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On 1/19/2018 at 1:44 PM, Sergeant Zip said:

eBay bringing back to life the real engine of the U.S. economy — small businesses. 

 

"eBay and Akron, Ohio — taking local businesses who often struggle in their markets and giving them effective, affordable tools to reach a new world of consumers.

 

We are trying something new — a retail revival initiative in Akron that uses the power of the online marketplace and technology to build a reservoir of resources to help entrepreneurs scale.

 

Small businesses, like Tiny Circuits that designs and builds small open source electronics in an old rubber factory in Akron, will benefit from exposure on technology platforms like ours. It will help them gain access to 190 markets around the globe."

this is cool. Getting the U/students in touch with a F500 tech company as well as local businesses in the region.

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20180212/blogs15/151661/how-akron-u-might-be-ebay-u-some-students?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

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Email just now:

 


Dear KNCLZip,


I want to share some information with you that I believe you would want to hear from me directly. Earlier today, I submitted my application for the presidency of the University of Central Florida. UCF has posted the list of semi-finalists for this position and that list includes my name.

Please know that I am just exploring this opportunity at this point, and that I will continue to move UA forward with all of my energy. Having lived in the Orlando area previously, my family and I have always had the mindset of retiring somewhere in the area. I practiced law in Orlando earlier in my career so I still have many good connections there.  Our two youngest children were born in Orlando as well.  This position at UCF has been filled for 26 years so it is not something that comes around often.  In my mind, it is at least worth having the conversation.

It would be an honor to remain at UA as I thoroughly enjoy the University community and students.  We love UA and the area too.  Also, I appreciate the chance to lead and transform a world-class comprehensive university here at UA that is again on an upward trajectory.

I wanted to make sure that you heard the news from me first. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Sincerely,

Matthew J. Wilson
President
The University of Akron
 

 

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3 minutes ago, KNCLZip said:

Email just now:

 

 


Dear KNCLZip,


I want to share some information with you that I believe you would want to hear from me directly. Earlier today, I submitted my application for the presidency of the University of Central Florida. UCF has posted the list of semi-finalists for this position and that list includes my name.

Please know that I am just exploring this opportunity at this point, and that I will continue to move UA forward with all of my energy. Having lived in the Orlando area previously, my family and I have always had the mindset of retiring somewhere in the area. I practiced law in Orlando earlier in my career so I still have many good connections there.  Our two youngest children were born in Orlando as well.  This position at UCF has been filled for 26 years so it is not something that comes around often.  In my mind, it is at least worth having the conversation.

It would be an honor to remain at UA as I thoroughly enjoy the University community and students.  We love UA and the area too.  Also, I appreciate the chance to lead and transform a world-class comprehensive university here at UA that is again on an upward trajectory.

I wanted to make sure that you heard the news from me first. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Sincerely,

Matthew J. Wilson
President
The University of Akron
 

 

 

 

Wow.

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UCF is one of the largest universities in the US and maybe the world. 3x the number of students as UA. They're a Space Grant university. Regardless of their athletic profile, UCF is a major step up from UA and as president, Matt Wilson could wield significant influence over higher education in the USA.

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11 hours ago, morris buttermaker said:

I’m not sure why sports and education allow their employees to actively look for other employment- while employed. I would be done with an employee who was actively looking.

Yeah I'm not sure how I feel about it. Do I think its right for an employer to not allow their employee to look for "better" opportunities? No. Do I think my employer would knowingly tolerate me searching for other opportunities? No.

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9 hours ago, LZIp said:

Yeah I'm not sure how I feel about it. Do I think its right for an employer to not allow their employee to look for "better" opportunities? No. Do I think my employer would knowingly tolerate me searching for other opportunities? No.

 

20 hours ago, morris buttermaker said:

I’m not sure why sports and education allow their employees to actively look for other employment- while employed. I would be done with an employee who was actively looking.

It's because these high level positions are very hard to fill. What are they going to do if they fire him? All the other candidates to replace him already have positions at other institutions. Are those institutions going to fire all the people who might apply for the UA job? Not the way it works at these high level jobs. It's called professional courtesy for him to inform UA that he is looking.

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22 hours ago, Hilltopper said:

 

It's because these high level positions are very hard to fill. What are they going to do if they fire him? All the other candidates to replace him already have positions at other institutions. Are those institutions going to fire all the people who might apply for the UA job? Not the way it works at these high level jobs. It's called professional courtesy for him to inform UA that he is looking.

I disagree 

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 2/15/2018 at 8:53 PM, morris buttermaker said:

I’m not sure why sports and education allow their employees to actively look for other employment- while employed. I would be done with an employee who was actively looking.

