ZachTheZip Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/proenz...n-june-1.419364 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 ... Many rumors suggest that Jim Tressel, the former Ohio State football coach who is UA vice president for strategic engagement, would be named interim president or president when Proenza departs. “He’s probably going to be a candidate, but that’s about all we can say at this point,” Pogue said. “We’re not in any rush.” Trustees will hold a special meeting in September to outline the steps to finding a new president. Often that includes hiring a search consultant who can make discreet inquiries to potential candidates who meet the university’s criteria. The new president is expected to begin work on or before Proenza leaves the presidency June 30, although Proenza has promised to make himself available after that date. ... That fits what I heard earlier this year: ... Without breaking any confidences, I'll just say that everything I've heard from reliable sources who do not post on ZN.o but who are close to the situation tends to tell a similar general story -- that Mr. Tressel is performing well in his current UA assignments, and that it would not be surprising to see him rise in the executive ranks. When you're already a VP, there aren't many executive positions between that and president. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDZip Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 Proenza is a big part of the reason I started to pay attention to UA again after I graduated and never thought about UA again for at least 15 years. He acted like it was an actual university and put money and emphasis behind it to back it up. My very first post on Zipsnation was about how amazed I was at the campus transformation (long before Infocision Stadium) after stepping foot back on the campus after having been away for many years (the last time I had seen the campus, Buchtel Avenue still ran through the center of it). For my money, he was the best President the University ever had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kangaroo Craig Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 For my money, he was the best President the University ever had. Agreed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z.I.P. Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 Proenza is a big part of the reason I started to pay attention to UA again after I graduated and never thought about UA again for at least 15 years. He acted like it was an actual university and put money and emphasis behind it to back it up. My very first post on Zipsnation was about how amazed I was at the campus transformation (long before Infocision Stadium) after stepping foot back on the campus after having been away for many years (the last time I had seen the campus, Buchtel Avenue still ran through the center of it). For my money, he was the best President the University ever had. Wow! Talk about an understatement! Now, if you care about alma mater, fight for it's future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kangaroo Craig Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 For my money, he was the best President the University ever had. Agreed! I'm beginning to wonder if part of the lure to get Tressel to come here was a promise that he would be the successor to Dr. Proenza. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZachTheZip Posted August 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 Now, if you care about alma mater, fight for it's future. Absolutely! We can not afford to have a passive president, or one who caters to the contingent of people who want to to go back to being "Hilltop High". We need someone that shares Proenza's vision and has the same drive to completely fullfil this university's potential. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z.I.P. Posted August 8, 2013 Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 That fits what I heard earlier this year: When you're already a VP, there aren't many executive positions between that and president. Mr Tressel is forbidden to have any direct contact with the athletic department during the duration of his "show cause" period of probation. How can you be president of a university without direct involvement with athletics? Just asking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZachTheZip Posted August 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 Mr Tressel is forbidden to have any direct contact with the athletic department during the duration of his "show cause" period of probation. How can you be president of a university without direct involvement with athletics? Just asking. What? That's not even remotely true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipmeister Posted August 8, 2013 Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 For my money, he was the best President the University ever had. Agreed! He is certainly the most recent President the university has ever had and definitely in the top 8 all time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted August 8, 2013 Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 From the ESPN story about Tressel coming to Akron: Tressel, according to the NCAA, cannot engage in "coaching duties" for the first five weeks at a new institution and in the postseason. However, the show-cause does not prohibit him, for example, from having contact with recruits in his office while they are visiting campus. It also does not explicitly state that he cannot have contact with coaches or current student-athletes, or attend football practice or provide overall advice on how to improve the football program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legendofzippy Posted August 8, 2013 Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 I like Tressel and he seems a smart guy, but University President? What makes anyone think he's qualified for this? Not saying it won't happen, but I don't see the fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Z Posted August 8, 2013 Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 What makes anyone think he's qualified for this? Not saying it won't happen, but I don't see the fit.Fair question. What makes a good college president? David Boren, a former senator and governor, was tapped 19 years ago to lead the University of Oklahoma. At the time, the running joke was that the school only wanted a library the football team could be proud of. Since then, Boren has turned it into one of the more respected public universities, making it an institution of academic excellence and producing both Rhodes Scholars and All-America football players. 9 Qualities that every college president should have 6. Government experience. Over time, the relationship of colleges with the federal government has increased. Government officials sometimes disagree with campus activities and perspectives. In some instances, certain activities could threaten federal support of academic programs and research. A president experienced in governmental relations can often times mitigate these circumstances and negotiate an acceptable arrangement. 