Slippery Rock University

Volume 37, Issue II, September 2013

Burkhart Addresses Faculty at the State of the University Address

By: Patrick Burkhart, SRU APSCUF President

The goldenrod is in full bloom, so its the season for another gracious welcome back to ole SR. It has been heartwarming to meet so many smiles already this fall. These are the best of times; these are the worst of times. We enter this term securely prescribed under a Collective Bargaining Agreement -- one that maintains retiree health care, precluded an increased teaching load to 30 credits for temporary faculty, requires us to discuss class size, and much, much more. In contrast, retrenchment is on the table at SRU and we have heard of sister schools approaching it with callous disregard for the dignity of dedicated individuals, whose livelihoods hang in the balance. Speaking of best, Slippery Rock University continues to generate sufficient revenue, such that we are anticipating our unrestricted net assets to remain stable, keeping us in the top quartile of such reserves across the state. With great challenge, however, we are also currently allocating cutbacks of about 4% for programming, but they should deliver us through the current year in the black! One of worst aspects of today is the widespread denigration of the liberal arts. We are criticized for lack of focus, not training workers for any particular vocation, and being too expensive. I dont believe any of this trite. I continue to assert, we deliver an incredibly high quality education at a very competitive price. Benjamin Franklin once said, Investment in knowledge pays the highest interest. I walk in lockstep with him. We all of us, each of us as a community, have lifted retention rates at SRU to an all-time high. We also worked together over the summer to implement the new Early Alert Program. Faculty, please take the few minutes necessary to utilize Banner whenever you observe a student struggling perilously. Lets lift our success rates even higher, winning

another victory for all of us. Winter term, DPT, MBA, geophysics, sustainable business, criminology, forensic accounting, a continuous stream of new professors for exercise science, Patterson Hall. Remarkable retention of very diverse NCAA athletes! Online nursing? My friends, I know that you know, if at first you dont succeed, try, try again. The truth of the matter is that SRU has developed markets, steers an agile curriculum, and redirects resources to up-and-coming programs. We already hold great prowess in these regards. We have done so as a collegial community, yet we contemplate retrenchment. We can hear the stone honing the guillotine, as we tremble at the news of a viral academic Reign of Terror spreading across the Alleghenies like Black Death. We place resources in one college to ease reaccreditation, while we contemplate retrenchment in another that could sever accreditation of keystone programs. Eight campuses received the letter; Cal, with its staggering debt and small reserves, despite continued loss of students, recently rescinded their letter, their retrenchment letter. Cheryl, please pull ours. We must all work diligently together to face financial duress. For goodness sake, turn out the lights when you leave the room! Provost Way has shaken my hand and agreed that retrenchment is a last resort. He has offered his determination that our approach at SRU will be a model for grace
SEE ASK, PAGE 2

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We are happy to welcome the following new members to APSCUF
David Jordan...............................................................................................School of Business Sunita Mondal............................................................................................School of Business Thaddeus Boron, III.................................................................................................Chemistry Kerry Edwards........................................................................Criminology-Criminal Justice Brian Miller..................................................................................... Geog/Geol/Environment Christopher Scott.............................................................................................................Music Mary Ann Dailey......................................................................................................... Nursing Arlene Ford...................................................................................... Physics/Pre-Engineering Susan Wiegand................................................................................................................. SPED Deanna Brookens.......................................................................................................... Theatre Rhiann Condon........................................................................Public Health & Social Work
APSCUF welcomes back Sunita Mondal, who selected SRU as her academic home over the University of Pittsburgh. Quality Faculty are SRU Faculty.

Executive Committee
President: Patrick Burkhart Vice President: Katie Cooklin Secretary: Judy Silva Treasurer: James Hathaway At-Large: Jennifer Sanftner At-Large: Wilma Cavill Coach: Shawn Lutz CAP: Brad Wilson Grievance: Sharon Sykora Legislative: David Kershaw Membership: Laura Smiley Negotiations: Colleen Gray Gender Issues & Social Justice: Catherine Massey Professional Development: Jack Layne

Asks President Norton to Rescind Retrenchment Letter

Continued from Page 1

under fire. I warmly returned his grasp. We will let attrition lighten our payroll, as a preferred tactic to dismissal. Every year, a significant number of resignations and retirements occur. The road of life simply turns for many of our colleagues, as they select their next destination. If you have already recognized that this is the year you will depart our daily cadence, please declare your intent sooner rather than later. Timely information this year might save our colleagues jobs. Indeed, these are the best of times; these are the worst of

times. Such remains the case. SRU is a gem. The 14 PASSHE schools are the crown jewels of the Commonwealth. We are not broken. We are strong. We are efficient. We are effective. Let us continue to strive for excellence, exuding the value of the SRU experience. Let us all compel our community, our commonwealth, to cease the assault upon affordable public education. Let us embrace the dream of a high quality, tolerant public education for all citizens. Let us face our challenges with grace! Why not do the very best that we can do?

