John Mansfield

President

570-662-4483

Tim Madigan

Vice-President

570-662-4488

Shawndra Holderby

Secretary

570-662-4664

Jonathan Rothermel

Treasurer

570-662-4487

Connie Phillips

APSCUF Office

Manager

570-662-4919

APSCUF Office

Mansfield University

205 Memorial Hall

20 Straughn Drive

Mansfield, PA 16933

570-662-4919

Mansfield University

APSCUF Newsletter April 2014 Volume 25 Issue 6

PA Grand Canyon

this issue

Membership Meeting…..p 1

Faculty Social Invitation…..p 2

Faculty Accomplishments…..p 3

Student Accomplishments…..p 6

Absenteesim & PAFAC…..p 7

APSCURF Update…..p 8

Retirees & Announcement…..p 10

Coach News…..p 11

Membership

Meeting

APSCUF-APSCURF

Members & Guests

Fair Share Faculty & Guests

are invited to the

Faculty Social

Lamb’s Creek Inn

Friday May 9, 2014

4:00 PM—7:00 PM

Hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine, soft drinks, tea/coffee will be provided.

*All hard liquor must be paid for by the individual

RSVP to Connie Phillips, APSCUF Office Manager by May 7, 2013.

Phone# 570-662-4919 or cphillip@mansfield.edu

3

FACULTY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Chris Cummings presented at the National Academic Advising Association’s (NACADA)

Region 2 conference in Lancaster, PA on March 20th. The presentation was titled “Engaging

Students with Deficient Grades at Mid-term: A Simple Approach to Academic Improvement

Plans.”

Deb Kachel is the 2014 AASL Distinguished Service Award recipient. The award recognizes an

individual member of the library profession who has, over a significant period of time, made an

outstanding national contribution to school librarianship and school library development. Deb

will be receiving her award as part of the AASL President’s Program at the ALA Annual

Conference in Las Vegas this summer.

Sara Johns will receive the Delta Kappa Gamma society for women educators NYS Frederica

Hollister Professional Educator's Award on April 26th at the state convention.

Cynthia Keller was awarded the PA Excellence in Education Award at the Alpha Delta Kappa

International Women Educators state convention in April.

The Journal of Criminal Justice Education has accepted the paper for publication. The paper is

entitled “Improving academic advising through student seminars: A case study.”

4

Dr. Edward Washington, Asso. Professor of English, gave a paper at the 22nd Annual National

Association of African American Studies Conference in Baton Rouge, LA, February, 2014. The

conference paper was entitled: "'What Cares Caliban for the Name of Kings': Authority from

Below in Shakespeare's The Tempest.

Dr. Edward Washington also arranged a field trip for a group of 13 Mansfield University students

and faculty to see a production of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus at Cornell University's

Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, February 8, 2014.

Dr. Guenther and Dr. Holderby chaired both sessions at the Eastern Pennsylvania Regional

Meeting of Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society, hosted by Shippensburg University on

Saturday, April 5:

Dr. Karen Guenther: "Labor and Unionization in Pennsylvania" and "Culture and Society in

Pennsylvania History"

Dr. Shawndra Holderby: "Muslim and Christian Interaction in the Middle Ages"

Nanci Werner-Burke, an associate professor in the Department of Education and Special

Education, co-authored a book with Karin Knaus and Amy Helt DeCamp, area school teachers

and graduate students in MU's Endless Mountains Writing Project. The book, Rebuild ing

Research Writing: Strategies for Sparking Informational Inquiry, will be released by Routledge Publishing.

Dr. Werner-Burke edited and contributed chapters to a book titled, Beyond the Classroom Door:

Collaborating to Build Core Literacy. The text, to be published by Routledge, is based on extra-curricular

site studies implemented between 2012-2013 area by eight area school teachers who were

graduate students in MU's Endless Mountains Writing Project. All proceeds will support the

Mansfield Free Library.

FACULTY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

5

FACULTY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Dr. Kutty and Grandpa Phil published Incorporating Topics from the History o f Mathematics into

the Teaching of Trigonometry: Exploring Applications to Economic Cycles. PCTM Magazine,

Volume LII, Number 1, pp. 17-9, Fall 2013.

