Editing University of Akron (section)

==History==
[[File:JohnBuchtel.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[John R. Buchtel]], in front of Buchtel Hall]]

===Buchtel College===
In 1867, at the annual convention of the [[Universalist Church of America|Universalist Church]] of the state of Ohio, the Committee on Education expressed an interest in founding a college compatible with Universalist religious principles.  It was announced that the location would be given to those who could find an appropriate location and also supply $60,000 for the college. [[John R. Buchtel]], a prominent Akron businessman and Universalist, promptly contributed $25,000 to the endowment fund and $6,000 to the building fund. This led other Akronites to donate, setting the goal and securing Akron as the location for Buchtel College, named after its greatest supporter. John R. Buchtel   continued to be the college's most significant contributor, giving $500,000 over his lifetime, approximately equivalent to $16 million today.  When the university opened in 1872 it was a single-building campus, housed in what is now known as "Old Buchtel." [[George W. Crouse|George Washington Crouse]] donated $10,000 of the $20,000 needed to build a new gymnasium, completed in 1888.  It was named Crouse Gymnasium in his honor, and was known as "the finest gym west of the Alleghenies."<ref>[http://www.ohio.com/lifestyle/40059517.html Old Crouse gym served Akron campus] Ohio.com Retrieved September 12, 2010</ref>

Tragedy struck the small college on December 20, 1899, when Old Buchtel burned to the ground. Insurance only covered $65,000 of the estimated $100,000 in loss. While new campus buildings were being constructed, the Crouse Gymnasium was divided into seven classrooms and served as the college until a new Buchtel Hall was opened in 1901. The new Buchtel Hall, which itself was gutted by fire in 1971, survives to this day but had some blackening on the exterior up until a 2011 restoration.

===20th century===
In 1907, the college shed its Universalist affiliation and became a non-denominational institution, in order to be able to receive funds from the [[Carnegie Corporation of New York|Carnegie Foundation]], which would not give funds to religiously affiliated schools.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} In 1913, Buchtel College trustees transferred the institution and its assets to the city of [[Akron, Ohio|Akron]], and Buchtel College became the Municipal University of Akron. At this time, the enrollment was 198 students. Tax money levied for the school and Akron's growing population led to strong growth for the university.  Over the next several decades the university continued to add new buildings to accommodate its growing student population, acquiring more land through purchases and donations. In 1963, Governor [[Jim Rhodes]] approved the university as a state-assisted institution.  Enrollment in 1964 was 10,000 students. In 1967, it fully became a state university, providing its current name as The University of Akron.  In 2015, 25,117 students were enrolled at the University of Akron.

===Construction, dropping enrollment, and lay-offs===
[[File:Uakron student union.jpg|right|thumb|University of Akron's student union at night]]
During the tenure (1999-2014) of its 15th president, [[Luis M. Proenza]], the University of Akron underwent a $627 million construction project, called "A New Landscape for Learning."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uakron.edu/about_ua/history/campus_then_and_now.dot|title=Campus Then and Now : The University of Akron|work=uakron.edu}}</ref> A new football stadium, [[InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field]], was also constructed on campus. The new stadium opened for its first game on September 12, 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gozips.com/sports/2017/5/25/athletics-facilities-InfoCision.aspx|title=Athletics Facilities - InfoCision Stadium|website=University of Akron Athletics}}</ref> The stadium replaced the [[Rubber Bowl]], which is {{Convert|3|mi}} from campus and was built in 1940.

The university purchased the [[Quaker Square|Quaker Square Crowne Plaza Hotel]] and shopping complex and uses it as a residence hall space. The university did a land-swap with the city of Akron so that the city may find a new downtown hotel. This means the University of Akron campus is made up of 82 buildings on {{convert|222|acre|km2}} near downtown Akron with a total property value of $1.84 billion.<ref name="dotquickfacts">[http://www.uakron.edu/about_ua/quick_facts.dot Quick Facts: "Brief History of the University"] Retrieved September 22, 2010</ref><ref>[http://www.uakron.edu/ir/QuickFacts.php "Quick Facts" - uakron.edu] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070602031136/http://www.uakron.edu/ir/QuickFacts.php |date=June 2, 2007 }} Retrieved September 22, 2010</ref>

In 2015, the university eliminated over 200 positions as the result of a $6 million budget deficit. Subsequently, in May 2016, Moody's Investors Service, downrated the university's bonds from stable to negative, because of low enrollment and high debts and pension burdens.<ref>Fernanda Zamudio-Suaréz, "U. of Akron's Financial Outlook Is Downgraded to 'Negative' by Moody's" ''Chronicle of Higher Education'' May 11, 2015, [http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/u-of-akrons-financial-outlook-is-downgraded-to-negative-by-moodys/111261] accessed June 28, 2016</ref> Moody's upgraded the university's outlook to stable in 2018, citing improved enrollment, rising donations and steps to reduce expenses.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2018/03/university_of_akrons_financial_1.html|title=University of Akron's financial outlook upgraded to 'stable' by Moody's|first=Karen|last=Farkas|date=March 20, 2018|website=cleveland.com|access-date=May 18, 2019}}</ref> Still, between 2011 and 2020 the university's enrollment went down almost 40 percent,<ref name=myskow>{{cite journal |url=https://www.chronicle.com/article/an-assassination-of-our-careers?cid=gen_sign_in |title= 'An Assassination of Our Careers': How faculty layoffs have forever changed the University of Akron |first=Wyatt |last=Myskow |date=August 9, 2022 |journal=[[Chronicle of Higher Education]] |accessdate=August 10, 2022}}</ref> from 25,190 in 2011 to 15,385 in 2020.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uakron.edu/ir/docs/Fall%202020%20Enroll%20Profile.pdf |title=Enrollment Summary Fall Semester 2020 |publisher=The University of Akron |date=Fall 2020 |page=2 |accessdate=August 10, 2022}}</ref>

