2008 Woodie Awards
SSHE financial decisions not always sound
Issue date: 3/18/05 Section: Rocket Letters
To the Editor:
When the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education was born on July 1, 1983, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided two-thirds of the funding necessary to successfully operate the 14 state-owned universities.
Over the years, the level of state support has eroded. Today, the Commonwealth supplies less than 40 percent of the State System's needed revenue. Thus, the students and their families have been forced to shoulder an undue share of the burden for increasing costs through tuition and fee hikes.
While the state legislature and the governor certainly need to be reminded of the importance of taking care of the state's "own" universities, we believe the State System's own Board of Governors should do a better job of supporting the State System by making sound financial decisions.
Recently, the Board of Governors approved merit pay increases for administrators (2.5 percent retroactive to July 1) and Cost-of-Living Adjustments of 5.2 percent for the chancellor, vice chancellors and eight university presidents (also retroactive to July 1) while at the same time proposing a 6.2 percent increase in tuition next year.
From 1997-98 to 2003-04, total compensation for the System's faculty increased 23.1 percent. Over the same time period, expenditures for State System management increased a whopping 53.1 percent!
APSCUF (Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties) believes that all entities within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education are accountable to the 105,000 students, their families and the taxpayers of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In our last faculty collective bargaining agreement, the faculty made unprecedented sacrifices so that the System's costs could be held in check. Apparently, our efforts aren't mirrored by System management, and tuition has continued to escalate.
In addition, the State System has been reluctant to make any changes in its contract proposal to our State System coaches. Our coaches have been working under the terms of an expired contract since July 1, 2004. To this point, our coaches have stayed on the job because of their love for their universities and their student athletes. Our coaches deserve a fair contract, and the APSCUF proposal is not a "high cost" budget item.
We invite you to join us as we demand that the State System make a full and public accounting of its steps to take on a share of the financial burden imposed by increasing costs. It is time for the State System to tighten its belt and stop the rising costs of management in the State System.
APSCUF calls for the State System to develop and publicize a plan for stabilization of the tuition that takes into account management's share of the financial burden.
If you agree with our beliefs regarding our State System coaches and the call for a tuition stabilization plan, please email the State System at feedback@passhe.edu.
Jace Condravy
President
SRU APSCUF
When the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education was born on July 1, 1983, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided two-thirds of the funding necessary to successfully operate the 14 state-owned universities.
Over the years, the level of state support has eroded. Today, the Commonwealth supplies less than 40 percent of the State System's needed revenue. Thus, the students and their families have been forced to shoulder an undue share of the burden for increasing costs through tuition and fee hikes.
While the state legislature and the governor certainly need to be reminded of the importance of taking care of the state's "own" universities, we believe the State System's own Board of Governors should do a better job of supporting the State System by making sound financial decisions.
Recently, the Board of Governors approved merit pay increases for administrators (2.5 percent retroactive to July 1) and Cost-of-Living Adjustments of 5.2 percent for the chancellor, vice chancellors and eight university presidents (also retroactive to July 1) while at the same time proposing a 6.2 percent increase in tuition next year.
From 1997-98 to 2003-04, total compensation for the System's faculty increased 23.1 percent. Over the same time period, expenditures for State System management increased a whopping 53.1 percent!
APSCUF (Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties) believes that all entities within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education are accountable to the 105,000 students, their families and the taxpayers of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In our last faculty collective bargaining agreement, the faculty made unprecedented sacrifices so that the System's costs could be held in check. Apparently, our efforts aren't mirrored by System management, and tuition has continued to escalate.
In addition, the State System has been reluctant to make any changes in its contract proposal to our State System coaches. Our coaches have been working under the terms of an expired contract since July 1, 2004. To this point, our coaches have stayed on the job because of their love for their universities and their student athletes. Our coaches deserve a fair contract, and the APSCUF proposal is not a "high cost" budget item.
We invite you to join us as we demand that the State System make a full and public accounting of its steps to take on a share of the financial burden imposed by increasing costs. It is time for the State System to tighten its belt and stop the rising costs of management in the State System.
APSCUF calls for the State System to develop and publicize a plan for stabilization of the tuition that takes into account management's share of the financial burden.
If you agree with our beliefs regarding our State System coaches and the call for a tuition stabilization plan, please email the State System at feedback@passhe.edu.
Jace Condravy
President
SRU APSCUF
