Luis Proenza to retire

[Balsy]

[skip-zip]

Thanks. That's how I feel right now.

My first thought when I heard the news this afternoon was.......You've GOT to be kidding me.

[LZIp]

^^ You shouldn't be shocked. Myself and a few others have told you it's going to happen months ago.

[skip-zip]

^^ You shouldn't be shocked. Myself and a few others have told you it's going to happen months ago.

Who said anything about being shocked? How about...sick.

[Balsy]

Just because we may have been told something was going to happen...doesn't make it any less worthy when it actually happens.

In fact, having it become reality makes it even more

[Z.I.P.]

Alright, give me a spare but I am actually going to chime in on this crazy train conversation. Can anyone tell me why -- unless my inattentiveness made me miss it -- there has been no outcry from such corners as, um, the FACULTY? Have they been so dumbed down that they've given up on caring?

[skip-zip]

Alright, give me a spare but I am actually going to chime in on this crazy train conversation. Can anyone tell me why -- unless my inattentiveness made me miss it -- there has been no outcry from such corners as, um, the FACULTY? Have they been so dumbed down that they've given up on caring?

Yes, a faculty head was quoted with his thoughts about the possibility of this guy being his boss, and what he presumed would be the opinion of most other faculty members. It appeared in a recent article. It was not an endorsement, and that is being kind. I hope I can find it again.

My wife and I are actually both laughing about the fact that probably a good portion of the faculty, who would all be below him on the totem pole, would have a higher level of education. Pretty comical.

[Dave in Green]

Every university that has selected a non-traditional president has resulted in some protests resulting in some negative media. There's absolutely no reason why UA should be any different. Here's just one of many examples of a similar situation:

Mitch Daniels Protested As Purdue University's Next President By Students, Faculty, Alumni

[Valpo Zip]

Although I've known it is going to happen for a while now, it is still very sickening "news" to read in the paper. Sad days are ahead for our alma mater.

[Balsy]

To add on to AdaZip; it's also embarrassing. Because I know the public is looking at my Alma Mater and saying "what a pathetic joke". I hope they aren't...but experience has taught me, with a high degree of confidence, that they are. And public opinion of UA is important, don't kid yourselves.

[K92]

To add on to AdaZip; it's also embarrassing. Because I know the public is looking at my Alma Mater and saying "what a pathetic joke". I hope they aren't...but experience has taught me, with a high degree of confidence, that they are. And public opinion of UA is important, don't kid yourselves.

Depends on what segment of the public you are talking about. Buckeye honks think this is a fantastic development that gives UA some serious credibility.

[zippy5]

Are people worried about the actual results he'll have, or the perception of the hire?

[Tom Hagen]

One of the things this situation will illustrate is the disconnect between unionized (and tenured) educators and the reality endured by most of the rest of society.

Specifically, are faculty members going to get their panties in a bunch because they perceive the new President (CEO) of their organization isn't qualified to lead them?

Isn't this just a dose of the real world that all of the rest of us are faced with frequently? Don't UA students benefit from having instructors with "real world experience?"

Just one of a few benefits I see in pursuing this course of action.

[ZachTheZip]

http://www.uakron.edu/bot/president-search.dot

Interesting that each candidate will host an open forum, that will be streamed online. if you click "Schedule" above their pictures, you can see for yourself.

[GP1]

Are people worried about the actual results he'll have, or the perception of the hire?

It's not an either/or for me.

Alright, give me a spare but I am actually going to chime in on this crazy train conversation. Can anyone tell me why -- unless my inattentiveness made me miss it -- there has been no outcry from such corners as, um, the FACULTY? Have they been so dumbed down that they've given up on caring?

Great question. I don't know if they are dumbed down or beaten down. Dr. Proenza has, for many years not, gotten to do whatever he wanted to do without much regard for the faculty. Tressel is his guy and maybe they just figure he is going to do whatever he wants to do anyhow.

I've mentioned before I have a friend who is on faculty at USC (Los Angeles) and I posed your question to him and sent a link of the finalists. First, he was shocked there has not been a large public outcry from faculty about Tressel and thinks Tressel making it this far is a joke in itself. Additionally, while he doesn't know much about the candidates, he feels the candidate from Toledo would be the best just on a reading of the resumes because he would understand the needs of an Akron since Akron and Toledo are sort of like institutions.

Personally, I don't see how anyone can look at the resumes of Tressel and the guy from Toledo and not pick the guy from Toledo. Tressel's resume is so flimsy it isn't even funny. The guy from Toledo has major accomplishments, in the ways it matters, at a university "similar" to Akron. My fear is there are many within the University who have gone so far down the Tressel Highway they can't turn back even if they know they are wrong.

[Dave in Green]

If anyone is concerned about how the faculty and students would feel about having Jim Tressel as UA President, it's fair to ask the same about the other two candidates. For example, if you think the Toledo guy would be more popular with faculty and students, try to get a reading on the feelings about him at his previous schools by doing a Google search for Scott Scarborough DePaul and Scott Scarborough Toledo.

[GP1]

If anyone is concerned about how the faculty and students would feel about having Jim Tressel as UA President, it's fair to ask the same about the other two candidates. For example, if you think the Toledo guy would be more popular with faculty and students, try to get a reading on the feelings about him at his previous schools by doing a Google search for Scott Scarborough DePaul and Scott Scarborough Toledo.

Thanks for the recommendation. I followed your advice and I like what I see in the guy. It seems to me that in an era when there is soon to be declining attendance in universities, difficult decisions need to be made by universities. He seems to understand those need to be made. He also asked full time, tenured faculty to work more and eliminated some of the part time positions teaching classes. Sound efficient to me. I couldn't get a good feel for what eliminating classes means, but I'd much rather see the elimination of majors as a cost cutting effort. There are many majors that are useless and can be eliminated.

