Welcome…

…to The University of Akron, an academic community of inquisitive, powerful and ambitious goals. You will discover an energized metropolitan university that has been physically transformed. Since 2000, we have added 11 new buildings, 17 major additions, acquisitions and renovations, and 30 acres of new green space.

Our campus is completely wireless, and our use of innovative classroom technologies is matched by equally novel teaching initiatives like the Institute for Teaching and Learning, and the Early College High School. These and other efforts set the standard for student success and academic excellence. Academic excellence is only one of the reasons why The Princeton Review designated The University of Akron among the “Best in the Midwest” in its 2008 Best Colleges: Region-by-Region edition.

The University of Akron is a leader in community, industry and higher education partnerships. The University Park Alliance project (UPA), launched in 2001 has generated more than $334 million in public and private investments, grants and programs to revitalize a 40-block area surrounding our campus.

Our vision extends well beyond our own backyard. Earlier this year we opened the Medina County University Center, a higher education facility that combines the expertise of faculty from several northeast Ohio universities and colleges. This significant resource is the latest addition to a list of more than 600 collaborative projects, programs and agreements with partners throughout the region, state and nation.

Every vision needs a clear goal. For our institution, it is to forge a new gold standard for a great American university — one that creates and adds value for our students, community and nation.

Hope to see you on campus soon.
With every good wish,

Sincerely,

Dr. Luis M. Proenza

President

Visit the president's site

“What is the future? The answer must be whatever we envision it.”

~ University of Akron President, Dr. Luis Proenza

Aspire. Attain. Advance.

The Campaign for UA is all about pursuing a bold vision and being accountable. Building upon the success of the New Landscape for Learning initiative which changed the face of our campus, the New Landscape for Living initiative is changing the face of the City of Akron. This coordinated private sector investment spearheaded by the University Park Alliance is expected to approach $500 million in the neighborhoods adjacent to campus.

With the Aspire. Attain. Advance. Campaign, we recommit to our vision of shaping our future. The $500 million campaign will:

• Build the program “infrastructure” needed for academic success. We will fund (and even endow) the programs for which the University’s newly equipped and renovated buildings were created.
• Strengthen faculty—in the most competitive hiring marketplace in decades. We will secure the funds to attract, retain, and empower an intellectually vibrant faculty whose members share the Akron disposition toward an unrelenting quest for excellence and real-world relevance.
• Provide incentives for talented students to choose The University of Akron. Given the right circumstances, any individual student should expect to thrive at The University of Akron. We will secure increased funding for scholarships and grants. And we will prepare to respond to the complexities faced by working students, those with families, and others who don’t fit the assumptions behind traditional financial aid.
• Continue making improvements to campus facilities. New facilities and renovations completed in recent years have already brought about improved efficiency and effectiveness. Funding for enhancements to research labs and tools will assist in attracting and retaining the most high-performing staff, faculty and students—and equipping them to produce results while on campus.
• Become an even more powerful engine of economic growth. Each investment in the creation of new knowledge and technology is made with the expectation that stronger people, processes, and products will emerge—all to the benefit of Northeast Ohio and beyond.

Join us in helping define our future. Make your pledge today.

New Landscape for Learning

Beginning in 1999, a $300 million investment of federal, state, and institutional funds known as the New Landscape for Learning transformed the University’s grounds into a park-like, pedestrian-friendly campus featuring 10 new buildings, 15 major additions and renovations, 30 acres of new green space, and thousands of trees. The campus is totally wireless, and includes amenities that today’s student expect of any modern university, such as a state-of-the art recreation and wellness center and a 198,000 sq. ft. student union. Alumni stopping by campus from their nearby homes and workplaces tell us: “Thank you for restoring our pride in our university.”

Our students can choose from more than 200 undergraduate majors and area of study. Whether your dreams involve the stage, studio, classroom, laboratory or clinical setting, we'll provide the experiences and education to help make them a reality. Here, you will learn how to turn your aspirations into accomplishments, and your talents into tools to change the world.