Union reps from Commonwealth U campuses speak out against retrenchment

HARRISBURG -- Representatives from multiple unions within Commonwealth University's three campuses traveled to Harrisburg this week to urge state lawmakers to step in and prevent the loss of faculty across the institution.

The event, held Wednesday at the Capitol Building, was emceed by Dr. Kenneth M. Mash, president of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) and included remarks from leadership within American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and State College and University Professional Association (SCUPA) from Commonwealth's Lock Haven, Bloomsburg and Mansfield campuses.

Mash noted faculty, students and higher education workers were recently on the steps of the capital a week prior to encourage an increase in overall state funding for higher education.

"For the last two years our system has been flat funded. That gets treated as if everything is going to be okay because we've got funding. But the reality of the situation is that it does not account for increases due to inflation, and it doesn't account for the various and different mistakes that have been made by administrations and the (Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education) and for the years and years of underfunding by the Commonwealth," he said.

Mash touched on the recent announcement by Commonwealth University President Dr. Jeff Osgood's announcement in September that roughly 100 faculty and staff members across the university's three campuses would be cut in an attempt to eliminate overhead and balance its budget per orders from PASSHE.

"I think it's time that someone, somewhere, took ownership. This retrenchment, this loss of jobs doesn't lie on the backs of the workers that are going to lose their jobs. It should be on the backs of the people who put us in this situation in the first place," he said. "It certainly shouldn't be on the backs of students who will have fewer course offerings, difficulty graduating from their classes and they will not have the options they otherwise would have had."

He noted Pennsylvania's higher education ranks 50th and 46th overall in the county between two different studies and emphasized it would take support from state legislators to help correct the issues created through consolidation and flat funding.

Dr. Matthew Girton, a communications professor at Commonwealth's Lock Haven campus and member of APSCUF, spoke during the conference about the ripple effect retrenchment would have for students attending these campuses.

"Retrenchment doesn't solve a problem, it hastens the demise of the schools," he said.

Much like Mash, he noted the problems Commonwealth University and other state schools are facing isn't due to faculty, or staff.

"It's caused with the continual decline of funding since 1982 and hastened by the ill thought out fever dream of a chancellor that has since gone -- to consolidate three schools in the east and three schools in the west," he said.

Girton noted he's always been careful to say that, even with the consolidation and previous loss of staff on all three campuses, students could still have a quality education.

"If this goes through, that will no longer be true," he said.

Girton called on state representatives and senators whose districts are home to all three campuses to speak to their colleagues about increasing the public education budget and help support Commonwealth University and other schools within the state system.

Shawn Makar, equipment operator at Bloomsburg, served as representative of AFSCME. He said he'd worked for the state system since 1992 and noted he's seen good times and back.

"I will admit I've never seen a budget that delivers everything we need. But some years are worse than others," he said.

Makar noted, over his time with the state system, he's begun to pick up on the tricks administrators might use to hide what is really happening.

"Don't play a game with my life and the lives of my fellow PASSHE employees. Please," he said.

He noted a flat line budget was passed for Commonwealth University, meaning the "budget will be balanced on the backs of dedicated public employees like myself," he said.

"You argue that costs are going up and savings must be found somewhere. You will say we need to have just a few lay offs here and there. That everyone needs to pitch in," Makar said. "Well my costs have gone up too, same as everyone in this room. So when you're telling workers to do more with less, you're telling them to make ends meet."

Makar encouraged legislators and others to meet himself and his coworkers, to see the difficulties they face to ensure operations continue on campus.

"We are not just numbers on a spreadsheet," he said of his fellow AFSCME member. "We have hopes, dreams, bills and fears just like all of you."

Rachel Shaffer, who serves as SCUPA president for the Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg campus, emphasized the important work members provide across the university.

"Our members are the backbone of the state system of higher education. When a student attends a state system school, they receive more than just an education inside the classroom," she said. "Our members are the points of contact for the connected services that both the students and their parents and supporters rely on to make their college experience complete."

These jobs, such as in admissions, financial aid, residence life, career services and more, are essential jobs, she said.

"When a student needs help with housing, meals, mental health support, tutoring or financial aid issues, a SCUPA member is the first point of contact," she said.

Shaffer noted the loss of membership through attrition within the last four years and the difficulties that have created. However, SCUPA staff continue to work to provide quality care for students at the university on all three of its campuses.

"We know there are other options still to be explored for Commonwealth University to reduce overhead. We also need our state elected leaders to step up and make investments in all of our state funded universities, including Commonwealth University, so that we have the resources we need to prepare our students for future success," she said.

The final union member to speak was Dr. Alan Gishlick, a physical and environmental sciences professor at the university's Bloomsburg campus. Gishlick stated his own position in his jeopardy with the looming retrenchments.

He told those in attendance the loss of faculty and staff created a burden for those who remain, and reduces the opportunities for students to receive a quality education.

"I think that the college administration, the Board of Governors and the chancellor seem to forget that colleges aren't buildings and classrooms and labs," he said. "It's the faculty who make the work. It's the faculty who teach the classes. It's the faculty who mentor the students. It's the faculty who provide research opportunities and intellectual enhancement to the students' lives."