Speeches & Statements

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• Relevance, Connectivity and Productivity: New Strategies for Success in Higher Education 11/08/2009

  Remarks Abstract:

  "Seismic rumbles of change" are transforming traditional paradigms for research and higher education-to say nothing about the relationships between academia, industry, government and the public. The sources of cataclysmic pressure are many, including competition among universities, shifting demographics and their accompanying shifts in priorities, resource constraints, public/government scrutiny of productivity and accountability in universities, the evolution of a global economy and the innovation ecosystem, and, most recently, the worldwide economic downturn. Like many industries, higher education is on the threshold of major, complex changes that must be directed to optimal outcomes. The University of Akron is innovating through a continuous process that seeks to enhance its relevance, connectivity and productivity.

  Relevance:  Institutions of higher education generally are place-based, and this means that the competitive and comparative advantages of universities are inextricably linked to the vitality and sustainability of their surrounding communities. Thus, universities must act to optimize their impact upon the regions in which they reside, and would be wise to extend their efforts collaboratively into like regions internationally. The complexities of the 21^st Century knowledge and conceptual economy require that every academic discipline be collaboratively engaged with the relevant questions of the day in concert with other disciplines and partners on and off campus. In other words, relevance requires the integrated application of all disciplinary knowledge for the public good.

  Connectivity:  Connectivity is an extension of relevance and refers to engagement with others by universities in the myriad forms represented by partnerships and collaboration that are not limited by institutional, sector, geographic or disciplinary boundaries. In other words, connectivity means relevant engagement among some combinations of other academic institutions, government, business and industry. This becomes essential as governments become a smaller and smaller financial partner, requiring universities increasingly to generate their own financial revenue opportunities.

  Productivity:  Finally, higher education must move from measuring "excellence" by exclusion and expense to a set of productivity-based metrics that reflect outcomes and achievements in solving "real-world" problems and in enabling student success.

  Universities now are being called upon to explore opportunities that will create innovative educational processes and campus cultures congruent with new realities. This will require a close and deep collaboration between universities and other public- and private- sector organizations, along with a willingness to experiment with new models and new alliances. As we increasingly work with partners accustomed to aggressive delivery schedules and product mixes that rapidly change according to market demands, the core of academic processes will be challenged, and adaptability must become integrated into institutional culture.

   

  
  Filed in: Speeches


• Revisioning the University 10/28/2009

  As part of his 10^th State of the University address, University of Akron President Luis M. Proenza promised to send this letter to the university community to ask that faculty, staff and students to "engage in timely and necessary conversations to bring... about (a mission- and vision-based university organizational structure). He said, "I am sure many lively and constructive ideas will be brought forward, but we must approach this with a sense of urgency because, as I have said before, doing business as usual is not an option."

   

  
  Filed in: Statements to the Community


• 2009 State of the University Address 10/27/2009

  University of Akron President Luis M. Proenza underscored the successes of the past year and set in motion the process of steering the university toward the future during his 10^th State of the University Address.  As promised during his 2008 address, Proenza provided a progress report on the formal 10-year strategic plan, which he said "will chart the course to our new destination." As he outlined these plans, Proenza encouraged the audience to think about the origin of the name "Akron," derived from the Greek "akros," meaning "high place," in setting and achieving those goals.

  Proenza outlined five strategic goals that will guide the university through the next 10 years and beyond:

  1. Strengthen Akron's historical commitment to inclusive excellence to enhance student access, transformation and success.
  2. Create vibrant, healthy, and diverse campuses that are deeply engaged with their surrounding communities.
  3. Establish selected cross-disciplinary clusters of academic distinction that are recognized nationally and internationally.
  4. Achieve national recognition for a curriculum in which entrepreneurship and 21st century global competitiveness skills are comprehensively embedded.
  5. Be a primary driver of economic competitiveness in northern Ohio and a leading contributor in the state.

  Proenza also said that, in addition to budget challenges, an increasingly competitive environment for higher education and universities can't continue to operate with an educational model that is more than 200-years-old. He said he believes that the university must try even harder to be to bring down academic silo walls and build connections--emphasizing UA's relevance, connectivity and productivity.

   

  
  Filed in: Speeches Statements to the Community


• Five Myths of Entrepreneurship (morning commencement address) 08/15/2009
  Filed in: Commencement Addresses


• Challenging Fear (afternoon commencement address) 08/15/2009
  Filed in: Commencement Addresses


• Universities and Their Regions: The Akron Model 06/03/2009
  Filed in: Speeches


• Quarterly Letter to the Community 05/19/2009
  Filed in: Statements to the Community


• Connecting the Dots (May 2009 Commencement Address #4, Sunday) 05/10/2009
  Filed in: Commencement Addresses


• Graduation Advice (May 2009 Commencement Address #2, Saturday Morning) 05/09/2009
  Filed in: Commencement Addresses


• The Six-word Story (May 2009 Commencement Address #3, Saturday Afternoon) 05/09/2009
  Filed in: Commencement Addresses