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

It’s been a while since I’ve been to the podium. For the sake of brevity I’ve not wanted to add to your meeting length. I’m out of practice and will probably blow through the mark tonight by just a little.

Last month, Dr. Barbara Johnson, from the Higher Learning Commission, met with the Faculty Senate to discuss our probation. What was abundantly clear to everyone is that we must not only be fixing the issues we were cited for but that we must make sure that if there are any other outstanding issues, we should address those before next spring’s site visit. The process next year is not about only clearing up past mistakes, but it is a full accreditation visit. Everything we do is on the table for examination; we must all be working to make sure we receive full accreditation when the process is complete. Anything less is not an option.

On tonight’s agenda there are a few items of interest.

The approval of the contract extension is very important. On Nov. 9th, the full-time faculty voted to approve the extension 207-47. It was an excellent turnout and I appreciate the support for the proposal and the objections to the proposal. I always value the comments of the dissenting voices and listen to their opinions. They express perspectives that are of value for the future. What we have learned in the years since the imposed 2012 contract and the intensified tensions is that there are better ways to solve issues. We have fixed many problems in the contract in “non-traditional” ways. We have problem-solved with administrators to rectify issues that were not working for either side. We have signed numerous MOUs beginning almost immediately beginning in the summer of 2012 and then extended the contract once with an agenda of limited scope. The negotiation processes of today cannot be the ones of the past. We must demonstrate we can solve problems, not beat each other up through traditional behaviors and simply horse trade on issues. Hopefully, we can come to solutions that work. What we have demonstrated through this process, that began quietly in May with insurance and salary, is that we can find solutions in pieces that added up to a whole, one that the majority on both sides will support. We solved problems without raising our voices. I’m confident we will continue to find ways to solve outstanding issues with positive and constructive outcomes. Thank you to everyone on both teams who worked hard to bring us to tonight.

On a different note, tonight you are approving the retirement of Dr. Collins. I have worked with Dr. Collins for almost 12 years. Joe, I wish you the best and hope there are many low golf scores in your future.

In some other news, on Oct. 26, we elected Dr. Jarman as our next President of CODFA. I have worked closely, with Richard as Vice President for 3 years and several before that when he served as a Senator. He is an excellent voice for the faculty and he will continue to inform you of our concerns through his eloquent prose. As for me after December 31st I will, in true COD tradition, move on by joining another committee. I will chair the Past Presidents Council and perform duties as assigned.

I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you.

This blog began in the fall of 2013. At that time, BOT meetings were not being videotaped at all. So not only was there no live-stream, there was no archive. And the minutes of BOT meetings were hopelessly obscure – they reflected little of what was really going on. CODFA’s Communications Committee decided to create a live-blog to help the faculty and other members of the community understand what was happening at the meetings.

For a long time, the blog was people’s only real window into the trustees’ meetings. Now, as you know, all that has changed. Board meetings are live-streamed and archived, readily available for downloading and viewing on demand, and quickly, too – the archived recording is often posted by the next day. Thanks are due to Kathy Hamilton for making this happen.

Even as Kathy and the Clean Slate took over the BOT majority, we felt we needed to keep up the blog. The unfolding events were momentous. Watching a video stream, even later at your convenience, is time-consuming; reading the blog would take only a few minutes. We wanted to keep our readers informed in the easiest possible way.

Now, finally, we have a new president, to go with a new functioning board majority – and the Breuder era is fading to its real end. Although more changes are surely coming, I believe that the all-meeting-every-meeting BOT blog is no longer needed, and that the hours we have been putting into live-blogging would be better put to other forms of service. I will be working with faculty leadership and the Communications Committee in the coming months to further develop our communications efforts on behalf of CODFA, including making new plans for how we might use this space. Stay tuned!

Thanks to all the volunteers who blogged and who supported the bloggers’ efforts. It was good! Now, onward.

Karin Evans
Chair, Faculty Senate Communications Committee

#8 Trustee Discussion.

Mazzochi attended Celebration of Student Learning and was delighted.

Olsen mentions how wonderful it is that Rondeau is coming to campus to get to know us before her contract starts. He also acknowledges Collins’ leadership and thanks him.

Mazzochi appreciates all the welcoming comments for Dr. Rondeau.

Bernstein comments about the public comment at the previous meeting about the audit committee meeting at which someone was supposedly not allowed to speak. He clarified that the person was given three minutes as usual and that when another trustee asked for the speaker to be allowed more time, he deferred and allowed it.

Meeting adjourned.

#5. The purpose of the closed session is a meeting with Barbara Johnson, Vice President for Accreditation Relations, Higher Learning Commission.

Roll call following closed session. All present except Birt and McGuire.

#6. Information FY2017 Budget Update.

