APSCUF-KU March newsletter

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Kutztown University APSCUF Newsletter

April 2016

Executive Committee: President – Paul Quinn; Vice President – Helen Bieber; Secretary – James Jackson; Treasurer – Kenneth Ehrensal; Delegates – Lisa Frye, Dina Hayduk, Jason Lanter, Viviana Lucabeche, Kevin Mahoney, Glenn Richardson, Thomas Stewart; Alternate Delegates – Helen Bieber, Denise Darrah, Kenneth Ehrensal, Carolyn Gardner, James Jackson, Timothy O’Boyle, Angelo Rodriguez; Senate Representative – Robert L. Smith; Health & Welfare – Dina Hayduk, Grievance Co-Chairs – Ruth Perkins, Viviana Lucabeche

Why Faculty Unions Matter in 2016

by Dr. Amanda Morris, English Department, Kutztown University This blog post was originally published on the APSCUF blog page: http://apscuf.org/blog.

Faculty unions are the antidote to the poison of austerity, uncertainty, and fear that has taken hold at many of our universities. If the faculty of Mount St. Mary’s were unionized, the recent kerfuffle probably would not have happened, and if it had, there would now be a flurry of grievances that

would tangibly hold university administration accountable for the actions of its president. After comparing students to bunnies who should be drowned or killed with a Glock,…

Continued on

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KU Pride

Budget Highlights

Election Updates

Share in the exciting accomplishments of our KU community members!

KU was out in force in Harriburg on February 8!

See what attendees had to say about it.

Several key deadlines are right around the corner!

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April 2016

Congratulations!

Alex Plate, Dakota Hirst, and Laurie Seagraves from the Department of Sport Management and Leadership Studies recently participated in the Sport and Recreation Law Association Undergraduate Research Poster Competition in New Orleans.

Alex won the competition with his poster “Legal Implications of Injuries in High School Football.”

The students were under the advisement of Professor Kerri Cebula. – Lorri Egstrom, chair, Department of Sport

KU STUDENT RECEIVES PASSHE STUDY ABROAD AWARD FOR SPRING 2016 KU student Alexis Carson has received a $2,000 PASSHE Study

Abroad Award for her study abroad program at Temple Rome this semester.

Currently, 11 KU students are studying abroad this semester in seven countries and the Semester at Sea program.

SOCIETY OF PHYSICS STUDENTS (SPS) RECOGNIZED AS DISTINGUISHED CHAPTER TWO YEARS RUNNING The participation, activities and outreach efforts of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) have propelled their chapter to two consecutive years of being awarded a distinguished chapter award for 2014-2015. The SPS is a professional association explicitly designed for students which exists to help students transform themselves into contributing members of the professional community.

The SPS was formed in 1968 and has over 700 campus chapters across the country. The SPS Kutztown chapter's efforts include the annual laser light shows at Kutztown 2

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; Kutztown University APSCUF Newsletter

“I wanted to go to the rally, because it was my duty to be there on behalf of the students who couldn’t join. I wanted to know why the budget hasn’t been passed and how many more people had to suffer without receiving any funds.” – Antaneyah Johnson, Editor-in-Chief, The Keystone Newspaper “Over the course of my college career, I have seen the effects of these budget cuts, first hand. Going in to grad school, there is an underlying anxiety over whether or not the class I want will be there. And this is why I went to the rally. A day away with peers is always nice, but the trip was so much more valuable. Standing on those steps, joined with other schools by our side was momentous and powerful.” – Shelby Slifer, B.A., English w/ Cultural and Media Studies

April 2016

“Everybody needs to know that the reason we are having the rally is because we were approached by students who asked us what they could do to make their voices heard,” Mash said in his opening remarks.

KU in Harrisburg: Budget Rally Highlights “Over the past two semesters I have seen countless students (some of which were my friends) have to leave school because of the budget impasse at the state level of government.

I have witness firsthand the hardships students have gone through. Because of the inaction form the state legislatures students have been evicted from their housing and have been forced to go hungry waiting for refunds that have yet to come.” – Russell C. Brown, President, Kutztown University Political Science Club

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; Kutztown University APSCUF Newsletter

April 2016

Dear Fellow APSCUF-KU CAP Members: The APSCUF CAP committee (Committee for Action in Politics) met in Harrisburg to make recommendations to the APSCUF Executive Council regarding endorsements for the 2016 Pennsylvania Primary Election (to be held on Tuesday, April 26). The list of endorsements will be shared with APSCUF members following the decision of the Executive Council.

