I have to say that Proenza has been very effective in implementing his strategy.

Two things Carol.

Akron U was once rated the top engineerin' college in the world, which declined in status after Akron U became a state college.

And I wasn't aware that the sale of that house went through.

Hey BJ, I can smell the BS from this article even here.

You forgot to mention what % of incoming freshmen will be enrolled in 'developmental' English and math.

That means freshman who need to take HIGH SCHOOL level academics over again.

@just an observer, people in development programs are not Proenza's fault. They are required by the state to accept many that other schools will not. Besides when is helping those that need help bad. Get over yourself.

No question that Dr. P. has been a catylist of positive change that reaches beyond Akron's boundaries. Good luck with making the next 10 years as successful!

Proenza is one of the the best in the country. You can look at some of the things he did wrong and complain. But you can't argue the fact that he has turned the entire Akron community around for the better, and is still doing more. Without Proenza, the University and Akron itself would be non-exsistent.

the repulican board of trustees of akron u made a wise choice in proenza 's appointment .
wasn't arshinkoff chairman of the akron u board then ?
you will never read that in the akron beacon journal because arshinkoff has never done anything to help the akron area or our state we all know that to be true- because the akron beacon journal tell us that regularly .
only the democrats get credit from the akron beacon journal like mayor don and russ pry. they have made akron heaven on earth. becuase the beacon tell us so .

What does Proenza make a year ?????

working joe are you serious?

This article is about Dr. Proenza, not political parties or your so called appointment by Alex. Many people were involved in bringing Proenza on campus 10 years ago, not just the Board of Trustee's.

It's important to note that this plan was set in motion before Proenza got here, but I don't think it would have been what it is today without Proenza.


P

DR P did a lot of pocket re shaping too for him self and his buddies..

"DR P did a lot of pocket re shaping too for him self and his buddies.."

And, more power to him!

@Betamax - Your comments won't hold any credibility until you use the true name of the institution.

I surely do feel very sorry for all the foolish Akronites who buy into Proenza's propaganda. Contrary to what Proenza would have you believe, Hilltop High persists in being viewed as a weak academic institution.

To wit, look at the low-quality students it brings in:

Percent of applicants accepted:
Akron: 81%

Percent of freshmen in top 10% of high school
class:
Akron: 12%

Percent of freshmen in top quarter of high school
class:
Akron: 30%

Percent of freshmen in BOTTOM half of frehsmen
class:
Akron: 43%

Middle 50% of ACT scores:
Akron: 18-23

Percent of freshmen scoring a 30 on the ACT
Composite:
Akron: 2%


Please note: these stats were provided by the university, and they are NOTHING about which to be proud.

Hey, great point carolina, but you don't understand UA's part in the Ohio University system.

Akron and Toledo are supposed to take on first generation/unprepared minority college students in an effort to help bridge the education gap. Stupid? Yes. A fact? Indeed.

This idea wasn't implemented by Proenza(although he does endorse it), but by Eric Fingerhut and all the bozos in Cowlumbus. Of course it would make more sense to send the less prepared kids to community colleges first. That way, they waste less of their parents money and our(the taxpayers) money in the form of grants and loans. I guess that gives you a good idea why it costs more for an Ohio resident to go to a public school in Ohio than it would for them to attend a public school in NC or CA.

Regardless, UA is highly regarded in research and the sciences, and still attracts some of the best students in the country.

I got a 32 on the ACT and graduated with almost a 4.0 GPA in high school. I was accepted to Miami(OH), Toledo, and OSU. I chose Akron for a few reasons, but mostly because I felt at home on their campus. I know many other kids who chose Akron over other schools. Reading some of the ridiculous comments on this site makes me laugh until I cry. I'm not from Akron, but don't you guys realize that UA is single handedly keeping your city alive? Do you really think Goodyear would've stayed if it didn't have the second best college of polymer science and engineering in it's own backyard?

I'm wasting my time with you fools. I cant wait to get my degree and work in YOUR city. Yes that's right, theres work here. Believe it or not, if you actually go to school you wont be stuck in the unemployment line. Ohio's economy is shifting. There's no time for deadbeat auto line workers anymore.

Beta,

It is the University of Akron or (U of A). Not Akron U.

Second, can you please point me to a place where I can verify your assertion that the University of Akron was once ranked as the top engineering college in the world? I have never heard that claim made before.

