Big Buyouts at U of Akron

The University of Akron will offer to buy out 47 percent of its faculty, according to Cleveland.com. The deal is 100 percent of 2019-20 base bay, paid out in two installments, with a separation date of May 2020. Only full-time, permanent professors not teaching in what Akron calls “strategic investment areas” are eligible -- some 340. Akron is currently trying to trim $15 million from its budget, due in part to decreased enrollment. Professors will have until the end of May to decide on the offer. The university said last week that it would put on hold plans to potentially reorganize colleges and programs, but that reorganization talks would resume if faculty, staff and administrators didn’t make progress toward certain goals. Those include removing barriers to working across academic programs.