Phone: (814) 227-2420 www.apscuf.org May 2021 Executive Committee: President – Joyce Overly; Vice President – Mark Kilwein; Secretary – Christopher McCarrick; Treasurer – Linda Lillard; Delegates –Joyce Overly, Jennifer May, Barry Sweet, Jacqueline Knaust, Mark Lepore, Annette Rosati; Alternate Delegates – Ellen Foster, Jonathan Touster, Cristin Ketley, Jamie Phillips, Lorie Taylor; Coaches President – Chris Weibel; Coaches Vice President – Matt Hanhold; Coaches Alternate – Keith Ferraro; Coaches’ Grievance Chair – Eric Laughlin; Venango Campus Rep – Renee Bloom; CAP – Joseph Croskey; DRC – Mary Buchanan; Grievance – Mark Kilwein; Health & Welfare – Amy Shannonhouse; Legislative – Jonathan Touster; Membership – Paul Klenowski; Negotiations – Joyce Overly; Nominations & Elections – Rachel Newbury; Social Justice – Cahndice Matthews; Public Affairs/Relations – Christopher McCarrick; Student Liaison – Marc Sanko; Rules & Bylaws – Jamie Phillips; Mobilization CoChairs – Jackie Knaust & Andy Lingwall; State Adjunct Faculty Committee – Natasha Dias, Sheila Kazar; State APSCUF Executive Council – Joyce Overly Faculty Meet & Discuss Team: Joyce Overly, Barry Sweet, Adam Roberts, Mark Kilwein, Jennifer May, Mary Buchanan, Chris McCarrick (recording sec.) Coaches Meet & Discus Team: Chris Weibel, Matt Hanhold, Keith Ferraro, Eric Laughlin, Joyce Overly & Mark Kilwein The President’s Message… Dear APSCUF Sisters and Brothers, We made it to the end of a full year of mostly remote instruction! I hope your grading is going well and that you have some fun summer plans in the works. Congratulations to our 2021 retirees – you will be missed, but your valued contributions to Clarion are a legacy to be proud of. I apologize in advance for this long, detailed message, but appreciate you taking the time to read it. There are many things happening that I need to share. With the Board of Governors’ vote last week to move forward with the consolidation plans, we are now in the 60-day comment period required by Act 50. Last Thursday, the Chancellor answered questions at a joint meeting of the PA Senate Education and Appropriations Committees. On Monday he appeared before the corresponding committees from the PA House. The State APSCUF website has links to the videos and collected live tweets from those sessions. Some notable claims made by the Chancellor and my reaction to them:  In a survey, students said they were willing to take about 25% of their courses online. [What are the details of this survey and why haven’t the results been shared with faculty?]  The personnel loss following consolidation will be about 2.4% in the western consolidation. [What about personnel loss in the coming year, prior to consolidation?]  The economic impact on the communities surrounding the consolidating universities will be negligible. [An analysis by a group from UMass-Amherst, using the State System’s own data, reports job losses of 125 FTE at Clarion between 2019 and 2023, and 502 total for the California-Clarion-Edinboro consolidation.]  While 75% of students will have all the classes for their degree program on campus, the course-level details aren’t available yet because “APSCUF has not permitted the development of an integrated curriculum committee.” [APSCUF reached out to the Chancellor’s office last November about this and other CBA-related issues surrounding consolidation. They were not willing to meet to discuss these issues until February. It’s galling that the Chancellor told legislators that the lack of a curriculum is APSCUF’s fault.] APSCUF organized a Day of Action last Wednesday to coincide with the Board of Governors meeting. I saw many faces from Clarion at the 4 pm rally and press conference. Thank you to everyone who attended! Yesterday’s newsletter from State APSCUF listed upcoming events – including public comment sessions on Zoom on June 9 and 10 – and actions you can take to express your concerns about the consolidation plan. In addition, two advocacy groups have been formed, Save our State Schools (https://www.saveourstateschools.org) and PAPublics (http://papublics.org). These groups are separate (Continued on page 2) May 2021 www.apscuf.org/universities/clarion 1 from APSCUF, but we share many of the same interests. I encourage you to visit their websites and follow them on social media for updates. At the local level, many Clarion faculty members have been meeting with their counterparts from California and Edinboro to work out new, synthesized programs. Given the consolidation timeline, it appears that management expects this work to continue over the summer, which puts our members in an awkward position. As your union president, I must remind you that 9-month faculty members are not expected nor paid to work over the summer, unless you’re a department chair or offered a supplemental contract. However, if we are going to be part of a new, consolidated university, we all naturally have an interest in helping to create a new curriculum. More accurately, we are the only people who have the professional expertise