The discussion of hiring the firm continues.

Bernstein: I don’t understand the questioning. We have investigations to do and a lot that is unknown that we must make known. I would be all for going out to bid even though we don’t have to do it in several months time. But we need to move and we need to move now. We are talking about hiring this firm for 4 months.

Birt: I can see the urgency if we didn’t already have legal counsel. I have had bizarre interactions with this firm including a mistaken e-mail from another client that violated the confidentitality rights of another client. We need to worry about appearances.

Hamilton: You are repeating what you already said. Do you have something new to add, You are burdening people’s time.

Wozniak: I want to say one more thing.

??? I’m calling the question.

Napolitano: Second call for the question.

Calling the question requires a 2/3 vote.

This is to determine if we move to a vote.

Wozniak: The public is always on our back. Now you are doing the same thing you have been accusing us of doing.

We had law firm interviews right before this board meeting.

Mazzochi: What you are losing sight of is that this is a narrow hiring for issues where the BoT has a need to respond while under investigations. The Bot has outstanding investigations at issue. We are required to take some action now. One of the conerns we had is that if you want to talk about appearances…we can’t have the old attorneys whose judgment might be being questioned during the investigation serving as the attorney. This is dealing with a fairly narrow set of issues dealing with particular investigations. We have emergent issues that require a quick and appropriate response.

Birt: Are we hiring them as a litigation firm as well as a firm to conduct an internal investigation, which is what the next page on the agenda says.

Hamilton: We may need to move to closed session.

Motion to move to closed session?

Birt: Why are there two agenda items for the same firm to engage in two different services.

Legal Counsel: We will be on task as directed by the Chairman. One will be to conduct the internal investigation. Read that resolution. It is directed at ensuring that the law firm is cooperating with board, faculty and students. It is not two separate retentions. The second is a policy issue that means that all constituents.

Birt: There is a lot of work that went into this agenda. When did you do all this? We just got the agenda but it seems a lot of time has gone into it.

Calls for a vote retention Skylat, Roche and ???/

Student trustee: Abstains.

Birt, Wozniak and McGuire vote no.

Others vote yes.

Vote on internal investigation by this firm:

McGuire: How does this differ from what federal investigators are doing.

Hamilton: Federal investigators won’t share what they find.

McGuire: The state is backing off because of the federal involvement.

Hamilton: They do that.

McGuire: Why do we need an internal investigation.

Hamilton: Because we will have control over what we investigate. When the feds do it, they don’t tell you what they are investigating. We need to know. We can’t live in denial about what is going on at this college.

Birt: Won’t you be looking for a certain result?

Hamilton: It is an independent investigation.

Birt: It doesn’t seem like it will be very independent.

Hamilton: Think of it as if you were hiring an auditing firm. They have certain professional standards.

Birt: It will not be independent.

Hamilton: You keep saying that. Just because you keep repeating this doesn’t make it right.

Bernstein: You have a business on this campus that is losing half a million dollars. The federal investigation may not get to this for another year. But we need to get details on the operation of that business. We can’t wait. We need to do this in a timely manner. We are hemoraghin cash and we need to stop it.

Mazzochi: We have to do it because we are the elected BoT and we have an obligation to protect this institution. We are the oversight board. We are not just going to cede that to federal authorities. We need to get this accomplished within the next four months.

McGire: Do we know how much this is going to cost?

Mazzochi: We do have a cap in the resolution. They can’t just go out and spend, We will have to approve.

Hamilton calls for a vote:

Student Trustee abstains

Birt, McGuire, Wozniak no.

Others yes.

Motion passes.

Next proposal:

Suspension of all travel and entertainment reimbursements for trustees.

McGuire: ICC Act — reads section on reimbursement for trustees. I sought counsel on this issue today. Certain expenses for travel are required. Entertainment — what is that about? It has never been an issue? It is important for students to have the opportunity. Sometimes there is travel is Springfield, local communities, and even Washington DC. This is short-sighted and deprives new trustees of opportunities. We should reconsider.

Napolitano: When I was on the school board I did not expect reimbursement. I made choices about my own expenses. If I would have to go to DC I would probably do the course or the research on-line.

