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By Carol Biliczky
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 07:40 p.m. EDT, Mar 14, 2009
University of Akron trustees have rewarded President Luis Proenza with $85,000 in performance payments that brought his current compensation to $535,000.
Trustee President Philip Kaufmann said Proenza deserves an ''A'' for fueling enrollment and fundraising, among other achievements.
''The entire board thinks his performance is very good,'' Kaufmann said. ''Overall, he does an excellent job and a lot of great things.''
Kaufmann pointed to Proenza's leadership in increasing enrollment 11.6 percent since 2004.
''We looked at retention rates, SAT scores,'' Kaufmann said of the trustees' appraisal of Proenza's performance. ''When we looked at all the criteria and saw what's happened, you have a feeling that things are going well.''
Kaufmann said he preferred to call the awards ''performance payments'' instead of bonuses, as the latter sounds more ''willy-nilly, while these are part of the contract.''
The president's contract calls for both short- and long-term performance payments.
In January, he received $25,000 for meeting seven one-year goals for 2008 that included increasing enrollment and enhancing fundraising, especially as it relates to UA's $500 million comprehensive campaign.
The goals did not specify the number of students the university had to attract, the amount of money UA had to raise or other benchmarks.
Proenza also received a $60,000 performance payment for meeting longer-term goals for 2006-08.
They included positioning UA as a leader in higher education statewide; strengthening UA's relationship to Gov. Ted Strickland, the legislature and other constituencies; and expanding partnerships with non-university entities such as Akron hospitals.
In addition, Proenza receives a retirement package that puts him near the top of university presidents.
Last year, the industry newspaper the Chronicle of Higher Education reported that Proenza received $94,405 in retirement pay in 2007-08, the second highest of any public university president nationwide.
Proenza's contract requires the board to pay an amount equal to 25 percent of his compensation into a governmental plan and 13.3 percent into a 403(b) plan, subject to IRS compensation caps.
In 2007-08, two bonuses totaling $81,700; retirement pay; and salary, including a 5.5 percent raise for merit and to help pay health-care costs, came to $525,850.
That put him near the top of American university presidents, according to the Chronicle, as only 59 made more than $500,000 last year.
The president also receives a house provided by the university, a car, 22 days of vacation a year plus an additional month off at his discretion between May and the start of school in the fall.
For the current year, Proenza's base salary is the same as last year, $355,000. Trustees may consider raises for administrators and staff later this spring. Proenza's probably would be retroactive to January, UA spokesman Ken Torisky said.
Trustees also are developing new guidelines on which to base one- and three-year performance payments, Kaufmann said. The next one on deck is a $25,000 payment in January for meeting goals for this year.
Proenza's contract runs through December 2010 with automatic, one-year extensions through 2013.
University of Akron trustees have rewarded President Luis Proenza with $85,000 in performance payments that brought his current compensation to $535,000.
Trustee President Philip Kaufmann said Proenza deserves an ''A'' for fueling enrollment and fundraising, among other achievements.
''The entire board thinks his performance is very good,'' Kaufmann said. ''Overall, he does an excellent job and a lot of great things.''
Kaufmann pointed to Proenza's leadership in increasing enrollment 11.6 percent since 2004.
''We looked at retention rates, SAT scores,'' Kaufmann said of the trustees' appraisal of Proenza's performance. ''When we looked at all the criteria and saw what's happened, you have a feeling that things are going well.''
Kaufmann said he preferred to call the awards ''performance payments'' instead of bonuses, as the latter sounds more ''willy-nilly, while these are part of the contract.''
The president's contract calls for both short- and long-term performance payments.
In January, he received $25,000 for meeting seven one-year goals for 2008 that included increasing enrollment and enhancing fundraising, especially as it relates to UA's $500 million comprehensive campaign.
The goals did not specify the number of students the university had to attract, the amount of money UA had to raise or other benchmarks.
Proenza also received a $60,000 performance payment for meeting longer-term goals for 2006-08.
They included positioning UA as a leader in higher education statewide; strengthening UA's relationship to Gov. Ted Strickland, the legislature and other constituencies; and expanding partnerships with non-university entities such as Akron hospitals.
