In January 2002, I broached to my wife the possibility of pursuing employment at a small state university in eastern Pennsylvania. ''Kutztown!'' she exclaimed, ''What's that?'' We'd never heard of the place. But that August I came to Kutztown because I wanted to be at Kutztown, an institution that embodies the vision of higher education to which I adhere. I am, above all, an educator, and quality education is the emphasis at Kutztown.

That's why the present contract impasse between the union that represents me, the Association of Pennsylvania State College & University Faculties (APSCUF), and the management of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is so disheartening. I believe that some of the things that attracted me to Kutztown are now being threatened.

Don't get me wrong. Negotiations are always about salary and benefits. But, that's not all that's involved here. The system's proposals would loosen restrictions on who may teach classes. They would result in larger class sizes, deterioration in lab courses and more of the ''cash cow'' courses held in large lecture halls, where interaction between faculty and students is, at best, limited. And, this isn't a complete list of what I believe would be the result of the system's proposals that demonstrate a regrettable lack of vision for the future.

I was told when I was hired that the state system wanted to raise the level of education at its universities. One way this was to be accomplished was to respond to increasing enrollment by hiring new tenure-track faculty, raising the academic credentials of the faculty as a whole and promoting institutional stability. The present proposal to hire temporary faculty, or no one at all, to replace departing tenured faculty represents a U-turn in this philosophy. It will save money now but do great harm to the future of the system.

I came to Kutztown with great enthusiasm for being a part of a rising educational institution and having the opportunity to make a difference. The tone of public discourse, particularly the confrontational, condescending tone emanating from university management and their spokespeople toward the faculty, has proved to be an unnecessary, unpleasant and, I hope, temporary distraction. Discussions as important as these should be held in a dignified, respectful and collegial manner at the negotiation table, not via press releases from PR people such as the system's communications director, whose approximate $110,000 annual salary dwarfs the highest system faculty salary of approximately $89,000.

It is also unfortunate that the print media have consistently provided misinformation regarding these negotiations. An Oct. 5 Morning Call editorial stated that system managers had frozen their salaries without reciprocation from faculty, when the union actually agreed to the freeze first. Issues regarding quality of education weren't mentioned. Poor administrative decisions were ignored. While many managers received pay raises this calendar year, the system's proposals would effectively result in a pay cut, not a freeze, for many faculty, including myself.

I am troubled by the number of times that the faculty's positions have been misrepresented. There isn't enough room here for more details, but anyone can learn the facts and understand the issues. Don't take my word for it. Start with these Web pages: www.

apscuf.com/contracts/index.html for the faculty union, or www.sshechan.edu/APSCUF/index.htm for the state system. Learn where the money is really going and what the true effect of the proposed corner-cutting would be. Judge for yourself.

This is a pivotal moment for the institutions that make up the state system. Do all parties work together to find ways to cut costs while maintaining quality? Or, does the system insist upon ramming through its shortsighted, ill-conceived proposals? Will quality continue to escalate, or will these negotiations represent the first step in the decline of the quality of education at these institutions? It is time for the system to stop playing hardball against the best interests of our students, faculty and institutions, and instead negotiate in good faith in a collegial manner. Cooperate instead of dictate. The future of accessible, quality education in Pennsylvania depends upon it.

Daniel Spiegel is an assistant professor of computer science at Kutztown University. He is a dues-paying member of APSCUF but has no other affiliation with the union. His e-mail address is spiegel@kutztown.edu.