Mazzochi: I personally made a pledge during the campaign that I would not ask for any reimbursements. This is because of the history of trustees having expensive meals at Waterleaf. IT is not unreasonable to not ask the public for travel. We are talking about travel and entertainment. But this is not about not taking courses if that is necessary.

Hamilton: We have had travel this year. There is such a thing as a budget. We are suspending while we have a chance to look at our policies and our conduct. We are looking at whether or not we are going to Waterleaf to eat and drink. We are just suspending that right now. We are taking a look at everything. We are taking a look at this with the transition tea,/ I think that this is legitimate. I’m shocked that people aren’t embarrassed about spending money the way it has been spent. This is to give us some guidance . We are taking control of the situation and responding to a legitimate public concern.

Student Trustee Roark: I will need to travel twice a month to Springfield. I won’t be able to do this.

Hamilton: What do you do in Springfield?

Student Trustee: We talk about policies that are affecting community colleges.

Hamilton: This is a perfect example of an exception. This seems like a legitimate concern.

Discussion continued.

Motion to adopt Robert’s Rules of Order.

Birt — I don’t have a problem with that, but as I said, seeing how this agenda came to be, I will vote no.

McGuire: As will I.

All others vote yes.

Chair Hamilton: asks for motion to put Dr. Robert Breuder on  paid Administrative Leave. Motion to Appoint Joe Collins to serve as acting interim President of the College.

Napolitano: I have a question about him already being on medical leave already. Can the legal counsel, not yet hired, offer an opinion.

Birt: How is this Board at this point in time — we don’t have legal advice. How can we have legal advice from someone who is not yet appointed. For the record this BoT is in an awkward position that this Board has dismissed prior legal counsel. They are not hear to provide us with an insight.

Hamilton: We have not dismissed that legal counsel.

Birt: I am concerned that we are free floating here.

Frank: Is it in our power to put him on administrative leave while he is on medical leave.

Hamilton: I have consulted with lawyers and the answer I got was unequivocally yes. If we need to we can go to closed session if we need to. If we need more detail I can invoke a closed session.

Attorney who is present but not appointed: (Not yet Counsel) There is no impediment to placing Breuder on administrative leave on this time. It is possible for this BoT to put him on administrative leave. It was decided before he went on medical leave.

McGuire: Chair Hamilton, what purpose does this serve to put him also on administrative leave?

Hamilton: Did you read the resolution?

McGuire: I did.

Not yet legal counsel: We don’t know what the duration of the medical leave is. He could return next week, for example, and there would not be an opportunity to put him on administrative leave until the next BoT meeting. Doing this would allow him to return from his medical leave and be on administrative leave.

Mazzochi– the rationale for taking administrative leave has to do with the pending investigations. They are arising from conditions that have nothing to do with his medical condition. We are establishing the status so we can ensure that the college is protected given the allegations that have been raised on Dr. Breuder.

Wozniak: I am not going vote for this because I am not going to kick him when he is down.

Mazzochi– Adminsitrative leave is very common. It is not an admission of something wrong. It is a step the institituon takes to protect its integrity. To protect the college from future problems. It is not a statement regarding Dr. Breuder. It is a procedural step that is commonly taken when an employee is under investigation.

No further discussion.

Placement of Dr. Breduer on paid administrative leave. Appointment of Dr. Joesph Collins as acting interim president of COD:

McGuire and Birt  and Wozniak and Birt: No.

Student trustee abstains.

Other trustees vote yes.

Applause from the audience.

15-430-3 Resolution. Resolution to confirm and implement cooperation with the transition team.

Wozniak: Who will head this team?

Hamilton: Dr. Hyder, a 40 year professor of the Kellog School of Management will head this team. We have invited representatives of people who are form the college, from downstate, form Chicago.

Birt: Has this already been done? You used the past tense?

Hamilton: I am in the process.

Napolitano: The only name is Dr. Hyder at this point. Input is welcome. We are still forming the team. We don’t want to give names because we are still forming this.

Birt: Who is “we?” You keep saying “we?”

McGuire: What expenses are involved with this team?

