About Us

Who we are

What began in 1937 as a professional association for faculty at Pennsylvania’s teacher colleges has grown into an organization touching the lives of about 85,000 students and their families each year.

Today, the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties represents faculty members and coaches employed at Pennsylvania’s publicly owned universities — the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

Effective Jan. 1, 2025, APSCUF is an affiliate of AFT.

Our mission

APSCUF works on behalf of student and faculty interests to provide the highest-quality education at the most reasonable cost by ensuring a diversity of programs are available, taught by first-class professors and coaches who strive for the pursuit of educational excellence.

What we do

APSCUF helps to shape and prepare Pennsylvania’s future leaders. We understand the importance of this charge and do not take it lightly. We are educators, role models, advocates, and mentors who are passionate about teaching and steadfast in our mission.

We stand for

• We are the voice for a quality public higher education – by working to ensure students receive all the educational benefits and opportunities possible from our state universities.
• We provide the highest-quality education at the most reasonable cost – by working to secure adequate state funding every year.
• We support 14 local communities across the Commonwealth – through public service, charitable work, and as a contributor to the economic growth, development and citizenship of the 14 regions our schools reside in and throughout the Commonwealth.
• We foster Pennsylvania’s future leaders – by ensuring a diversity of programs are available, taught by first-class professors and coaches, who stand for the pursuit of educational excellence.

Our 14 chapters

How we’re organized

Celebrating (more than) 80 years of service

To celebrate the APSCUF’s 80th anniversary, members, retirees, and honored guests gathered in 2017 for an evening of awards, memories, and camaraderie.

This slideshow of APSCUF images throughout the decades played during the reception and dinner:

Later, attendees watched excerpts from an interview with Dr. John Pierce Watkins, who was APSCUF’s president 1972–73:

Coaches: An integral part of our team

More than 20 years ago, coaches joined APSCUF. Coach Executive Leader John Gump reflects on that history:

Click here to read about APSCUF’s first coach executive leader, Keith White. Click here to read about the transition to Gump’s leadership, and here to read about our newest coach executive leader, Rob Fulton.