Luis Proenza to retire

[Balsy]

Right, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech and all the other universities with VPs of Student Success are just waiting for UA to eliminate the position so they can follow suit. Then there are all the other universities who call it VP of Student Affairs who are looking to UA for leadership in eliminating this position. Why on earth should any university have a VP devoted to student interests?

Because universities already have someone "devoted to student interests"...it's called the "Dean of Students".

UA's Dean of Students is Denine Rocco. And her office is in the Student Union, not Buchtel Hall.

[GP1]

Because universities already have someone "devoted to student interests"...it's called the "Dean of Students".

UA's Dean of Students is Denine Rocco. And her office is in the Student Union, not Buchtel Hall.

Please stop making sense.

If they University isn't getting what they want out of the current Dean of Students, it's time to find another Dean of Students, not create another position on top of a current position. Universities have gone insane with the creation of positions for the sake of creating positions. It's the "building process" exercised in a different way.

If VA Tech and A & M can afford this position on top of a Dean of Students, good for them. UofA's books are in the red....and not by a little bit. They need to learn to do more with less.

[Dave in Green]

Just to be clear, most major universities have both a Dean of Students and a VP for Student Affairs (or Student Success or similar title). Picking an example at random, at Duke University the Dean of Students is also Assistant VP for Student Affairs and reports to the VP for Student Affairs. Big universities that deal with tens of thousands of people have different staffing requirements than a mom and pop operation.

[Balsy]

Just to be clear, most major universities have both a Dean of Students and a VP for Student Affairs (or Student Success or similar title). Picking an example at random, at Duke University the Dean of Students is also Assistant VP for Student Affairs and reports to the VP for Student Affairs. Big universities that deal with tens of thousands of people have different staffing requirements than a mom and pop operation.

And frankly that sounds like a major farce; or rather an excuse to give a $100,000+ salary to another administrator. Granted each individual university's duties for that position are going to be slightly different, I don't buy that it's necessary. Reading "other major universities" doesn't mean anything to me. There are a lot of senseless, grossly over-paid positions at those universities.

If universities really cared about "Student Success" they should consider paying their professors more, and focus on building a sense of community among faculty, students and staff that in turn fosters student success. When your employees are paid dirt-nothing, you can expect to breed an atmosphere of not-caring...because you're going to have a hard time attracting those hard-working people who do care.

[GP1]

And frankly that sounds like a major farce; or rather an excuse to give a $100,000+ salary to another administrator.

It's part of the "building process" that is bankrupting American universities. Since American universities are largely public, it is safe to say it is contributing to the daily bankrupting of American society as well.

Is our society so weak now that we need "encouragers" to babysit and beg young adults to try harder? What are these young adults going to do when they leave school and find out there are no babysitters, only people who really don't care about you making you do something called "work". Does anyone think for a second that the Indian and Asian kids going to school in this country need an "encourager"? Their encouragement is the thought of having to go back to whatever crap hole of a country they came over from without a degree and going to work in some sweatshop where if they are lucky they will die before their 40th birthday.

[Dave in Green]

I'm all in favor of performing an objective analysis of university administration and applying the same screws to them that they apply to professors and teaching staff. I'm all for reducing any administration that's not value-added to the university's mission. That's different from arbitrarily eliminating a position just because someone you don't happen to like once held it.

[eguins]

FWIW, Jim Tressel signed his contract tonight. First two years he will make $300,000, a full $75,000 less than the two previous President's of Youngstown State. The salary for the third year has yet to be determined. Per the Vindicator, YSU offered him more money, but he said he would take job for lesser salary, which he did.

[Dr Z]

YSU offered him more money, but he said he would take job for lesser salary, which he did.

What a swell fellow.

[ksu sucks]

Jeff Darcy of the Plain Dealer with an "interesting" take on Tressel's new role

[skip-zip]

YSU offered him more money, but he said he would take job for lesser salary, which he did.

Just helps confirm everything we already know about the guy. He doesn't need the money, but managed to use the situation to try to paint himself as the noble, good and saintly figure, once again.

[Dave in Green]

Because everyone knows that once someone has done something wrong they can never again do anything right.

[skip-zip]

Because everyone knows that once someone has done something wrong they can never again do anything right.

No, when someone does something wrong again and again and again and again, over many years, and still tries to paint themselves as a do-gooder, it's comical.