Hamilton: This is a volunteer team.

McGuire: No travel, no lunches?

Hamilton: Some people just volunteer for things and they don’t expect to be reiumbursed.Hearing no further discussion, I call for a vote.

Student trustee abstains.

McGuire, Birt and Wozniak vote no.

All others vote yes.

Announcment of litigation hold policy.

15-430-42

Resolution for the BoT to adopt

Birt– why have you done this? It is redundant? Have you done this for the press?

Mazzochi: When you are facing litigation you…there are outstanding supoenas, we felt that it was appropriate to identify and highlight specific documents that may be of interst to the investigators. As trustees we need to make sure that no documents be destroyed.

We need to be cautious and make sure documents have to be protected.

McGuire, Wozniak, Birt –no

Others — yes

Hamilton: Resoution to hire legal counsel: Reention of legal fim Rathje and Woodward LLC

Birt: I think there is a conflict of interest. Just last week they appeared to be an adversary of COD in a litigation matter. But now they are seeking to provide us with legal service. I have concern for a conflict of interest — you serve on the Glen Ellyn Board. I respect that position. But I have to voice the concern of a conflict of interest.

Legal Counsel responds: The second one is a natural conflict. I cannot and will not represent the COD in any dealings with the Village of Glen Ellyn. Those relations have been greatly reduced in the last years. Should anything come up where I would have to represent you in dealings with the village of GE I would have to recuse myself. In the two years I have been on the GE board there have been no dealings with COD.

There were two issues — my firm did represent the Edgar County Watchdogs to move the Board meetings to the room they are now in.

also a FOIA case. The case has been dormant and was withdrawn last week.

The test for conflict of interest is whether my past . . .  would impede my ability or my firm’s ability to represent the College of DuPage. My law firm has represented both in concert with and against COD over the many years we have been in existence. We are the oldest law firm in DuPage.

Birt: Thank you. I also have a concern about your cost. Some of your lawyers charge over $400 an hour. That adds a significant increase in our costs. You are raising it fomr the $250 that we were paying.

Legal  counsel: We are billing at a rate of $260 an hour so we matched the current lawyer’s billing.

McGuire: How do you view your role as the Board’s attorney:

Legal Counsel: I don’t know how to answer that. Under our engagement we agreed we will represent COD in a number of ways as the Chair finds necessary. I will represent the Bot at meetings like today and I assume I will also offer counsel on some of the college dealings on a day to day basis.

Wozniak: Do you deal with school law?

Legal Counsel: Our firm does not work with school law. But we do represent a variety of municipal organizations.

Wozniak: So if an issue comes up you’ll just look it up?

Legal Counsel: We will research any issue that comes up.

Vote: Wozniak, Birt, McGuire no

Student trustee: abstains

Others yes.

NEXT motion — hiring of another firm.

McGuire: Why are we hiring two law firms

(Did not get your answer)

Birt: You are hiring someone who is Hamilton’s personal attorney. You have the appearance of hiring of your friends.

Hamilton: He handled a matter for me. But he is not currently handling a matter for me.

Birt: After everything we have been through the last 12 months it looks very bad for you to be hiring your personal attorney.

McGuire: We have been trying to change the practices of hiring services. This flies in the face of everything we are trying to do.

Birt: He also was sloppy in attaching a paper from another client to the college by mistake. I hope his sloppy behavior does not continue.

Wozniak: It looks like you are hiring something. Why would you have somebody who represented you in the past now represent the college.

Birt: It was not disclosed in the packet that you are hiring your personal attorney. I had to bring it up. Isn’t it a contract that you are giving contracts to your friends?

Hamilton: I am not giving away anything.

He represented me in that censure. Do you remember that event?

Birt: So now anything if you can have a majority vote for it, it’s okay.

Hamilton asks Mr. Kinsella to come up and address the Board.

Kinsella: I will address the issue of prior representation. I haven’t done anything for Hamilton for months. There is nothing pending.  There was no litigation ever filed.

