Dave in Green Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 ... You, sire, are no Thomas Paine ... We are in agreement on that point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen Posted August 13, 2013 Report Share Posted August 13, 2013 I would blame the graduation rates partly on the fact that UA is still strongly a commuter school. This is not a University that a large portion of the students go away to. I quit after my sophomore year at UA to work a full time for a year. I probably wouldn't have considered this a luxury if I wasn't living so close. A lot of people said I would stay quit. I knew I would go back and finish, but I suspect that a lot don't. So, I tend to agree with some of the sentiments given by others previously, but I blame the proximity of UA to much of it's student base for the reason it's attracting enrollees who 1) may not be as serious as those going to other Universites, and 2) may be tempted to discontinue their studies because they feel it wouldn't be difficult to resume later. UA has to continue to transition towards the goals of increasing it's on-campus student population and increasing it's standards. If it doesn't, the graduation rates will continue to suffer. As per Tressel, I would maybe take the bet on him being an interim President, but not top candidate for permanent position. Why would an interim President be needed though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Z Posted August 16, 2013 Report Share Posted August 16, 2013 I sure hope Columbus State doesn't grab our number one candidate!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K92 Posted August 22, 2013 Report Share Posted August 22, 2013 Could Jim Tressel be considered... Short article, but worth a read. Especially for some of the comments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zestycoyote Posted August 22, 2013 Report Share Posted August 22, 2013 Could Jim Tressel be considered... Short article, but worth a read. Especially for some of the comments. I love how everyone supporting Tressel justifies his shot by saying he has a master's degree in education. For those that are unaware, getting a master's degree in education from UA isn't much more difficult than getting a high school degree. As long as you can pony up the $$$, that is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LZIp Posted August 22, 2013 Report Share Posted August 22, 2013 I love how everyone supporting Tressel justifies his shot by saying he has a master's degree in education. For those that are unaware, getting a master's degree in education from UA isn't much more difficult than getting a high school degree. As long as you can pony up the $$, that is. Is getting a degree in education not easy everywhere? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zestycoyote Posted August 23, 2013 Report Share Posted August 23, 2013 Is getting a degree in education not easy everywhere? Some places make it even easier than others. Let's just say UA's education classes may as well include naps and recess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z.I.P. Posted August 24, 2013 Report Share Posted August 24, 2013 Could Jim Tressel be considered... Short article, but worth a read. Especially for some of the comments. Tressel is now vice president for student success. Alright..but what in the world does he DO??? Is there a position description anywhere? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted August 24, 2013 Report Share Posted August 24, 2013 @Z.I.P., VP of student success is the plain English term for the formal office of VP of strategic engagement at UA. The plain English description of that position's job responsibilities, as described in the original UA press release, is as follows: As the Vice President for Strategic Engagement, Tressel will identify, recommend and support strategies and efforts that promote success in all facets of student life, including alumni and friend engagement, and collaborations and partnerships with community organizations that have an influence and impact on UA students and their futures. Dr. Proenza referenced specific programs that are part of the recently released strategic plan, Vision 2020: The New Gold Standard of University Performance. One program called The Akron Experience combines curricular and co-curricular experiences so that students are connected to community, organizations, industry and people in their field of interest, to ensure a distinctive college experience and enhance their employment opportunities. Another program provides students with targeted pathways to success, based on their readiness for college. Students will have mentors who can help them along during college and beyond. "We know that our programs for student success will require tremendous leadership from our staff and support from volunteers throughout the community," noted Dr. Proenza. "Jim Tressel will help us engage our alumni and friends in support of our students." The formal job description is probably contained somewhere in official UA documents. Since this was a newly created position, the specifics may have evolved over the past year. There's a Student Success Center on the UA website, and I'd assume that Tressel is responsible for a lot of what you find there. Student success is the single most important goal of not-for-profit institutions of higher learning, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gozips19 Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 Jeremy Schaap just did his final thought on Tressel possibly become Akron's next president on the Sports Reporters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue & Gold Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 Jeremy Schaap just did his final thought on Tressel possibly become Akron's next president on the Sports Reporters. And what was his thought on the matter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopper Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 I know people who work with JT on a personal level everyday at UA. Every one of them find him to be a breath of fresh air compared to the other academics who populate most of the hierarchy of UA. Some of them were very skeptical about his intentions when he first arrived. All of them now tell me he is a huge asset to the university. They tell me he is well