State System Of Higher Education in Pa. Hails Tentative Contract Agreement

With faculty for the 14 state-owned universities moving closer to ratifying a contract, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education hailed the prospect of ending an 18-month dispute. The system's 115,000 students may be able to put aside concerns of a faculty strike, as an uninterrupted spring semester seems increasingly likely. And in a statement, the system described the students as the "clear winners" in the emerging deal. Earlier Monday, the faculty union's negotiating committee tentatively agreed to a four-year contract proposal. The proposal now must go to full faculty for approval.