Professors Critical of U of Akron Administrators

Faculty members at the University of Akron report a culture of harassment and fear and concerns about both Interim President John Green and Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Rex Ramsier, according to survey results released Friday by the campus faculty union. Some 54 percent of survey respondents ranked Green as “fair” or “poor” on whether he treats faculty with respect. For Ramsier, that total was 94 percent of respondents.

The university says the figures represent the opinions of just 15 percent of the entire faculty, according to the Akron Beacon Journal, which noted that 40 percent of full-time faculty members completed the survey. The faculty union is affiliated with the American Association of University Professors. Akron announced last year that it planned to cut 19 percent of its degree tracks and later said it would offer buyouts to nearly half the faculty. The university is trying to trim $15 million from its budget, due to decreased enrollments.