POSTED BY MARTIN KICH

This news release is from the AAUP chapter at the University of Akron:

The University of Akron Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (Akron-AAUP) has created a one-time donation fund, the “Akron-AAUP Faculty Care Fund”. The fund is an act of support for the 66 University of Akron (UA) faculty members who lost their jobs with no severance pay in a reduction-in-force-action last summer.

Dr. Toni Bisconti, chapter president and associate professor of psychology, explains the rationale behind the fund in a video that can be found on the chapter’s website at akronaaup.org/donate.

Bisconti, a native of Northeast Ohio, says “This fund has been a way for all UA Faculty, who continue to be incredibly generous, to recognize and assist their colleagues. Now we want to extend this opportunity to the broader community, since so many people in this region and around the country were heartbroken to learn about the faculty who had
lost their jobs so suddenly.” Bisconti continued, “I have heard from countless alumni about professors who made a difference in their lives, and we wanted to provide a mechanism through which folks could give back to these devoted educators. We ask that anyone who would like to help please consider making a donation. Any amount would be greatly appreciated.”

Anyone wishing to learn more and contribute to the fund can do so at https://akronaaup.org/donate, or mail a check to: Akron-AAUP, P.O. Box 528, Akron, OH 44309-0528 (please note “Faculty Care Fund” in the memo line).