informed and passionate in his quest to provide a great learning experience for all students at UA. Isn't that what really matters? I could care less about what degrees someone has because at the end of the day all that matters is, was the job done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balsy Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 There is one think I do like that he has done: New Roo Weekend. It's now completely changed how Freshman get integrated into UA and hopefully will build a bigger sense of community with the incoming students down the road. My biggest problem with UA since I've been there (and I graduate in the Fall) is that there has been almost NO sense of community what-so-ever. Most of the people in charge of things just seem to be going through the motions rather than actually caring. The No. 1 problem with UA in my opinion is the lack of community, and JT has helped in that sense. Now I'm not sure he's president material...I think we need someone who's going to mop up education side of UA. There's far too many departments that are being run like a circus rather than a reputable institution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zestycoyote Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 I know people who work with JT on a personal level everyday at UA. Every one of them find him to be a breath of fresh air compared to the other academics who populate most of the hierarchy of UA. Some of them were very skeptical about his intentions when he first arrived. All of them now tell me he is a huge asset to the university. They tell me he is well informed and passionate in his quest to provide a great learning experience for all students at UA. Isn't that what really matters? I could care less about what degrees someone has because at the end of the day all that matters is, was the job done. Leave the 'breath of fresh air' and 'feel good story' on the football field. Someone that has been an actual academic knows more about running a university than a disgraced football coach. If we hire a coach (with no PhD) that has been employed in higher ed for less than a year as our next university president, it will be a national embarrassment. If you don't care what degrees someone has when you're talking about a university presidential hire, you aren't intelligent enough to take part in the conversation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopper Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 Leave the 'breath of fresh air' and 'feel good story' on the football field. Someone that has been an actual academic knows more about running a university than a disgraced football coach. If we hire a coach (with no PhD) that has been employed in higher ed for less than a year as our next university president, it will be a national embarrassment. If you don't care what degrees someone has when you're talking about a university presidential hire, you aren't intelligent enough to take part in the conversation. It's really sad when all you can do is resort to a personal attack when you have nothing else to make your point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zestycoyote Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 It's really sad when all you can do is resort to a personal attack when you have nothing else to make your point. I made several points against Tressel. He isn't qualified because of his lack of academic credentials and his lack of academic experience. That's not even touching on his questionable professional ethics. It's not a personal attack—if you really think Tressel is good candidate for a university president position, you're not intelligent enough, informed enough, or reasonable enough to enter the conversation. But please feel free to ignore rational comments in favor of a real response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 If we hire a coach (with no PhD) that has been employed in higher ed for less than a year as our next university president, it will be a national embarrassment. The discussion is already a national embarrassment and everyone outside of Ohio knows it. The news of this has gotten out and everyone I know from outside of Ohio who has heard of it thinks it is an absolute joke. Why? Because it is. The guy is an f-ing football coach for crying out loud and he has no experience in running a major university. But GP1, the employees at UofA don't like academics. Who give a crap? A university is a place for academics. It's where they go to work for crying out loud. If people don't like working around academics, they should find employment somewhere other than a university or learn to stop crying like a bunch of bitches. "A good experience for the students."? From all I can tell, this means building large playgrounds for students to play and watch sports. I'd like the good experience to be one where the students exceeded what they thought was their intellectual capacity prior to entering UofA and then going on to do something great. If Tressel gets the job and is horrible at it, what then? How long would it take to clean the mess up? How bad would it have to get before the Board of Trustees would have the guts to dismiss him? Not long ago, UofA hired a guy in a high profile position without the experience to hold down the job he had and it turned into a disaster. That person was Rob Ianello. Tressel would be able to hold on a lot longer than Ianello and do far more damage to UofA than Ianello ever could have if Ianello held the job for 10 years. UofA doesn't even have the common sense to fire the AD who hired Ianello. Can anyone name me a major university who has hired a former college football coach to be president and then took that school to greatness? (deafening silence for a good reason)..... The only college coach I know of ever to be a university president was Harry Byrd. Byrd was coach of the Maryland football team in 1911 (he also coached the baseball team later) and was president between 1936 and 1954. He built up the university in an era when the government was throwing money at public projects left an right because of the Depression. Lastly, I hope everyone starts to lay off the comments about people from "inside the University" think he is doing a great job. These insiders are the ones who have given our beloved University a $25 million