HARRISBURG, Pa. – Negotiators late last night reached an agreement in principle for the faculty contract between Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education and the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties.

The agreement followed five consecutive marathon days of interest-based bargaining that began Sept. 14 at Dixon University Center in Harrisburg.

Legal counsel for APSCUF and the State System will continue to finalize language before a tentative agreement is available for APSCUF members. The ratification process will begin after the language is completed.

Details will not be released to the public until the process of ratification and approval is complete.

"I believe that the agreement in principle represents an historic advance in the process of creating a shared vision of how our universities should operate to best serve our students," APSCUF President Dr. Kenneth M. Mash said. "The principle components are fair, they address a number of faculty concerns, and they establish a solid foundation for the future of public higher education in Pennsylvania. I would like to thank my faculty colleague negotiators, Chairwoman Cynthia Shapira, Chancellor Daniel Greenstein, and all of the negotiators for maintaining a collaborative and respectful tone during these negotiations."

The four-year agreement, if approved, would activate upon ratification by APSCUF and the State System's Board of Governors. The most recent contract ended June 30; by law, that contract remains in effect until a new collective bargaining agreement is ratified.

“When the State System and APSCUF began this journey last summer, we all envisioned a process that put students at the center of our discussions," said Board of Governors Chair Cindy Shapira. “We've achieved that goal together. Reaching this milestone is another example of what System Redesign is all about—working together to solve complex problems with the shared understanding of our common interests and always putting students at the center of everything we do."

For this faculty contract, the State System and APSCUF have engaged in interest-based bargaining, which focuses on collaboration instead of traditional exchanges of contract proposals. Negotiators met for a total of 21 days since talks began in mid-May.

“By engaging deeply with each other from the start, the negotiating teams achieved a result that puts students first, honors the important work of our dedicated faculty, and takes another important step toward overcoming our financial challenges," said Chancellor Dan Greenstein. “Along the way, we built lasting relationships that will serve us well as we collaborate to create a better future for our students, our 14 universities, and our Commonwealth. I want to thank Ken Mash and the faculty he represents for the thought partnership that brought about this milestone."

Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education oversees 14 four-year public universities educating more than 90,000 students. The State System offers more than 2,300 degrees and certificates in more than 530 academic areas. The State System universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania.

APSCUF represents about 5,500 faculty and coaches at the State System universities.