7. Personal characteristics. The ideal college president candidate must be a person of high values, above any hint of impropriety no matter how trivial. This guy might fall short on #7 Previous Experience of a college president Chief academic officer is the single most common precursor to presidency, with 34 percent of presidents having come from CAO positions; however, 30 percent of presidents have never been a faculty member. Nearly 38 percent of current presidents have a disciplinary background in education; 14 percent have a background in the humanities, and 12 percent in the social sciences. Dr Proenza's background: Prior to his appointment at Akron, Dr. Proenza was Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School at Purdue University. He also served the University of Alaska first as Vice Chancellor for Research and Dean of the Graduate School, then as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Research. I hope that my alma mater would use due diligence finding the most qualified candidate available that will continue to build upon the success that Dr Proenza has put forward. Crucial hire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted August 8, 2013 Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 In searching for the most qualified candidate available to carry on Dr. Proenza's success in advancing UA, I'd think that Dr. Proenza's recommendation for a successor would play a big role in the decision-making process. I suspect that at least part of the reason for Jim Tressel being hired as a VP at UA is because Dr. Proenza and other UA executives saw him as a potential future candidate for the position of president. If Dr. Proenza's successor as president is to come from within UA, it's logical that you'd want to be able to measure that person's performance in a key VP role. Tressel's chances of becoming the next president of UA will depend on how much his job performance has impressed Dr. Proenza and other decision makers at UA who will be making the selection from a number of qualified people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akzipper Posted August 8, 2013 Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 Short term Tressel would seem like a good replacement. But, what happens when he decides to return to coaching? What if we need someone to replace Bowden in a few years? What happens when people "forget" about him. Is he experienced enough? We need higher enrollment and continued campus developments. If anything he can definitely get students interested in UA... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 Regarding whether or not Tressel might return to coaching, I'd think that part of the selection process for the next UA president would be gauging candidates' longterm commitment. I personally do not know the man. But my understanding is that people who are close to him believe he's at a point in his life where he has a much greater interest in contributing to higher education than he does in coaching football. We'll see in the coming months how that works out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legendofzippy Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 Short term Tressel would seem like a good replacement. But, what happens when he decides to return to coaching? What if we need someone to replace Bowden in a few years? What happens when people "forget" about him. Is he experienced enough? We need higher enrollment and continued campus developments. If anything he can definitely get students interested in UA... Agree. I'm not trying to slight Tressel at all, I'm just not sure this makes sense. Unfortunately he's going to be remembered for his one big screw-up than for all the good he's done, but he's still a high-quality person and obviously an outstanding football coach. He might be a good President, but Proenza set the bar pretty high. Need a slam-dunk here. This is probably a stretch, but who cares... it's similar to when Tressel "left" OSU. He elevated the program to a point where anything less than an Urban Meyer type hire was going to be a disappointment. (Hang in there Fickell, probably get your shot as a MAC HC pretty soon). I think Proenza's work at Akron puts them in a similar spot with this position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zestycoyote Posted August 10, 2013 Report Share Posted August 10, 2013 If UA hires Tressel as president, even on an interim basis, it will be a huge embarrassment for the university. You do NOT hire a person without a PhD for the head spot at a university. No exceptions, especially for a glorified football coach. I don't care how much money he can bring in. That's what fundraisers are for, not incredibly important hirings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipmeister Posted August 10, 2013 Report Share Posted August 10, 2013 In searching for the most qualified candidate available to carry on Dr. Proenza's success in advancing UA, I'd think that Dr. Proenza's recommendation for a successor would play a big role in the decision-making process. I suspect that at least part of the reason for Jim Tressel being hired as a VP at UA is because Dr. Proenza and other UA executives saw him as a potential future candidate for the position of president. If Dr. Proenza's successor as president is to come from within UA, it's logical that you'd want to be able to measure that person's performance in a key VP role. Tressel's chances of becoming the next president of UA will depend on how much his job performance has impressed Dr. Proenza and other decision makers at UA who will be making the selection from a number of qualified people. In this case you would be thinking wrong; his recommendation would likely have little bearing on the selection committee's decision. The preferences of people who will still have an active stake in the University after Dr. P is gone (faculty, big-time donors, etc.) will have a MUCH bigger influence. Tressel is one of 9 VPs at UA. His chance at becoming the next university president are lower than just about any of the others and the probability that any of them will be promoted to that position is not statistically significantly different from zero. A national search will reveal the best candidate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted August 10, 2013 Report Share Posted August 10, 2013 @Zipmeister, thanks for your personal quantification. I'll keep that in mind as I process input I'm getting from the sources who previously assured me that UA was going to hire Tressel even after public statements were made that he was not going to be the next head football coach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted August 10, 2013 Report Share Posted August 10, 2013 If UA hires Tressel as president, even on an interim basis, it will be a huge embarrassment for the university. You do NOT hire a person without a PhD for the head spot at a university. No exceptions, especially for a glorified football coach. I don't care how much money he can bring in. That's what fundraisers are for, not incredibly important hirings. Right. UA needs a university role model. How about Purdue University, ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the country's top 25 public universities with a current endowment value of about $2 billion. Their search for a new president is summarized on Purdue's website here. And the unanimous choice of the board of trustees was announced on Purdue's website here as "an innovative, game-changing move for Purdue." So a career politician without a PhD is qualified to run a bigger, more prestigious university than UA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipmeister Posted August 10, 2013 Report Share Posted August 10, 2013 @Zipmeister, thanks for your personal quantification. I'll keep that in mind as I process input I'm getting from the sources who previously assured me that UA was going to hire Tressel even after public statements were made that he was not going to be the next head football coach. No quantification was included in my previous post, but I would be willing to bet you my $100 against your $10 that Tressel is NOT the next President of UA. Care to put your money where your mouth is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZachTheZip Posted August 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2013 No quantification was included in my previous post, but I would be willing to bet you my $100 against your $10 that Tressel is NOT the next President of UA. Care to put your money where your mouth is? Do you count an "interim" president as still being the president? If so, your wallet might be a little lighter next summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoZips Posted August 10, 2013 Report Share Posted August 10, 2013 No quantification was included in my previous post, but I would be willing to bet you my $100 against your $10 that Tressel is NOT the next President of UA. Care to put your money where your mouth is? Wow. Can anyone get in on this bet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipmeister Posted August 10, 2013 Report Share Posted August 10, 2013 Wow. Can anyone get in on this bet? Absolutely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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