“President Luis Proenza personally gave back to the University of Akron last week. After an oversight last week, Proenza received a $54,000 retention bonus. The bonus was allocated in his contract in 2001 and was designated for 2007. Due to a mistake by the board of trustees, the bonus was paid prematurely.”
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President Luis Proenza personally gave back to the University of Akron last week.

After an oversight last week, Proenza received a $54,000 retention bonus.

The bonus was allocated in his contract in 2001 and was designated for 2007.

Due to a mistake by the board of trustees, the bonus was paid prematurely. It was meant for December 2007.

It was an honest human error, UA spokesperson Paul Herold said.

Herold said when the problem was identified, the secretary of the board of trustees notified Proenza. Ted Mallo informed the president and the president said OK.

Herold said it would have been caught, and luckily it was caught before any harm was done.

He said there are a number of retention bonuses in Proenza’s contract. His original contract had several retention bonuses listed. In 2001, the contract was revised and Proenza was allotted $40,000 plus interest to be received in December 2007 if he maintained his contract requirements.

The requirements for this bonus are simple: Proenza must stay in his current position at UA until his contract ends in 2013.

He gave it back because the timing was wrong, Herold said. If he is still here in December he will get it back.

While he gave back the first bonus, he did not end up empty-handed this year. Herold said Proenza received a $25,000 bonus. The bonus was for meeting his goals set with the trustees.

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