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Ohio University Reopens Voluntary Separation or Retirement Program

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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — Ohio University has reopened a voluntary separation or retirement program (VSRP) for eligible faculty, executive vice president and provost Elizabeth Sayrs said in an email Wednesday.

Dr. Elizabeth Sayrs

When the university offered this same program earlier in spring semester, 74 faculty members agreed to leave. Sayrs said several faculty members have since contacted her to ask if they could still participate.

Eligible employees include tenured professors and associate professors, and administrative staff with tenured faculty rank. The program excludes the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine.

“This is a reopening of the same VSRP as the spring, not a new VSRP, so all aspects of the plan, including the faculty eligible to participate, must remain the same,” Sayrs said in her email.

Ohio University is attempting a number of measures to offset a financial deficit that has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Since May, more than 300 people have been laid off. Payroll deductions, in the form of furloughs, have also been enacted for the fiscal year that began July 1.

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