Napolitano introduces the presentation. Budget committee has met several times. Some changes coming including state funding we were not counting on. Plan for June 23 budget ready for BOT approval.

David Virgilio from administration presents overview. All divisions have entered operating budget. Full presentation will be on the 19th. Expecting a deficit about $11million for FY17. Two options presented for balancing the budget. Variations based on use of fund balance, use of $5M surplus from current year, other factors. Questions raised about IT expenses rising abruptly, new capital requests. State payments budgeted for 6 out of 12. Bernstein asks if it’s possible to find 5% to remove. Virgilio replies that would most likely come from salary savings from unfilled positions, already built in a certain amount for that. Napolitano says that state money is really hard to predict, need to make sure we don’t get into a situation like what we’re seeing downstate. Need to preserve our rainy day fund, don’t use for balancing budget, it will go away really quick. Bernstein says we need to encourage you to find savings. Napolitano says not to reduce headcount. What else can we look at to offset deficit. Mazzochi mentions talking to schools at HLC conference who had laid off 30-50% of faculty. Prefers budget option B which does not draw from fund balance. Olsen comments that Napolitano and Bernstein are discussing a different option, he agrees. Bernstein says it requires rigorous look at expenses. Mazzochi asks if we are covered for MAP funds, Virgilio responds that those are covered differently and are already accounted for. Olsen asks for a presentation on budget variances, wants to understand what happened this year. Bernstein says he is hopeful that there is still surplus in the budget. Virgilio says that several months of this year have been unusual, delay in budget approval, then two months when BOT did not approve expenditures. More discussion of timing of presentation, Olsen presses to have it in May.

#7. FOR APPROVAL: Employment Agreement of Dr. Ann Rondeau. Mazzochi calls Kinsella to reply to public comment question about president’s vacation days etc. He says that it is intended to be in line with other senior administrators and that the policy is on the HR website. Mazzochi says no one gets special treatment. Olsen says that it’s a model contract, very transparent, no hidden clauses or benefits. Mazzochi says the board has learned from past mistakes.

Motion passes with Wozniak abstaining.

Tonight’s meeting is streamed at this link:
http://www.cod.edu/multimedia_services/botmedia.aspx

To view the agenda and download the meeting packet, go to this link:
http://www.cod.edu/about/board_of_trustees/ 

Blogging will continue until the end of tonight’s meeting OR until 10pm, whichever comes first. Please note that a closed session is scheduled early in the agenda, after the public comments.

Roll call: Birt, Wozniak, and McGuire absent.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Jan Shaw. Hoping for short meeting. Congratulations on hiring new president. Has question about contract, wants to know exact number of sick days and vacation days. Meant to address the trustees who are not here, hopefully they are watching. They didn’t participate, then complained about not having a voice. These members need to do their duty or resign.

Glenn Hansen, COD Faculty Association President. It is finally time to move forward and stop wallowing in the past. I’m not saying forget about the past and move on, I’m saying stop living in the past, fix the problems that led us here, and don’t allow the mistakes to be repeated. Tonight you will approve the contract with Dr. Rondeau to lead the College for the next 3 years. On behalf of the faculty, I would like to welcome her to COD. We are eager to work with all constituencies to restore COD’s reputation and are excited about the days ahead.

It is significant that Dr. Rondeau is hired on the same evening that there is a closed session meeting with Dr. Johnson representing the Higher Learning Commission.  Timing is everything.

It is important to the faculty that it be made clear that the actions and lack of actions that led to probation were the result of a sequence of events, many of which were shared many times. Therefore Dr. Rondeau’s view of “Accountability as an opportunity not a threat” resounds well with us. Accountability and Responsibility should be our brand moving forward. Let us demonstrate our Shared Institutional values of Integrity, Honesty, Respect, and Responsibility.

Welome Dr. Rondeau.

Richard Jarman, COD Faculty Association Vice-President.

On Monday, there were three. Tonight we are down to one. As you could tell from the raucous ejaculations from a certain segment of the audience when Trustee Olsen announced the name on the resolution, you made the correct choice. Tonight is hopefully the simple matter of confirming the contract.

I think I can speak for all faculty that we look forward to working with Dr. Rondeau in the coming years. While the academic reputation of the good ship COD is resolute; and its financial position is very secure compared to many Illinois public colleges in the current financial debacle; it has been blown off course by the storm of scandals, and lies in mortal danger of foundering upon the reef of probation.

As you can see, I am shamelessly using corny nautical metaphors to welcome our new president as we take the optimistic view that her hand upon the tiller will steer the vessel into the calmer waters of restored accreditation. We have learned that the task is onerous, and the required documentation formidable. A new era of improved collaboration and cooperation is required. We are up for the challenge and look forward to the voyage.