 

I don't see this as Wilson jumping on the first train out of town.  He has strong connections to Orlando so it makes sense for he and his family to look into it.  If he doesn't get it, I expect him to be here for a long time.

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25 minutes ago, UAZip0510 said:

 

I don't see this as Wilson jumping on the first train out of town.  He has strong connections to Orlando so it makes sense for he and his family to look into it.  If he doesn't get it, I expect him to be here for a long time.

Unless he has family in Florida let's call a spade a spade. He worked in Florida from 1999-2003 as far as I can tell. Otherwise he's been all over the world. I don't see him as having any strong ties to anywhere to be frank. He's been extraordinary for us, and I really am hoping he stays, but his Orlando connection-coming home angle seems weak, imo.

 

http://www.uakron.edu/law/docs/cv-wilson-february2016.pdf

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1 hour ago, zippy5 said:

Unless he has family in Florida let's call a spade a spade. He worked in Florida from 1999-2003 as far as I can tell. Otherwise he's been all over the world. I don't see him as having any strong ties to anywhere to be frank. He's been extraordinary for us, and I really am hoping he stays, but his Orlando connection-coming home angle seems weak, imo.

 

http://www.uakron.edu/law/docs/cv-wilson-february2016.pdf

 

I don't think it's the primary reason at all, but I certainly buy it as a reason.  He welcomed two of his children there, which definitely gives it some added meaning.  He's clearly going because of the opportunity, not the personal ties - I think he just chose to share some of the personal side of it too.  

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 3/6/2018 at 6:27 PM, UAZip0510 said:

 

I don't see this as Wilson jumping on the first train out of town.  He has strong connections to Orlando so it makes sense for he and his family to look into it.  If he doesn't get it, I expect him to be here for a long time.

14 days is a long time if you are a house fly

Edited by morris buttermaker
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  • 6 months later...

From Crains:  Akron tries to tackle the sports dilemma

 

- Akron's athletic department budget of $33.1 million in 2017-18

- operating expenses budget of $11,174,159.  The figure was a $1,230,159 above the original projection

- total payroll budget of $10,181,747. The figure was $173,747 above the original projection

- Football for the 2016-17 school year was at $7.25 million. The Zips' total, however, ranked eighth in the 12-team MAC and was about $940,000 below the conference average for the sport.

- InfoCision Stadium has an annual debt service of $5 million.

 

Football expenses

The expenses for Mid-American Conference football teams in 2016-17, according to data submitted to the U.S. Department of Education:

1. Ohio $10,134,888
2. Toledo $10,046,711
3. Miami $9,346,412
4. Eastern Michigan $9,033,503
5. Western Michigan $8,667,334
6. Northern Illinois $8,035,152
7. Buffalo $7,796,405
8. Akron $7,253,770
9. Central Michigan $7,233,254
10. Ball State $7,044,512
11. Kent State $6,861,750
12. Bowling Green $6,537,321

Total: $97,991,012; average: $8,165,918

 

Number of sports programs

Akron: 19, once baseball and women's lacrosse start play in 2019-20; MAC average: 16.3

 

Men's teams
Akron: 8 (including baseball); MAC average: 6.7

 

Women's teams
Akron: 11 (including lacrosse); MAC average: 9.6

 

Note: Akron's totals include a pair of rifle (which have a combined 18 athletes in 2018-19) and golf programs (14 athletes).

 

Akron's in- and out-of-state athletes

Men's sports: 129 in-state, 123 out-of-state; in-state percentage: 51.2
Women's sports: 98 in-state, 86 out-of-state; in-state percentage: 53.3
All programs: 227 in-state, 209 out-of-state; in-state percentage: 52.1

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On 10/9/2018 at 12:51 PM, kreed5120 said:

That piece seemed to be a lot less negative than prior the annual ABJ story. I find it strange that Akron decided to add 2 additional sports while at the same time discussing the potential of dropping down in others.

 

And after announcing that over eighty academic programs would be cancelled. Disgusting!

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11 minutes ago, UAZipster0305 said:

 

And after announcing that over eighty academic programs would be cancelled. Disgusting!

2 additional sports (one of which is supposed to be solely donor funded - the other added due to title 9) were announced long before the announcement that the redundant and out of demand programs would be cut.

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2 hours ago, LZIp said:

2 additional sports (one of which is supposed to be solely donor funded - the other added due to title 9) were announced long before the announcement that the redundant and out of demand programs would be cut.

 

Most of those programs were not at all redundant nor out of demand.

 

UA needs to decide if it is primarily an athletics club that happens to have academic programs or vice versa.

Edited by UAZipster0305
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