AKRON, Ohio (WJW) — The University of Akron (UA) announced additional layoffs Wednesday afternoon.
The university plans to eliminate 178 positions. Ninety-six of those positions are held by union faculty and the other 82 by non-union faculty, staff and contract workers.
These layoffs are in addition to the 90 retirements and resignations by university employees that were previously announced.
UA has been hard-hit by the coronavirus outbreak. The school previously said it would have to make cuts due to an expected $65 million shortfall because of the pandemic.
The university plans to discontinue three intercollegiate athletics programs — men’s cross country, men’s golf and women’s tennis — at the end of the 2019-20 academic year. This move is estimated to save the university $4.4 million.
UA also plans to reduce the number of colleges from 11 to five. The new model means resources will be shared among the consolidated colleges.
