State System, APSCUF Reach Tentative Agreement on New Contract

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Posted by: Elizabeth Richardson on October 18, 2017, No Comments

With more than eight months remaining on the current collective bargaining agreement between Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education and the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF), the parties have tentatively agreed to a new contract that would run through June 30, 2019.

The tentative agreement, if approved, would take effect at the conclusion of the current contract, which expires June 30, 2018.

“We have been committed to working together to achieve a new agreement in a collaborative manner,” said State System Interim Chancellor Dr. Karen M. Whitney. “As we move toward a positive conclusion for this contract, I’m hopeful it will lead to an even more meaningful relationship based on mutual respect and trust.”

“After our previous contract negotiations, we were determined to improve the overall negotiations process, and I am happy to report that our communication with the System vastly improved with these talks,” said APSCUF President Dr. Kenneth M. Mash. “We are happy that we were able to bypass the anxiety that has accompanied every previous contract negotiation in recent memory and that we can give our full attention to our students.”

Details of the new agreement will be released upon ratification by the APSCUF membership and approval by the State System’s Board of Governors.

Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth, enrolling more than 100,000 degree-seeking students and thousands more in certificate and other career-development programs. Collectively, the 14 universities that comprise the State System offer more than 2,300 degree and certificate programs in more than 530 academic areas. Nearly 520,000 State System university alumni live in Pennsylvania.

The State System universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. The universities also operate branch campuses in Oil City (Clarion), Freeport and Punxsutawney (IUP), and Clearfield (Lock Haven), and offer classes and programs at several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg and in Center City in Philadelphia.