The CAP committee’s decision process was shaped in large measure by the current political environment. You are well aware that APSCUF faces onslaughts on two fronts: assaults on collective bargaining rights (and the right of public employees in particular) and the march toward the privatization of public higher education in the Commonwealth, accelerated by a sustained decrease in state funding since 2011. In making its recommendations, the CAP committee recommended endorsements for candidates who have demonstrated support for our organization on one or both of these fronts, regardless of party affiliation.

The committee was also particularly judicious in recommending endorsements in an effort to preserve resources for the general election in November. Primary endorsements typically lead to requests for contributions, and our ability to make such contributions is limited.

Candidates who have supported the collective bargaining rights of organized labor, or who have supported and advocated for public higher education or on behalf of one or more of the campuses in our state system of higher education earned support. The committee avoided recommendation of challenger candidates with little hope for electoral success. The committee also avoided endorsement in several hotly contested races (principally in the Philadelphia area) where it is expected that the candidate who emerges from the primary will garner our support. Additionally, some endorsements may be made in response to appeals from other labor organizations (including PSEA, AFSCME and the AFL-CIO) who may attempt to launch coordinated labor support in certain races.

One of the major legislative threats to the health of APSCUF and public employee unions in Pennsylvania lies in proposed bills that would bar the use of payroll deduction for voluntary political contributions (while applying no such restriction on other organizations including health care conglomerates and hundreds of private sector organizations). Such legislation has passed the Senate and may be voted on by the House. A number of endorsement decisions were placed on hold pending a potential vote by the representatives on this issue.

The political considerations the CAP committee considers change with each election cycle. In past election cycles, partisan control of one or both chambers of the General Assembly was at stake. That is not believed to be the case this time. The success of APSCUF and organized labor more generally is dependent upon a cadre of supportive Republicans who have resisted pressure in their party to undermine collective bargaining and public higher education. Their support has included not just floor votes, but sharing of information on pending or prospective action and other “behind the scenes” assistance. Legislators who have supported us have earned our support. Please bear in mind that, perhaps more so than in the past, CAP’s recommendations for endorsements reflect the committee’s recognition of support for our issues, and are not necessarily a “voter guide” for members.

APSCUF’s judicious stewardship of its political resources has earned us a reputation described by one high-level state official as an organization “that punches above its weight class.” You should also be pleased to know that APSCUF endorsements are revered by many candidates, reflecting the great appreciation in the Commonwealth for the work we do each day to provide the higher education that is so critical to Pennsylvania’s future. It is an honor and a privilege to be your representative in this process.

Sincerely, Glenn W. Richardson Jr., Department of Political Science, APSCUF-KU CAP Chair

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; Kutztown University APSCUF Newsletter the Mount St. Mary’s president was called out in the student newspaper, responded by firing two faculty members, and has since decided to extend “mercy” and reinstate those faculty members. But the damage has been done. Faculty are nervous, uncertain about their futures, and afraid to speak out. A faculty union would stand between the faculty and any administration that abuses its power so boldly. Mercy, indeed.

States such as Pennsylvania and Illinois are currently in budget stalemates, refusing to uphold their financial responsibilities to their own state systems of higher education. This state of austerity has been in place for several years, and it seems to be coming to a head in 2016 for many of us. In Pennsylvania, our State System has flat funding for 2015-16, which is far from ideal, but also far from what is happening at Western Illinois University, where 34 faculty will be fired this year along with staff who have already been let go.

The university will also eliminate 24 programs and consider cutting 17 more.

According to the McDonough County Voice, “The layoffs are part of the university’s strategy to cut $10 million from the

2017 fiscal year budget, which starts July 1. A state budget impasse is approaching its eighth month, and the university hasn’t received state appropriations and Monetary Award Program grant funding for the current 2016 fiscal year.”

This should sound familiar to those of us who work for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. APSCUF recently sponsored a rally for students in Harrisburg to fight for adequate funding of our system. PA legislators remain recalcitrant and unwilling to do their jobs by passing a state budget that improves funding of the STATE university system. Students and faculty are understandably annoyed, but so far none of our faculty has been fired during this current budget standoff. We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the WIU UPI Local 4100.

Faculty unions are the gatekeepers that hold rogue administrations at bay, demand they provide proof before acting, and refuse to allow whims or personal opinions or hurt feelings to guide hiring and firing decisions. Faculty unions are keenly aware that people’s livelihoods are at stake and work long hours with university officials and financial documents to find ways to save faculty jobs. I know that’s what

April 2016 APSCUF does for us. That’s why we pay dues. We pay for the right to that kind of protection.