Chair Hamilton asks for motion to begin the meeting and approve the agenda. Any discussion: Birt: I object to this agenda. I do not understand how this agenda was planned. I belive it violates BoT policy  5-130 and the Open Meetings Act .  It seems 4 trustees called a meeting. I will vote no on every item. Hamilton: Clarifies the Open Meetings Act and why it was legal.  Asks that the objecting trustees (which include McGuire)   review 2-8 of the Community College Act. Goes over that section and says the meeting is legitimate. Roll call: Birt and McGuire vote no. All others vote yes. Prudy Widlak, speaking as a resident of District 502. First I echo Kathy Wessles remarks about Trustees Savage and Svoboda which I share. I do have some concerns about the proposed policy revisions and urge the BoT to reconsider these changes. Revisions to policy 5-90, formulation of administrative procedures could easily lea to micromanaging and result in inefficiencies in college operations. Should they not be revised they should be applied very   5-130 concerning formation of the agenda. It seems to me that preparation of the agenda without input of college’s representatives would seem to miss the main purpose of the BoT which I 5-171 provision of office space and related resources for the BoT. I don’t think District taxpayers are well served by diverting resources from the main purpose fhte college. I encourage great restraint of this policy should it come to pass. Laura Reigle: With the new Bot in place, with the new board and incumbents and the public — I want everybody to be aware of the Impact that was sent out to all   Reference number9 -SCC sots were 9million dollars. Upon watching a video from 2012 with Power Contracting, that built the SCC.  He said the budget at a meeting in 2012? he said it was 5 million dollars.  But the college says through IMpact that it spent 9 million, which is over the allotted 15% over busget. Jeffrey Crowell — lifelong resident of the district and COd graduate. Recently the leader of the Edgar County watchdogs mentioned the need for the Trustees to abide by the law and provide the public with transparency for their actions. This is why it distresses me that the so-called Clean Slate has operated in secrecy. The Clean Slate has decided to hire legal counsel in secret. Where were the bids for those? What gave you the authority for that process without input from the public. It works both ways. You have to abide by the law. Why are we wasting money for an office and office equipment and apparently staff for the new members of the BoT? It seems like a campaign office. A chance for them to do their own business. Ed Frankowick– he acknowledge the efforts of various people, Trustee Hamilton, Watchdogs, Tribune reporters, faculty and the VNC , Adam Adrejewski and Openthe Books.  He thanks and acknowledges the role in all these people who opened his eyes to what was going on at COD.  He asks Laura Reigle the “COD Golden Throne Award 2015” to Laura Reigle for her efforts. Kirk Allen: Two questions I have asked consistently — says who and with what proof? These questions are critical. Today there were accusations that the Open Meetings Act has been violated.  But you need to ask two questions: How many times have you read the Act? I am assuming you haven’t Miss Birt, given how many times you violated it.  The gentleman suggested it was a violation that the hiring of an attorney was improper. If you read the package, you can see that it is a 4 month stopgap. Professional Service — it doesn’t require bidding.  It is clear that in these times it is necessary. It is an interim movement to get things going forward.  There was a woman who spoke previously who said that the outgoing trustees put the student first was that before the steaks and the filet mignon and the booze?   To this new board, if you think for a second that as a whole we won’t be watching you as we watched the previous board, you are fooling yourselves. We will be watching you. John Kraft — I’ll be brief. Two issues. Repeal the oppressive public speaking policy that was shoved through everybody’s throat several months ago. Second, I would hope that you would give your college newspaper back to the students. And never again let an administrator run roughshod over it. Roger Kempa:  I read that this is a stopgap measure to have a law firm for four months and then there will be a bidding. For the past 5 years there has been a 190 million surplus without telling the public what you are going to be doing with this. Also students are paying more tuition here than in neighboring community colleges. We need to address this? Also is the data about COD’s enrollment data correct? Karol Sole: yields her time to Julia Beckman. Lifelong member of District 502. Member of League of Women’s Voters. I want to echo what others have said about appearance of lack of transparency. Perhaps the Open Meetings Act has been followed but most places h   this is a high profile election and you are hig profile people and you want to be cautious about how you appear to the public. Be careful about having what appears to be secret meetings and setting an agenda.  You are here to put COd on sound footing and maintain that and make it better — to immediately start spending money on staff and office space which you might now need – I urge you to be autious. Dan Bailey- lifelong resident of District 502.  I was a candidate in this election too. I want to appreciate people who gave past service. Even if I didn’t agree with them, I appreciate the lot of work that it took. to the new trustees I understand you will be working for the good of COD. I have three questions. Is Breuder’s medical leave going to be paid? Does this challenge his severance agreement since he cannot serve his last year? And 3, you seem to be enlarging the scope of the audit that the state wants to do on COd. And you are proposing hiring a law film to oversee the forensic audit. Is there a way you can combine the law firms for both of these because they are expensive. Hamilton: I want everybody to be aware of a change in policy. We are going to change things. You asked good questions and they deserve an answer. LEave your name with MaryAnn Millush and she will get back to you with answers. (Asks MAryAnn Millush to stand) Stepahnie Torres- SLC — reports on SLC trip to Springfield on Advocacy Day. Refers to their advocacy for House resolution 35 which request  that commniuty colleges are an important part of the prosperity of our nation. They also advocated for Senate Bill 806 — students with junior status have priority admission at 4-year institutions. SLC welcomes the new BoT members. She congratulates Gloria roark. Aira Aquino — form SLC — soon she will be finishing her experience at COD. She thanks COD for the opportunities  as a student leader. This will help her on her path to be a diplomat.  I want to encourage the new BoT to put students at the forefront of what you do. Administrative issues are important but students must have your attention. Pay attention to the minority population which is growing on this campus. Understand that we work at low wage jobs to pay for our education.

