University of Akron leadership signaled that workforce reductions are on the horizon for the Ohio public institution as it grapples with rising operating costs. “In the coming years, we will incrementally reduce the number of positions so we can better invest in our people and chart strategic growth moving forward,” President R.J. Nemer said in an Oct. 24 email to faculty and staff published Friday by Signal Akron, a local news outlet. “This will be a challenging but necessary change.” Nemer added that the university must “engage in cost reductions at all levels to stabilize and ultimately refine UA for the future.” The process began with a recent $800,000 reduction to the president’s office budget, he said.
