tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65486904546403366592024-02-08T09:38:50.999-08:00College of DuPage CorruptionLinus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-84341407657809371922009-04-05T16:47:00.000-07:002009-04-05T16:50:36.889-07:00Bid Rigging at College of DuPage (Health Insurance Broker)<strong>Background</strong><br /><br />The requests for proposal were due on March 25, 2008. According to the RFP, "There will be no public opening of any proposals received." The College has "approximately 950 benefited employees and 50 retirees," and provides Blue Cross/Blue Shield. According to Section V, Instructions, of the the RFP, "The College expects the vendor to be able to deliver the current level of employee health insurance benefits as described in the College of DuPage Comprehensive Group Benefit Plan."<br /><br />The RFP asked brokers to:<br /><br />1. List the top 4 carriers, in relevance order, that you would propose to the College of DuPage to enable your firm to provide the scope and magnitude of the coverages and services required by the College of DuPage employee health plan coverages and services required by the College of DuPage employee health plan with the best possible service at the best possible cost.<br /><br />2. Identify the length of your relationship with each of the Third Party Administrator and/or Health Insurance Provider listed above.<br /><br />3. Provide a rationale for the selection of your top 2 carrier choices.<br /><br />Since the college could not change from BC/BS until current employee contracts expire in 2011, we're unclear as to why Purchasing wanted carriers other than BlueCross.<br /><br />Under the Proposal Evaluation section of the RFP:<br /><br />The second step of the RFP includes assigning one or two health insurance providers to each identified broker to negotiate the best costs and services for the College based on the existing health insurance plan for the College's employee medical insurance needs...The College's objective is to select a firm who will provide the best possible service at the best possible cost while meeting the Request for Proposal specifications. The College is not obligated to award the contract based on cost alone. The College of DuPage reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals and to waive formalities and select the firm that best meets the needs of the College and its employees.<br /><br /><strong>The Bids</strong><br /><br />Corporate Benefits Consultants "secured initial quotes from our assigned carriers in time for the original deadline of May 12, 2008." CBC had been assigned United HealthCare (remember, the school uses BlueCross/BlueShield) and Guardian Dental. CBC submitted some additional comments with its package:<br /><br />"As a final comment, our top priority and objective is to present and make recommendations to our clients only after gathering all possible opportunities and diligent review of the facts. We often compete for business through the RFP process and make every attempt to fully comply with the expectations set forth in the RFP.During this process with College of DuPage, we have been assigned United HealthCare and Guardian as the markets we can approach on behalf of COD. As previously stated we are in the process of fully reviewing and evaluating both of these carrier's offerings.We believe each of these carriers assigned to us, will in fact put their best offer on the table for COD. However, we would be hesitant to recommend either carrier over other carriers in the marketplace without having the opportunity to thoroughly review and compare side by side. On the same note, we would not want to be hired based on "luck of the draw." In other words, have COD make a decision to hire CBC just because we were assigned a particular carrier that came in with the best rates for the current year when in fact it may not be the best decision for COD in the long run.<br /><br />Mesirow Financial was assigned Aetna and Cigna. Byrne & Byrne, the firm that Trustee Joe Snyder brought in as the interim broker, was assigned Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Humana. Guess who received the contract as insurance broker? Why weren't all three firms bidding using Blue Cross/Blue Shield?Linus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-70376581783539142452008-10-13T23:03:00.000-07:002008-10-13T23:05:54.948-07:00COD trustee lets looseDaily Herald<br />October 14, 2008<br />By Catherine Edman<br /><br />College of DuPage Trustee Kory Atkinson got up from his board seat Monday night, walked to the lecturn and charged that fellow trustee Kathy Wessel is behind recent protests by the community group DuPage United.<br /><br />Wessel, he said, appears to be orchestrating protests against the board's actions because she's a past member of the group and its protests mirror her views. She denied his claims.<br />Members of DuPage United have appeared at board meetings since July questioning trustees' decision to remove former President Sunil Chand from his job and to then launch a search for a new president.<br /><br />Atkinson said "circumstantial evidence would suggest that Wessel is behind their protests."<br />He also said he believes DuPage United is a front for the Illinois Education Association, of which Wessel also is a retired member. The IEA is the statewide organization representing teachers unions. It's also the bargaining unit attached to the COD Faculty Association.