COD BOT Forum: Candidate Responses

• Served as a state representative in the Illinois General Assembly for 12 years.
• Minority spokesperson for the Elementary and Secondary Education Committee
• Minority spokesperson for the Elementary and Secondary Education Appropriations Committee
• Member of the Legislative Audit Commission which is responsible for the oversight of the State Audit Program, reviewing the stewardship of public funds, and the monitoring action to correct weaknesses disclosed by the audits of state agencies. The membership consists of 12 legislators appointed by the General Assembly leadership.
• Minority spokesperson of the Illinois General Assembly Joint Task Force on Community Colleges as created by House Joint Resolution 122 “for the purpose of reviewing the present community college system and making recommendations to the General Assembly whether the mechanisms that are in place will handle the expanded role and demands on the system in the future.
• The College of DuPage resides in the representative district I was elected to for 12 years and I have always been keenly aware and invested in the issues at all levels.
• Passed transparency bills in to law.
• Appointed to the DuPage County Workforce Development Board and then appointed by the governor to the State Workforce Investment Board which seeks innovative approaches blending federal, state and local investments to promote regional initiatives targeting high-growth industry sectors and training options for highly skilled workers.
• Was appointed by the General Assembly as 1 of 4 members to do a national search for an Illinois Auditor General and made the nomination on the House floor for the eventual candidate, William Holland.
• A former member and president of Glenbard Township High School District 87, the third largest in the state, and negotiated more than 10 contracts with the Glenbard Teacher’s Association, AFSCME and SEIU.
• Owner and vice-president of a restaurant management firm and Director of Public Relations.
• Resident of DuPage County for 47 years.

• Works in collaboration with the trustees for the benefit of the college, understanding that the trustees have ultimate oversight.
• Provides an intellectual atmosphere conducive to the stimulation and interchange of ideas that empowers employees and promotes harmony and teamwork
• Demonstrates good judgment in making financial decisions and adheres to organizational policies and procedures when requesting financial expenditures, and is completely transparent when presenting operational audits.
• Foresees the consequences of decisions and takes decisive action based on well documented facts.
• Displays unconditional positive regard to build trust and rapport with the community.
• Shares accurate and transparent information for the benefit of the board and the community
• Avoids managing by crisis and disagrees diplomatically; accomplishes results without creating friction; understands his/her role as a public servant.

For all other issues, I would like to gather the stakeholders, brainstorm them and then give them priority order for resolutions in the future.

I would want to make sure our dollars are being spent to meet the mission of what I think the community college should be in the 21st century. The mission of a comprehensive community college is to provide diverse learning opportunities to students in order for them to achieve their educational and career goals. Student learning and success is accomplished in an effective learning environment including transfer preparation, certificates, associate degrees, career development, technical training, continuing education for enrichment or professional development, new opportunities for career advancement and basic skill instruction to address the lifelong learning needs of the community. Dedicated to the importance of higher education in an ever changing environment, faculty and staff engages students in rigorous and innovative learning experiences that enhance and sustain the cultural, intellectual and economic vitality by providing an accessible, affordable education to a diverse population which meets the needs of their communities. Institutional success can be enhanced by integrating data to drive budgeting and decision making. It is critical to develop a transparent budgeting process based on accessibility, student success and operational excellence and implement plans to measure progress frequently.

With reduced federal and state support, tuition rising and more families struggling, The College of DuPage offers the best hope for access to a quality, affordable education. Managing financial resources wisely is essential to keeping student debt down.

We need to expand and strengthen opportunities for our students to learn and succeed. This includes increasing academic and student support to meet the growing demand through an advance assessment of academic and supportive programs and student learning. We must promote student goal completion.

A plan must be developed to retain and recruit a highly engaged and diverse workforce by increasing the number of underrepresented employee populations. We must promote economic and community development through mutually beneficial partnerships, community engagement and workforce development programs that are responsive to the communities and business needs.

Institutional success can be enhanced by integrating data to drive budgeting and decision making. The current advising system should be evaluated to make sure we are sustaining an environment to assure workforce preparedness and/or transfer to four year institutions. It is critical to develop a transparent budgeting process based on accessibility, student success and operational excellence and implement plans to measure progress frequently.

It is important to remember that, in addition to fiduciary responsibilities, trustees are to ensure the quality of education provided by the college. Therefore, it is essential to have individuals on the Board who have knowledge of higher education leadership through direct professional experience and matching degrees in Higher Education. I have that background and want to use it for the benefit of College of DuPage.

