Office Phone: 814-227-2420 www.apscuf.org February 2017 Executive Committee: President – Ray Feroz; Vice President – Joyce Overly; Secretary – Karen Bolinger; Treasurer – Linda Lillard; Delegates –Ray Feroz, Karen Bolinger, Barry Sweet; Jonathan Touster, Uraina Pack Alternate Delegates – Nancy Clemente, Ellen Foster, Jennifer May, Karl Sprenger, Lorie Taylor; Coaches President - Al Modrzejewski ; Coaches Vice President – Sean Esterhuizen; Coaches’ Grievance Chair – Eric Laughlin; Venango Campus – Paul Klenowski; CAP – Joseph Croskey; DRC – Mary Buchanan; Grievance – Mark Kilwein; Health & Welfare – Marilyn Howe; Legislative – Jonathan Touster; Membership – Rhonda Clark; Negotiations – Ray Feroz; Nominations & Elections – YooJin Ha; Social Justice – Amy Conner-Love; Public Affairs/Relations – Christopher McCarrick; Student Liaison – Naomi Bell O’Neil; Rules & Bylaws – Carey Childers; Mobilization Co-Chairs – Dan Clark & Lorie Taylor; State APSCUF Executive Council – Joyce Overly The President’s Message… Dear Colleagues, Much has happened in the last month. Governor Wolf has initiated closures (e.g., State Correctional Institution – Pittsburgh) and consolidations (e.g., the PA Department of Human Services will become Department of Health and Human Services by absorbing the PA Departments of Health, Drug & Alcohol Programs, and Aging, thereby reducing 500 jobs), plus many more changes. On January 26th, the Chancellor, in his state of the system annual address, noted that the system was “unsustainable” and a full assessment would be completed this year to see how it can be made more efficient. He added that nothing is off the table in terms of future actions, including changes at the SSHE level as well as possible consolidations and closures. Here at Clarion, the Trustees approved the administration’s proposal to make a new College of Health and Human Services, leaving many unanswered questions about the Venango College? Campus? We live in a world of change and uncertainty. Clarion University and the other 13 SSHE universities are part of America’s Working Class Universities that educate students from modest backgrounds and enable them to elevate themselves to middle-class status and beyond. Our universities play a vital role in operationalizing the American Dream. We enable upward social mobility, which is good for families, community and nation. Yet these universities are in February 2017 trouble, in large part because of the lack of state financial support for public higher education. And the answer cannot simply be to raise tuition and fees, because the students we serve will be increasingly priced out of the market. We have a critical mission and it is under attack. SSHE and local Clarion management can make strategic and organizational decisions without any input or approval from faculty, and often this seems to be the way it is done. That is their prerogative, and the results have not been good –look at what has happened in the last few years and where we are today. A major safeguard for faculty is the Collective Bargaining Agreement that gives us rights and privileges and protects us from unilateral and whimsical decisions that violate the CBA and cause harm to faculty members. We certainly welcome the opportunity to provide input into systems improvements and will do so, although many believe that requests for input are a sham and decisions are often already made. One thing of which you can be certain: we will ensure that faculty rights under the CBA are protected and we will vigorously advocate for our members. In solidarity, Ray www.apscuf.org/universities/clarion 1 View new contracts online: Printed contracts are in the works. Meanwhile, you can view the faculty and coaches' contracts on APSCUF's website at http://www.apscuf.org/members/contract . Thank you for your patience. Direct questions about the contract to Mary Rita Duvall, head of labor relations, at mrduvall@apscuf.org. SPRING 2017 MEETING DATES (Please mark your calendars!) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (EC) (Rhea Conference Room @ 3:30 pm) Tuesday, February 28 Tuesday, March 21 (Ken Mash Campus Visit) Tuesday, April 4 Tuesday, April 18 (Spring Elections) Tuesday, May 2 DEPARTMENTAL REP COUNCIL (DRC) (Rhea Conference Room @ 3:30 PM) Tuesday, March 7 Tuesday, April 11 SPRING 2017 MEET & DISCUSS (M&D) Friday, February 17 - Meet & Discuss Friday, March 3 – Pre-Meet & Discuss Friday, March 10 – Meet & Discuss Thursday, April 13 - Pre-Meet & Discuss Friday, April 21 – Meet & Discuss Legislative Assemblies Spring 2017 *April 27-29, 2017 Toftrees, State College GENERAL APSCUF & BARGAINING UNIT MEETING & “Meet the Candidate Forum” is scheduled for Tuesday, March 28, 2017, @ 3:30 pm in 250/252 Gemmell Student Center. Included in this meeting will be “Meet the Candidates” forum for the 2017 Spring General Elections. Please “pencil in” this meeting on your meeting calendar. NOTE: Spring General Elections will be held on Tuesday, April 18th from 9 am till 4 pm. ATTENTION APSCUF MEMBERS - There will be a Special Membership Meeting on Tuesday, March 21 at 3:30 pm in 250/252 Gemmell Student Center. Special guest speaker will be State APSCUF President Ken Mash. Come and meet Ken as he speaks about current issues. Please mark your meeting calendar and let’s give Ken a BIG CLARION WELCOME to our campus!! CLARION APSCUF OFFICE CLOSING: The Clarion APSCUF Office will be closed from March 10th through March 17th for Jan will be on vacation. The office will reopen on Monday, March 20th at 8 am. SPRING 2017 SUPPLEMENTAL PAYMENTS SCHEDULE (See inserted memo) Overload and Related Payments – March 17, 2017 Distance Education Payments – April 14, 2017 CLARION APSCUF 2017 FALL SCHOLARSHIPS: Applications are now available for the Clarion APSCUF Fall 2017 Scholarship to be awarded to six (6) Clarion University currently enrolled students. Applications can be picked up at the local APSCUF Office located in former Rhea Building or at the Venango Campus in Suhr Library and