(Several students spoke.  Techical problems.

David Goldberg, Professor of Political Science, described an email correspondence with one of his former students. This is the text of the student’s messages to him (published with permission):

April 24: I had an interview for a fellowship the other day. One of the people interviewing me mentioned they’d heard some shady stuff about the community college listed on my resume. So I guess I won’t be listing CoD anymore until everyone over there can start behaving.

April 26: It’s just a shame. I have nothing but respect for the professors at COD. The fact that some shady dealings on the part of the leadership at the college can make anyone question the quality of the institution itself is maddening. Keep fighting the good fight. 

Richard Jarman, CODFA VP. I would like to direct you to resolutions passed by the faculty Senate One was already out there in Febraury but has yet to appear in the minutes. A suggestion to the new secretary. It is respectful to the speakers that their words be printed especially when they are supplied n written form.

We suggested that the BoT rescind the naming of the HEC building for Robert Breuder. The Senate believes that the building should be named if and when a more suitable candidate is found.

CODFA Senate has asked the BoT to put Breuder on administrative leave until all investigations are resolved. We are currently on a dangerous path. IT is time to act decisively.. If there is evidence of wrongdoing by the President, he should be fired.

I have heard people question the wisdom of your having office space on campus. I believe the intention is to have more communication with the community. If you have a modest office for that purpose, I think it would be a jolly good thing and I am in support of it.

Hamilton: I would like to instruct Dr. Collins that all comments are written into the minutes and that is written comments are submitted that they be attached.

James Kell — of Medina. elected member of the Republican Central Committee. I wasn’t going to talk but I have heard some things that make me want to talk. First of all god bless the new BoT members. God bless Kathy Hamilton. Congratulate Dr. Breuder and the old Bot people — you have woken up the sleeping gorilla. Your indifference and your arrogance have opened up the floodgates of investigation of your mismanagement. The law is going to come and get you if you are found of wrongdoing. You have done a horrible job. The prosecutorial apparatus of that state, local and federal agencies are coming to investigate you.

Chair Hamilton asks for motion to approve the certificates to outgoing trustees.

Mazzochi asks if any of the achievements listed on the certificates of appreciation are binding on the BoT. Are they contractually binding.

Birt: what are you taking issue with? Can you educate us.

Hamilton: Just for the record Erin.

Mazzochi- I don’t wish to denigrate the service of Svoboda, Savage, and O’Donnell. I just know that some of the things in those resolutions are things that may be subject of pending investigations.

Hamilton: I’m going to call the vote.

Birt: I don’t think you can do that.

