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APSCUF's Executive Council adopts formal statement on weapons policy

blog@apscuf.org (Lauren Gutshall) — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:22:22 -0400

Several universities in the State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) recently reviewed their weapons policies at the request of PASSHE’s central office. Kutztown University opted to lift an existing weapons ban and permit weapons in open areas on campus. Because faculty members and the press raised questions about Kutztown’s new policy, the PASSHE Board of Governors has asked that the other universities hold off on changing their weapons policies until a task force reviews the situation.

APSCUF’s Executive Council met on Friday, May 17, and adopted the following position statement on PASSHE’s weapons policy:

APSCUF believes the best learning environment for students is one in which all members of the university community feel safe from the threat of violence. APSCUF believes that this is best secured by reliance on university security and police professionals. Given the free flow of traffic on a college campus to academic buildings, dormitories, and extracurricular events, APSCUF believes that the best policy remains one where deadly weapons are prohibited from campus (except as secured by university police). APSCUF further believes that prior to changing policies regarding deadly weapons, PASSHE and university officials should fully consult with all constituent groups in the campus community.

Senate Education Committee holds hearing on higher education accessibility and affordability

blog@apscuf.org (Lauren Gutshall) — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:31:16 -0400

On Wednesday, May 15, the Senate Education Committee held a hearing on three bills that aim to expand access to affordable higher education for Pennsylvania students.

Senate Bill 78, sponsored by Senator Greenleaf (R-Bucks), expands state scholarship eligibility requirements for students regardless of the percentage of credit hours completed through online courses.

Senate Bill 420, sponsored by Senator Ward (R-Westmoreland), creates a debt relief program for middle-income students. The legislation would appropriate additional funds to PHEAA for a new student aid and debt reduction program for middle-income ($80,000-$110,000) students.

Senate Bill 713, the DREAM Act, sponsored by Senator Smucker (R-Lancaster), provides in-state tuition for undocumented students who graduated or received a GED from a Pennsylvania high school. Similar legislation has been passed in at least 12 other states.

APSCUF submitted written testimony to the committee on all three bills. More information about the hearing, including testimony from PASSHE and other presenters can be found on the committee’s website.

Support Cheyney in the Home Depot Retool Your School Campaign

blog@apscuf.org (Julie Bancroft) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 16:01:42 -0400

The Home Depot continues its long standing support of diverse communities with its Retool Your School program, now in its third year. Retool your school is a campus improvement grant program which provides grants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for campus upgrades.

Last year, with the help of faculty, coaches, and students from all fourteen PASSHE universities, Cheyney University earned enough votes to place 3rd in the competition an win a $10,000 Campus Pride grant.

APSCUF would like to encourage all campuses to support Cheyney again this year by voting at the Retool Your School site or at Cheyney's website. You may vote once per day until online voting ends on April 15. Thank you for your continued support of Cheyney University.

Economic Development 101: D.C. Think Tank Focuses on Harm of State Higher Education Cuts

blog@apscuf.org (Julie Bancroft) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:21:59 -0400

Last week, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (D.C.) released a grim report “Recent Deep State Higher Education Cuts May Harm Students and the Economy for Years to Come” that highlighted the impact of drastic cuts to higher education nationwide following the 2008-9 recession. According to the report, these cuts will have a negative impact on our nation’s long-term recovery.

One of the biggest attractors of businesses to a region is the quality and education of its workforce. Although tax rates, access to infrastructure, and low utility costs are important magnets for business investment, so is an educated workforce.

The other side of this economic development plan is that an educated workforce generates middle-class jobs that sustain an economic recovery. For instance, according to the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, by 2018, 62 percent of all jobs will require some form of college education, up from 28 percent in 1973.

Yet, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) report shows that between 2008 and 2013, states cut funding to higher education by $2,353, or 28 percent, per student. Pennsylvania is no exception slashing spending by $2,082, or 29.9 percent, per student at all institutions and $1,632, 29.6 percent, at state system universities.

Pennsylvania’s cuts have placed an increased financial burden on students and families and reduced access to an educated workforce.

Pennsylvania’s cuts have placed an increased financial burden on students and families and reduced access to an educated workforce. The CBPP states that average tuition in Pennsylvania rose $1,560, or 14.1 percent, per student since the recession; at PASSHE schools the numbers are $1,251, or 24 percent. The CBPP study reinforces the “State of the States” annual report (a collective annual study out of Harvard, Penn and AEF) from last year that said, “The budgets of higher education institutions have been cut in recent years and, as a result, students have seen their tuition skyrocket to make up for the loss of funds” and “If the state cannot find a way to support its higher education students — even while making budget cuts — the long-term consequences for the state and its citizens could be negative.”

