Good evening.

Tonight is an important milestone in the past, present and future of the College of DuPage.
The Board of Trustees deserves our respect and admiration for the work they have put in to close this chapter. Thank you.

In September of 2014, under the leadership of my predecessors Glenn Hansen and Richard Jarman, the College of DuPage Faculty Association overwhelmingly passed a resolution of no confidence in the presidency of Robert Breuder. By that point faculty concerns and complaints had been expressed through every available channel, including to the board of trustees and the press. We were summarily gaslit and ignored until Breuder arrogantly played fast and loose with an Illinois governor and millions of tax payer dollars. It took potentially criminal action until faculty concerns were taken seriously. Reporters from the Chicago Tribune listened to our concerns. Thank you, Stacy St. Clair and Jodi Cohen.

Trauma is a word that has entered our national lexicon. This institution was traumatized by Robert Breuder’s presidency. A climate of fear and intimidation, violation of public trust, misuse and mismanagement of taxpayer support, and outward displays of substance abuse at a minimum. All of which occurred with the explicit support of his sycophants on the board of trustees and in senior administration.

The subsequent board, the Clean Slate, did us no favors. They betrayed our confidence and exacerbated the existing dysfunction at the college, while further weakening the relationship with faculty and college employees. This included jeopardizing our accreditation and lowering our much-vaunted bond rating.

No, trauma is not too strong a word.

We can’t fully move forward until Breuder’s craven, self-serving minions are no longer associated with and employed by the college, but you could start by removing the bronze deer at the foot of a failed water feature. That would be another step in the right direction.

So, thank you to Chair Dunne and this Board of Trustees for helping us move forward with this chapter.