Keith Yearman, Professor of Geography.

In my right hand I hold the list of College of DuPage administrators for the years 2001-2002. There are 40 individuals on this list, including four vice-presidents, an associate vice president and one assistant vice president.

I look at the list of COD administrators for this year. The administration has grown from 40 to 44. The number of vice presidents has grown from four to seven. While we still only have one associate vice president, we have added a second assistant vice president.

Back in 2001, full vice presidents accounted for 10% of the administration. Today, they are 16%.

The percentage of any rank of vice president has grown from 15% in 2001 to nearly 23% now.

I’d like to compare this to the ranks of your full time faculty, but I’m not sure what the true numbers are. The numbers I’m using are what the college has used in its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, on the chart “Operating Information: Employee Headcount and Classification Last Ten Years.” In this, the college reported 275 full-time faculty in 2001, down to 259 this past year.

Why has the administration grown 10%? Why have the full vice presidents grown by 75%? Yet your reported ranks of full-time faculty have decreased by nearly 6% over the same period. Something is wrong with this, and I encourage this board to put the priority back on the classroom and instruction, not administration.

Roger Kempa. Troubled by college’s selection and process of external auditor. Has prepared a lengthy report for the trustees. Discusses qualifications of audit firms. We hired one that performed audits for Dixon, IL, largest municipal bankruptcy in American history. Why was an ill-qualified firm chosen? Why did interim CFO recuse herself from selection process?

Wozniak arrived late, during the comments.

Closed session is planned to last about an hour.

Meeting is called back at 8:52 by Chair Mazzochi.

All trustees present.

Entertain a motion to return to Open Session.

Item 6– For approval, President for COD.

Vice-Chairman Olsen speaks about the importance of the decision — choosing a new president. Acknowledges questions about the process and says he had some too. But it is too important to delay selecting a leader to take the College forward. If there were no qualified candidates, it would be possible to wait. But the Presidential Search Committee did find three qualified and excellent candidates.

Notes that there was chance for the college community and the public at large to ask questions and listen to the candidate.

Affordable, accessible education for the community. Individual to recognize the stakeholders and to lead the college to a better tomorrow. A visionary leader and a humble listener. I believe we have found a candidate with all the qualities.

Dr. Rondeau is such a candidate.

Motions to appoint Dr. Rondeau for the COD president.

Bernstein — seconds. Dr. Rondeau has been in an situation where she needed to turn around an institution where the stakes could not be higher. Reads from a statement from Admiral Mullins that describe her work in the Navy.  Discusses his confidence that she will be a listener.

Chair Mazzochi asks for Trustee comments.

Trustee Napolitano — was on the Search Committee. Notes that Dr. Ann Rondeau stood out for him throughout the entire process.

Trustee Birt — Comments on the process. I appreciate the amount of input from the public and understand the amount of work the Trustees have put in. Thank you for sharing all the information. I had family reasons for not being able to attend the recent meetings.

Wozniak- present

Birt -abstain

McGuire – Present

Chair Mazzochi — reads from the public feedback –overwhelming positive support for Dr. Rondeau. “She understands how COD has lost its way – her plan was the most practical of all candidates. Out of the box thinking. Willingness to make changes. She won’t squash good ideas. Calm but firm demeanor. Her idea of covenant leadership has been missing from COD for a long time. She understands that she needs to help those under her do their best. I liked her statement that a community college has an intimate relationship with  its community. She will put the institution before herself.”

I thank our community and vote yes. The motion passes.

Concent judgement in Berlin vs. BoT – COD District 502.

McGuire — The complaint voids nothing. Nothing changes as the result of this complaint. Our Counsel should have been vigorously defended. I will be voting no.

Escamilla- Abstain

Wozniak -no

Birt -no

McGuire – no

Mazzochi- yes

Napolitano — yes

Bernstein — yes

Motion passes.

Chair Mazzochi-  Thanks to the search committee who gave us your thoughts, hard work and dedication. I am excited that on the cusp of our 50th year we have the chance to once again show the community that we are the premier institution of higher education in DuPage County and beyond.

Motion to adjourn: Moved, seconded.

Motion passes.

9:10 Meeting is adjourned.

7:00 pm. Meeting is called to order by Chair Mazzochi.

Pledge of Allegiance

Roll call. Wozniak absent. All other trustees present.

Public Comments:

Keith Yearman, Professor of Geography

I hope the College’s motion to dismiss Breuder’s case succeeds but part of me wants it to go to Discovery. Such Discovery will show that past Chairman David Carlin also violated the law by extending Brueder’s contract without any vote, open or closed. The past actions of so many people is what has harmed this institution, not the select few that got elected an appointed who are doing their best to fix the actions of others.