Pennsylvania is no exception to this trend. For instance, average tuition and fees at State System universities now take up 17 percent of the median family income, and the Commonwealth is second nationally in per student debt upon graduation. This not only restricts the access to higher education needed to create tomorrow’s workers, it reduces cash in the current economy as debt-burdened graduates have less disposable income to purchases homes or cars.

These cuts also impact the quality of education for those who can afford to attend. For instance, PASSHE has eliminated or frozen 130 academic programs and over nine hundred positions have not been filled. The result has been a reduction in course offerings, increases in class sizes and student-to-faculty ratios, and less access to permanent faculty. These are just a few of the recent budget-induced changes that stagnate the human capital needed to sustain an economic recovery.

The effects of this lack of investment can be seen in Pennsylvania’s numbers: unemployment is above the 7.7 percent national average and private sector job growth now ranks 44th in the country.

The CBPP report recommends that “states should strive to expand college access and increase college graduation rates to help build a strong middle class and develop the skilled workforce needed to compete in today’s global economy.“ Like the CBPP report outlines, Pennsylvania must get back to investing in developing the workforce of the 21st century by investing in a quality, affordable higher education system. It’s economic development 101.

PASSHE Board of Governors ratifies contracts for faculty and coaches

blog@apscuf.org (Lauren Gutshall) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:38:56 -0400

Today the PASSHE Board of Governors unanimously approved ratification of both tentative contract agreements with APSCUF faculty and coaches. It was a long, challenging negotiations process, but APSCUF and PASSHE reached agreements that were fair to faculty, coaches, and students.

Both negotiations teams and the negotiations committee appreciate the overwhelming support from faculty and coaches during the process and the strong showing of solidarity at the PASSHE Board of Governors meeting in January. Because of our collective efforts, we were able to settle contracts with the State System that preserve quality public higher education for our students.

APSCUF urges members to take action to stop liquor privatization

blog@apscuf.org (Julie Bancroft) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:07:43 -0400

*URGENT: Legislative Action Needed on Liquor Privatization*

House Bill 790, pushed by Governor Corbett and sponsored by Majority Leader Mike Turzai, passed out of Committee yesterday. HB 790 would privatize the liquor states and end the valuable asset that generates more than $500 million dollars a year for Pennsylvania. Privatizing would mean a loss of that revenue and the potential for public higher education appropriations to be affected with this budget gap. Privatizing also means a loss of 5,000 middle class jobs, many of them held by our union friends in the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776 (UFCW).

The plan will likely be voted upon on Thursday, possibly Wednesday, so we are asking our membership to act now!

Click here to read the CLEAR Coalition’s letter to all House Members that President Hicks has signed onto.

IMPORTANT AND URGENT: Send an email message to your lawmakers in Harrisburg now and tell them you don’t trust Corbett’s liquor privatization plan: The AFL-CIO’s action page provides an email template that will automatically go to your legislators when you type in your address. We encourage you to personalize the template before sending.

To assist in personalizing the message, please reference the UFCW toolkit and a fact sheet on the PA Liquor Control Board and its Wine and Spirits Stores.

While we oppose HB 790, we understand that many of our members are interested in modernizing the liquor store. Legislation will soon be introduced in the Senate that will address consumer concerns while protecting these middle class jobs and help move this revenue-generating asset into the future.

Senator Ferlo’s proposal will provide reforms that will allow the stores to operate at peak performance, reform beer sales and the quantities that may be purchased, improve store convenience and provide direct shipment of wine.

APSCUF faculty vote to ratify contract with State System

blog@apscuf.org (Lauren Gutshall) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 13:19:28 -0500

Today faculty members belonging to the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) ratified a tentative contract agreement between APSCUF and the State System of Higher Education (PASSHE).

Over 95 percent of the faculty who voted supported the ratification. A simple majority vote was needed to ratify the contract.

“Faculty members at our universities are dedicated to providing students with a high quality education. The overwhelming support for this agreement illustrates the commitment our faculty have to our students and our institutions,” said Dr. Steve Hicks, president of APSCUF. “This is a balanced contract that preserves and maintains quality public higher education in the Commonwealth.”

The contract includes a compensation package similar to the agreements reached by the governor and other statewide unions. It also provides health care cost savings by increasing co-pays for office visits, emergency room visits, and prescription drugs.

For the first time, class size will be included in the collective bargaining agreement as an issue subject to faculty input and recommendations. While the agreement eliminates course development compensation for distance education, it provides for technical support and instructional design professionals to assist faculty who choose to teach courses via distance education.

“The faculty support for this contract is a testament to the dedication of our negotiations team and negotiations committee, which have both worked diligently over the last 26 months to reach a fair agreement with the State System,” Hicks said.

The PASSHE Board of Governors will vote on the contract in the coming weeks.