On October 1, 2019, Gary Miller became Akron's 18th president; formerly the chancellor of [[University of Wisconsin–Green Bay]], he was given a five-year contract with a base salary of $475,000, with an annual $25,000 in a deferred compensation plan, monthly stipends of $3,500 and $750 for housing and a car, and $36,000 for moving expenses.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cleveland.com/education/2019/08/university-of-akron-president-elect-gary-millers-base-salary-will-be-475000.html |title=University of Akron President-elect Gary Miller's base salary will be $475,000 |newspaper=[[The_Plain_Dealer#Cleveland.com|Cleveland.com]] |date=August 16, 2019 |first=Robin |last=Goist |accessdate=August 10, 2022 }}</ref> In May 2020, president Miller announced that the university will consolidate its eleven academic colleges into five due to budget issues resulting from the [[COVID-19 pandemic]];<ref>{{cite news |last1=Goist |first1=Robin |title=University of Akron to eliminate six of 11 colleges as part of cost-saving measures due to coronavirus pandemic |url=https://www.cleveland.com/education/2020/05/university-of-akron-to-eliminate-six-of-11-colleges-as-part-of-cost-saving-measures-due-to-coronavirus-pandemic.html |access-date=May 12, 2020 |publisher=cleveland.com |date=May 4, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> the cut is meant to reduce administrative costs, and "the plan does not cut or change any degree program offerings."<ref name="Trustee approve consolidation">{{cite web |last1=Goist |first1=Robin |title=University of Akron trustees approve plan to consolidate colleges to cut costs due to coronavirus pandemic |url=https://www.cleveland.com/education/2020/05/university-of-akron-trustees-approve-plan-to-eliminate-six-colleges-to-cut-costs-due-to-coronavirus-pandemic.html |website=Cleveland.com |date=May 29, 2020 |access-date=June 16, 2020}}</ref> The "redesign", as Miller called it, was termed a "bloodbath" by the faculty union president, and would eliminate "97 full-time professors out of about 570"; the union commented that "names were selected regardless of rank or tenure status".<ref name=flaherty>{{cite news |url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/07/16/budget-bloodbath-university-akron |newspaper=[[Inside Higher Education]] |accessdate=August 10, 2022 |title=Budget 'Bloodbath' at University of Akron: Governing board votes to eliminate 97 full-time faculty positions |first=Colleen |last=Flaherty |date=July 16, 2020}}</ref> One study suggested that "women and professors of color were laid off at a disproportionate rate".<ref name=myskow/> After earlier layoffs and faculty taking early retirement, that added up to a loss of almost a quarter of the university's faculty since the start of the pandemic.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.chronicle.com/article/with-latest-layoffs-u-of-akron-has-lost-almost-a-quarter-of-its-faculty-since-pandemic-began |journal=[[Chronicle of Higher Education]] |accessdate=August 10, 2022 | title=With Latest Layoffs, U. of Akron Has Lost Almost a Quarter of Its Faculty Since Pandemic Began |first=Danielle |last=McLean |date=July 15, 2020}}</ref>

The university's chapter of the [[American Association of University Professors]] had advocated the university also consider cuts to athletics and leave [[NCAA Division I]],<ref name=flaherty/> which had lost $215 million during that decade,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://akronaaup.org/akron-aaup-position-paper-on-athletics-spending-at-the-university-of-akron/ |title=Position Paper on Athletics Spending at The University of Akron (Executive Summary) |date=July 5, 2020 |publisher=Akron AAUP |accessdate=August 10, 2022}}</ref> but the university said it would cut only $4.4 million from athletics.<ref name=flaherty/> The ''[[Chronicle of Higher Education]]'' reported in August 2022 that thirty-six of the professors who had been fired were hired back by the university, but as adjuncts, with a similar workload and lower pay--in one case, at $18,000 a year, one-third of their former salary.<ref name=myskow/> In 2021, the Board of Trustees extended President Miller's contract, praising him for "consistent and decisive leadership". They increased the annual deferred compensation to $40,000, promised additional bonuses for 2025-2027 for a total of $107,000 if he remained on the job, and increased his housing and car stipends to $4,000 and $1,000, respectively.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2021/10/06/trustees-approve-contract-extension-bonus-university-of-akron-president-gary-miller/6021749001/ |title=University of Akron trustees approve contract extension, deferred bonus for President Gary L. Miller |first=Jennifer |last=Pignolet |newspaper=[[Akron Beacon Journal]] |date=October 6, 2021 |accessdate=August 10, 2022}}</ref>

===Relationship with tire and rubber industry===
The tire and rubber industry and the University of Akron have an overlapping history. Historically, several rubber corporations, such as [[Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company|Goodyear]], [[Firestone Tire and Rubber Company|Firestone]], [[General Tire and Rubber Company]], and [[Goodrich Corporation|Goodrich]], had their headquarters in Akron. In 1909, the world's first courses in rubber chemistry were offered at the university. The university is also credited with featuring the first College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering in the world, which was founded in 1988.{{cn|date=August 2022}}