Dear Akron-AAUP Supporter,

I am writing to you to ask for your help. The administration is poised to make cuts that will dramatically change the university. As President of the University of Akron Chapter of the American Association of University Professors, a proud parent of a UA student, and a member of the community that the university serves, I am concerned about the impact of the proposed cuts to the University’s academic budget and the quality of the education of our students. I am also concerned about the effect these cuts will have on the City of Akron and surrounding communities that rely on the university as an educational institution, community partner, and one of the leading employers in the region. Massive layoffs of faculty and staff would be devastating to this region.

If, like me, you’d like to keep UA’s academic mission strong so we can serve the community as we have for 150 years, please consider signing onto this open letter. We request that the University of Akron administration:

• prioritize the education of UA students,

• work with Akron-AAUP to find ways to avoid deep job cuts for the faculty and staff who work most closely with students, make equitable cuts across the university, especially for athletics and the upper administration, before seeking cuts to the academic side of the institution.

Sincerely,

Pam Schulze

President, Akron-AAUP

Akron-AAUP realizes that the University of Akron (UA) is in a financial crisis. The vast majority of the University’s revenue comes from student tuition and fees–from its academic programs.

Position Paper on Athletics Spending at The University of Akron Read the Full Report