Justin Crowl & Joshua Battin, Criminal Justice Administration, presented research at the Faculty

Work-in-Progress Speaker Series on Thursday April 10th. Entitled "Fear and the Police: A

Comparative Analysis of Student Perceptions", the research uses a quantitative methodology to examine

the relationship between perceptions of university police and fear of crime among college

students. Publication will be sought once the research is complete.

New Emeritus Faculty

The Mansfield University Council of Trustees, upon the recommendation of President Fran Hendricks,

granted emeritus status to five retired MU faculty at its March 26th meeting.

Granted emeritus status and their years of service are:

Stephen Brown, Psychology, August 1974—May 2013

Craig Cleland, Education & Special Education, August 1981—January 2013

Michael Galloway, Music, August 1977— May 2013

Kenneth Sarch, Music, August 1996—May 2013

Emeritus status is granted to retired full-time faculty in recognition of dedicated service to Mansfield

University. The action was based on the recommendation of the academic departments and

Interim Provost David Stinebeck, and followed a poll of senior faculty.

6

STUDENTS WIN KEYSTONE AWARDS

Two students of Professor Dan Mason won Keystone Awards:

David Barr, Mansfield University senior won a Keystone Award from the

Pennsylvania Newspaper Association for a series of columns he wrote for The News of Southern Berks. Barr is studying Mass Communication with an emphasis in journalism and broadcasting. He has written for the Flashlight for four years. He became an editor as a second semester freshman. Barr has been writing for the The News of Southern Berks since 2009. He started writing his column, Up To Speed With David Barr, last July. The column is available both online and in the newspaper. Barr will be covering the 2014 NASCAP Sprint Cup Series for the paper. “After that, who knows?” Barr said. He will graduate in May and is applying “everywhere” for a job.

Rebecca Hazen, Mansfield University graduate won her third Keystone Press

Award for her July 24, 2013, article “Eldred Begins Life Sentence.”

Hazen was a reporter, staff member and editor-in-chief of The Flashlight, the student sponsored, student run newspaper, during her four years at Mansfield University. She graduated in 2010.

Hazen was a reporter for the Potter Leader-Enterprise in Potter County, Pennsylvania when she wrote her award-winning story. She still reports for the paper, but she has since added the title of editor of the Port Allegany Reporter Argus and editor of Enjoy!, a Wellsboro, PA, travel magazine.

Keystone awards are presented annually by the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association to recognize outstanding coverage of news, features, sports and photography, etc.

Hazen’s article was about Greg Eldred, 53, who shot and killed his ex-wife Darlene Sitler at First Presbyterian Church in Coudersport, during Sunday morning service, where she was the organist.

7

REPORTING ABSENTEESIM

An important part of our retention efforts

is ensuring that students attend class

regularly. We also need this information

to manage financial aid.

It has been University practice for several

years to ask all faculty to report students

who miss more than two classes in

succession. We continue that practice

this semester by asking you to report

such students by sending relevant

information (students’ names, the course

number and section, and any additional

concerns you think might be relevant) to

the email address absent@mansfield.edu.

The process of following up with such

students will be supervised by Ruth

Hermansen in our Student Affairs

Division. She will attempt to contact

those who are missing class and enlist the

assistance of others as needed to help

students improve their academic efforts.

If you wish to speak with Ruth directly,

her phone number is 4980.

PENNSYLVANIA FACULTY

HEALTH & WELFARE FUND

PO Box 60430

Harrisburg, PA 17106-0430

Telephone: (717) 233-4776

Pennsylvania Faculty Health & Welfare Fund

Information can be found online at:

http://pafac.com/

You can download and print dental and vision claim

forms from the online site.

The site also has:

Introductions to Your Benefits

Frequently Asked Statements

October 29, 2013 Important Benefit

Announcement

Announcement Archive

Benefits for Full-Time Faculty—View & Print

on Demand

Print Forms on Demand for Full-Time Faculty

Benefits for Part-Time Faculty and Claim

Form

Wellness Grant Initiative Applications:

Complete the applications online, print out,

sign the applications as required and mail the

applications to the Fund Office for Review.

8

Spring 2014

Dear APSCURF Faculty member:

This communication specifically addresses your supplemental benefits through the Pennsylvania Faculty Health and Welfare Fund (Fund) at the point of retirement, as well as the options available to you to either continue the Fund’s benefits under COBRA or purchase a dental and/or vision plan through APSCURF.

