This Fall 2016 semester has been a wild ride for the 14 PASSHE (Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education) for students and faculty alike. The State System and APSCUF (Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties) have been negotiating different proposals considering the faculty at these state schools have been working without a contract for over a year now.
APSCUF set October 19, 2016 as the date of the strike if an agreement was not reached by then. As I sit here on October 19th as a student of a state school I can tell you firsthand that an agreement was not reached and I received an email at 5:00am that the strike was occurring. This is the first time in the history of the state schools that a strike was actually occurred.
PASSHE handed APSCUF a final offer last night and APSCUF denied it.
Things PASSHE has been proposing to APSCUF is the idea of decreased instructors with increased class sizes, graduate students instead of knowledgeable and seasoned professors teaching courses and many more changes that would be disadvantageous to our education.
The faculty are not striking for the sole purpose of a pay raise and benefits. They are doing this because they believe in preserving the quality education of the students. I 100% support our faculty at our Pennsylvania state schools. I am receiving an amazing education from professors that I love. They do so much for me on a personal level that I feel it would be so wrong for me not to support them.
Some people may say that by the faculty striking they are being detrimental to our education as students. I understand this side of the situation, but if they were not doing this and standing up to preserve our quality education, than nothing in the state system would be fixed. This strike is for the students.
If PASSHE and APSUF cannot come to a negotiation within a reasonable time frame, the whole semester can be cancelled which will literally push back every single student in the PASSHE system's graduation date. This is the only part of the strike that scares me. Yes, they can reimburse money to students, but they cannot reimburse the time and energy put into these classes that we are already half way finished with at this point in the semester.
I am all for the strike and I will support my professors no matter what. I do not want to be in debt for the rest of my life from a subpar education. I want professors who are well-educated and have actual experience in the field I am studying. I want the education I am paying for. I truly hope this strike is something that causes the State System to listen and negotiate a fairer contract that will benefit the students and faculty alike.
