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Members of APSCUF’s nominations-and-elections committee, assisted by staff, open contract-ratification ballots Feb. 6 at the Radisson Hotel Harrisburg near Camp Hill. Clockwise from bottom left are committee members Cassandra Reyes of West Chester University, Julie Kontos of Bloomsburg University, and Judy Silva of Slippery Rock University, and Bim Arthun, State APSCUF membership-services director.

The votes are in and counted: APSCUF coach members have approved their tentative collective bargaining agreement. Next, the document goes to Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education for approval. Click here to read today’s press release.

Sean Crampsie, APSCUF’s director of government relations, caught up with legislators after today’s Pennsylvania gubernatorial budget address. Watch the videos below for reactions to Gov. Tom Wolf’s higher-ed-heavy proposal.

“I think one of those big issues that Pennsylvanians are talking about is the student-debt crisis. Some part of that needs to be a conversation about how we fund higher ed,” Rep. Matthew Bradford said:

“I’m always interested in increasing enrollment in our State System schools,” Rep. Donna Oberlander said:

“So, the bottom line is that any investment in higher education is a return every day in the future,” Rep. David Millard said:

“Make sure (legislators) understand how important this is, how vital this is,” Sen. Vincent Hughes said of affordable higher-ed opportunities in the Commonwealth:

Ready to express your support to your legislators? Click here to look up their contact information.

Today we welcomed Katie Jeffries, State APSCUF’s new executive assistant to the president. She’s arrived just in time for next week’s legislative assembly.

APSCUF and Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education negotiators today signed the 2019–23 faculty collective bargaining agreement. Signing in the above photo are APSCUF President Dr. Kenneth M. Mash, left, and State System Board of Governors Chair Cynthia Shapira. The teams assembled after this morning’s BOG meeting at Dixon University Center in Harrisburg.

We will soon send the document to the printer and will distribute contracts to members this semester. Only APSCUF members will receive printed copies; the document will be available online later. Need to join APSCUF? You can start the process here.

Thank you, negotiations team, for your work!

Negotiators, from left, are Brian Mbuu, assistant vice chancellor for labor relations; APSCUF Treasurer Dr. Chris Hallen, Bloomsburg University; Dr. Terry R. Barry, dean of the College of Education at East Stroudsburg University; Mary Rita Duvall, APSCUF head of labor relations; Cynthia Shapira, Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education Board of Governors chair; Dr. Margaret Ervin, associate professor at West Chester University; Amy Rosenberger, APSCUF negotiator; APSCUF President Dr. Kenneth M. Mash; Dr. Pamela J. Gent, provost and vice president of academic affairs at Clarion University; and State System Chancellor Daniel Greenstein. Not pictured is APSCUF Vice President Dr. Jamie Martin. Photos/Kathryn Morton

APSCUF President Dr. Kenneth M. Mash’s comments begin with some extemporaneous remarks about a faculty survey. His prepared comments begin at about 1:50. Read APSCUF President Dr. Kenneth M. Mash’s comments as prepared:

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

My name is Kenneth M. Mash, and I am the president of APSCUF, the union that represents over 5,000 faculty and coaches in our great System.

I want to take the opportunity once again to thank the chancellor and the board, and particularly the chair, for the productive contract negotiations — what I believe was and continues to be an honest attempt to start a new day of collaboration so we may all pull in the same direction and focus our attention where it should be, which is on our students.

That effort will continue in the next few weeks as we jointly will explain to administrators and faculty not only what changes have been made to the CBA but also the spirit of those changes. I know that some credit the process that we used during the negotiations, but I tend to think that our collective efforts were fruitful because of the leadership and goodwill of the individual members of the teams.

The board and the chancellor’s efforts to promote shared governance, to work collaboratively, to operate transparently, and to emphasize accountability go a long way to begin the process of changing a culture that I think almost everyone involved would agree had reached toxic levels.

However, we cannot fool ourselves. After years of distrust and bad feelings, we must all be cognizant that the ice remains thin. I have been pleased by reports from some campuses that there has been a change in approach, that administrations have reached out and become more transparent, that input is being taken seriously.

At the same time, I am disheartened by reports from other campuses, where decisions have been made — particularly decisions that impact academic quality — with little or no consultation. Or where decisions are being made that impact peoples’ lives with an air of callousness. Or where willful violations of the CBA have occurred that result in real financial cost to the university.

For many, “systemness” is a new thing. But please understand that for APSCUF systemness is not new. We have always, and I believe always will, have an understanding that what happens on one campus has an impact on others. And reports of deeds on one campus do affect the attitude of faculties across the System. How a president or a provost behaves on one campus will impact how everyone weighs the success of the project we are on.

Cultural change is a very hard thing to pull off, and it takes time. You — the board and the chancellor — have undertaken a lot at one time. To be successful, all of us need to pull in the same direction. But I hope everyone understands that cultural change must cascade down to every campus, and it must be done with the same alacrity with which we confront our financial, enrollment, and retention issues. Those harboring resentments are, by human nature, waiting to pounce on failure.

And if some of our universities do not alter the way they do business, failure will be inevitable. Not the failure of one university, but of the System. We must all do everything in our power to make certain that does not happen.