Thanks!

it saddens me to always read ab bunch of negative post about anything positive going on in Akron.
Its like locals want Akron and Northeast Ohio to remain trash and part of the rust belt. my god. i view another forum of people bashing Lebron James and now UA. Other then the hospitals what does Akron have to offer?
Thank god I am moving out of state soon. I refuse to live in a city being around a bunch of low life negative people who hate on any and everything and don't want change to their city. The University of Akron which i have a degree from is the best thing going for this city. Support them

Exactly andre. I'm sorry you have to move. I don't blame you. Sometimes it isn't the lack of jobs, but the lack of hope! Some of these people are incredible.

GO UA! Sellout expected at the opening game at the INFO! Better get your tix now!

@UAEngineering, as an Akron lifer and a grad, let me say how refreshing it is to know that you, and others like you, are out there. Thank you.

The statistics printed in the paper edition don't show me Proenza has been an asset to UA. The number of students over ten years in up only 10%, 2,000 out of 20,000, but the number who have applied is up 99%. The number of staff is approximately the same as is the operating budget but tuition is up 64%. We are told a college degree is the key to our youth's future but Proenza certainly does not appear to have focused his efforts on education. This does not surprise me because higher education is a mirage which the elite hide behide and use state colleges and universities to funnel money into their own coffers. So much of Proenza's building program does little to benefit the students.

UA Engineering Grad 1976

We're a select group, Minna Wade. people like you and I aren't common in Akron, but I get the feeling our numbers are growing. Who are we? The realists of Akron, lol. In a sea of Beacon journal pessimists we're slowly finding a niche.

carolinakron = typical anti-education Akron loser and hick. There are too many of your ilk in Akron carolinakron. Get the %ell out!

"This does not surprise me because higher education is a mirage which the elite hide behide and use state colleges and universities to funnel money into their own coffers."
So is it Proenza or the upper classes secret motives to keep us common folk down?

@ bilbo

Haha yes, they hates Akron so they move where?? Carolina!

@Medina Reader, have you looked at the other schools in the state and the tuition increases. It will put your numbers in perspective and show it has no bearing on Proenza.

@Gain some more reality

You're right. Our tuition isn't even that bad when compared to other Ohio public schools. And as far as Proenza's effect is concerned...Take a look at BG. They're publicly funded but have been cutting back on staff for over a year or two now. They even mentioned dropping football and have cut off certain doctoral departments. They also had a decrease in enrollment this past fall. Meanwhile UA has record increases.

You can nit pick certain things, of course. I'm sure there's things he could've done better, but then what are you really asking for? Perfection?

Judging from the situations at other nearby universities(especially private) I'm not at all worried about Proenza's leadership ability. I just fear the day he leaves for greener pastures. We all need this guys vision(or whomever he's getting his ideas from).

@Medina Reader, have you looked at the other schools in the state and the tuition increases. It will put your numbers in perspective and show it has no bearing on Proenza.

All I am saying is if you look at the numbers, specifically the annual operating budget hasn't changed much in ten years but tuition has skyrocketed and there is a fee for everything. Something doesn't add up.

@Medina Reader, if you look at the numbers the state contribution to education has been decreasing for some time. Research grants have also reduced for all universities the last few years. The shortfalls need to be made up somewhere.

akron u is a joke.exorbitant tuition fees,unsafe campus,and no parking.and those are the good points.

Dr.Proenza started off well enough,but has strayed with the common mistake of "more is better", and "Athletics sells".
A good education doesn't include millions for the jocks and alumni. Your new stadium just won't attract and maintain good academics. If for no other reason, than there are established schools already doing that!
Go back to providing good academics, good instructors, and campus good for the student.
Signed- a graduated alumni of Stark State, U of A, and Kent State.

@UniontownOne, you would have a point except the funding for the new stadium comes from external sources.

The fact is when you are trying to attract students every advantage you have over another schools sells.

All I want to know is when is Akron U/UofA going to build a skywalk across exchange. Its just common sense.

Wow you people are dumb.

Bilbo: With all due respect to you sir/madam, please understand that The University of Akron was nicknamed Akron U. a long time ago and some of us still call it Akron U. Would you prefer us to never use local color in our blogs?

Toxic nut sounds like a broken record. I can't imagine his thought process while reading these posts. If I could it would probably be something like this:

"Hm, wow, good points. These people sound like they're making rational and objective statements. Perhaps I should attempt to stop being such an ignorant fool. Eh, no. Being a stubborn imbecile is much more rewarding."