[zippy5]

Let it go man.

[LZIp]

skip has some sort of weird obsession with Tressel. Its like Tress stole his woman back in the day.

[ksu sucks]

Until this data is updated for next years' incoming freshman class, we can't judge the effectiveness of the new admissions standards.

The Plain Dealer reported some preliminary enrollment data for Northeast Ohio schools.

University of Akron – Confirmations to enroll are up 10 percent over last year so officials are optimistic they can bounce back from a freshman class of 3,984 last year, a 5.9 percent decline from 2012.

As the university becomes more selective it steers several hundred students to community colleges.

About 540 students have confirmed admission to its honors college, compared to 376 who enrolled last year.

It will be interesting to see how the new admissions standards affect the quality of this years incoming class.

[LZIp]

You mean higher enrollment albeit higher standards!?!! What you have to say about that, GP1?

Thanks for sharing

[GP1]

You mean higher enrollment albeit higher standards!?!! What you have to say about that, GP1?

Thanks for sharing

Preliminary, 10% sounds like a good number. Makes me glad I spent the time to write letters for the Roo Crew.

It's less than 400 students. It's $4 million extra in tuition. UofA is $26.7 million in the hole. Wouldn't want to be a marginal UofA employee right now. The ax is going to start swinging.

Akron wont be able to stay ahead of the national trend for long.

[Dave in Green]

GP1, were the letters you wrote for the Roo Crew as enthusiastic about UA's future as your posts here?

[GP1]

GP1, were the letters you wrote for the Roo Crew as enthusiastic about UA's future as your posts here?

They were very complimentary of the quality of education I received from UofA and how it prepared me for my professional life. At the core of it all, I believe UofA has excellent professors who are doing some really good research and doing a good job of preparing students for their professional life. Akron should be striving to keep the core mission of the University in tact so that it remains a great place to get an education and advance scientific discovery. Everything else is secondary.

I left out the parts about the campus being turned into a playground for over indulged kids and the crippling financial debt many are going to take on while in college, which typically leads to additional debt beyond student load decreasing their net worth significantly. We have to actually get them in the door before we bankrupt them.

[skip-zip]

I left out the parts about the campus being turned into a playground for over indulged kids

I hear that. In my time, the "student recreation center" was dodging cars while crossing the old Buchtel Ave.

[GP1]

I hear that. In my time, the "student recreation center" was dodging cars while crossing the old Buchtel Ave.

For me, it was playing quarters in the basement of The Townhouse.

[skip-zip]

For me, it was playing quarters in the basement of The Townhouse.

LOL...ah, the memories. And I shouldn't bitch about not having recreation facilities. I remember $600 tuition bills.

I think we should start an informal poll, based on our last two responses.

Who remembers the game "quarters"

Who remembers the Townhouse.

Who went to school when Buchtel Ave. still ran through campus?

I bet we'll find that there's plenty of us old people on here.

[Hilltopper]

I'll bet you guys had to walk to school through 2 feet of snow uphill each way. BTW, how do you think I came up with my nickname. "Hilltop High" ring a bell?

[K92]

Skip,

I remember all three but I am not that old.

I remember having a cloudy plastic 12 ounce mug from The Townhouse that after the inital purchase could be filled with Blatz for 50 cents on Tuesday nights. Does anyone else remember this? My facts might not be all straight but I vividly remember the mug with the Blatz logo on it. I have no idea what happened to it.

I also remember having a yellow painter's cap with cardboard bill that had the old cartoon zippy on it. It probably came from RHBP for freshman orientation or something.

Crossing Buchtel Ave. could be a real challenge. So could navagating the chain draped between posts that lined the edge of Lee Jackson Field. I witnessed many a young Zip wipe out on the chain after crossing Exchange Street following a night out at Thursday's.

[Dave in Green]

GP1, your letters show you are a true salesman -- enhance the positive points of the product and stay far away from any potential negatives. Now all we have to do is find a way to keep all those idealistic young freshmen you helped recruit from reading ZN.o and being exposed to the cynics.

There's a real conundrum here: How do you attract a generation of kids who've been spoiled by the riches of an economy built on the backs of previous generations and world events of the era to a university that doesn't offer the same level of amenities to which they've become accustomed? That's what the building process was all about. If you didn't build it they wouldn't come. How many of them will catch the message in Economics 101 that economies are cyclical, and that they not only rise but also fall?