Admissions & Financial Aid office. Or they can now download the instructions and application from the web at: www.apscuf.org/universities/clarion. Deadline for application is Friday, March 24, 2107 by noon. We are asking once again for you to please announce this scholarship to your students in your classes along with posting this link in each of your D2L course-sites. In advance, the Scholarship Committee wants to thank you for your assistance. February 2017 www.apscuf.org/universities/clarion 2 Congratulations to Joseph Croskey. He was recently voted by the Clarion CAP membership to continue to serve as Clarion’s CAP Chairperson for the next 2 years! The CAP (Committee for Action through Politics) REBATE CAMPAIGN runs from NOW through April 1, 2017. CAP Rebate cards have already been distributed to APSCUF Members. Cards should be returned to the Clarion APSCUF office, Rhea Building by April 1, 2017. For many years, APSCUF has offered a dues rebate to its members. At the inception of the program, APSCUF asked all members to complete a dues rebate card which offered members three choices for the $25 rebate.    The $25 could be given to APSCUF/CAP, the organization’s political action committee The $25 could be left in the APSCUF treasury The $25 could be paid direct to the member The money collected for CAP is used by APSCUF to advance the causes of higher education, the faculty and state system students by supporting candidates who are pro-education. APSCUF cannot use membership dues funds for political action purposes; thus, the easiest way for APSCUF/CAP to obtain needed dollars is for members to designate that their dues rebate be given to CAP. The other alternatives are a direct contribution from the member to APSCUF/CAP or through payroll deduction. (Authorization cards for payroll deductions are available in the APSCUF office.) Please consider designating your rebate of $25 to CAP this time. If you have already donated your past rebates to CAP, “THANK YOU”. You need not sign another card. We hope that you will consider additional support through the CAP Voluntary Payroll Deduction campaign. Questions??? Please contact CAP Chair Joseph Croskey at jcroskey@clarion.edu or the APSCUF Office at 227-2420. APSCUF releases statement about restrictions on travel and immigration In light of President Donald Trump's restrictions on travel and immigration, the APSCUF has released the following statement through its executive council: Restrictions on travel and immigration The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties strongly opposes the new restrictions on travel and immigration placed by President Donald Trump on residents of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. American citizens have always been the beneficiaries of the diversity and rich talent brought to our shores by people from other nations, and the principles of non-discrimination for which Americans have stood have cast us an example to the world. We share concern not only for the status of our colleagues, our students, and our co-workers, but for all academics, students, and staff at colleges and universities across the nation. We also share concern for all who have fled persecution or have been willing to share their talents with the American people. Intellect and talent have never been the exclusive province of any nationality or religion, and basic decency does not recognize these bounds. We strongly urge that these restrictions be rescinded, and we urge Pennsylvania’s Congressional Representatives to take action, should President Trump not rescind the restrictions. February 2017 www.apscuf.org/universities/clarion 3 A HEALTHY U REMINDER Participation deadline is May 31, 2017. Don’t wait till the last minute!  NOMINATING PETITIONS ARE DUE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24th @ 12 NOON TO N & E CHAIR YOOJIN HA, c/o APSCUF OFFICE, RHEA BLDG. IF YOU NEED ADDITIONAL PETITIONS, PLEASE CONTACT JAN THE APSCUF OFFICE. PLEASE CONSIDER RUNNING FOR ANY OF THE BELOW LISTED POSITIONS.  CANDIDATE STATEMENTS – If you choose to run for an office or a position on any of the offices and committees for APSCUF, Contractual Committees, Council on General Education, or Coaches’ Positions and wish to have your candidate statement included in the March Newsletter, please submit your statement by Monday, March 6th to Jan in the APSCUF office by e-mailing it to her at jwalters@clarion.edu.  MEET THE CANDIDATES FORUM will be held on Tuesday, March 29th @ 3:30 pm in Room 250/252 Gemmell Student Center – Introduction of Candidates; Comments and Questions.  Monday, April 3: Distribution of ballots by interdepartmental mail/US Postal Service  Monday, April 17th: Absentee Ballots are due by Noon in the APSCUF Office, Rhea Building  SPRING 2017 ELECTIONS will be held on Tuesday, April 18th from 9 am till 4 pm in the Carlson Library and Suhr Library at Venango College. Again the following faculty and coach’s positions are open. If eligible, please consider running for any of these positions. *President: 1 two-year term *Vice President: 1 two-year term *Secretary: 1 one-year term *Treasurer: 1 one-year term *Delegate to Legislative Assembly: 2 two-year term *Alternate Delegate to Legislative Assembly: 3 two-year term *Nominations and Elections Committee: 3 two-year term *Venango Campus Representative: 1 one-year term *Coaches President: 1 two-year term *Coaches Vice President: 1 two-year term *Coaches Grievance Chair: 1 two-year term *Promotion Committee: 2 three-year term * Sabbatical Leave Committee – 3 three-year term *Tenure Committee: 2 three-year term *CCPS: 2 three-year term HAVE YOU MOVED RECENTLY??? If you have moved recently, please be sure to inform Jan in the APSCUF Office of your new address. Reporting your new address to Human Resources office DOES NOT guarantee that we have received this information. February 2017 www.apscuf.org/universities/clarion 4 February 2017 www.apscuf.org/universities/clarion 5 February 2017 www.apscuf.org/universities/clarion 6