Jul 28, 2015 04:44 PM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

The University of Akron (UA) announced it had notified the 213 staff members of the E.J. Thomas Hall they would be terminated due to budget cuts.

According to the Akron Beacon Journal, the closing of E.J. Thomas Hall and the lay offs is part of a three-year plan that will ultimately save UA $40 million. Scott Scarborough, the school's president, told the newspaper "personal conversations" would take place with those being let go, but did disclose details.

"It's the only right and fair thing to do," he said. "To show them the respect and courtesy they deserve."

161 of the 213 positions with the ticket office eliminated are lay offs while the remainder was simply left unfilled. E.J. Thomas Executive Director Dan Dahl was not pleased with the timing or the manner of the announcement.

"All supervisors were supposed to be notified. My supervisor is on vacation. How will there be a venue for tickets for any of the shows already scheduled?" he told the Journal. "This is bad for the community, bad for the university and bad for business. It's no way to operate.

"There's a lot of things that still have to be worked out. Is there a plan? There were several sold-out shows, will they still run? There are a lot more questions than answers."

The UA Board of Trustees voted on Monday in favor of the plan that eliminated the 213 positions, Northeast Ohio Media Group reported.

"The strategy we outline for the future is not without challenges or risks," Trustee Chairman Jonathan Pavloff told Cleveland.com. "We look forward to the entire university working toward a common goal."

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