Kutztown University students arrived to an animated campus and silent academic buildings. Striking faculty were posted at various entrances throughout campus on Oct. 19. Some students rallied with faculty while others opted to go to class.
The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties announced a strike at 5 a.m. on Oct. 19 after five days of contract negotiations with the Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education.
KU senior fine arts majors Marieh Hench and Carolina Fatatch walked around campus holding signs that said, “This girl would rather be in class.”
Both Hench and Fatatch opted to not attend classes, in order to represent the fair treatment of both faculty and students.
“We all have the right to be taught by our professors, not some random person,” said Hench.
KU senior professional writing student, Ashley Nave, said, “I am a student supporting this strike because if they’re being underrated, then I am being underrated as well.”
Nave was among a group of students that marched around campus and rallied for their professors. She said, “And if you’re the person who is in a neutral party, that means you side with the opposing force. Proper education or no participation.”
The crowd of students met at APSCUF headquarters, located at 445 Normal Ave., to rally and make signs before taking their march. Students paraded throughout the north and south sides of campus with signs in hand chanting, “Proper education or no participation.”
Maryann Nowlan, a junior special education major, was among the students that gathered at the APSCUF headquarters early Oct. 19. Maryann said she is willing to opt out of class for as long as it takes for professors to receive fair treatment.
“People have this misconception that faculty are looking out for their own paycheck, but if you look into it they’re really looking out for their students,” she said.
Nowlan sides with the faculty because as an education major, she understands that their primary mission is for the students.
KU sophomore art education major Liv Sun, student coordinator for Action on KU’s campus as well as coordinator for student leaders across the 14 PASSHE schools, was out on the picket line with other students holding signs to show their support for faculty.
“The reason we’re out here, and the reason why we’ve organized these student actions of walkouts and strikes, is not only because we believe in the same things as the faculty believe in and what they’re here fighting for, but we really want to show our support and our appreciation for everything that they’re doing because they’re out here fighting for us and they’re out here on the strike lines because they believe in quality education. They believe in providing us with the quality that they think we deserve.”
Sun said they are promoting the hash tag #PASSHEstudentpower.
Other students made the decision to attend classes, either because their professors conducted class despite the strike or because students were concerned about how their attendance would affect them after the strike.
Student Government Board has taken a neutral stance on the strike. SGB put out a fact sheet to answer common questions on the minds of KU students.
Tessa Boppel Didyoung, KU student and Student Government Board member, said that the decision to attend classes lies with each individual, but that she has made the decision to attend her classes.
Accord to Boppel Didyoung, SGB is promoting the hash tag #SettlefortheStudents. They understand that the faculty have been working for an extended period of time without contract but feel that APSCUF and PASSHE should settle for the good of their students.
“All of the PASSHE student government boards decided to take a neutral stance on it because we are for the students. We understand the faculty’s stand on it, we understand what’s going on but we are for the students,” said Boppel Didyoung. “Students need to go to class and students are worried about graduating. Yes, everyone wants a day off for a day, we’re students but the majority of us are here, we’re paying for our education and we want to go to class.”
Laura Quain is a senior professional writing major at Kutztown University.
