RELEASE DATE: 5/30/07

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: State System Reaches Contract Agreement with Coaches

The following was released by the PASSHE:

PASSHE, APSCUF reach tentative agreement on new contract with coaches

New pact would run through June 30, 2011

Harrisburg – The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) have reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract with the approximately 350 athletic coaches at the 14 state-owned universities.

Although several elements of the final deal will not be addressed until the current PASSHE/APSCUF faculty contract negotiations are concluded, the tentative agreement with APSCUF would provide all full-time coaches with a one-time cash payment of $1,250 at the beginning of the 2007-08 academic year, as well as annual increases of 2.25 percent in January of each of the four years covered by the pact. It also would provide for additional increases based on merit in the second, third and fourth years of the agreement, and would increase the minimum salary for head coaches from $35,000 to $37,500 and for assistant coaches from $30,000 to $32,500 beginning in July 2009.

Coaches would continue to pay an amount equal to 1 percent of their annual salary for healthcare coverage in the first year of the new agreement. That amount would increase to 1.5 percent in 2008-09, to 2 percent in 2009-10 and to 3 percent in 2010-11, although the amount could be reduced each year for those who participate in a wellness program, if such a program is created.

The tentative agreement with the coaches must be ratified by both the union membership and the PASSHE Board of Governors before taking effect.

With more than 109,000 students, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth. The 14 PASSHE universities offer degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. Approximately 405,000 PASSHE 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. PASSHE also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Freeport, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg.