AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron has announced it will begin strategic planning, and begin searches for faculty members and administrators, after Gary Miller begins as president on Oct. 1.

Interim President John Green said last week in an email to those on campus that UA may revisit a potential reorganization of the university’s colleges after Miller takes over, and that such discussions will happen in coordination with a new strategic plan for the university.

In the email, obtained Tuesday by cleveland.com, Green said he still wants to hear ideas from faculty and staff about financial stability, new academic programs and ways faculty members can collaborate.

Miller has said one of his priorities will be to begin a strategic planning process, which will inform whether or not the university needs to reorganize, according to a UA spokeswoman.

The university announced Tuesday it plans to hire 17 faculty members and will begin national searches for five administrative positions, including a chief academic officer.

Searches will take place this academic year and new hires are expected to begin working by Fall 2020, the university said in a news release.

Faculty members will be hired in 10 tenure-track positions, and seven non-tenure track positions, in areas including psychology, geosciences, dance, math, computer information systems, electrical and mechanical engineering, surveying and mapping, economics and finance, social work, audiology and special education. The positions include the Brennan Chair of Intellectual Property in the School of Law, the Austen Chair of Polymer Science, and the director of the Bliss Institute of Applied Politics – a position currently held by Green, who is expected to retire in January.

The university also plans to hire four deans, the searches for which will be coordinated with the search for a chief academic officer.

UA is seeking deans for the Buchtel College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Business Administration, the LeBron James Family Foundation College of Education and the College of Health Professions, which may be coordinated with a search for the director of the School of Nursing.

The announcement of the search for a chief academic officer comes five months after UA’s Board of Trustees split the role of provost into two positions: Chand Midha as chief academic officer, and then-Provost Rex Ramsier as chief administrative officer.

Ramsier was at the center of a UA faculty union survey that showed concerns among faculty regarding administrative leaders and policy initiatives. Ninety-four percent of respondents ranked Ramsier as “fair” or “poor” on whether he treats faculty with respect.

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