In addition, Proenza receives a retirement package that puts him near the top of university presidents.
Last year, the industry newspaper the Chronicle of Higher Education reported that Proenza received $94,405 in retirement pay in 2007-08, the second highest of any public university president nationwide.
Proenza's contract requires the board to pay an amount equal to 25 percent of his compensation into a governmental plan and 13.3 percent into a 403(b) plan, subject to IRS compensation caps.
In 2007-08, two bonuses totaling $81,700; retirement pay; and salary, including a 5.5 percent raise for merit and to help pay health-care costs, came to $525,850.
That put him near the top of American university presidents, according to the Chronicle, as only 59 made more than $500,000 last year.
The president also receives a house provided by the university, a car, 22 days of vacation a year plus an additional month off at his discretion between May and the start of school in the fall.
For the current year, Proenza's base salary is the same as last year, $355,000. Trustees may consider raises for administrators and staff later this spring. Proenza's probably would be retroactive to January, UA spokesman Ken Torisky said.
Trustees also are developing new guidelines on which to base one- and three-year performance payments, Kaufmann said. The next one on deck is a $25,000 payment in January for meeting goals for this year.
Proenza's contract runs through December 2010 with automatic, one-year extensions through 2013.
Comments
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Akron, Oh
Posted 07:50 PM, 03/14/2009
Good for Luis Proenza. Rewarding good behavior facilitates more good behavior. More importantly, good for The University of Akron and the City of Akron and N.E. Ohio. This is a man who has his eye on the big picture as opposed to the city and the county leaders who only see UA as a "plum" for "downtown Akron". How parochial can Don and Russ be?
rootstown, oh
Posted 08:51 PM, 03/14/2009
anyone who has to pay the exorbitant tuition fees of AU must be very proud to know where all that money goes to.over half a million dollars a year to run akron u.?are you f#%king kidding me?
Cuyahoga Falls, Oh
Posted 09:16 PM, 03/14/2009
Just that much more this guy will be giving Alex Arshinkoff in donations for his futile attempt at being chairman for life. If this guy is really concerned about collage education he would accept a $1.00 a year just so our kids can gat a decent education.
akron, oh
Posted 10:17 PM, 03/14/2009
you mean to tell me that he can't live on $450,000.00 a year? can't he reject the offer amd give it back for some scholarship funds? If ANY and ALL higher up's at colleges, and company's would give up the bounus and pay raises, then maybe they could save a few jobs and LEARN to live like the blue collar worker who made your company.
Stow, Oh
Posted 10:38 PM, 03/14/2009
If a student commutes to the university, he or she will pay less for a year's tuition than it costs to attend Walsh Jesuit High School.
My Heart Is In K-Town, .
Posted 10:54 PM, 03/14/2009
This guy is the best thing that has ever to happened to the City of Akron and deserves every penny. His vision, leadership and determination has turned the University around...big time.
rootstown, oh
Posted 10:05 PM, 03/15/2009
his job is president of akron u.,not the PRESIDENT of the U.S.
akron, oh
Posted 03:26 AM, 03/16/2009
Funny that people complain about his pay when this man is responsible for the smooth operation of a major university? Where is the outrage about how much Brookhart is getting paid to run a mediocre football program? Last I checked it was pretty close to Proenza's pay.
Posted 07:57 PM, 03/16/2009
Whether Mr Proenza does a good job or not, his salary level is out of line--WAY out of line--for a mid-sized (or less) state university. State universities have long been allowed to run in Ohio with almost no oversight or accountability to the taxpayer.
akron, oh
Posted 02:17 PM, 04/29/2009
"The decision to hold salaries level for faculty, staff and contract professionals stems from the tough economy. Dr. F. John Case, vice president of finance and administration, said the administration is working to close a projected budget deficit of $5 million to $10 million for the next fiscal year, which will begin July 1. The budget is complicated by several factors:"
That from the UA digest today. So, no one gets raises but Proenza? What a crock. What an example of leadership. If times are so tough, taking a raise but slapping your employees is hypocritical.