to do so. Some folks will choose to participate during the summer, while others will not, and either choice is OK as far as I’m concerned. Expect frequent updates from me as things develop during the summer. As always, feel free to email me or Jan with any questions or concerns. Hope to see you (and our students) back on campus in the fall! In solidarity, SUMMER SCHOOL PAYMENTS FOR 2021 SUMMER SESSION 1: May 21, 2021 SUMMER SESSION 2: July 2, 2021 SUMMER SESSION 3: July 30, 2021 SEVEN WEEK 1: June 18, 2021 SEVEN WEEK 2: July 30, 2021 A HEALTHY U REMINDER: Deadline for participation is May 31, 2021 With your completion of the Healthy U requirements:   You will pay the lowest employee premium contribution for the plan year starting in July 1, 2021. You will be provided with tools, support, resources and programs to help you maintain and improve your health and well-being. DON’T WAIT TILL THE LAST MINUTE TO COMPLETE YOUR PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS FOR HEALTHY U! The Healthy U year kicked off on January 1 and runs through May 31, 2021. The only requirement is completion of the Sharecare RealAge Test for the Highmark subscriber and their enrolled spouse. There is no longer a minimum number of points that must be met - just completion of the RealAge Test. Members must access the test through the PASSHE platform at mycare.sharecare.com. Reduced premiums will begin July 2021. A COUPLE OF NOTES: o If you go to www.sharecare.com, you will be on the commercial site and their activity will not be linked to your Highmark account. This means they'll show as incomplete even if they have completed it. (Also, anyone who completed prior to January 1 will have to do so again since the wellness year hadn't started yet.) o Members are required to agree to the ADA and GINA authorization on an annual basis - this will pop up when they log into their account for the first time this year. Though it appears as though the HIPAA authorization is also required (since it looks exactly like the ADA/GINA), it is not required. Members may simply hit the SUBMIT box on the screen. (There was an article w/screenshots in the Jan 13 State APSCUF newsletter). For more details and information guide on the Healthy U program, go to Healthy U | PA State System of Higher Education (passhe.edu). May 2021 www.apscuf.org/universities/clarion 2 May 2021 www.apscuf.org/universities/clarion 3 ANNOUCEMENT: SPRING 2021 GENERAL ELECTIONS RESULTS The Clarion APSCUF Nominations and Elections Committee is pleased to announce the results of the Spring 2021 General Election. See below. Thank you, all, for your interest in serving our union and our university community. And thanks to all who participated in the election, candidates and voters; your contributions are appreciated. Best wishes, Nominations & Elections Committee Rachel Newbury, N&E Chair Paul Klenowski, Amanda Lockwood, Natasha Dias, Xiaofeng Li APSCUF OFFICES COACHES APSCUF OFFICES President (1 two-year term) Joyce Overly Coaches President: (1 two-year term) Chris Weibel Vice President (1 two-year term) Mark Kilwein Coaches Vice President: (1 two-year term) Matt Hanhold Secretary: (1 one-year term) Christopher McCarrick Coaches Alternate: (1 two-year term) Keith Ferraro Treasurer: (1 one-year term) Xiaofeng Li Coaches Grievance Chair: (1 two-year term) Eric Laughlin Delegate to Legislative Assembly: (1 two-year term) Lorie Taylor UNIVERSITY-WIDE CONTRACTUAL COMMITTEES Alternate Delegate to Legislative Assembly: (3 two-year term) Cristin Ketley Nripendra Singh Karl Sprenger Nominations & Elections Committee: (2 two-year term) Jin Qu Lana Smith Venango Campus Representative: (1 one-year term) Renee Bloom Promotion Committee: (3 three-year term) Laurie Bladen (Nursing) Stephen Gendler (Chemistry, Mathematics & Physics) Amy Shannonhouse Sabbatical Leave Committee: (2 three-year term) Jin Qu (Psychology) Marc Sanko (History) Tenure Committee: (2 three-year term) Helen Hampikian (Biology) Laurie Pierce (Nursing) CCPS: (2 three-year term) Lacey Fulton (Communication) Daniel Shifflet (Mathematics) May 2021 www.apscuf.org/universities/clarion 4 Clarion APSCUF Fall 2021 Scholarships Awarded CONGRATULATIONS to the following APSCUF Scholarship winners who were awarded $500 each for the Fall 2021 semester. This year there were 46 outstanding applications submitted by currently enrolled students throughout Clarion and Venango campuses. The scholarship winners were recommended by the APSCUF Scholarship Committee (Committee Chair Dr. Jeffrey Diamond, Dr. Todd Lavin and Dr. Helen Hampikian) and were approved at the Executive Committee meeting on April 6, 2021. APSCUF: Miriam Terman (English Secondary Education) Graduate: Sarah Traver (Speech Language Pathology) Senior: Kaia Rearick (Molecular Biology) Junior: Kathryn Robinson (Secondary Education-English & Social Studies) Freshman/Sophomore: Mackenzie Carver (Biology) At Large: Oliva Mott (Secondary Education-English & Social Studies) Miriam Terman Kathryn Robinson Sarah Traver Kaia Rearick Mackenzie Carver Olivia Mott THANK