In a busy session this morning, our Trustees lauded President Luis Proenza for his 15 years of transformational leadership.
Significant because it was Dr. Proenza's last Board meeting of his presidential tenure, the public session featured proclamations from the Ohio Senate and praise from other noteworthy elected officials. State Senators Tom Sawyer and Frank LaRose praised Dr. Proenza for his genuine commitment, enthusiasm, generosity, efficiency and competency in vital service to the community.
In his remarks, President Proenza offered advice to members of the Board.
In other business, the Trustees approved the budget for Fiscal Year 2015, the contract for incoming president Scott L. Scarborough, Ph.D., a name change for Summit College, and leadership changes impacting student success, student affairs and Title IX, among other actions.
Budget approved
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer David Cummins presented a balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2015, with a reallocation of limited resources and projections for limited growth. Commenting that the budget recommendations are the result of collaborative planning with University Council and its Budget Committee, Cummins said the development of this year's budget "has been exceptionally challenging" but is strengthening the financial outlook for the University. Highlights include:
- Efforts across campus to reduce expenses by 2.6 percent and 4.1 percent in academic and academic support units, respectively.
- A 2 percent salary increase for non-bargaining staff and contract professionals, following a year in which salaries were frozen. The 2 percent increase accounts for a $1.4 million expense in the budget.
- An increase of $1.7 million in scholarships to support recruitment efforts in an increasingly competitive environment. The total scholarship budget to support student success is $50 million.
Though the Board had previously approved a 2 percent increase in tuition and fees, revenue from tuition and fees is still anticipated to fall this year by $3.8 million, with a projected 4 percent enrollment decline (enrollment counts are based mostly on the retention of current students).
The budget does include a 2.8 percent or $2.6 million increase in state funding from the year before (due to improved student performance and an increase in the number of UA graduates earning degrees).
More details about the $367 million budget are posted on the budget website.
Contract for incoming president
The Board approved a five-year contract providing Dr. Scarborough with an annual base salary of $450,000. Other features of the contract include:
- An incentive compensation plan (i.e., performance bonus) to be negotiated; the annual maximum bonus payout totaling $80,000.
- Merit increases to be determined by the Board annually.
- Deferred compensation contribution of $80,000 annually.
- Full undergraduate and graduate tuition and fees at any of Ohio's four-year public universities provided to his children until age 26.
- Housing in the University's Presidential residence.
- A stipend of $1,500 per month applied to the purchase or lease of a vehicle.
- Family membership in the Portage Country Club and Union Club of Cleveland and Columbus.
- Board nomination as a faculty member in the College of Business Administration as a full "Professor of Practice."
New name for Summit College
The Board of Trustees approved a name change for Summit College to reflect an updated strategic focus and revised mission statement, and to clarify the role of the college in preparing students for professional and technology-based careers.
After an extensive faculty-driven evaluation of programs and approval by Faculty Senate, the Board voted to change the name to the College of Applied Science and Technology. As part of a reorganized structure, some of the programs that were part of Summit College will be moved to other colleges for better alignment with other academic programs. For example:
- The Department of Allied Health Technology will move to the College of Health Professions;
- The Community Service Technology - Addictions program will move to the School of Social Work in the College of Health Professions; and
- The Department of Developmental Programs will be moved to a more central unit on campus, reporting to the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) for academic oversight.
The new College of Applied Science and Technology will feature four academic departments:
- Business and Information Technology;
- Public Service Technology;
- Engineering Science & Technology; and
- Associate Studies.
The new mission statement reads: "The mission of the College of Applied Science and Technology is to prepare students for professional and technology-based careers through applied degrees and partnerships with area businesses and the larger community. Its diverse, interdisciplinary, student-centered faculty promote creativity and innovation by connecting theory to practice."
For the second year in a row, the Board also determined there would be no increase in tuition and fees for students in the programs offered by the former Summit College to better align the cost structure with other associate degree programs in the region. Approximately 5,000 students were enrolled in the college last fall.
