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We’re looking for interns to join us in the APSCUF office this summer — and these opportunities aren’t just for students. APSCUF offers a summer internship for a State System student as well as learning opportunities for faculty and coach members. We’re accepting applications for both internships now.

West Chester University Professor Victoria Tischio, right, was APSCUF’s summer 2018 faculty intern. File photo

Faculty/coaches internship

APSCUF’s faculty and coaches orientation internship is for APSCUF members who have some local APSCUF responsibility and are interested in expanding a working knowledge of the union. Interns spend a week in the summer in the Harrisburg office to observe the entire spectrum of union administration. They interact with staff members who serve in various capacities. The program aims to prepare APSCUF members for increased local and/or state responsibilities. Click here to download an application (The form has not changed since 2016.) and more information about hotels, travel, and meals. Questions? Email Andrea Mahoney at .

Student internship deadline Feb. 18

The application deadline for APSCUF’s summer government relations/communications internship is Monday, Feb. 18. The summer 2019 internship begins Monday, June 3, and concludes Friday, Aug. 9. Interns earn $11 an hour and are expected to work 35 hours per week, Monday through Friday. APSCUF interns have gone on to jobs in the legislature, lobbying, and the news media. The internship is based at the state APSCUF office in Harrisburg. The application and more details, including testimonials from past interns, are online here. We will accept applications by the Feb. 18 deadline that have faculty recommendations forthcoming.

When longtime State System governor Rep. Matt Baker (R-68) retired from the House last fall, Pennsylvania House Speaker Mike Turzai (R-28) surprised many by appointing himself as the House Republican Caucus representative to the State System Board of Governors for the remainder of the legislative session. On Tuesday, Turzai made another surprise appointment, tabbing Crawford County Rep. Brad Roae (R-06) to succeed him.

Rep. Brad Roae. Photo/Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Roae has been a harsh critic of State System administrators, Edinboro University administration, and APSCUF. A frequent poster of anti-System diatribes on his Facebook page, today he posted about his appointment and wrote: “The board is kind of like a school board but rather than operating a school district it operates the 14 state owned colleges.”

“It is true that the representative has said some very insulting things about faculty in the past, but we (APSCUF) trust that with this position he will develop a more comprehensive view of what our universities do and the critical role of faculty and coaches in advancing student success,” APSCUF President Dr. Kenneth M. Mash said. “We also hope that the representative will be a partner in finding constructive solutions to the challenges that lie ahead as we all continue to work to provide affordable, high-quality higher education for all Pennsylvanians.”

The Board of Governors next meets Jan. 16–17 at Dixon University Center in Harrisburg.

Graphic/Kathryn Morton

The APSCUF office is closed for the holidays and will reopen Jan. 2, 2019. We wish you and your loved ones all the best and look forward to serving you in 2019. APSCUF.org is open during the break with forms-and-benefits information, contracts, and members-only benefits details.

Sydney Miller, APSCUF’s fall intern, takes a selfie with Gov. Tom Wolf at Pennsylvania Press Club in September.

The moment I accepted my internship with APSCUF, I was overwhelmed with excitement. Little did I know I would learn so much about my career field and learn the ways of lobbying and journalism. The staff and my two advisers, Kathryn Morton and Sean Crampsie, made this whole experience comfortable and welcoming. Both taught me new skills that I will carry for a lifetime.

With any internship, you may face challenges, but you will learn valuable information and have the opportunity to understand what you want to do with your career. In this dual internship, I was able to work within in my field of political science and brush up on my writing skills. My hardest and most rewarding challenge in this internship was learning the ways of writing in a journalistic form. Kathryn was super helpful with tips and tricks to writing a blog and other pieces of importance for an organization like APSCUF. I was also able to use social-media accounts while I visited multiple universities in Pennsylvania. I want to thank Sean for his efforts of showing me around the Capitol and giving me the outlet to network. It gave me a better understanding of how the lobbying field works.

Throughout my time in the Harrisburg office, I was able to meet with Gov. Tom Wolf and now-Lt.-Gov.-elect John Fetterman. I attended APSCUF’s September legislative assembly, where delegates from all 14 university chapters met. I sat in with political speakers, watched committee meetings, and met with individuals who have influenced my goals.

My advice for this internship: Come to learn. I found my love for meeting with people and lobbying about issues that are important to me. I enjoyed talking to all of the faculty and staff within APSCUF, which showed me, a State System student, how passionate professors, coaches, and the staff are about providing us with an affordable education. I was able to learn what a union is and what it does for its members.

John Fetterman, during his his campaign for lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, takes a selfie with Miller after he spoke to APSCUF’s September legislative assembly.

For those who are not local to the Harrisburg area, APSCUF provides housing. For me, this was an important factor in choosing an internship. It gave me the opportunity to learn without the burden of paying for something I wouldn’t be able to afford.

Overall, my time with APSCUF has been a fulfilling and humbling experience. Everyone will welcome you as a person and part of the team, which is nice for someone new to the job. Enjoy the time you have to learn and the opportunities APSCUF gives you: Not many internships will provide something as unique as APSCUF.

Thank you, Ken, my two advisers, and all of the APSCUF staff for letting me experience what it is like to be a part of the team. I learned more than I thought, and you all made my fall semester a successful one.

—Sydney Miller,
Fall 2018 APSCUF intern

Interested in applying for an APSCUF internship? Learn more about the opportunity at https://www.apscuf.org/students/#internship.

In case you missed it, check out some of the accomplishments of our APSCUF faculty members and coaches from this fall semester.

• Bloomsburg University mass communications Assistant Professor Kristie Byrum spoke about her book while arguing against the “right to be forgotten” act.
• Tom Mueller, a geography professor at Cal U, joined the Ukraine Research Institute at Harvard University’s MAPA Digital Ukraine Program.
• Cheyney Professor Steven Hughes brings fish farming to light.
• Clarion University recognized APSCUF faculty members who received tenured or a promotion.
• East Stroudsburg faculty members were recognized and honored at the first All-University meeting of the academic year.
• Katherine Robbins of Edinboro University took her new role as athletic director.
• Faculty member Susan Drummond of Indiana University of Pennsylvania discussed how the Janus versus AFSCME ruling affects public-sector unions.
• Kutztown’s department chair of computer science and information technology, Lisa Frye, received the Arthur and Isabel Wiesenberger Faculty Award.
• Rick Schulze of Lock Haven University received the Visionary Leadership Award at the AIDS Resource 30th anniversary gala.
• Mansfield University faculty members performed “Gorgeous Nothings.”
• Biology professor Carol Hepfer received Millersville University’s 2018-19 Teacher of the Year Award.
• Faculty members at Shippensburg University provided a literacy program at the Hope Station in Carlisle.
• Computer science Professor Sam Thangiah started a STEAM program for students at Slippery Rock University.
• West Chester University field hockey Coach Amy Cohen led her team to the No. 1 spot in the nation.

APSCUF aims to keep our members and followers updated on our faculty members’ and coaches’ successes. Don’t forget to follow us on our social media sites for more stories featuring our incredible faculty and coaches. Have a story to be told? Tag APSCUF on social media or email us at .

—Sydney Miller, APSCUF intern