Summary of the Major Provisions of the Tentative Faculty Collective Bargaining

Agreement Between
Pennsylvanias State System of Higher Education and the
Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF)
July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2018

Term
The agreement will be effective July 1, 2015, and expire June 30, 2018.
Salary Increases
Fiscal Year 2015-2016
Step increase1 retroactive to the beginning of spring semester 2016. Faculty at the top of the
pay scale will receive a one-time cash payment of 2.5% of their academic annual salary.
This increase/cash payment is applicable to those employees who are in an active pay
status on the date of ratification by the Board of Governors.
Fiscal Year 2016-2017
2.75% general pay increase2 effective at the start of the fall 2016 semester
Fiscal Year 2017-2018
2% general pay increase effective at the start of the fall 2017 semester
Effective fall 2017, chairperson stipends (last increase in 2003) increase as follows:
o
o
o

Teaching Department Chairpersons stipend will increase 50%. For example: A

chairperson in a department with 6-10 faculty members will increase from $1,400
to $2,100 annually.
Non-teaching Department Chairpersons stipend will increase 25%. For example:
A chairperson in a non-teaching department with 6-10 faculty members will
increase from $4,000 to $5,000 annually.
A Library Chairpersons stipend will increase 25%. For example: A library
chairperson in a department with 6-10 librarians will increase from $700 to $875
annually.

1A

step increase is movement one step up on the 13-step salary schedule. Moving up from steps 1
through 4 will be a 5% increase. Moving up from Step 5 through 12 will be a 2.5% increase.
2A general pay increase (GPI) represents a percentage change applied to the entire salary schedule.

Health Care Benefits

Effective January 1, 2017
o

Same-sex domestic partner benefit eligibility will be closed to new enrollments.

Same-sex domestic partners (and their children, if applicable) certified prior to
January 1, 2017 will remain eligible for benefits.

Freeze enrollment in the four regional HMOs (no new enrollments).

Modify the PPO Blue plan design to include an in-network deductible of $400
individual/$800 family for certain medical services. The out-of-pocket network
deductible for PPO plan will be $800 individual/$1,600 family, and the out-ofnetwork out-of-pocket maximums will be $3,200 individual/$6,400 family.

Increase full-time employee premium contributions as follows:

15% to 18% for wellness program participants

25% to 28% for wellness program nonparticipants

Increase retail (30-day supply) prescription drug copayments as follows:

$5 to $10 for generic drug
$18 to $30 for brand formulary
$36 to $50 for brand non-formulary
Copayments for mail order (90-day supply) of two times the retail.

Increase office visit copayments as follows:

$15 to $20 for Primary Care (PCP)
$25 to $45 for Specialists (SPC)
$25 to $50 for Urgent Care (UC)
$100 to $200 for Emergency Room (ER) (waived if admitted)

Effective July 1, 2017

o

Eliminate Keystone East HMO, Keystone Central HMO, and Geisinger HMO
plans. UPMC HMO will remain in place for all members who were enrolled prior
to January 1, 2017 but will be modified in the same manner as the PPO,
including member deductible and copays.

Implement the full package of Prescription Drug Management programs

(Mandatory Specialty Pharmacy program, Managed RX Coverage Program
(MRxC), including step edits, and expansion of Managed Prior Authorization
Program).
Eligible faculty members who retire on or before June 30, 2017 and are not
eligible for Medicare, will be enrolled in the Annuitant Health Care PPO plan for
pre-Medicare annuitants with the same PPO plan design in effect for active
faculty members on December 31, 2016.

Effective July 1, 2017, annuitant healthcare plan benefits for future pre-Medicare
eligible retirees shall be those in effect for active employees and will change as
active employee benefits change.

Appointment of Faculty

The percentage of temporary full-time and part-time faculty members hired at a

University remains capped at 25% (full-time equivalent). However, now excluded from
the 25% calculation are temporary faculty members employed in the same department
as replacements for regular faculty members granted approved leaves of absences.

Clarified the process for converting full-time temporary faculty to tenure track status.

Temporary faculty who have been employed for a cumulative total of at least 60
workload hours at the same University and have received satisfactory evaluations at
every level shall have preference in reappointment to temporary positions in the same
department.

Performance Review and Evaluation of Faculty

Interim evaluations are conducted to address performance deficiencies. Timelines were
developed for conducting these evaluations. An interim evaluation is limited to the category(ies)
in which deficiencies are identified. Previously all performance categories (teaching, service and
research) were evaluated.

Probationary Period of Newly Hired Faculty

Time spent as a faculty member at a regionally accredited or internationally acclaimed four year
institution of higher education may be counted toward the faculty members probationary period
if recommended by the department and approved by the President. Previously only prior State
System faculty employment could be counted.
Office Hours
The required office hours for part-time faculty are incorporated into the agreement and prorated
at a minimum of twenty-five (25) minutes for each workload hour taught and are held on such
days, times and at locations as will accommodate the needs of the students.

Retrenchment

The deadline for issuing notice of the possibility of retrenchment due to program
curtailment, elimination of courses, or the elimination of duties and services provided by
faculty whose basic responsibilities lie outside the classroom is moved from August 1 to
April 1 for any retrenchment(s) that may occur effective at the end of the subsequent
academic year.

Retrenchment shall not be used to evade the disciplinary provisions of the collective
bargaining agreement.

Other Teaching Location

Other teaching locations include leased and owned facilities. The Dixon University
Center will be treated as an other teaching location; eliminated its distinct incentive
payment structure.

Clarified faculty hired to teach at other locations as stated in the appointment letter are
not eligible for the incentive payment for teaching at locations other than main campus.

Added a new incentive category Over 3,000 miles. Faculty traveling over 3,000
cumulative miles to teach a course will have the option of receiving a cash incentive of
$1,125 or $1,500 for professional development opportunities.

Distance Education

Revised definition of distance education to be within the scope of acceptable definitions

for federal reporting purposes; provide structure yet flexibility for universities to utilize
emerging technologies; and to emphasize the role of the instructor in this educational
process. Defined Online/web-based and ITV- Interactive Television distance
education.

Faculty members teaching distance education are currently eligible for additional
compensation if 80% or more of the course is delivered online or via ITV. This additional
compensation and the eligible for receiving the compensation was revised as follows:
o
o

Collapsed the compensation into a single per student fee regardless of the
technology. Previously online and ITV had different compensation models.
Excluded from determining if 80% or more of the course is delivered via distance
education are in-person and/or proctored exams and field experiences.

Student evaluation instrument for distance education will be reviewed every four years to
ensure its effectiveness.