Joyce Overly: ‘It’s very rewarding to help people’

Dr. Joyce Overly knows the importance of union leadership. As the Clarion APSCUF chapter president, Overly led throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as well as during the consolidation into PennWest University. In April, APSCUF recognized Overly’s work with the Distinguished Service Award for her exemplary leadership.

“I know that I received this leadership award, and they’re expressing their gratitude to me for my leadership, but I feel the same kind of gratitude back to them for their support,” she said. She talked about how she is indebted to APSCUF and how being part of her union has made her job better.

Current Clarion Chapter President Dr. Mark Kilwein, who introduced Overly when she received the Distinguished Service Award, shared an anecdote via email about how Overly stood up to an administrator during a local meet-and-discuss session.

“Joyce knew exactly what to say and how to deal with him in real time,” Kilwein said. “It felt good to be on our side of the table that day.”

A career begins

Overly was born in Mount Pleasant and grew up in Mercer County. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and then taught at a high school in Punxsutawney. From there she earned her Ph.D. from Bowling Green State University.

“I realized over the 4½ years that I was in graduate school that I like teaching much more than research,” Overly said. “So I decided to focus on trying to get a job at a teaching-focused university.”

She found a job at a North Carolina community college that did not have a union. After more searching, she secured a position back in Pennsylvania at Clarion University.

“I knew that as soon as I got the job that I wanted to join the union,” she said. Overly became a delegate to the legislative assembly.

Overly’s involvement in the union deepened. She would eventually run for the chapter vice presidency when the position opened and then later the chapter presidency.

Leading and helping

Throughout her time as president of her chapter, Overly oversaw two major challenges.

“I got appointed and I became president in August of 2020,” Overly said. “And then consolidation was announced. And so all of a sudden I thought, ‘Oh my lord, what did I get myself into?’”

Clarion, California, and Edinboro universities merged into one entity called PennWest University in 2022.

“We had so much work to do to organize a whole university from scratch — and not just organize it from scratch, but pull together three universities,” Overly said.

She discussed how she worked to make sure faculty voices were heard.

“My favorite part was helping people,” Overly said of her five years as chapter president. “When people come to me with problems and issues that they feel like they’re being treated unfairly, being able to help them and being able to intercede on their behalf and find solutions that were good for them, but also acceptable to management was a kind of an intellectual challenge that I liked. And it made me feel good. It’s very rewarding to help people.”

—Ethan Rapp,
APSCUF intern