Leadership for student success, student affairs
The Board accepted the resignation of Executive Vice President for Student Success Jim Tressel effective June 19. President Proenza has appointed an executive leadership team to guide the important initiatives already underway in the divisions of student success and student affairs.
The team includes associate vice presidents John Messina, Stacey Moore and Lauri Thorpe, who will collaborate on all projects underway to enhance enrollment, retention, student success and The Akron Experience.
Reporting directly to the president and supported by Vice President for Strategic Partnerships and Chief of Staff Candace Campbell Jackson, the executive leadership team will focus during the presidential transition on developing a successful collaborative model for enhancing the undergraduate experience, and bridging curricular and co-curricular opportunities to better connect student resources with successful futures for our undergraduates.
The new executive leadership team will work through the presidential transition to lay a strong foundation for student success program growth under incoming President Scarborough.
New Title IX coordinator
The Board of Trustees has approved the appointment of Mark G. Stasitis to Title IX coordinator in an effort to further focus and strengthen the campus commitment to a timely and effective response to sexual assault and related issues. Stasitis, director of labor relations and immigration services in the Department of Talent Development and Human Resources, leads a team of several other administrators trained in Title IX compliance, including:
- Denine Rocco, deputy Title IX coordinator for students,
- Bethany Prusky, deputy Title IX coordinator for employees, and
- Mary Lu Gribschaw, deputy Title IX coordinator for athletics.
Though most people think of Title IX as a federal law addressing gender equality in athletics, the civil rights law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in all federally funded education programs and activities. Most recently, there has been extensive national attention to the application of Title IX to sexual assault and sexual harassment on college campuses. Title IX, passed in 1972, requires colleges and universities to provide equal educational opportunities for men and women in order to not discriminate on the basis of sex. Based on current interpretations of the law, sexual violence, sexual misconduct or sexual harassment can interfere with equal educational opportunities. Under Title IX, individuals can file complaints with the Department of Education, which is charged with ensuring that colleges and universities comply with the law.
As Title IX coordinator, Stasitis' core responsibilities include overseeing the University's response to Title IX complaints and identifying and guiding the University's response to any patterns or systematic problems stemming from those complaints. Stasitis and the Title IX team worked closely with University lawyers, police, and administrators to enhance campus access to and understanding of Title IX issues through a dedicated website.
The University has contracted with Law Room Campus Clarity to design a mandatory online orientation program titled Think About It, which is designed to increase awareness and empower students by educating them in bystander intervention and sexual violence prevention training.
Former Title IX coordinator Becky Hoover, Ph.D., associate provost for talent development, will provide educational and training resources through UA's Institute for Teaching and Learning to support the Title IX team, Women's Studies, the Multicultural Center/Women's Resource Center and others. The University of Akron is committed to meeting its Title IX requirements, including ending campus sexual violence and eliminating hostile environments, ensuring a safe campus experience for students, faculty and staff.
Professorship for Puskas
The Board named Judit E. Puskas, Ph.D., the Joseph M. Gingo Professor of Chemical Engineering, recognizing a stellar career that has led to significant and productive research in the field of polymers and biomaterials.
Dr. Puskas came to UA in 2004, after several years in academia and industry, having worked at the University of Western Ontario and Bayer, Inc.
She has supervised dozens of graduate students to their degrees and has inspired undergraduate students interested in research.
Dr. Puskas holds more than 30 patents and patent applications to date, and has published more than 130 peer-reviewed journal articles, 15 book chapters, and about 200 conference papers and technical reports, and has presented in the US, Canada, Europe and Asia.
She is a co-inventor of the polymer on the Taxus coronary stent, implanted into more than 6 million people.
The professorship is named after Joseph M. Gingo, who was an accomplished researcher and executive with the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. for many years.
Athletics honored
The meeting opened with the Board noting the extraordinary results produced by the Department of Athletics and our student athletes -- most especially the women's basketball team, which finished the year with a 23-10 record and a program-first conference championship. Speaking at the meeting on behalf of her team and coaches, head coach Jodi Kest said it was "a year I'll never forget," adding "we have built a winning culture."
Media contact: Eileen Korey, 330-972-8589 or korey@uakron.edu