Meeting called back to order.

McGuire present by phone.

Section 5 and 6 of the Censure Resolution is read by Birt as per request of Trustee Hamilton.

These sections regard what happens in case of a lawsuit against any Board member. The Bot will not be held liable in case Trustee Hamilton or any other Trustee is subjected to a lawsuit.

Birt states she has now read the resolution in its entirety and opens it up for discussion.

Trustee Savage speaks. She is troubled by this situation and says the College should be focusing on the education of our students. Students are the reason we are here. We do not have a foundation of trust among the Board members. There are undercurrents that are ready to pull apart. I do not approve Trustee Hamilton’s outreach to the public but I understand her frustration. I have considered the same myself on occasion but chose other ways.  I cannot support this resolution.

Savage goes over other instances of disrespect towards other Board members and faculty members during contract negotiations. Hansen is regularly chastised publicly for voicing faculty concerns. There was no censure then.  She cannot approve of censuring Hamilton now.

What are we teaching our students with this?

I cannot in good conscience support this.

Applause from audience.

Hamilton speaks. This censure represents a tremendous need for reform on this Board. We are not in touch with the taxpayers, what they want, and I have sought continuously to reach out to meet their needs and also meet the needs of the community. I have voted against tax increases, tuition increases, against budgets that do not make sense and against projects that are contrary to the budget and are not even in the strategic plan. I have no intention of stopping doing that.

I obviously am not going to agree with this censure. I do not agree with the rendition of events. I think the are being slanted.  I hope that going forward we can work better together because there is so much at stake. Because there’s our students, there’s our community.  That’s what I have to say.

Vote called on the resolution.

Svoboda: abstain.

Savage: no

All others voted “yes.”

The censure resolution passes.

Then the Bot moves back to approving other new business items. New program certificates.

Trustee Svoboda notes her excitement about the two new certificate programs.

Motion to approve the destruction of minutes form closed session meetings twice a year.

Passes.

Motion: Approve joint education agreement between ECC and COD.

Motion approved unanimously.

MOtion for approval for tuition reduction for Spring 2015.

Trustee Savage moves to amend the motion to reduce tuition by $4 per credit from $2.

Discussion.

Svoboda asks for comment from someone from our finance area on the impact on COD finances.

VP Glaser notes it would be twice as much as what is indicated on the motion written for a reduction of $2 per credit.

Chair Birt says she is not comfortable with changing it without a further review and suggests it should be done for a future meeting.

Trustee Svoboda expresses concern about continuing the level of services offered to students.

Trustee Hamilton says that 2.2 million dollars in perpetuity is not significant when there is 150 million dollars in the bank.

Student Trustee Escamilla says he knows students would appreciate it but he would need more information.

Vote:

Yes — Hamilton, McGuire, Savage, Wozniak, O’Donnell, Svoboda, Birt

Motion passes.

Reduction of $4 per credit hour rather than $2.

Birt says she will do finishing announcements and then return to public comments as she promised there would be that opportunity.

Trustee Discussion Items: ICCTA report — Svoboda — executive retreat August 8 and 9, Savage attended one day.

ACCT will be in October, in Chicago.  ICCTA will meet within that meeting.

Requests that any BoT members attending sign up to be ambassadors to help non-Chicago attendees negotiate the area.

Trustee O’Donnell says she would have appreciated advance notice to discuss this.