KNCLZip

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

Fall Chem labs are far "worse" on Fridays. Friday 2:15-5:00 labs last fall were fully used. Spring chem labs are always a little lighter because not everyone takes Qual, and the Qual meets MW or TR. However, I could see a shift to Friday for many more labs if the scheduling requires it. The big unease about this is that it is not a zero-sum game of time we are playing here. We are indeed losing a day for classes so there will be crunching required to fit in the 25 minutes to add to MW classes that used to be MWF. Could classes start at 7:30 instead of 7:45? Might help along with evening classes starting a little later (5:30 instead of 5:10, for example, to let the daytime classes finish up). It will be interesting to see what happens, for sure. I know that fewer, larger sections of some classes would ease the burden of scheduling somewhat--might as well pack MGH 111 with 255 twice instead of 170 three times if you need to get 510 students through and time is crunched.

An email from Wilson to faculty on January 9 did address labs: "If possible, these would be scheduled Monday through Thursday to maximize student benefits. Scheduling labs on Friday would still be possible, because that is consistent with the experiential learning concept associated with Five-Star Fridays." So 3-hour labs wouldn't necessarily have to be squeezed into already-packed days. I could see labs being on Fridays a lot now if scheduling demands it.

A lot of FAU "fans" have been leaving since 34-3. Why wouldn't you stay if you were enjoying your team administering a beatdown? Kiffin going for 2 is being a total @$$#0/€. Other coaches need to remember that and take advantage when they can to put him in his place. It is not necessary and shows the kind of person he is.

Am at the game. Zips band is much more powerful and just better than FAU's. How was the targeting not targeting? Every replay on the big screen seemed to confirm it, never mind seeing it live. Giving up 3 TDs on 4th and goal is brutal. Only thing worse has been not being able to run out the half. Sigh. Official said the booth buzzed them about 4th down call, so no challenge. Doubt we get that benefit of the doubt.

Booked flights, hotel, and rental car last Monday and already have game and pregame party tickets. Anyone flying CLE-MIA at 6:30am next Tuesday (on American) or FLL-CLE the day after the game at 11:17am (on United)?

Good question! I know that in my department, there is no staff left to cut that wouldn't leave a huge hole and make it impossible to teach.

Guess the "abolishment of filled positions" means getting rid of people who are currently employed, vs. letting unfilled positions remain unfilled. Basically layoffs without using that word--although he uses that word in the next clause in the same sentence. "Abolishment of filled positions" sounds so weird. Hmm.

Email from Scarborough to faculty and staff at noon today. Note the second bullet. TO: Faculty, staff and students FROM: President Scott L. Scarborough RE: Three-year program to fund growth and address budget issues DATE: July 10, 2015 “Our future is bright, but first we need to fix the University’s finances.” Beginning last October, I led a team of colleagues in an exhaustive review of the University’s finances. That team included the leadership of the Faculty Senate, the AAUP, and a representative of the department chairs. Based on that review, we found that our University had a $60 million financial problem. The team developed and proposed a three-year solution that the University’s Board of Trustees approved on June 10. The approved plan reduces University expenses by $40 million, raises graduate tuition and undergraduate fees by $10 million, and projects $10 million in revenue growth by the third year. The $40 million of expense reductions include the following: Eliminating 215 positions via a planned reduction in workforce; no faculty layoffs are occurring. Eliminating baseball. Eliminating non-academic programming in EJ Thomas Hall, except for rentals. Outsourcing dining services. Renegotiating healthcare plans. Increasing the cost share of retiree dependent coverage. Changing the University’s retire/rehire policy. Centralizing course scheduling. Reducing central costs, such as legal fees and University memberships. Reduction in force The most painful, but necessary reduction is the abolishment of filled positions. We are working hard to make sure that our colleagues whose positions are being eliminated are shown the respect and courtesy they deserve. We owe them our thanks for their service to this great University. Tuition and fees We worked hard to solve our financial problem by cutting expenses. In the end, however, we needed to increase graduate tuition and undergraduate fees by $10 million to cover the higher costs of these programs and courses. Central to the entire budget process was our commitment to protecting and enhancing academic quality. Higher tuition and fees were necessary to honor that commitment. A bright future Our future is bright, but first we need to fix the University’s finances. We believe the new budget does that. In addition, the new budget funds college strategic plans, leverages our University’s historical strengths, funds new initiatives to grow future revenue streams, and includes funds to hire the faculty who will keep our University strong. Our future depends on our ability to be distinctive and better. The University of Akron is a strong polytechnic university. As such, we provide students a better educational experience—better in terms of career-focused experiential learning and connectedness to industry, technology, and jobs—in the arts, the sciences, the humanities, and the professions. We know that the next few weeks will be tough. After that, we will refocus our efforts on the mission ahead—to become a great public university for all of Northeast Ohio and the world. Our future is bright because our faculty, staff, and students are great. That will always be the case. Thank you for all you do. Have faith. With faith, everything is possible. Sincerely yours,

TPIR 5-16-10 ~12:40 mark A quick shoutout but it was nice to see. They even put Sarah's segment as its own clip! Sarah's pricing game, plus shoutout to Zakuani

There was a shout out to Zakuani by Drew Carey on today's episode of The Price Is Right. One of the first four contestants was an Akron student and when she won her way onstage and said that she was an Akron student, Carey gave Zakuani a shout out. Carey is part-owner of the Sounders; this TPIR taped just days after the injury. Sometime this evening CBS.com will have the show online for viewing, in case one wanted to see.

Game time on Friday: 1:30pm EDT (12:30 CDT in Chicago), broadcast on TBS. http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/20...ess-tv-schedule

Will be there. Purdue alum, UA faculty and fan....will be supporting Purdue AND Akron on Friday in person, hoping for the two to meet in the Sweet 16. Bought a couple all-session tickets on Ticketmaster just now...nosebleed seats but with ND so close to Chicago, their fans will probably be scooping up tickets fast and furious. Figured I might as well buy asap. Purdue doesn't care for ND (Digger never would schedule a game against Purdue, saying there were no roads from South Bend to West Lafayette), so hopefully I can get any Purdue folks who will be in attendance at the Zips-Irish game to pull for the Zips. Hope to see some fellow Zips there on Friday!

Kofi was a student of mine and I am proud of him and every other member of this team and staff. YESSSSSS!!!!!!!

The June 19 UA Email Digest mentions that the visitor wireless would be getting a new server and name. Many didn't know that there was guest wireless! I don't think I did!Of course, the wireless is useless in my office and the whole corner of my building (KNCL). It's too weak to get a useful signal--a colleague sometimes sits in the hall to get a signal!Whether laptops would be allowed in the stadium is interesting. I'd imagine that they would be cool to that.