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.