the rocket
Friday October 13, 2017 • Volume 101, Issue Number 3 • An Independent, Student-Run Newspaper
www.theonlinerocket.com
CODY NESPOR/THE ROCKET
Timeline showcasing retrenchment notices and when they were retracted in Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education. Cheyney University is the only remaining university with an active letter of retrenchment.
Four letters of retrenchment withdrawn, Cheyney's still remains By Daniel DiFabio News Editor
Clarion University withdrew its letter of retrenchment Sept. 21, with Cheyney University the only PASSHE school with a letter remaining. Mansfield, California and Edinboro also previously posted letters, which were withdrawn over the past year. Ben Shaevitz, SRU APSCUF president and physics professor, said APSCUF is still meeting with members of PASSHE. These meetings include passing information between the two groups. "Our role is to press for objective evidence that the claim (for retrenchment) is valid and accurate," Shaevitz said. "We ask for information about budgets, finances, enrollment, programs and number of temporary faculty." Shaevitz described the back and forth as similar to due process, which is a right provided to the two through the faculty contract. "Ultimately it's not APSCUF's decision on whether the letter will stick in the end," Shaevitz said. APSCUF met with PASSHE last Friday specifically about Cheyney's situation, which posted a letter of
retrenchment for financial reasons. "It's pretty clear from the press that there are financial issues at Cheyney so now how that will play out it's yet to be seen," Shaevitz said. Shaevitz had some concern with whether or not it was reasonable to post letters which were then taken away. "I question the utility of the process but perhaps there's going to be something that's going to come from it at the end," Shaevitz said. "I'm a little troubled by the act because I think there has been damage to reputations and perhaps even enrollment because the letters came out in the early spring during the end of the recruitment season." If faculty did face retrenchment, APSCUF has the right to offer suggestions on how to redistribute the workforce, and those faculty members retrenched have preferential hiring rights at other PASSHE schools. Kenn Marshall, spokesman for the state system, said that it's not unusual for universities to post letters which are then taken away. "The letters essentially have to go out because of the contract," Marshall said. "If there's any possibility at all that the university be considering retrenchment then
they have to send a letter out and it's pretty routine for several universities every year to send those letters out. It's also almost normal practice that most of those letters are withdrawn." Marshall said it's very rare for retrenchment to actually occur and Cheyney will have to notify individual faculty members by Oct. 31 if their positions will be affected. "If they didn't do that, even that does not mean those those positions will be retrenched," Marshall said. "They have to make a notification, but even that does not mean that those positions will be retrenched. They can continue to meet with faculty and continue to look at ways of dealing with those positions." According to Marshall, Cheyney has been operating at significant deficit over the last three years, with the state system issuing several lines of credit totaling about 30 million dollars. Marshall said that Cheyney is also under review by the Middle States Commission over the university's accreditation. "They're the only university that has been relying on loans from the system to meet their operating costs," Marshall said. "They are in significantly worse shape than any of the other universities in terms of finances."
Rocket alumni describe favorite experiences and memories
VICTORIA DAVIS/THE ROCKET
By Daniel DiFabio News Editor
With The Rocket being distributed around campus since 1934, many SRU students have filled the role of Editor-in-Chief. Jason Hunsicker served this role from the 2003-2004 academic year, serving as the paper's Sports Editor beforehand. Hunsicker first thought about joining the paper when taking a College Writing class at SRU, with the professor convincing him to join. "I had always enjoyed reading newspapers but I had never considered it as a possible career up until that point," Hunsicker said. Hunsicker said the experience with working for the paper was great, especially working with other students. "The biggest thing I remember is the overall sense of camaraderie with the staff," Hunsicker said. "Working hard with your colleagues, really your friends, and chasing down stories, that's what you lived for. This sounds bad, but classes or anything else really seemed like a
distant second to working at The Rocket. I really just wanted to be in the office all the time. It was always rewarding to get the paper done and spend time with your friends at the same time." During Hunsicker's time at The Rocket, he recalled a time when the staff had a lead on a story about a quarterback transferring to another school, but somehow when the paper was released the previous week's front page was printed instead of the breaking sports one. Thanks to the paper's advisor, communication professor Mark Zeltner, the staff was able to reprint the paper correctly. "At the time it was incredibly frustrating, but we did everything we could to make sure that the right news was getting out there," Hunsicker said. The skills from The Rocket and earning a bachelor's of science in communication with a journalism concentration transitioned well after college, with Hunsicker getting a newspaper job right out of college. "Everything I did at the Rocket set me up for my entire career," Hunsicker said. Hunsicker now currently serves as the Managing Editor at the Kirksville Daily Express in Kirksville, Mo. "Looking back on college I think I'd say it [writing for The Rocket)] was the most important thing I was involved with and the skills I was able to learn there set me up and I've been in the industry ever since," Hunsicker said. Catie Clark-Gordon served as the paper's Editor-in-Chief from the 2013-14 academic year, holding the position of Assistant News Editor prior. Clark-Gordon said that the transition was different, with the assistant position involving going to the police station and magistrate, whereas as EIC she had to editing and read all the stories. "It was definitely a different transition but I think I liked it more in being in charge and helping to make the gears grind," Clark-Gordon said. SEE FORMER PAGE A-3
Presidential Search Voted to Extend
Slippery Rock Rock Football Demands Excellence Brotherhood
SRU's Council of Trustees voted 5-5 on sending forward two candidates. Page A-4
Trustee and SRU alum Robert Taylor writes about SRU's tradition of excellence. Page B-2
Slippery Rock has a tradition of bringing people together around the football program. Page C-3
SGA Dissatisfied With Candidates Student leaders share why the search should continue for a new SRU president. Page D-1