Are you a student worried about a threatened strike by faculty who teach at the 14 state-owned universities?
Got a question on that subject for State System of Higher Education Chancellor Frank Brogan?
Tomorrow at 11:30 a.m., Mr. Brogan and his staff will discuss negotiations with faculty and answer questions submitted from students during a live webcast on Facebook, officials said.
Students can submit questions in advance of tomorrow's session by sending them to chancellor@passhe.edu. The event itself can be viewed at www.facebook.com/statesystem on Tuesday.
“Students want to know, and need to know, what is going on. We have been communicating with students regularly, and we think this is another good way to provide them with clear, consistent, unfiltered information directly from the State System,” Mr. Brogan said.
Officials said they see the event as another avenue of communication in addition to the State System web site www.passhe.edu/negotiations.and social media.
Some 5,100 faculty and 400 coaches represented by the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties have been without a contract since June 30, 2015. Citing lack of progress, union leaders during their own Facebook web cast last month said faculty leaders will strike on Oct. 19 if there is no contract or breakthrough by that date.
A potential strike date for coaches has not been set.
A strike by faculty would be the first in the State System's history.
About 107,000 students attend the 14 universities including: Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester universities of Pennsylvania.
Bill Schackner: bschackner@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1977 and on Twitter: @BschaknerPG.
First Published: October 3, 2016, 5:20 p.m.