Mazzoci- as long as these things are not binding admissions in court, I can approve.

Birt: This is inappropriate. You’ve just shown your colors.

Wozniak: You’re just giving them appreciation.

Attorney offers an opinion: there is nothing that would bind anyone in any way. It’s an acknowledgement of 6 years of service. They have taken times from their families to serve.  I am not quite the Board’s attorney yet, not sworn in yet, but I think you are okay here.

Hamilton calls the vote: Trustee McGuire was moved, and Birt seconded it.

Roll: Unanimous yes.

Communications from the Chairman:

It is an honor to speak to you tonight. I would like to talk to you about the core of our college, which is education. It is an expression of faith of one’s ability to do something more, to propel yourself in the future. When students face an all-nighter, study for a big test — faith is required. This meeting is no exception. As a Bot we have to know that we can do much much more. Our students can do more, our faculty can be more respected as an integral part of the college, our working families who fund this college can be more respected. our BoT can be more respectful to each other. Our community can have more faith in our BoT. COD has been through tough times. Times marked by extraordinary and continuous denial. Those troubles are not yet over but the causes of those troubles are. This institution faces criminal investigation, legislative disdain, these constituents are outraged by what the Tribune has reported about COD over the last 7 months. We will fully support law enforcement and take appropriate actions. We will enlist a transition Don Hyder of the Kellogg School of Management to report systematically to us on existing issues within the college. Emergent issues will receive immediate attention. Mid-range require attention in the next 2-6 months. Long-range are those that can be addressed after 6 months. Non-partisan solutions will be offered for making COD a better school. We have recruited individuals from our school, our community, downstate, to bring people whose expertise is commensurate with the task at hand. The goal of this team is to have better policy and better checks and balances for this very fine institution. Tonight and in the next meeting you will see a reformer agenda take shape. Uncompromising reform that looks forward to an even better COD, not backwards. I welcome all 6 fellow trustees to put the past behind them to work for a better COD for tomorrow.

The next regular BoT meeting will be at May 20th.

If there is no other BoT business tonight, I will entertain a motion to adjourn the organizational meeting.

Mazzochi — moves

Napolitano. seconds.

Unanimous.

10 minute break before the special meeting.

Chair Hamilton Calls for motion on Dates and location of regular BoT meetings are set.

Resolution passes, dates are set.

Public Comments:

Hamilton: we have several opportunities for the public to speak. Speakers have 3 minutes. We will try to answer your questions. If you need more than three minutes please make arrangements in advance.

Laura Reigle: Erin Birt, Diane McGuire and Joe Wozniak. You three are on the wrong side of history. The voters spoke for a mandate for reform. Your best friends were defeated. The taxpayers do not want your ideas. Diane McGuire when you spoke about Nazi tyranny, you showed what side you are on. Joe Wozniak your silence is deafening.  Erin Birt you were the Chair when all the wrongdoing was going on.  If you had been on the ballot, you would have had the same results as the incumbents. Resign now.

Carol Davis: Founder of West Suburban Patriots, 750 plus members of the largest branch of the Tea Party. Congratulations to the new Board members. To the old members, this is your opportunity to change your ways. The Tea Party holds public officials accountable.

There have been lies about the Tea Party. We began not while the first Black president came to power, but rather when George Bush was President and began bailing out the big banks.

To the faculty and students of COD. We have been fighting side by side to bring integrity back to COD.

We know that even when we put good people in power they can get sidetracked.

We invite faculty and student leaders to get together from time to time to discuss how well the new leadership is doing.

Maybe we can break down some stereotypes.

Kathy Wessel: Good evening. I have lived in 502 for over 40 years. Served 12 years as a trustee at COD for 12 years. Over 5 of those were as Chair. I am here to thank Kim Savage and Nancy Svoboda for their work. They have been ethical board members. They both have tremendous knowledge of higher education and they share that. They have been active and involved members of the ICCTA. They have spent countless hours honing their skills. Thank you for sharing your special skills with all of us.