YOU! to the members of this year’s Clarion APSCUF Scholarship Committee: Dr. Jeffrey Diamond (Chair), Dr. Todd Lavin and Dr. Helen Hampikian. These scholarships has been made possible by the faculty and coaches members of APSCUF. WILL YOU BE MOVING OVER THE SUMMER? If so, please be sure to inform Jan in the APSCUF office of your new address. Reporting your new address to Human Resources DOES NOT guarantee that we have received this information. Faculty: You will also need to change this with your dental and vision provider, the PA Faculty Health & Welfare Fund. For a new enrollment form, please contact Jan the APSCUF office today at jwalters@clarion.edu. May 2021 www.apscuf.org/universities/clarion 5 Best Wishes to our 2020-2021 Retirees           Dr. Peggy Apple (Education) Dr. Donna Ashcraft (Psychology) Mr. Robert Bullington (Visual & Performing Arts) Mr. Jeff Eicher (Finance) Dr. Marilyn Howe (Education) Coach David Hrovat (Diving) Dr. Janice Krueger (Library Science) Dr. Kathleen Murphy (Education) Dr. Randall Potter (Psychology) Dr. Susan Prezzano (Anthropology) Dr. Peggy Apple Coach Dave Hrovat Dr. Donna Ashcraft Mr. Robert Bullington Dr. Kathleen Murphy Dr. Randall Potter Dr. Marilyn Howe Dr. Susan Prezzano Also, celebrated at this year’s “Virtual” Retirement Reception were the 2019-2021 Retirees!!                Dr. Stephen Agyei-Mensah (Computer Information Science) Dr. Jerry Belloit (Finance) Dr. Nancyann Falvo (Nursing) Dr. Raymond Feroz (Human Services) Dr. John Heard (Physics) Dr. Christina Hearst (Student Support Faculty) Dr. Ralph Leary (English & Modern Languages) Dr. John McCullough (Education) Dr. Mark Mitchell (Psychology) Ms. Michele Pedlow (Trio Student Support Services) Mr. James Rose (Visual & Performing Arts) Dr. Thomas Rourke (Social Sciences) Dr. Richard Sabousky (Special Education) Dr. Jocelynn Smrekar (Education) Dr. Lisa Turner (Special Education) May 2021 www.apscuf.org/universities/clarion 6 ATTENTION NEW FACUTLY RETIREES: PA Faculty Health and Welfare Fund Benefits will end on the last day of the following month after your retirement date. Retirees have the option of signing up for COBRA for their Health and Welfare benefits for an 18-month period or paying for dental/vision benefits thru APSCURF, the retirement association. All Clarion APSCUF Retirees receive a one-year membership paid by Clarion APSCUF to the Association of State College and University of Retired Faculties (APSCURF). As an APSCURF member, retirees are entitled to the special services they enjoyed as an APSCUF member plus the voluntary member-paid dental/vision benefit option plan. EMERITUS STATUS PROCEDURES Nominations for Emeritus Status should be initiated by member(s) of the appropriate department/unit and announced at a department/unit meeting, normally within one year following retirement. The nominated member(s) of the department/unit shall forward a one-page summary of the significant accomplishments made by the nominee to the Dean and appropriate Vice President. The Office of the Provost and Academic Vice President will be responsible for the implementation of this policy and its procedures. The above procedures for departments to follow to request emeritus status for retiring faculty in departments are taken from the Clarion University of Pennsylvania Policy on Emeritus Status. A copy of the entire policy is available from the APSCUF office. If you have faculty who are retiring at the end of the fall or spring semester in your department, please follow the procedures in this policy to request emeritus status for the nominee. REMINDER: ENHANCED SICK LEAVE PAYOUT RETIREMENT INCENTIVE Note that the NEXT deadline to submit a retirement notice and receive the maximum Enhanced Sick Leave Payout (ESLP) is September 30, 2021. Faculty and coaches who submit a retirement notice with an effective date between of retirement between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 can receive a payout for up to 75 or 87 unused sick days, depending on years of service, instead of the normal maximum of 50 days. Please note that faculty members currently on an approved phased retirement plan are also eligible for the payout. Anyone who is interested in taking advantage of this offer should contact Shelly Williams in Clarion University’s Human Resources office at swilliams@clarion.edu . Also, if you wish to have a one-on-one virtual discussion on Zoom with Bim Arthun, Director of Membership Services, please directly contact Bim at barthun@apscuf.org for a date and time. SUMMER HOURS and SUMMER CLOSINGS: At this point, Office Manager Jan Walters is still working remotely from home and will let you know when she moves back on campus. The Clarion APSCUF Office Summer Hours are remotely open from 8 am till 4:00 pm. The office is scheduled to be closed on the following days:     Monday, May 10 Friday & Monday, May 28 & May 31 (Memorial Day Weekend) June 11 through June 28 (Vacation!) July 2 and July 5 (Fourth of July Weekend) Have a safe and enjoyable summer! May 2021 www.apscuf.org/universities/clarion 7