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WKYC story on salary of top 5 university presidents


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I saw the channel 3 news story on the pay level of presidents at OSU, UT, UC, UA and one other. I thought the interviewer was a bit of a cheap sensationalist asking why university presidents got paid more than then the president of the United States. Presidents Proenza and Gee handled themselves admirably and made no apologies. The interviewer was particularly obnoxious with Dr. Proenza but Dr. Proenza put him in his place in a most professional way. There are far more CEOs who get paid much much more than Obama and Doc Proenza asked the interviewer to find out what they would say. When the interviewer turned around and asked Proenza, "and they would say what?" Proenza came back with, "I asked you the question, you have a good day my friend."

You go Doc!

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I saw the channel 3 news story on the pay level of presidents at OSU, UT, UC, UA and one other. I thought the interviewer was a bit of a cheap sensationalist asking why university presidents got paid more than then the president of the United States. Presidents Proenza and Gee handled themselves admirably and made no apologies. The interviewer was particularly obnoxious with Dr. Proenza but Dr. Proenza put him in his place in a most professional way. There are far more CEOs who get paid much much more than Obama and Doc Proenza asked the interviewer to find out what they would say. When the interviewer turned around and asked Proenza, "and they would say what?" Proenza came back with, "I asked you the question, you have a good day my friend."

You go Doc!

An excellent answer. What's more, all of these fine university presidents are doing a better job in their

respective office than is mr. obama.

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An excellent answer. What's more, all of these fine university presidents are doing a better job in their

respective office than is mr. obama.

I would say thats all dependent on how you perceive "better". But thats a discussion not fit for this thread.

I was confused why this was even a story. Of course they make more money than the President of the US. His salary is locked in by law and cannot change, regardless of how much money and how much responsibility he may have. Proenza runs a business (like it or not, running a college is a business) that has budgets in the MILLIONS. He's ultimately responsible for the success of the University and has been at the forefront of one of the biggest campus expansions and renovations many of us can think of. He's turned a University that used to be filled with city streets into a real campus full of successful colleges, and not to mention a vastly improving athletic department. I think Proenza's salary is a direct reflection of the amount of work and dedication he's put into this University's transformation. I am perfectly fine with his salary so long as he continues this forward thinking.

Now, I cant speak for any other University's president, but I think they are all generally deserving of their salaries in some way or another. Proenza is definitely right about asking all those CEOs that makw 3 times what he makes why they think they are deserving of their pay.

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To anyone interested, here's the actual link:

http://www.wkyc.com/video/default.aspx?men...001/82736524001

I had a very different perception from the rest of you. Did anyone see Toledo's president? He actually had the nerve to consider himself underpayed. Even if he truly believes that, how stupid he is to state it publicly.

And about Proenza--perhaps his response was witty but he came off a little defensive.

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To anyone interested, here's the actual link:

http://www.wkyc.com/video/default.aspx?men...001/82736524001

I had a very different perception from the rest of you. Did anyone see Toledo's president? He actually had the nerve to consider himself underpayed. Even if he truly believes that, how stupid he is to state it publicly.

And about Proenza--perhaps his response was witty but he came off a little defensive.

A little defensive? SO? Did you want him to take the offensive and criticise the tv reporter for make a lot of money to read a teleprompter and looking pretty?

Why does evey public figure need to stoop to the levels of media-types these days? I thought Proenza represented the UofA admirably.

Leave it alone.

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What this fails to mention.

UA's budget is 326 million a year. OSU is 4 times that and Gee only makes about 2.5 times what Proenza does.

The biggest problems are this...

YSU President...$350000, half the student population of Akron

CSU President...$400000, one third the student population of Akron

Neither touch us in research dollars, and in fact UARF assists both the other schools.

Proenza would have been factual if he took the lead of the Toledo president. They picked on the five largest schools but not the five largest salaries.

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This is one of the oldest stories in the world, and an easy mark for any journalist. Most people want to make big money, yet begrudge the fact that other people already do. It's so, so easy for a reporter to get people to comment that most of those who make more money than they do really don't deserve it.

Another twist would be to interview people about whether or not the OSU football coach should be making so much more money than the OSU president. OSU football fans would mostly say yes, while non-fans would mostly say no.

Ask a reporter if they believe the president of the corporation that owns the reporter's news service deserves the big bucks they make, and guess what the response would be -- off the record, of course. ;)

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I saw the channel 3 news story on the pay level of presidents at OSU, UT, UC, UA and one other. I thought the interviewer was a bit of a cheap sensationalist asking why university presidents got paid more than then the president of the United States. Presidents Proenza and Gee handled themselves admirably and made no apologies. The interviewer was particularly obnoxious with Dr. Proenza but Dr. Proenza put him in his place in a most professional way. There are far more CEOs who get paid much much more than Obama and Doc Proenza asked the interviewer to find out what they would say. When the interviewer turned around and asked Proenza, "and they would say what?" Proenza came back with, "I asked you the question, you have a good day my friend."

You go Doc!

An excellent answer. What's more, all of these fine university presidents are doing a better job in their

respective office than is mr. obama.

:laugh_up:

And "better" is not a very difficult level to achieve, if that is the comparison.

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I saw the channel 3 news story on the pay level of presidents at OSU, UT, UC, UA and one other. I thought the interviewer was a bit of a cheap sensationalist asking why university presidents got paid more than then the president of the United States. Presidents Proenza and Gee handled themselves admirably and made no apologies. The interviewer was particularly obnoxious with Dr. Proenza but Dr. Proenza put him in his place in a most professional way. There are far more CEOs who get paid much much more than Obama and Doc Proenza asked the interviewer to find out what they would say. When the interviewer turned around and asked Proenza, "and they would say what?" Proenza came back with, "I asked you the question, you have a good day my friend."

You go Doc!

An excellent answer. What's more, all of these fine university presidents are doing a better job in their

respective office than is mr. obama.

The return on investment at UA makes Dr. Proenza a bargain and we are grateful. And, there is a way to be defensive and a way not to be defensive. Dr. Proenza knows how to be defensive in an assertive, professional and effective way. Sometimes being defensive is an appropriate and honest way to respond to someone who is being offensive and Tom Meyer is a sleazy offensive parasite. That is what I like about Louis Proenza...he is honest and straight forward. I will grieve when it comes time for him to leave our University of Akron.

Being President of a major business or university and being President of the United States are not the same thing. The word, "President" has two very different meanings when comparing the positions. And, it is a typically dishonest tactic of a sleazy reporter to pretend the words mean the same thing. It is a typical demagoguery smoke and mirrors act in order to sway the gullible, which unfortunately there are many in NE Ohio.

Oh, by the way, that other university I could not remember begins with a K. It's not that important anyway. That president wasn't "available" to explain his country club membership, $50,000 per year stipend for his mortgage, plus additional financial perks for upkeep and utilities on his palatial estate.

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