SRU APSCUF ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Governor Corbett, PASSHE, and the PA Dept of Education need to hear from you! Write to tell them your students and community need state support for public education. GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT Email: Governor@pa.gov Phone: 717.787.2500

Pennsylvania Department of Education Pennsylvania General Assembly: Find

Acting Secretary Carolyn C. Dumaresq 333 Market Street Harrisburg, PA, 17126 Phone: 717.783.6788 TTY Number: 717.783.8445
Your Legislator Write your legislators and senators and tell them to support public education!
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator

Chancellors Office
Dr. Peter H. Garland, Acting Chancellor pgarland@passhe.edu Office of the Chancellor Dixon University Center 2986 North 2nd Steet Harrisburg, PA, 17110 Phone: 717.720.4205 Fax: 717.720.4011

The Honorable
Randy Vulakovich Senate Box 203040 168 Main Capital Building Harrisburg, PA, 17120 Phone: 717.787.6538 Fax: 717.787.8625 Email: rvulakovich@pasen.gove

PASSHE Board of Governors

Guido M. Pichini, Chair PASSHE 2986 North 2nd Street Harrisburg, PA, 17110 Phone: 717.720.4028 Fax: 717.720.4029

The Honorable
Donald White 286 Main Capitol Building Harrisburg, PA, 17120 Phone: 717.787.8724 Fax: 717.772.1589 dwhite@pasen.gov

PASSHE:
http://www.passhe.edu/ 2986 North 2nd Street Harrisburg, PA, 17110-1201 Phone: 717.720.4000

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Burkhart Brings Greetings to the SGA

I hope the SGA recognizes the full spectrum of impacts upon the PASSHE system -- their majors, courses, and opportunities -- that diminished appropriations are producing, not simply threatening, but increasingly being imposed as cuts. I hope that our SGA, in concert with students across the state, will engage in democracy and make their demands for support of public education known in Harrisburg. Patrick Burkhart, SRU APSCUF President

Warns of Diminshed State Appropriations

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Adopt-a-Highway Cleanup a Success

Pictured from left to right: Junko Yamamoto, Jim Hathaway, Beth Boerger, Gary Clark, Jace Condravy, Katie Cooklin, Carol Holland (almost hidden), Judy Silva, Alyssa Clark (Rhonda Clarks niece), Rhonda Clark, Cindy Lacom, Carolyn Steglich. Not pictured: Patrick Burkhart and Jennifer Keller

Meet you local Executive Council

Patrick Burkhart, President

I arrived at SRU on an arctic night in January 1998 to teach courses in Environmental Geology, Hydrology, and Hydrogeology, which are all topics of great passion to me. Geology, the study of the Earth, fills my everyday with wonderment. I enjoy undergraduate research, with projects ongoing in the Badlands of the Great Plains and the Argentine Andes. APSCUF is the venue through which I engage my beliefs in the value of public education, academic freedom, and collective association each of which characterizes Democracy. Welcome back to our noble pursuits. I wish everyone a successful year in the classroom and beyond!

Wilma J. Cavill, At-Large

I joined the SRU faculty in 1958 as an aquatic specialist, student teacher supervisor, and gymnastics coach. I retired from coaching in 1976 and currently teach in the Department of Safety Management. I have held a variety of APSCUF positions since 1973, including President of SRU APSCUF (74-78), a legislative assembly delegate (73-08), member of State Executive Council (75-81), and State APSCUF VP (98-04). Over the years, I have served on the local Executive Council. I received a reserved parking space in 2008 for 50 Years of Service, and a park bench in 2013.

Katie Cooklin, Vice-President

I joined the Philosophy Department at SRU in 2005. My research interests are social and political philosophy and, in particular, issues of social justice. It is only natural that I would be deeply concerned about access to high quality education for all and that I would become involved in APSCUF. It is through APSCUF that I and other faculty participate in binding decisions regarding such things as the financial investment in quality instruction, academic freedom, and the values that support the mission of public higher education.

Colleen Gray, Negotiations

I was hired to teach voice at this wonderful university in the fall of 1991. I had been happily performing and teaching privately until there was a serious clash between my evening performing/ teaching and the needs of my 2 children in the evening. But, since much of my advanced voice study and coaching had been private, I did not hold a doctorate, and SRU requested that I go get one. That was a serious undertaking! With the balancing of child care, teaching, and performing, it took me 12 years to accomplish the goal. I continue to perform in addition to teaching, and love the academic life. My students keep me stimulated and feeling vital. APSCUF came to my aid when my first contract was changed to a temporary position in an illegal manner. APSCUF fought to assure that I was treated fairly and legally. I personally have experienced the value of the protection of a union.

