Negotiations between the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) ended today with no progress toward a settlement. No future negotiating sessions are scheduled.

State System officials went into the latest round of negotiations hopeful that significant progress toward a new collective bargaining agreement with APSCUF could be made. Those hopes were tempered, however, when the union, which represents the approximately 5,500 faculty at the 14 state-owned universities, presented a new proposal earlier this week that actually would be more costly than the package it had submitted in August.

With more than 104,000 students, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth. Its 14 universities offer more than 250 degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. More than 375,000 System alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.

The state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. The System also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Kittanning, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg. The regional centers are part of the Educational Resources Group, which is responsible for coordinating statewide programming.