My accumulated knowledge is a solid foundation of dedication and success on which to build. To better serve the college community, I have spent the last 5 plus years expanding and growing skills related to trusteeship. Since retiring from College of DuPage, I have spent 20 to 30 hours per week on trustee tasks and personal education. With such available time, I have been able to participate in state and national trustee conferences where I have been mentored by more experienced trustees, attended educational sessions, and built relationships with educational leaders, including legislators as I lobbied on behalf of C.O.D. Also, I have logged thousands of miles and countless hours to meet with concerned tax payers. I have traveled to attend college functions so that I could connect with the people of C.O.D. and also to assess needs, functions, and quality of programs and services. With each visit I privately or publicly honor those who contribute to the excellence for which C.O.D. is known.

As evidence of my impact on the College, here are a few examples of what I have been able to contribute based on my unique C.O.D. perspectives.

• Because I believe in honoring C.O.D.’s history of excellence and innovation, Board Policy 10-106, Historical Preservation was argued, proposed and accepted to honor and recognize the people of C.O.D., their innovations and accomplishments. It was the only trustee initiated policy added to the manual during my time on the board.
• Because I believe in student voice, I was able to add a Student Section to the standard Board meeting agenda plus I suggested the concept of presentations to the board by students.
• Because I believe in transparency, I introduced an agenda item of “discussion”.
• Because I believe in serving all segments of the community, I have been advocating for the return of the Older Adult Institute to provide services to senior community members. Because of my continuing passion and pressure, I am now serving on the Life Long Learning Committee, the only trustee serving on a college committee.
• Because I have a history at C.O.D. that dates back to 1972, I am now serving on the college’s 50th Anniversary Steering Committee.

As a returning trustee, the community can use my experience for the benefit of College of DuPage’s future.

In terms of experience, I was a member of NEA/IEA while employed at C.O.D. and am presently a member of NEA/IEA Retired. In the early 80’s, I was the Chair of the Faculty Senate and Faculty Association then continued in other leadership roles on behalf of the faculty and the college as a whole. For example, I served on two faculty contract negotiation teams. Following my service on those intense committees, I continued my support of negotiation teams with activities such as advisor for and/or proof reader of contract language.

Due to my belief systems and experiences with bargaining units at C.O.D., I wholeheartedly believe in them and their role in higher education.

In terms of Board functioning, I intend, with support of the Board, to change the Board Policy in regard to the length of time served by the student trustee. Presently, the student can serve only one year. Students, with little if any experience serving in this high level position, often are quiet observers rather than full participants during their term. Having a student serve a second term would allow time to build confidence and a willingness to participate fully. Take note of Stephanie Torres who served last year as student trustee but moved to head the Student Leadership Council because a second term as Student Trustee was not possible. Since the college exists to serve students, the voice of the student needs to be heard.

Discussions should involve those at the direct student service level. For example, I believe that the college should make it possible for math teachers to be supplied with a variety of colors of white board markers to highlight educational points being addressed. In the broadest sense, conversations need to take place at all levels to balance educational needs with budget limitations. With details put forward from both perspectives, budget changes/reductions could be appropriately made and a balanced budget could be created.

If there is a shortfall within the overall budget, C.O.D. is in a fortunate position to have money in reserve. Although most of it is earmarked, the possibility exists for allocations to keep C.O.D. on an even keel financially.

More specifically, in five years I would expect:

• Today’s challenges would have been reviewed with solutions implemented to make C.O.D. an even stronger educational force in our district, the state, and the nation.
• Present building projects would be finished so the campus would be able to easily serve the expanding needs of the community.
• A culture of security and support for employees would increase options and satisfaction in the classroom and in student service functions.
• New programs would be added to meet the interests of students and the needs of the community.
• C.O.D. would be offering selected occupational baccalaureate degrees and would have adapted to the educational needs and services of that student population.
• With excellence abounding, I would expect more community residents making C.O.D. their first choice for their educational needs whether that be as an 18 year old freshman or an 81 year old retiree who is interested in affordable, convenient, educational enrichment.

This past year I completed my Masters in Arts from North Central College in Naperville. I have served as CEO and board member of two locally owned banks, Bloomingdale Bank and Trust, and Diamond Bancorp. These experiences helped me tremendously as a leader and manager of complex financial processes.

In 2009, as a board member of the Independent Community Bankers Association I was invited to the White House to brief administration officials on the state of community banking in the financial crisis.

I currently serve as board chairman of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, bringing together businesses of every size, sector and background to work on common issues. I also served on the boards of numerous business and professional organizations.

I currently serve as a trustee of Regis University. This leadership experience has made me well versed in issues in higher education management, audit over-site and communicating with the public.

Servant leadership is an important part of my life, and I am past Chairman of the Heritage YMCA Group serving Aurora, and Naperville, where I lead the effort to create the organization’s computer center for children at risk. My wife and I are founding members of the Board of Trustees at All Saints Catholic Academy in Naperville, and I currently serve as Chairman.

The faculty union is a critical organization in meeting the mission of the College and improving the lives of the students who attend our classes. The board and the union are partners who must find agreement to serve our students and the taxpaying public that supports our operations. By finding agreement on what is in the best interests of our students and the public we can develop organizational trust and mutual understanding.

