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Matthew Wilson, who was named president of the University of Akron on Wednesday, played basketball with students several times this fall. He has been very visible on campus.

(University of Akron)

AKRON, Ohio -- University of Akron trustees made Matthew Wilson the permanent president Wednesday, choosing not to immediately search nationally for a replacement to much maligned former President Scott Scarborough.

Senior vice president and provost Rex Ramsier was also given a permanent job.

Wilson will serve until June 30, 2019 and will earn $370,000 a year, the same salary he earned as interim president.

The board will decide by June 30, 2018 if it will begin a search for a new president, trustee chairman Roland Bauer said.

Ramsier will earn his current annual salary as interim provost and serve until June 30, 2018.

The appointments occurred a month after Bauer said there was no rush to appoint a permanent president "given what happened last year."

Scarborough resigned in May after a tumultuous tenure, in which his programs floundered and enrollment fell. He had come from the University of Toledo in 2014 after a national search.

The board didn't know whether it could attract outside candidates due to Scarborough's turbulent term, Bauer said in September.

The board's three-hour executive session Wednesday included comments from representatives of the university's chapter of the American Association of University Professors, Faculty Senate and University Council.

Bauer said after the executive session that Wilson has met or exceeded expectations since being appointed interim president in July. He said Wilson is expected to meet the challenges ahead, including increasing enrollment and retention.

Bauer cited Ramsier's experience as a faculty member and administrator and devotion as a UA alumnus.

"Some may ask 'Why now?'" Bauer said. "A long and expensive national search for new leaders would unnecessarily postpone this process and possibly squander the progress already made."

He said people inside and outside UA had said Wilson and Ramsier should be named to the posts.

Bauer said the faculty voiced some concerns in the executive session that trustees hoped they addressed. He did not elaborate.

What has Wilson done since his appointment?

Wilson, who arrived at UA in 2014 as dean of the law school, was appointed interim president for a term of 18 months.

Wilson has actively reached out and connected with students, faculty, alumni and community members, including visiting about two dozen high schools and holding more than 60 meetings with constituencies and donors, Bauer said Wednesday.

He has sought to repair relationships with fellow public college presidents, who distanced themselves from Scarborough after he said in a speech that UA would grow in stature and other four-year public institutions may not exist in the future.

Wilson has worked to increase enrollment and maintain a sustainable budget.

Fundraising is also a priority. Wilson has planned donor visits to New York, Nevada, California and Arizona this month.

The university announced last week that cash and pledges increased 19 percent over the last three months compared to the same time last year, and annual fund giving is up 39 percent.

Have other presidents been appointed without a search?

Former Ohio State University president E. Gordon Gee was named president of West Virginia University in March 2014, after arriving as interim president three months earlier. Gee had said he expected to stay only until the board appointed a new president.

In August, the WVU Board of Governors approved a five-year contract extension.

University of Cincinnati trustees named interim president Santa Ono president in October 2012, two months after he was appointed following the resignation of Gregory Williams. Ono was provost at the time.

Ono left in June to become president of the University of British Columbia.

Beverly Davenport, UC's provost, was appointed interim president. UC trustees formed a search committee and hope to name a new president in the spring of 2017.

Former Kent State University president Carol Cartwright was named president of Bowling Green State University in January 2009. She had been appointed to serve as interim president in the summer of 2008.

BGSU trustees suspended a presidential search to make the appointment. Cartwright retired in 2011.

Ramsier has a long history with UA

Ramsier received his undergraduate and master's degrees from UA and has taught there since 1996.

He was senior vice provost when appointed interim as senior vice president and provost beginning in December 2015 when then-provost Mike Sherman was named UA's vice president of innovation and economic development.

At that time the university said it would begin searching for a new provost in early 2016.

After Scarborough resigned, Ramsier handled the duties of the president until trustees appointed Wilson.