Jonathan Pavloff, the chair of the UA Board of Trustees, made the following statement at the Aug. 12 Board of Trustees meeting.
“As both Dr. Scarborough and I mentioned earlier, the past two weeks have been trying for everyone associated with the University. To address our most immediate challenges, we had to eliminate more than 200 positions in non-core areas. That difficult and painful step was necessary to strengthen our finances and to create the funds necessary to invest in the core areas of the University.
“Unfortunately, the spirit of open dialogue and communications employed during the development of the plan was not carried forward as the initial elements of the plan were rolled out to the public. That was a mistake.
“As you’ve heard today, we remain committed to the operation of E.J. Thomas Hall and the continued service provided by the University Press.
“Going forward, we will do a better job of informing our constituents as additional elements of our plan unfold. Our students, our faculty, our alumni and our supporters in the community deserve and require that information in order to collectively move The University of Akron further along the path of becoming a great public university.
"In just a few weeks another academic year will get underway. A talented freshman class will join a throng of hard-working returning students, all of whom are excited to continue on their path to success taking advantage of our historical strengths and some new initiatives.
"Our collective focus must be on the students coming to our campus in the next few weeks. We have a gifted faculty, committed administrators and staff, and excellent facilities in place to serve them. It is for these students and those that follow that we take the actions we do. Our world continues to change, sometimes in unpredictable ways. Our obligation remains to adapt the university to this changing environment and provide our students with pathways to their success.
"We believe Dr. Scott Scarborough has appropriately and effectively addressed the issues presented to him when he assumed his position just over a year ago. He has presided over the development of a bold plan to take The University of Akron to new heights. He has made tough and unpopular decisions. In other words, he has led, and he continues to lead with the full support of this Board.
"We are determined to build in Akron a great public university that will continue to serve our students, our community and beyond for generations to come."
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Jonathan Pavloff
Chair, UA Board of Trustees