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Kutztown University faculty union leaders have postponed the no-confidence vote that was scheduled to take place today through Wednesday against President F. Javier Cevallos.

The decision comes days after Cevallos published an open letter to the Berks County campus Thursday on Kutztown's web site, acknowledging that he has made mistakes and announcing plans to have his provost, Carlos Vargas, meet regularly with union leaders.

Kevin Mahoney, associate professor and executive member of the Kutztown chapter of the Association of Pennsylvania State Colleges and Universities, said union members discussed a postponement over the weekend, after what they viewed as an "eleventh-hour appeal" by Cevallos.

"We went back and forth," Mahoney said today.

Cevellos expressed relief in a statement released Monday about the postponement, and set forth a list of things the administration will do to resolve faculty concerns.

"The postponement of the no-confidence vote is a positive sign on the part of APSCUF KU," the letter says.

"We have scheduled open meetings with the student body and the council of trustees. We also will be scheduling a number of town hall meetings with a variety of audiences.

"Additionally, per my directive in last week's letter to faculty, Provost Vargas, as the main administration interface with APSCUF, will be inviting leaders of the faculty union to participate in a labor relations building activity."

Mahoney cited meetings with the provost as the "one beacon of light" in Cevallos' statement.

"He (the provost) ultimately has to report back to the president. We've got complete lines of communication open. Everyone benefits from having key players in the room."

Faculty and staff say they have approached the administration with concerns over crowded classrooms, inadequate office space, the quality of education and compliance with the union contract.

"Right now, the jury is still out," Mahoney said. "I'm trying to be as open as possible. This may have been a tactic to delay the vote. We don't know. I'm skeptical I'll say that. But I'm not going to let skepticism get in the way if there is any possibility of a resolution because that's what this has been all about."

-- Reported by Melanie A. Hughes of The Morning Call