It is important to pivot from the physical transformation of the campus, and to a focus on online and non-traditional learning environments that are students and future students will expect. The College should, and must, welcome this evolution of learning. This will require the administration and board to balance competing infrastructure, management and staffing needs. The board must insist the administration review and report on the current capacity of the college’s data infrastructure and put a greater emphasis on meeting online and non-traditional growth, as opposed to solely focused on expanding the physical campus.

Since leaving UIC in 2011, I have been appointed to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission where I have the opportunity to impact students by making it possible for them to obtain financial resources to attend college. In addition to my professional work in higher education during my career, I also actively participated in extensive volunteer roles within the educational community and have held a number of leadership positions on regional and international committees. These jobs included serving as Chair of the Women’s Concerns and the Computer Technology Committees for the Association of College Unions International. I was also the Public Policy Liaison for the organization and represented it on the Consortium for Government Relations in Student Affairs.

• COD enrollment increased 10.3% over 5 years, compared to a statewide decline of 11.1%
• Fastest growing community college in the U.S. outside of California
• Compared to other urban community colleges, COD is at the median or exceeds all other colleges on almost every benchmark
• Degree and certificate completions increased 57% from 2010 to 2014
• Our tuition increase has been only 8.5% over the last 5 years (lower than 94% of other community colleges in Illinois)
• During the past 4 years, accounting system has been improved over the archaic procedures that were in place previously
• Great attention is paid to the auxiliary units and progress has been made to reduce subsidies to the MAC and the radio station
• Waterleaf provides a unique value to the college by providing a learning laboratory for culinary and business students. It also markets the college, attracting many people who are otherwise not likely to venture onto the campus.

• In addition, the 2014 Illinois Community College Board Economic Impact Study confirms that the community’s investment in the college provides significant outcomes:
• 25 year old COD graduate can expect a total lifetime earnings gain of $479,000 (37% increase) over students who do not attain a post-secondary credential
• Students attended or graduated COD in 2002 paid an estimated $424 million in state and $1.39 billion in federal taxes over the next 10 years
• In FY2012, impact to the regional economy is estimated at $187 million and over 2,500 jobs
• The ripple effect of capital expenditures created an estimated additional 2,600 jobs in the district and $433 million in economic output

Politicizing the college: Our current situation poses a serious threat to both the continued progress and development of the college. In light of the upcoming presidential search (detailed below), it may interfere with our ability to attract the best candidates to lead the institution into its next stage of growth. We need to be careful to protect our hard-earned reputation and maintain a singular focus on educational development and the interests of our faculty and the students they serve. We need responsible, calm, and thoughtful leadership now more than ever. We are trying to steadily guide the college out of a traumatic and turbulent time with an eye towards an expansive and dynamic new phase. We cannot afford to instead create more unease for personal political gain or intentionally attract unneeded and undue criticism that may adversely reflect on the college for any reason, good or ill.

Presidential search: The College of DuPage is one of the pre-eminent community colleges in the country and requires a President who can nurture the dynamic educational environment and work with the community to lead its continued development. The President must be selected through an open process that includes constituencies within the college and community leaders. The new President must have demonstrated experience in a dynamic community college environment, knowledgeable about the rapidly changing higher education climate, and a commitment to ensuring that the community’s educational needs are always the highest priority. The new President must possess a collaborative management style and will need to have the skills to heal tensions and wounds by listening to and understanding the concerns of all stakeholders so that trust can be re-established between administration, faculty, staff, students, community, and the board.

Financial Concerns: Support from the State of Illinois has been unpredictable over the past several years. It has continued to fall far short of the 33% of budget that was envisioned when community colleges were created in Illinois. The outlook is bleak for the near term due to the financial condition of the state. The college will need to continue to budget expected support conservatively until a more complete picture of the state budget situation is available. The college must also continue to anticipate that the state may shift the cost of pension payments to local units of government. The board has identified funds in the fund balance to cover some of the anticipated cost. If the cost shift occurs, a long-term solution to pay this obligation will be required. Unfunded mandates from the State of Illinois continue to pose challenges for COD and other educational institutions. I have previously engaged in discussions with legislators concerning unfunded mandates and will continue to advocate for relief.

Transparency: Transparency is vital for good government. Technology will continue to improve the mechanisms for easily making documents available to the public. All of the published budget and planning documents are available from the college’s website. While the check register for board approved expenditures has been available since 2008, at the community’s request, the entire check register is now available online. I have advocated at meetings to have more information available online and will continue to champion that goal. Publicly available information will reduce the staff time and expense required to fulfill FOIA requests. I also support the live streaming of meetings.