It's cute, really.

Mr. Roy Kass, why do they need a skywalk? Where would it lead? Only a small percentage of students cross Exchange. If they cannot cross safely like all the other pedestrians, maybe it is natural selection in action.

I did hear years ago it was proposed, but the cost was ridiculous for the usage it would see and the city also had concerns about it.

@stleo, this is not a blog.

@Gain some more reality

I agree, it would be idiotic to put a skywalk across exchange. But there are about 10,000 kids living either in dorms or in the surrounding UA area. Most of those kids live East or South of Exchange(or on campus in the dorms). Personally, I crossed exchange everyday coming to and from gallucci hall.

Just to give you an idea, when the annual sumner fest is thrown on sumner st, theres at least 3000 students(from UA and other Ohio universities)who congregate and get wasted. To say theres no students south of campus is stretching it.


It's funny, because most of the people in Akron see UA as a commuter school. But where I'm from people think of it as a residential campus. It's all a matter of perspective I guess. While the percentage of students who actually live on campus or nearby is small, you still have a ton of kids. 10,000 is larger than many whole private(and some public) schools.

@UAEngineering, I lived in Gallucci Hall when in school so I am very aware of the situation. No where did I say that "theres no students south of campus". If you read what I said ("small percentage of students cross Exchange"), it still stands as accurate.

Living near campus does not equal directly to walking across campus. I would even challenge that almost 40% of the student body lives in the UA area.

all the kent st(h)aters are out. The UofA is awesome and continues to be the best thing about this city. GO ZIPS

To Gain some more reality: "Funding [for the stadium] comes from external sources".
Nice try. As a teacher, I'm quite aware of what the lottery money influx did for education.(hint, schools were NOT helped). "External sources most often amount to cost-shifting. The results are that academics do NOT benefit from a stadium.. The school is not a better preparation for a job, just a more expensive one (with a bigger scoreboard).
Akron U., is losing its focus (see General Motors for details).

@ uniontownOne:

The exact second that you can get proof that any of what you say is true, I will believe you.

Until then, join the rest of the trolls on the ABJ pages who just look for something to moan about.

Practicing the same techniques as the banks have done, cost shifts are hidden in non disclosures. The argument usually goes something like this:"This money was never going to the students and general fund for providing a good education... it came from " alumni [who will only give to sports?]... parking fees... naming rights, Oh, get the drift. Ohio dropped their general fund commitment to education to a lower level, when the lottery provided moneys... so, the state defeated the said purpose of the lottery, it kept school funding nearly level, with its introduction. Schools dealt with poorer parents, as they wasted their money on lottery tickets.
The rich gathered up the excess with business deals. Education: we have stalled, in the same place, at best.

Uniontown -- as a teacher I am sure you understand the importance of doing your homework. Try that before you make claims and assumptions in error. "External" in this case truly means external. Private contributions from industry and wealthy alum earmarked for the stadium is what made Infocision Stadium - Summa Field possible. Get over the lottery funding -- I can certainly agree that has never played out to its promise, but if you don't think providing attractions such as an on-campus stadium does not aid in the long-term success of student recruitment and retention...you are sorely mistaken. Even if you are not a sports fan...athletics are a huge part of the identity of a university. Grant it UA will never have a football program like Ohio State, where 75 million dollars is netted each year. It can however move towards being a much more high profile program in the next decade which brings with it more outside support from partners and exposure to prospective students. It is not a conincidence that UA's greatest enrollment increase over the past decade coincided with the MAC football championship season/"Fear the Roo" campaign. Students have openly commented that was something that made them "aware" of UA. Also, I doubt you could walk down a street in Manhattan 10 years ago with a University of Akron shirt on and expect to hear someone yell out "Fear the Roo" or go to Yankee Stadium and have someone shout "Go Zips" in response to the same shirt -- I experienced both in one day last summer. Even if an athletic program loses money directly...indirectly it can have a huge impact on the overall perception, exposure and ultimately health of a school and all of its programs...academic and not. Broaden your perspective...the benefits go beyond the field and stadium being built and those athletes that play there.

@UniontownOne, so your proof about the stadium is a non-related issue of lottery funding for public schools? It is a shame you are a teacher if this is the reasoning process you are teaching our children.

The fact is the lottery has pumped more than $16 billion into public Ohio Schools.