I'm not so concerned about how faculty and students will "feel" about him. I take that back. I could care less about how faculty and students "feel" about anyone they hire. I care about if they person can do the job. Further, I care about if this guy can make a degree from UofA more valuable. This guy has made hard decisions. Tressel, on the other hand, has spent his days at UofA engaging in the type of "feel good" crap that has turned American universities into playgrounds for spoiled kids who what to spend four year playing and not learning. All the while, kids from other countries are coming over here and cleaning their clocks. They don't know it because they are too busy playing on rock walls to see it, but they sure as heck will feel it when they graduate with their mountain of debt as a result of paying for the playground.

[Sergeant Zip]

Vindy article on if Jim Tressel qualified to be YSU president

[zippy5]

"He pointed to a 2012 survey of university presidents that asked how they spent most of their time. They listed fundraising, budgeting, community relations and planning. Those presidents cited their greatest challenges as faculty relations, and working with legislators and governing boards."

I think JT's greatest skills would be in the above traits, and it's hard to imagine the others having the success in those that he would. I think all the poo-pooing is sour grapes from the academia world that someone from outside their "circle" could get their prized job. Really, if he had a Ph D, no one would care. Would 3 extra years of schooling 30 years ago and 3 letters after his last name have any impact on who he is today?

[GP1]

I think JT's greatest skills would be in the above traits, and it's hard to imagine the others having the success in those that he would.

What makes you think he would be good at it and why wouldn't the guy at Toledo, who has already done many of these things in his current job, not be able to do it?

I realize how many could look at Tressel's resume and see that he was nominated for an ESPY and think he is qualified, but I simply don't see it.

[Balsy]

I think all the poo-pooing is sour grapes from the academia world that someone from outside their "circle" could get their prized job. Really, if he had a Ph D, no one would care. Would 3 extra years of schooling 30 years ago and 3 letters after his last name have any impact on who he is today?

No. Coming from the "circle" of "academia" (I kinda like the ring that has...), he could have a PhD or three, and I still wouldn't want him. And yes it's not about having the two letters before your name, or the three letters after your name. It's the mindset, and the way that you approach the world that is important. More importantly: moral character. You can have a PhD and lack moral character. You can have moral character and lack a PhD.

I'll answer your question with another question: Are you saying that the person he is today is the right person? Regardless of PhD or not. What we're trying to say is that we don't think he is. Not because he's got a title, but because we think it's a really, really, really bad idea.

No experience.

Questionable moral clarity.

Potentially his hire making us the laughingstock of the Ohio University system.

[Balsy]

@GP1. Toledo guy is my pick too.

[GP1]

Potentially his hire making us the laughingstock of the Ohio University system.

It would make us a national laughing stock. Other than YSU.....YSU, can anyone think of another school in Ohio that would take this guy this seriously. We are competing for a guy who is also looking at the YSU job.?.? If that 's the best we can do, then I'm very concerned about the results of what has been going on at UofA over the past 20 years.

[ZachTheZip]

It would make us a national laughing stock.

Yeah? The buzz from most of the country is that Tressel would bring Akron into relevance. It would make Akron a "real" university in the eyes of the ones who matter the most: prospective students and their parents. The best way to improve the academic profile of a university is by improving the applicant pool. There are two ways to do that. The first is to go through the difficult process of hiring better professors (Some of the best professors I ever had were adjuncts, and many of the absolute worst were full-time with tenure), and spending money you don't have on programs across the university. The second way is to increase the number of students that are applying which, now that we have finally shed the "open enrollment" tag, gives us an improved student profile. A better student profile makes it easier to attract and retain better professors, and things go from there. There is no "chick or egg" debate about how to improve a university. It all starts with more student applications. And Tressel is the only one of the three who can get high school students from around the country and even in-state to consider applying to Akron where we would otherwise be an afterthought, if we were given any thought at all. It's the same reason college sponsor athletics. Get your name into the minds of the people and keep it there.

It also gives us a shot at combating the resource-denial that comes out of Columbus, where a certain university actively blocks academic resources from going to other state schools, even if they aren't in the running for those resources themselves. In case you haven't noticed, "Toledo Guy" has not done any better at that than anybody else from the other state universities.

[GP1]

@Zach,

Sorry, I live out of the state and there is no buzz anywhere about Tressel becoming the President of UofA. Everyone I have brought it up to only rolls their eyes. Only in Ohio do people think the name Tressel and his association with tosu matters. Most people now remember him as a disgraced college football coach. That's exactly the type of buzz we should be trying to stay away from.

I worry about the admittance of students (and their parents by extension) who think Tressel would make UofA a real university. We should be keeping this kind of childish thinking out of our school.

Improving academic profile by letting more people in? Doesn't that just bump up the number of students at a university? So, we let in an extra 5,000 to get 50 really good students and the rest can have weekly appointments in the Encouraging Department? Terrible idea and plan if you ask me. It seems to me that the academic profile of a university is increased by top notch academic programs(which Tressel has never been involved with), hiring top notch professors (which Tressel has no experience in), securing research grants (which Tressel has no experience in or experience in hiring people who do), teaching the newest and greatest to top notch students (which Tressel has no experience in).

tosu is the flagship university of Ohio. They are going to get a disproportionate amount of state funding. It's something we have to live with. I see nothing in Tressel's resume, with the exception of his hiring "encouragers" (makes me feel like I'm writing about a pre-school) or his ESPY nomination that says to me he knows how to maneuver in the halls of government.

Again, Tressel is the most flimsy of the candidates and shouldn't even be in the final three. He is a football coach, not a serious candidate for a university presidents position. It is a childish road UofA has taken.