PASSHE Appropriations Hearings

blog@apscuf.org (Julie Bancroft) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:57:02 -0500

On Monday, March 4, Peter Garland, Acting Chancellor of the State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), testified before the House Appropriations Committee about PASSHE’s budgetary needs. On Tuesday he offered similar testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee. While there was a wide range of topics discussed at the two hearings, many of the questions from legislators focused on how PASSHE was able to the meet the needs of the universities with a limited budget.

In early February, Governor Corbett announced that the state’s higher education institutions, including the state-related institutions, PASSHE universities, and community colleges, would receive flat funding in exchange for keeping tuition increases “as low as possible.” Flat funding this year still means that the State System has experienced a loss of $90 million since the governor took office.

At the House hearing, several legislators asked about the impact of the declining state appropriations on the fourteen state-owned universities and whether funding from the state appropriation was adequate to meet the System’s needs. Garland said that the universities could do more if the dollars were available, but that PASSHE provides a “decent level of quality.”

In reality, the loss of the state appropriation has a direct impact on the level of educational quality our universities provide to students because faculty, students, and the universities have to do more with less. At the House hearing Garland discussed the cost-savings that come from increasing “faculty productivity,” but components of productivity - more students and larger classes - impact both the teaching and learning environments. Garland mentioned that the lack of state dollars has made it increasingly difficult to offer certain programs, especially those that are considered high-cost programs. It has also led to the loss of special grant initiatives that were supported with appropriations funding. The steady decline of the state appropriation and the strain on the PASSHE budget affect the quality of education that students receive at the fourteen state-owned universities.

After years of not fully meeting its budgetary needs, PASSHE has to start thinking about how the quality of education is slowly eroding because of the declining state support. The State System can only cut so many programs and positions, reallocate so many dollars, and raise so many private funds to fill the budget gap.

It is important to show legislators just how necessary the state appropriation is to maintain the quality of education at the PASSHE universities. Please contact your state Senator or Representative and tell them to support quality public higher education by working to restore and rebuild funding for PASSHE.

Are You a Phoenix or an Apollo?: University of Phoenix Faces Possible Probation Actions

blog@apscuf.org (Julie Bancroft) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 14:54:42 -0500

By Doug Brown, Public Policy Researcher, and Sean Kitchen, APSCUF intern

The University of Phoenix is facing probation by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges because of the for-profit university’s “lack of autonomy” from parent company and main shareholder, the Apollo Group. According to Inside Higher Ed, after completing its review the Commission originally planned to place the university on “notice”- a much lighter sanction - but changed course due to concerns about the ability of its board of directors to independently manage the university outside of Apollo and in a way that ensures integrity and supports an educational mission. The University of Phoenix accounts of 90 percent of the Apollo Group’s total revenue.

The report also cited low retention and graduation rates at Phoenix, overreliance on federal aid as a revenue source, and the lack of sufficient assessment of learning outcomes.
Company representatives for Apollo claim that Phoenix has become more autonomous since its last accreditation review in 2002, and “believe that it is neither remarkable nor improper for a parent corporation to exercise appropriate influence over its wholly owned subsidiary.” The Apollo Group conducted an internal report, which claimed that the university is “well resourced and innovative” and has received praise for its “high level of student services and related technology.”

This university’s accreditation issues, on top of the recent Senate report on for-profits’ practices and a multi-state Attorneys General investigation, highlight why promoting and fighting for public higher education as the protector of academic integrity and advancement is important more now than ever. Corporations like Apollo want to make education a profit-making business, but quality higher education is a public good that is supposed to serve society, not a corporation’s bottom line.

APSCUF coaches approve new contract with State System

blog@apscuf.org (Lauren Gutshall) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 11:40:47 -0500

Below is the text of a press release announcing the approval of the new contract between APSCUF coaches and PASSHE:

Today the coaches at the 14 state-owned universities approved a new contract with the State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). The contract would cover 400 coaches represented by the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF).

Over 97 percent of the coaches who voted approved ratification of the contract. The PASSHE Board of Governors must also vote on the agreement.

The contract includes compensation similar to the statewide pattern, an increase in minimum salaries, and a revised health care co-payment that is affordable and helps the State System maintain the current health care plan. It also includes important changes that provide the coaches similar benefits to faculty.

“The coaches at our universities are dedicated to ensuring that our student athletes are successful on the field and in the classroom. This contract provides fair compensation and benefits to our coaches so that they can continue to mentor our student athletes,” said Dr. Steve Hicks, president of APSCUF. “The overwhelming approval of the contract is a testament to the negotiations team’s commitment to reaching a fair agreement.”

The coaches, like the faculty, have been working without a contract since July 1, 2011. APSCUF faculty will vote on the ratification of their tentative agreement in early March.

The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties represents 6,000 faculty members and 400 coaches at the 14 state-owned universities. In 2002 APSCUF became the first union to organize non-faculty athletic coaches in a public higher education system.