Board Approves PCEA Contract Extension, Property Purchase

Published 04.25.2013

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Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Board of Directors on Thursday ratified a second extension for the Penn College Education Association’s employment contract and authorized the administration to purchase the former Canteen Vending property adjacent to the northeast end of campus.

The extension between the college and PCEA (the organization representing 300 full-time teaching faculty, librarians and counselors) will run through 2017-18.

PCEA’s membership voted to approve the extension in December. The board approved it by unanimous consent the same month and passed a formal resolution ratifying it on Thursday.

The original PCEA agreement covered the years from 2009-12. The first extension, which was approved in December 2010, covers 2012-13 through 2014-15.

The current extension agreement calls for an increase of 3.8 percent for the salary-system pool in 2013-14 and 4.25 percent in 2014-15. The newly approved extension calls for increases of 2.5 percent in 2015-16, 3 percent in 2016-17 and 3.25 percent in 2017-18.

Board of Directors' meeting  summarized for Penn College communityThe board also authorized the purchase of the former Canteen property at 201 Maynard St. The facility will be razed, Penn College President Davie Jane Gilmour said, and there are no plans yet for use of the property. The purchase price will not be disclosed until the sale is finalized.

In other business, the board approved the engagement and compensation of Larson, Kellett & Associates P.C. to perform auditing services for the college for the fiscal year ending June 30.

The board also approved a routine action authorizing the college to continue operations after June 30 at budgeted levels approved for Fiscal 2012-13 if a state budget is not passed and signed by the governor before then.

The board heard a report from Vice President for Academic Affairs/Provost Paul L. Starkey on the impending Academic Affairs reorganization, which takes effect July 1.

He said the new configuration of schools and academic program areas allows faculty, staff and students to “rub brain cells together” and “get that spark of ingenuity.”

Tom Gregory, associate vice president for instruction, presented to the board on new academic majors for Fall 2013: mechatronics engineering technology, applied technology studies, emergency management technology, and magnetic resonance imaging.

Starkey also announced faculty promotions and a sabbatical. They are:

Sabbatical
Anita R. Girton, assistant professor of computer information technology, Fall 2013.

Promotions
From associate professor to professor: Thomas E. Ask, HVAC technology, and Gerri F. Luke, business administration/management and marketing.

From assistant professor to associate professor: Kelly B. Butzler, chemistry.

From instructor to assistant professor: Dianne M. Eberle, nursing; Barbara K. Emert-Baldwin, dental hygiene; Naim N. Jabbour, architectural technology; and Tom E. Kammerling, mathematics.

Finally, the board heard a report from Ryan M. Enders, outgoing president of the Student Government Association. Enders also introduced his successor, Michael L. Spear, who said one of his goals for 2013-14 is to expand the slate of weekend events and activities available to Penn College students.

The next meeting of the board is scheduled for June 20.