For several months, administration from the 14 university Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and the faculty union, the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Facilities, have been negotiating terms for a new contract to no avail. The contract that university professors are working under expired 460 and some odd days ago, and this, coupled with the breakdown in contract talks, has pushed the union into setting a strike date on October 19.
Both sides have utilized social media to get their messages across to students, faculty and other stakeholders in the State System of Higher Education. APSCUF was the first to hold a press conference using Facebook Live at the union’s general assembly last month. Yesterday, the State System’s Chancellor Frank Brogan took to Facebook Live to address students on the state system’s side of the story, and later on today, APSCUF will hold a press conference for student journalists.
During Chancellor Brogan’s address to PASSHE students, Brogan told students, and encouraged faculty, that they must, or should, cross a picket line and attend classes if a strike occurs. Brogan told students “every student is responsible for attending every one of their classes, regardless of what any professor opts to do,” and “your obligation as students is to continue to go to class until you are told not to.” This left students and some parents wondering if Chanellor Brogan’s is willing to use scabs to take attendance, teach classes and disseminate information from the State System of Higher Education to students.
I think the PASSHE FAQ page sends a different message. It’s the one I’m going with. http://www.passhe.edu/FactCenter/Pages/FAQs.aspx
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What should students do if a faculty strike is called?
In the event of a strike, students should plan to report to their regularly scheduled classes. Faculty are not required to strike, so it is important that students attend every scheduled session unless it is determined that the professor is on strike.
Thank you for the post. One thing, of the many, where passhe is wrong is that they make it seem like a strike is a singular action by a single person. It is not.
93 percent of the professors are in agreement on this and the system is asking students to cross the line to be taught by scabs or strike breakers
I don’t believe that students are under any obligation to attend classes during a strike. Students enroll at a university expecting that classes will be taught by faculty qualified in those subjects. Students are not paying to be taught by administrators and scabs.