Mike McPherson

My name is Mike. I have a couple issues. There was a rumor going around that the previous president allowed department heads to inflate the budget so that the new board could slash it to make themselves look good. The second issue is Homeland Security.  There is nothing in this area to serve Homeland Security pilot training to have handguns in the cockpit.

John Kraft. I’ve got a couple items. First you probably already know that the Breuder bill passed both the House and Senate and is waiting for the governer to sign it. It will hopefully put the stop to having taxpayers bend over to elected officials. Second I kind of agree with Ms. Birt that you have to put agenda items in a way that it is clear. Personnel actions — if I am interested in those I will know to show up for the meeting. It has to be more involved than that. What is it? Will people get raises? Get fired? Get rid of the union? I wasn’t saying they should, I’m just saying people need to know. Maybe you could attach this to the Board packet.

Kirk Allen

Thank you Chairman. From the Community College act — the only way a measure should be approved is by majority of the board members approve it.  No individual member of the Board has the power to speak out unless authorized by the Board to do this.

Erin Birt approved Breuder’s membership in the Max MxGraw Foundation. There is nothing indicating that the Board approved her to do this in legal session, required by the Community College act. Board members cannot approve expendistures on their own. Last year, Ms Birt, Trustee Hamilton raised her concerns about Max McGraw.

Ms Birt, illegal expenditures have gone on under your watch. Breuder bringing in a firearm into a public place where alcohol is served. Glaser entering contracts without approval. You led the charge to cover all of this by hiring Res Publica. Your push for the most disgusting severance package in the history of the state is now your badge of honor. We will make sure that this follows you wherever you go.  Ms. Birt, please resign.

Haroon Atcha

I am a recent COD graduate. I left the last BOT meeting in a guardedly optimistic mood. You appeared to be ready to take action on the Waterleaf — turning it into a student-run restaurant.  I am optimistic again today that you will do this.

First, I hope the discussion around Waterleaf was dignified. There was calm and reasoned debate surrounded by fact . Students interests became the focus. The deliberate and methodical discussion is important. Channel your zeal into productive discussion. Disregard political expediency as a way to decide which actions to take.  True reform is a painstaking and time-consuming process. But your six year term gives you time that the average COD students do not have.  So when you decide the fate of the Waterleaf tonight or the next meeting, please take this into consideration.

Richard Skoda

Much has changed in the last year. Last year at this time we were in a much different room. Joe Wozniak, in the 8 years you were here you hardly offered the public any seat. You had six police officers here. You couldn’t do the Pledge of Allegiance. And you never had a question. What difference did it make if you had the packet two weeks or two days in advance? And Trustee Birt, you mentioned extravagant spending on legal matters. Well, before the election you charged Trustee Hamilton with violating Board policy by spending on an election and campaigning. This campaign against Hamilton has no basis.

Homeland Security — no way gets Breuder’s name on it.

Linda Burke

A personal family story about COD that shows how COD impacts on people in this community.

My youngest son needed a Physics class one summer in order to get his med school applications in on time.  COD got him into a class, the faculty were from Argonne and Fermi, and the syllabus equivalent to any four-year college. Students and faculty, I want to warn you about what has happened to COD now.

This same group that has taken over this Board took over the Board at the Hinsdale School District.  From our experience we know exactly what this majority will do. The first move the new COD Board is making is to spend down the reserve this school has. This will begin the destruction of this college. This is in the name of an extremist ideology.

COD is in trouble. Wake up and mobilize.

Jerome O’Connor — I am an adjunct instructor in Continuing Education. I wrote to Ms. Hamilton on June 24th asking to address the Board but you did not reply. I am not new to education in the public sector. Since I have such a short time to speak I will skip my credentials in order to tell you that I am very concerned about adult enrichment at COD. There have been 4 years of administrative neglect starting With Dean Joe Cassidy and AD Melissa Finella.  I presented course proposals to CE. They were not posted in the catalog, but did not get answers to e-mail. It is apparent that the dysfunction in CE is like living in a house with a leaky roof with household members who will not talk to each other until the roof falls in over the dining room table.  Some people who work for COD don’t even know that COD offers classes to older adults.  Classes that get cancelled aren’t even announced.

I am in the process of writing a complaint to the Higher Education Commission. At the other end of the evening someone will read my complaint statement.