Ed Fraunchowiak.  Lifelone resident of DuPage county. Three sons graduated from COD. This is the third time I have spoken at BoT meeting. I am encouraged that the Board is starting to listen. Congratulations Charlie, DeAnne and Frank on your victory. DeaAnne — you asked about the data being searchable. That applies to everything. The BoT packet — the first three pages are searchable. But not the rest of it. The website isn’t searchable. Make it all searchable so we do not have to FOIA the BoT for information.

Prudy Widlak: Resident of District 502. I thought I was signing up for the Special Meeting. I have comments about proposed changes to Board policy.

Hamilton: I’ll put you on the list for that special meeting.

Joe Snyder:not here

Kirk Allen: co-founder of the Edgar County Watchdogs. I’s like to thank the new BoT for their service. You took an oath of office. An oath of office has meaning. If we can’t stand by our words and obey the laws that we have, where are we as a society. This community college has become and example of how citizens have rights and have a voice and need to be heard. You took an oath to abide by the community college act. Some of those Board meetings have failed miserably. The act says that citizens have the right to ask questions and get information. Miss Birt — you never did answer those questions. I am asking you to read the law and follow it.

John Kraft: I’ll be quick. Congratulations to the new Board members. I hope you strive to be more transparent and be more open to the public. Put everything that is releasable on-line in a form that is reachable and searchable.

Roger Kempa: Resident od Darien. 56 year resident of DuPAge County. A high power PR firm was hired at a cost of up to 250,000 to address the misinformation given to the public. That was very sad.  COD already has a PR person who is a full-time employee. Questions: Is COD’s great financial position unique?  OF a group of a 7 local community colleges, 6 of themn have the save good rating. All 7 have had unqualified clean audit reports. All are recipients of distinguished budget presentations. So we all have a lot in common. How does COd compare to other cc’s in the nation.  3 of the 7 peer colleges are  Oakton 174 elgin 172 Harper 410  COD is not ranked in the top 500 colleges. CNN’s rate  of community colleges has COD at 167  Oakton at 101 Harper at 155.  He continues to give comparisons. (Hamilton thanks him, as his time has run out)Chair Birt — please resign. Save the public the time and inconvenience of having an election.

Karol Sole — Thanks to those of you who have bought seats on this election.

Hamilton — Please do not scream. I will have you removed.

Sole — I hope you are here for the good of COD and its students and the community. I am curious as to who set the agenda for tonight’s meeting. Tonight’s public grilling of an employee was inappropriate. Why the Edgar County Watchdogs are here after stirring up so much trouble in their own communities are here now. I remind new trustees that the previous trustees were also duly elected .  Please do not resign.

Glenn Hansen:

Good evening, I’m Glenn Hansen, President of the Faculty Association and Faculty Senate.

Tonight, I’d like to thank all who have served and will serve our students as Trustees. On behalf of the faculty, I would like to congratulate our new Trustees and welcome you to College of DuPage. Congratulations to Kathy Hamilton on becoming new chairman of the Board. Additionally, I’d like to say thank you to Chairman Hamilton for your persistence and dedication to changing the Board and caring deeply about College of DuPage and our students.

What I have experienced in the continual effort by you and our new Trustees to communicate with faculty bodes well for the future of CoD. For many years I have offered the willingness of the faculty to meet and work with the Trustees along with all constituencies to move the college forward. I again offer our help to create a new story for COD. This time I am confident there will be a response to our offer.

It is a cliché and understatement to say we are faced with tremendous challenges and opportunities; but it is very true. It will be very hard work going forward. Success will take the efforts of all constituencies inside and outside of the College to correct the damage that has been done.  As much as we hoped it would not happen, there have been questions raised and doubts created that affect our reputation. It is everyone’s responsibility to restore confidence in College of DuPage.

Our work begins tonight.

James Benko — Student at COD and member of Students for a Democratic Society reads a statement sent by Alan Canfora, survivor of the Kent State Massacre. “Sisters and brothers– I have read about the abuses and corruption by your former president at COD. It has been inspiring to learn of the struggles by the Faculty Association and the Students for a Democratic Society. It takes courage to stand against an administration such as yours. In addition to spending millions on himself and his cronies, Breuder denied faculty their role in reviewing their programs. He turned the student newspaper into aa mouthpiece for his administration. He even fired an advisor an advisor and teacher when she spoke out. Early on in his tenure, Breuder used the campus as a staging area for the police forces and military forces assembled to repress the protests against the summit of NATO in 2012.