Academics do benefit from the stadium. Better students that find athletics critical (as either a participant or spectator) now have another reason to pick Akron. A better stadium means more butts in the seats and more money flowing directly to the athletic budget, so it does not pull from other budgets of UA. And finally, there is plenty of evidence showing college students want and need a well rounded experience which includes social activities, relationship buildings, other community activities that athletics offer.

And the stadium is not funded by "cost shifting". Have you ignored all the PR about the new stadium as it clearly documents the external funds paying for the stadium.

UAEngineering.....go get 'em! There are WAY too many *chat forum* lawyers in here. Everybody has an opinion......and EVERYBODY is right..........or so they think. I'm glad there is a voice of reason who stops by now and then to straighten them out:)

@Akronguy1975: My homework? yeah, I took political science & some economics- "spirit" when merchadising a mascot doesn't boost the enrollment, That spirit (which is just fine with me) doesn't get someone a better education!

Big enrollment increases were expected, as the birthrate was in a bubble, there were more students applying!
Naming rights to a field?
Summa wants to advertise... Gee, if they would have ONLY been able to endow a couple of chairs in biomedical research (Not as flashy).
Sports, almost ALWAYS, cost a college more than they benefit. Keep those good players in easy classes, give away the money I spent, so they get to go free... and do what, get more educated? No, more notoriety as athletic stars.
The external sources have their prid pro quo. They are in business.
Akron has a lot of diversions "in the fire" to attract new students- comfort, convenience, entertainment for sports- but a better education and an affordable is a low priority.

@UniontownOne

"Big enrollment increases were expected, as the birthrate was in a bubble, there were more students applying!"

That's silly. If you read my earlier post you would note that Bowling Green had a 2 percent DROP in students this past fall.

The bottom line is this: you're still failing to listen to Akronguy and GSMR. You need to broaden your perspective a bit. You do realize that even OSU bleeds money from their football program every year(more so than Akron and other MAC schools). So then why don't they drop football? Could it be that there is other ways the sport benefits the university?

You aren't going to convince anyone here that the University isn't taking steps in the right direction. Maybe you haven't been to campus lately, or maybe you weren't there 15 years ago when it was segmented by downtown streets. UA isn't just progressing, it's morphing into something bigger, better, and stronger. If you can't see that, or refuse to accept it, then I suppose there's just no hope for you.

@ 4EverRowdy

I try my hardest. I have to admit though, the comments on this story aren't nearly as bad as other ones on this site. They've usually twisted it into something negative by the third comment.

@UniontownOne, if a statement like "Big enrollment increases were expected, as the birthrate was in a bubble, there were more students applying!" were true every university would see such increases.

You do not do "your homework" and draw conclusions not based in facts

Proenza makes me feel like what a greedy creep he takes from the students lives like a king.why do those guys make so much. free house free food freeeverything. the students should protest. unhappy Tom Nuzzo

Uniontown - If sports did not have a positive impact overall for univesities, why would EVERY university president emphasize the importance? Why would schools bother to support programs or pay coaches huge contracts? In the end, the benefits outweigh the costs -- isn't that why anyone does anything? I am an alum and an employee of UA. I can tell you first hand athletics do contribute to the overall stability, support and growth of this and most, if not all,campuses. Ultimately, whether you like it or not, monies from outside sources that go to areas other than athletics are often influenced by athletics. Do you think Ohio State does not use Buckeye football and suites in Ohio Stadium as a tool to impress donors? Do you think that Science and Engineering has never used a suite at Ohio Stadium to host an individual or a group that later donated millions to research? Athletics are a tool that when leveraged, even at Akron, help schools with benefits that are far-reaching. Oh and here is something to think about. OSU's football program is entirely self-supporting. The only revenue sports at OSU are football and men's basketball, which support all other programs...and additionally put money back into academic programs. Just last year Tressel donated 5 million dollars from the football-generated monies to OSU libraries. Is Akron there yet? Will it ever reach that level of revenue generation? The answer to both questions is "No", but this university is making strides today that will eventually allow them to be similar on a smaller scale. It is called an investment. So far the investments that this university has made over the last 10 years have been good ones. In regards to your ridiculous assumption on the "birthrate bubble". Explain to me why UA is the ONLY school that can claim an increase in enrollment each of the past 6 years? I find it hard to believe children were only being born here locally.

In regards to above, only state school in Ohio with that consistent of an enrollment increase.