SRSGA convened for their first November formal meeting on Monday at 5 p.m. at the SSC Theatre.
APSCUF President Jason Hilton and Provost Michael Zieg prefaced the meeting with comments on student consultation hours. SGA approved finances, four new clubs and two senators.
Student consultation hours
Guest speakers Hilton and Zieg explained the change in professor’s “office hours” to “student consultation hours” this fall.
The student consultation hours started in fall 2024 via the larger APSCUF and PASSHE collective bargaining agreement finalized on April 11, 2024. Retroactive to July 1, 2023, the contract lasts four years until June 30, 2027. The agreement centered around salary increases among faculty, coaches and nurses among other payment changes, according to a PASSHE press release on April 11, 2024.
“We wanted to make sure student consultation hours are scheduled in a way that’s going to meet the needs of the students,” Zieg said.
Direct language from the contract states full-time faculty members must “maintain a minimum of five (5) hours for student consultation per week on no fewer than three (3) different days at such times and locations, and in such modalities (i.e., virtual or in-person), as will accommodate the needs of the students.”
Less than full-time teaching faculty members must maintain “a minimum of twenty-five (25) minutes for each workload hour taught, at such days, times and locations, and in such modalities (i.e., virtual or in-person) as will accommodate the needs of the students.”
The contract also vaguely details a provision of how faculty need to display student consultation hours.
“The schedule of student consultation hours for each FACULTY MEMBER shall be posted in such manner so as to be easily observed by the students,” the contract states.
The updated contract between APSCUF and PASSHE is available on PASSHE’s website in PDF form.
“Our intention with this of course is that these types of things we drop in so that you shouldn’t have to schedule an appointment to get a hold of a faculty member during their student consultation hours,” Hilton said.
Biology Professor and SGA APSCUF representative Mark Shotwell explained student consultation hours are a contractual obligation from APSCUF, and students should take advantage of the consultation hours.
“We don’t do it as a favor to you, we don’t do it so you think we are good people, we do it because it is part of our job,” he said. “You pay for that just like you would pay for your classes, it’s your time.”
Finance report
SRSGA reserves sit at $66,510.92.
The following new initiative requests were approved: Inline Hocke New initiative request of $1181.50,
The following conference requests were approved: Pi Alpha Theta, $500;
Club and senator approval
The following were recognized as student organizations: Audience of One Club, SRU Street Styles, Fiber Arts Club and the American Concrete Institute Student Chapter at SRU.
Erin Thagard as College of Health Profession Senator and Aderinmola Adegblulu as an At-Large Senator were approved as senators.