The Fund’s “active faculty” benefits terminate for you and your eligible dependent(s) at the end of the next month following your retirement date. For example, if you retire on May 22nd, the Fund’s “active” benefits will terminate on June 30th.

The Fund’s COBRA policy extends to most faculty members (and their dependent (s)), who are retiring, the option to continue their benefits for a period of 18 months. To check whether you and/or your depend-ents’ may be eligible go to www.pafac.com and review the Fund’s COBRA policy and guidelines. You will eventually receive a COBRA notification from the Fund which may take a month or so after retirement. To speed this process up, you may contact the Fund’s office to request the COBRA information directly at 1-717-233-4776.

The following are the standard monthly COBRA rates effective July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2014, for con-tinuation of benefits under the PA Faculty Health and Welfare Fund:

Individual Coverage $ 41.84

Two-Party Coverage $ 92.76

Family Coverage $ 113.69

The Fund adjusts these rates on July 1 of every year.

9

Spring 2014 Page 2

APSCURF Dental and Vision

In addition, APSCURF has available a voluntary dental and/or vision plan for its members to purchase once the Fund’s benefits terminate through retirement or at the end of your eligible COBRA period.

The Fund’s COBRA policy extends the COBRA option to the member/dependent(s) for approximately 18 months after retirement. If you and/or your dependent (s) elect COBRA, once the COBRA eligibility period ends, you and your dependent(s) can purchase coverage under APSCURF’s plan.

If you (or your dependent(s)) are deemed ineligible for continuation of the Pennsylvania Faculty Health and Wel-fare benefits under COBRA OR you choose not to continue the benefits under the Fund, please contact the State APSCUF office and request that an APSCURF dental and vision enrollment/applicationpacket be forwarded to you . The enrollment/application packets will be mailed from the current administrator of this program (PARFAC) and not the State APSCUF office.

The current monthly rates for UCCI Dental and the Highmark Vision Plan, February 1, 2014 through January 31, 2015 are as follows:

Dental Only Vision Only Both

Single $ 41.67 $ 9.20 $ 45.87

Family $ 96.72 $ 15.66 $ 107.38

If you opt to continue the Fund’s benefits under COBRA, PARFAC will verify your membership with APSCURF and will notify you about the retiree dental and vision options toward the end of your COBRA period. The APSCURF plans are strictly voluntary and members are under no obligation to purchase the plan(s).

If you have any questions on APSCURF or its dental and vision plans, please go to their web page at www.apscuf.org and click on APSCURF under the header and then click on Dental and Vision. You will find many informational links on the APSCURF webpage which may answer any number of your questions or please feel free to contact me at the State APSCUF office.

Good luck in your retirement!

Nancy J. Koutris Nancy J. Koutris, APSCUF

Director, Membership Services

10

Reach beyond the classroom, in this end of the semester celebration on success. Come to share stories and see what is being done to engage students in non-traditional ways.

This one day event will feature presentations from:

Karen Guenther: “Hey, it’s Dr. Guenther!” – Adventures in Filming a History Class for Online & On Campus Learners

Janice Purk: Creating Core Concepts for a Discipline

Adrianne McEvoy: Alternative Classroom Conversations – Using PollEverywhere

Michele Moore: Making Distance Ed Moore Intimate

Tamela Bastion: Using iPads in the Classroom

This event will be held at Mansfield University in G1 of Retan Center on May 22nd from 9:00a to 4:00p. Unable to attend the event in person watch us online.

All are encourage to attend and share stories throughout the event. Lunch will be provided at no cost to the University nor to those who attend the event in person.

We’ll see you at: http://youtu.be/TbAZsqxeduE

Karen Guenther and Nick André

11

Coaches in APSCUF had their elections. Congratulations to:

President Coach—Diane Monkiewicz

Vice-President Coach—Tim Dempsey

MEMBERS ONLY FORUM

The Members Only Forum has been upgraded. It still has all of same features, but

with an enhanced interface and easier registration. Members will continue to access

the forum in the same way via the Members Forum link in the upper right corner of

www.apscuf.org.

The APSCUF.org homepage has also been updated to advertise the forum upgrade.

There is one caveat. All members with active accounts will need to re-register since

this is a completely new platform. Registration is simple. Members can simply click

on the register button in the Members Forum; agree to the terms; and then

complete the registration information.

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