debt and a decline in enrollment after telling us the University would blossom after the glutenous "building process". Sounds like we need more change to the "insiders" other than just the President. These clowns on the inside are just trying to put a good spin on a horrible idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 I made several points against Tressel. He isn't isn't qualified because of his lack of academic credentials and his lack of academic experience. That's not even touching on his questionable professional ethics. Good points. Let's create a hypothetical situration to see what Tressel's past behavior would say about his future behavior. Here is what we know. Tressel was involved in an incident at tosu where he was contacted by a lawyer about his players involvement with a guy who owned a business that was also a being investigated by the FBI for selling drugs. What did he do about it?....Nothing meaningful. He passed it off as "protecting" his players. Everyone outside of Ohio believes that to be a load of crap and find the guy to be laughable. However, citizens of Ohio buy it hook, line and sinker. Let's say Tressel is president of UofA and, hypothetically, he discovers an athlete-student is involved in selling drugs. Does his past behavior suggest he would be more prone to: A. Try to protect the kid and do nothing hoping to cover it up so the kids team can continue to win? or B. Take direct action to discover the truth and remove the player from the team and University? The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, so if you picked "A", you would be correct. I hope everyone has heard the saying, "Getting grin fu*%ed". Living in the south allows me very good insight into when this is happening. I think the insiders at UofA who think hiring Tressel is a good idea are getting a professional grinning if you know what I mean.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zestycoyote Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 At GP1: Great expansion of the questionable ethics. Also, notice how all discussion of Tressel revolves around his time as a coach. The guy isn't qualified for anything more than that. UA already has problem with how they're perceived when it comes to sports vs. academics. Introducing 'Tressel as president' into the equation makes insiders at the university seem even more out of touch with their primary goal: educating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 @Hilltopper, why are you rambling so far off topic by regurgitating here what you're hearing directly from "people who work with JT on a personal level everyday at UA?" What possible relevance could the opinions of academic professionals working alongside him at UA have in this discussion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zestycoyote Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 I hope everyone has heard the saying, "Getting grin fu*%ed". Living in the south allows me very good insight into when this is happening. I think the insiders at UofA who think hiring Tressel is a good idea are getting a professional grinning if you know what I mean.... @Hilltopper, why are you rambling so far off topic by regurgitating here what you're hearing directly from "people who work with JT on a personal level everyday at UA?" What possible relevance could the opinions of academic professionals working alongside him at UA have in this discussion? Hmmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopper Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 @Hilltopper, why are you rambling so far off topic by regurgitating here what you're hearing directly from "people who work with JT on a personal level everyday at UA?" What possible relevance could the opinions of academic professionals working alongside him at UA have in this discussion? Yeah, I should have known better than to discuss actual facts, instead of emotional ramblings like those in the posts above the one I just quoted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zestycoyote Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 Yeah, I should have known better than to discuss actual facts, instead of emotional ramblings like those in the posts above the one I just quoted. Facts, meaning unpublicized, secondhand comments from 'administrative personnel' at UA? OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZachTheZip Posted August 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 Also, notice how all discussion of Tressel revolves around his time as a coach. The guy isn't qualified for anything more than that. UA already has problem with how they're perceived when it comes to sports vs. academics. Introducing 'Tressel as president' into the equation makes insiders at the university seem even more out of touch with their primary goal: educating. First of all, he's qualified to teach classes at the university, as someone with a Masters in Education. He's also qualified to be an athletic director, and even has previous experience doing so. To say the only way he qualified to contribute to the university is as a football coach is an ignorant statement. Second, the University of Akron is a research university. Undergrad education has not been the primary goal of UA since its days as a city college. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 First of all, he's qualified to teach classes at the university, as someone with a Masters in Education. He's also qualified to be an athletic director, and even has previous experience doing so. To say the only way he qualified to contribute to the university is as a football coach is an ignorant statement. Second, the University of Akron is a research university. Undergrad education has not been the primary goal of UA since its days as a city college. I have a Masters Degree from UofA and that gives me zero qualifications to teach a class at UofA even tough I was a section leader while in graduate school. You are right about him being qualified to be an AD. If TW is qualified to be an AD, then he is as well....and so is Huck Finn. There is no difference between being a research university and a top quality teaching institution. One can't happen without the other and are both equally important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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