Balancing Educational Resources: The college continues to experience strong enrollment. Strategically planning for ever-changing trends in educational and workforce needs will help to maintain a stable, and hopefully growing, enrollment. Several factors on the horizon point to continued enrollment success. Opportunities for expanding 3+1 and 2+2 partnerships plus the potential approval of the Baccalaureate in Applied Technologies may continue to enhance enrollment growth. Implementation of America’s College Promise may contribute to growth. Continued emphasis on ensuring that students complete their academic programs will also strengthen enrollment. While the outlook for positive enrollment is good, the college must also be prepared to face the downward trend in higher education enrollments in Illinois and throughout the nation. If the college faces a drop-off in the number of students, educational resources will need to be adjusted accordingly.

Over the past 6 years, 70 new degree and certificate programs have been introduced at the college, including several 3 + 1 programs. These programs, combined with the statewide goal to increase the number of adults with post-secondary credentials by 2020, offer additional opportunities for enrollment growth, despite an expected decrease in the traditional aged students. I would encourage the establishment of additional academic partnerships that provide flexibility and affordability for students to take full advantage of the academic excellence at COD and offer pathways to additional educational credentials. The college has made inroads in this area, but additional outreach to other private and public institutions must be encouraged.

Increasing learning opportunities for older adults must also be a priority. Significant opportunities exist to create academic programs geared toward people in their 40’s and 50’s to assist them in acquiring additional training required to keep up with changing technologies in the workplace. Formal and informal academic programs for people over 55 are often requested by the community and offer growth opportunities. I would encourage assessment of current offerings and examination of best practices at other institutions to ensure that we are meeting community needs in the most efficient and effective way.

All of our successes have come with increasing costs. The 3+1 Program, increased student retention, increased degree and certificate completion, new programs, and becoming the first choice for an increasing number of graduating high school seniors have put new demands on basic classroom space. The college is currently over demand for classrooms during peak periods during the year, and once again has limited room despite recent campus development. To address this, the board has earmarked dollars in the fund balance for a new Teaching and Learning Center. Construction of this facility should be pursued. The new building will alleviate current space constraints and will allow for some flexibility for future program expansion. Staffing must be planned to expand or contract with enrollment to adequately maintain academic excellence while also considering budgetary requirements.
The college, under direction from the board, and through leadership from the President must be responsive to the changing educational and workforce needs of the community. Regular input from community stakeholders must drive the vision.

The COD Board needs to make a careful evaluation of what is needed to get its house in order, and I am ready to take on this responsibility. It is important to me to protect the fine image of COD. I believe that I can be an asset to the Board of Trustees.

Hiring a new President for the college is a very important issue that the new Board will have to deal with almost immediately, because the process will take 6 to 9 months. The importance of having a new President will reflect on COD almost immediately, and will have a lasting impact for years to come.

Public trust is a major hurdle that needs to be addressed. The new board must demonstrate that they will restore the trust that has been lost, by listening to the public’s concerns. As a nurse (a degree I received because of COD), I would suggest we completely debride (or clean) this wound so it can heal properly for everyone concerned.

Taxes and tuition are 2 major issues that we will face in the near future. How will we invest our resources in a way that maximizes the opportunity for students and minimizes the burden on the taxpayers?

Improving the relationship between the employees and the administration/board is something that needs constant attention. As board members we have a responsibility to students and taxpayers, but we must maintain good relations with the employees balancing our responsibilities as elected officials.

1. Repair the damage that was done these past few years by restoring the trust of the residents of the COD area. Open communications with the faculty, students and community. Be transparent with our expenditures. Add a faculty member to the trustees just as we have a student.
2. A complete and thorough review of the budget and yearend report to make sure that all trustees know exactly where tax dollars are being spent. Review our procurement process so that there is no possibility of pay to play at COD. Friends of trustees or administration do not get contracts.
3. Create a committee/environment where faculty, administration, trustees, local businesses and students can work together regularly to make sure COD offers the courses and programs that best fit the needs of the students and job opportunities.
4. Dr. Breuder’s replacement must be a strong leader capable of working with all the stakeholders and bringing them together to solve problems and take advantage of opportunities for future growth/improvement at COD.
5. Identification of strategies requiring future public discussion such as: 4 yr. college status, dormitories, organizational structure, unstarted construction projects, convention center etc.

It was just one thing after another with no end in sight. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I had to do something. So I decided to run. It’s the first time I ever ran for an office.

We need a clean slate of three reformers who, along with Kathy Hamilton’s vote, will provide the necessary majority to make the Board the oversight body it must be. If even one Board member is elected who does not have a passionate belief in the oversight role of the Board then the Board will continue to be impotent and dysfunctional. If even one Board member is elected who cannot stand up to Robert Breuder then nothing will change. Fact is COD is a mess and the only way to clean it up is with a clean slate of reform candidates who take seriously the oversight responsibility of the Board.