When I joined the faculty of Kutztown University in 2010, I was new to the union. No position I had ever held in journalism or advertising had the option or benefit of union backing and protection. Since becoming a KU faculty member, I have seen colleagues’ jobs and departments saved because of our union’s refusal to back down. No matter what minor irritations we must accept as realities of having a faculty union in place, it is all worth it.

Faculty unions are the antidote in uncertain, fearful, and austere times. Join today. You won’t be sorry.

Dr. Amanda Morris, English Department

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April 2016

Timeline Election Process • Present Initial Slate of Candidates: 2/25 – 3/18 o Accept Additional Nominations: 2/25 – 3/14 • Distribute Initial Ballot: 3/21 – 3/29 • Second Ballot (if necessary): 3/31 – 4/8 Contract Committees (UPC, UTC, Sabbatical) o All faculty vote.

• Willingness to Serve: 3/23 – 4/7 • Distribute Primary Ballot: 4/11 – 4/19 • Final Ballot (if necessary): 4/20 – 4/27 Committee on Committees Rep 2-year term • Send email to Rep Council: 3/1 – 3/14 • Colleen will compile candidates and send to Paul and Lisa • Election at Rep Council: 3/17 General Education Committee o At large reps o Only teaching faculty o Work with current committee chair

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to finalize WTS Willingness to Serve: 3/30 – 4/14 Distribute Primary Ballot: 4/18 – 4/26

General Education Assessment Committee (GEAC) o At large reps (3 teaching faculty and 1 non-teaching faculty) o Work with current committee chair to finalize WTS • Willingness to Serve: 3/30 – 4/14 • Distribute Primary Ballot: 4/18 – 4/26

Election Procedures ü Willingness to Serve (instant survey) ü Ballot (instant survey) ü Notify appropriate committee chairs of the winner(s) via email ü Notify each winner via email with a follow-up hard copy letter (signed by Nominations & Elections Committee Chair) ü Post winners in the Daily Brief

APCUF Elections

Officers, Delegates, and Alternate Delegates Must be completed and Harrisburg notified of results by April 15. Only APSCUF members, including coaches, can serve and vote.

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; Kutztown University APSCUF Newsletter

April 2016

RENTAL REGALIA FOR INAUGURATION - DEADLINE EXTENDED In preparation for President Hawkinson's inauguration, faculty or staff in need of regalia may rent maroon attire through KUSSI at no cost to you.

Academic attire is required for individuals participating in the inauguration procession. The deadline to place an order for rental attire has been extended to Friday, March 11, 2016.

To place an order for rental attire, please contact Laurel Brandt by email lbrandt@kutztown.edu with the following information: First and Last Name Height Degree Area of Study Alma mater Rented attire can be picked up in room 171, McFarland Student Union, starting Monday, April 11, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Those that also plan to rent regalia for commencement may keep their rental until spring commencement. If you prefer KUSSI to store your regalia until commencement, you can return it to a KUSSI employee in the faculty robing area after the inauguration ceremony.

Matt Assad, business services manager, KUSSI

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Kutztown University APSCUF Newsletter

January/February 2016

APSCUF Member Publications Submit your publications.

APSCUF invites its members to share complimentary copies of published works for inclusion in the APSCUF member library at the state office. If you have books, articles and/or recordings (performed or directed by APSCUF members), please submit them to: APSCUF 319 N. Front Street Harrisburg, PA 17101 You will receive a letter of appreciation to acknowledge your gift. We hope to continue to grow this library of faculty works to acknowledge the academic excellence of APSCUF faculty.

Current program year is July 1, 2015 - May 31, 2016. You must obtain 70 total points for reduced premiums beginning July 1, 2016. If you are hired on or after April 1, 2016 you will automatically be placed in the participating rate and do not need to obtain the point until the next plan year.

Please visit the APSCUF Member’s Forum for access codes to special services!

Go to http://apscuf.org/images/PDFs/member_forms/Member_Services_Bklt_2015.pdf to download a PDF file outlining the benefits of your APSCUF membership.

Full dues paying members must register for access into the Members Forum section on the APSCUF website. Registration is easy. Go to www.apscuf.org, click on Members Forum on the upper right side of the page, click on register and follow the directions. Your membership will be verified by the site administrator and you will receive a confirmation/verification email letting you know your registration