you that I am relieved that he will not be teaching face-to-face. If he were, I would have been truly concerned for my friend and his health. If you truly wish to honor his dedication and his lengthy service to APSCUF, to the State System and to our students, please do so by not putting our colleagues in harm’s way.

Thank you for your time today, and I continue to wish all of you and your loved ones good health.