<br /><br />In stepping away from his board seat, Atkinson pulled out a recent article from the school's student newspaper "The Courier" and said he wanted to show student journalists, who wrote a lengthy article about the recent protests, how to be thorough. Atkinson then, on the laptop and projector on the lectern, went to the DuPage United Web site, showed a several-years-old photo of Wessel with the group, and said the organization has a political agenda student journalists should question.<br /><br />She helped co-found the group and in the past was co-chairman and a member of its steering committee.<br /><br />Wessel denied having any current involvement with DuPage United. Debra Fulks, co-chairman of their group's steering committee, said outside the board meeting that Wessel has not attended any of their meetings on the matter and they do not send her e-mails about their stand.<br /><br />DuPage United is an umbrella organization of churches, mosques, synagogues, education associations and unions.<br /><br />After making his presentation, Atkinson finished by saying people need to know the group is "somewhat connected with a trustee" and "politically motivated."<br /><br />When it was over, Wessel responded.<br /><br />"I have never hidden any of my connections with the IEA, of which I'm a retired member. I've never hidden any of my connections with DuPage United," she said. "I have not been an officer of that organization for some time."<br /><br />It's unusual, at best, for trustees to attack one another publicly - at least overtly. Atkinson, though, said his presentation was not an attack, but a way to be informative.<br /><br />"Don't you think the public ought to know a trustee is orchestrating an effort?" he asked after the meeting.<br /><br />Since the board removed Chand from his job in May, transferring him to president emeritus, no one has spoken publicly about the reasons.<br /><br />Atkinson also threw down the gauntlet in that matter as well, saying he'd make a motion for the board to wave its "non-disparagement agreement with Chand" if Chand also would agree to do so.<br /><br />If that is done, Atkinson said, he would recommend "the immediate release of all records related to Chand's performance and transfer."<br /><br />Wessel was the lone board member voting against Chand's removal last spring.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/story/print/?id=242504" target="new"></a>Linus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-41005764238180917942008-10-04T07:08:00.001-07:002008-10-04T07:46:22.925-07:00The Case Against Football at College of DuPageIn the mid-1990s, then-COD President Michael Murphy eliminated the college's football program. He cited the college's mission, "serving the needs of the community." <br /><br />In 1992, 71% of football players were from out-of-district. By 1996, that had grown to 85%. <br /><br />Murphy cited "inadequate support for students living away from home," including both housing and transportation. He cited the expenditures on football, including:<br /><br />Compensation - $99,858<br />Contractual Services - 15,658<br />Materials/Supplies - 35,751<br />Travel - 21,292<br />Insurance - 10,666<br />Indirect Cost - 22,640 ($12,000 on Grounds alone)<br /><br />For a total expenditure of $205,865. According to Murphy, "declines in locally available competition would raise cost." <br /><br />The poor academic performance of football players was also cited by Murphy. According to statistics he presented to the board:<br /><br /><ul><li>48% of players had a quarterly GPA below 2.0</li><li>20% of players had a quarterly GPA below 1.0</li><li>33% of players had a cumulative GPA below 2.0</li><li>Football players dropped more than 1 of every 3 classes taken (37%), whereas the college-wide drop rate was 13%.</li><li>45% of football players at this time were on financial aid (the college's tuition wasn't even $30 per hour - it stands at more than $100 per hour in 2008)</li></ul><p>Current Board of Trustees Chairman Micheal McKinnon wrote in rebuttal, "As a college, we should feel good about the fact that 45% of student athletes in football are on financial aid." [For the record, several years later McKinnon started a company named College Financial Planners of America.] </p><p>The football team was reinstated, over Murphy's objections. In recent years, the football coach's position went from being part-time [a full-time PE faculty member with added responsibility] to being a full-time position. Yes, College of DuPage has a full-time football coach. For the 2006-2007 academic year, Coach Fred Fimbres was paid a base salary of $71,000. That's a far cry from the $8,000 the football assignment paid during Murphy's time. Why does a community college need a full-time football coach? </p><p>The out-of-district players are back in force. The football roster numbered 85 total players in 2005, of which 22 were from in-district [see the Courier, May 9, 2008, page 29]. In 2007, out of 104 total players, only 33 were from in-district. Rumor has it more than 80% of the students on the current roster are from out-of-district.</p><p> </p>Linus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-36559064928211479502008-09-26T06:54:00.000-07:002008-10-04T06:55:09.986-07:00Another COD administrator stepping downBy Catherine Edman Daily Herald Staff<br />Published: 9/26/2008 3:36 PM<br /><br />The College of DuPage is losing another administrator. Vice President of Academic Affairs Christopher Picard recently submitted a request that trustees granted allowing him to return to the faculty. Starting next semester, he'll work in the English department.<br /><br />"He requested the opportunity to return to teaching," COD Interim President Harold McAninch said.