Catherine Massey, Gender Issues & Social Justice

David Kershaw, Legislative

Three times I year I travel to Harrisburg for legislative assembly where I meet with other delegates to identify and discuss legislation that is relevant to PASSHE. I also participate twice a year for Lobby Days. I teach in the Department of Political Science.

I arrived on SRU soil in August 2002. I am primarily responsible for teaching developmental psychology courses in the Department of Psychology including Developmental Psychology, Child and Adolescent Development, Psychology of Aging, and Psychology of Lesbian and Gay Identities. I enjoy all these courses equally, but find my Psychology of Lesbian and Gay Identities course especially rewarding because of the noticeable transformation of understanding and compassion for the LGBT community that I see in my students. My research examines sociocultural influences on LGBT mental and physical health as well as on identity formation. I have been involved with APSCUF since my arrival at SRU because of the solidarity and team approach it takes to academia.

Jennifer Sanftner, At-Large

I have been teaching in the Psychology department for 12 years. I am department chair and am extremely passionate about psychology. My areas of interest in teaching and research include abnormal psychology and psychotherapy, as well as eating disorders and body images in women and men. I lead the Reflections Program on campus, which seeks to empower women in their views of themselves and their bodies. I am also active in multiple ways on and off campus in gender and sexuality studies. I have been involved with APSCUF for 6 years. APSCUFs focus on quality teaching and working conditions that attract excellent faculty makes Slippery Rock and the State System unique, and I am privileged to serve in this way.

Judy Silva, Secretary

Next issue: Meet Jack Layne (Professional Development) and Warren Davidson (Gender Issues and Social Justice).

I joined the library faculty in 2001 after working for AMICO (The Art Museum Image Consortium), a digital library based in Pittsburgh. My areas of responsibility at SRU include university archives & special collections, library reference and serving as the library liaison to Art, Dance, Music and Theatre. I thoroughly enjoy the opportunities all of these roles afford for working directly with students. My research interests include digital initiatives for archives and art repatriation. Ive been involved with APSCUF since my arrival on campus, attending membership meetings initially and later serving two terms on the Executive Committee as an at-large representative and currently as the secretary. Being involved in APSCUF keeps me informed about whats going on at SRU and involved in shaping the Universitys future. It has been an extremely rewarding experience.

Laura Smiley, Membership

I joined the Department of Theatre in 2003 and immediately became involved in APSCUF as Department Representative. I have been a member of all three actors unions for over 20 years, so have always been grateful for the services that are provided. It wasnt until I came to SRU that I became more actively involved with a union. As the new chair of the Membership Committee I am inspired by the work that I see my colleagues do in behalf of our faculty and the quality of the education that we provide to our students and will do my best to contribute. For the Department of Theatre, I direct two productions a year and teach a variety of classes including Acting Shakespeare, Acting Techniques, Fundamentals of Acting (a Liberal Studies offering) and Directing. I am passionate about sharing new ideas and concepts of live theatre by creating opportunities and offerings that challenge and broaden the scope of my students experiences.

Sharon Sykora, Grievance

I answer questions from faculty regarding the interpretation of the contract, assist faculty members in preparing grievances, and represent faculty members at meetings with management when there are controversies over contractual issues. Having been on the committee for 20 years, I have heard both the best and worst of what management has to say. I have also served as the Strike Committee Chair twice over the years. I am a faculty member in the Department of Political Science, where I teach courses in American politics and political behavior. As a result of my last sabbatical and because of a course I teach in intentional communities, I have developed an interest in cohousing and am currently doing research on cohousing communities and serve as the facilitator of a group in Ohio working to create a cohousing community there.

Brad Wilson, CAP Jim Hathaway, Treasurer

Ive been working at SRU since 1988. Before that I taught for three years at Ondo State University (now Ekiti State University) in Nigeria. My interests include economic geography; Africa, especially West and Southern Africa; the US and Canada; and geography education. I teach courses that explore those topics, as well as courses dealing with environmental problems and map reading. My most recent research topics are alternative food networks in the older industrial regions of the US and the impact of shale gas on agriculture in Pennsylvania. I began teaching in the Philosophy Department at SRU in 1997. I am currently the chair of the department and the director of the SRU Honors Program. Ive taught a variety of philosophy courses, but I am primarily interested in the connections between philosophy and science, particularly biology and medicine. I have served as the SRU CAP chair (Committee for Action in Politics, our name for a PAC) for a number of years and am also the chair of the statewide CAP committee. So if you are reading this, and you are a member of APSCUF, expect to hear from me asking for donations to support our lobbying efforts in Harrisburg!