In a move that brought COD to my attention he wanted the college’s Homeland Security Education Center named after him. The center was built on the site of a memorial constructed in the early 1970s to the student protestors who were shot at Kent and Jackson State. I am  a survivor of the May 4th massacre at Kent . We were opposing the Vietnam War and the oppression of African-Americans. And like your struggle, Kent and Jackson State means that freedom of expression is a just cause. Congratulations on the victory in removing that administration. I am confident that your continued struggle to restore education rights at COd will be victorious. Alan Canfora.

Richard Jarman:

Six years have passed; six summers, with the length of six long winters!

Unlike in Westeros, winter is ending in DuPage.

Permit me a little scene to savor the moment. Could I have possibly imagined at graduation last year, when the then governor made his curiously unpublicized appearance, and hasty exit, what would transpire in the coming months. Shortly thereafter, the 20 million dollar email was revealed and unleashed a sequence of events that has brought us to this momentous evening. I believe I am not overly optimistic in saying this is a whole new day at COD. I heard the same in 2009 but that proved to be a false dawn. Your individual statements have been encouraging as to how you wish to proceed in repairing the damage wrought on COD’s good name. Your interest in inclusion and collaboration moving forward in transition is valued. I trust, and I am confident, that you will prove in your actions to be as good as your words have been; but you know that we will be vigilant, as we have been during the last six years.

I want to take this opportunity to say that the faculty leadership, and the more than 180 members that voted in favor of the Vote of No Confidence last August, have been vindicated. There was substantial risk in taking that historic step; what if it failed? Some urged us to join together to “fight the Tea Party” (I think they may have been including some of you) and that Dr. Breuder was the “best man for that job.” Many questioned what effect the vote would have. I wondered at that too but knew it would be a longer game; April would provide rare opportunity. And it did.

Of course many players had their roles. There was OpenTheBooks; the Watch Dogs; growing media interest, thank you Stacy and Jodi; concerned citizens; state representatives horrified by the excesses unearthed, thank you Jeanne Ives. And, of course, one champion on the board who, from the beginning, had the courage to say “No’, who took the hits (I note that the infamous censure has vanished from the COD website), who invested the time to recruit fine candidates, who has expended the energy in the fight. So, Chair Hamilton, I congratulate you and your three Slate Mates on your well-deserved success and we, the faculty, look forward to working with you on behalf of students, for let us not forget that, amidst all this business of audits, house accounts, and internal controls, we are here for them.

New Business for approval:

Ratification of personnel actions for all employees.

McGuire so moves. Seconded by Napolitano.

Hamilton : Does any member wish for discussion.

McGuire: I would like to welcome Donna Stewart back. She was here and then she was gone, and now she is back.

Chair Hamilton calls for approval. Unanimous yes.

Calls for motion for hearing date of June 25, 2015 hearing to approve the 2016 budget.

McGuire: We don’t have a copy of the new budget. I would assume we will have a copy before this meeting.

Hamilton: Glaser, what is the timing of getting the new budget out?

Glaser: May 21st meeting. By law it has to sit for 30 days. That’s why we have asked for a meeting in June.

Vote: Unanimous yes.

Chair Hamilton: Tonight we have resolutions of thanks for outgoing trustees Savage, Svoboda and O’Donnell. And student Trustee Omar Escamilla. We are going to combine that into one motion tonight. We have certificates of appreciation we would like read out loud.

Chair Hamilton asks Joe Moore to read the certificates out loud. He reads the certificates for all three outgoing trustees and the outgoing student trustee.

Outgoing Trustee Escamilla — thanks the BoT members and reminds everybody that students love coming here every day to learn.

Trustee Savage: I am proud of the many achievements of the last 6 years due to the hard work of faculty, students.  (She lists a lot of COD achievements over the last years)

Ttustee Svoboda– thanks and applauds present people of COD. Students and employee groups.