<br /><br />No further explanation was given. Picard did not return calls.<br /><br />The transfer includes a step-down in salary. Picard's current salary for leading the Glen Ellyn-based school's academic department is $139,860, college spokesman Bill Troller said. When he transfers to the faculty Jan. 12, he'll be paid $91,400 a year.<br /><br />Picard's department was under the spotlight earlier this year when a proposal though the continuing education department was presented to trustees about opening a satellite campus in Costa Rica. After news of the plan sparked strong public criticism, the plan was withdrawn for administrative review and was not presented again.<br /><br />McAninch said if Picard works through the summer semester and picks up more than the standard course load, he could return to within about $15,000 of his original pay. Full-time faculty who teach English composition must carry 12 credit hours, while those who teach literature must teach 15 credit hours.<br /><br />Picard started as the head of the academic department in 2001 and previously served in a similar role at North Central Michigan College. According to his curriculum vitae, he last taught English in 1992 when he worked as a part-time instructor at Troy State University.<br /><br />He'll be replaced in January by Joseph Collins, who is now the COD associate vice president for academic planning and assessment.<br /><br />This is the second top-level change in the past six months. In May, trustees removed President Sunil Chand from his job, transferring him to the role of president emeritus. McAninch, brought in to serve on an interim basis while trustees search for a new president, said he's reviewing the overall structure and organization of the school and plans to recommend changes to trustees this fall.Linus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-65437788755634560542008-06-15T15:13:00.000-07:002008-06-15T15:15:14.170-07:00When losing your job isn't really so bad<a title="More stories by " href="http://www.dailyherald.com/writers/?by="></a>Daily Herald Editorial Board<br />Published: 6/15/2008 12:02 AM<br />:http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=207707<br /><br />A school leader or village or city manager has lost his or her job.<br /><br />The public wants to know why.<br /><br />So the school board, village board or city council calls a special meeting and tells the curious crowd of taxpayers that Mr. Smith or Ms. Smith got fired. Plain and simple. And the reason why? Mismanagement of finances. Or a severe personality clash with the board and other employees. A conflict of interest in performance of duties. Failure to implement agreed-upon initiatives. Complaints of harassment.<br /><br />And not only does the public get these explanations, but they are also told:<br /><br />"They're out of a job. They're not hanging around on an interim basis. And no over-generous severance package. Two weeks' pay, whatever's left in vacation, is what they leave with and all they deserve. No lucrative taxpayer-funded deals for not doing your job. And we take some blame for this, too."<br /><br />End of fairy tale.<br /><br />Because that's not how it usually is when top-tier public officials are suddenly out of a job. There are usually no explanations why. And they aren't really fired, not when they are given some interim post or other position. They don't even suffer financial consequences, not when they fall gently onto their next spot in life under a golden parachute.<br /><br />But the bill for the extravagant severance packages or the interims lands hard on taxpayers.<br />The latest example of this is what has happened at the College of DuPage.<br /><br />The COD board removed former President Sunil Chand from his job. But not really. He was reassigned to the position of "president emeritus" presumably to focus on fundraising.<br />Meanwhile, the board brought back former President Harold McAninch to serve as "interim" president.<br /><br />The cost for having a emeritus president and an interim president? Close to $400,000.<br />And the number of clear explanations the public has received from the college, as to exactly why Chand is not the for-real president anymore, and just why it needs two presidents, since this all went down on May 27?<br /><br />Zero.<br /><br />Now we can understand that the board may have its hands tied in discussing what happened without crossing the line into invasion of privacy. But then again, it be could acting on the overcautious or arrogant advice of lawyers. In any event, can't there even be a tidbit of clarification, such as "not performing up to expectations" or "not meeting objectives set forth in the last performance review" or "concern about quality of management" if indeed any of these were the case? Just something.<br /><br />When most of us get fired, for cause, we get what little is coming to us financially and are shown the door the same day of dismissal. Not so for public officials.<br /><br />Taxpayers did get one explanation, from COD Board Chairman Micheal McKinnon:<br /><br />"Keep in mind all actions are done with the best interest of the taxpayers in mind."<br /><br />If you were crying at having to pay out $400,000, that ought to get you laughing again.<br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/story/print/?id=207707" target="new"></a>Linus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-17664644613827636922008-06-05T22:26:00.000-07:002008-06-05T22:28:40.577-07:00End the Secrecy at College of DuPageBy Jackie McGrath<br />Associate Professor, English, College of DuPage<br />Daily Herald - June 5, 2008<br /><br />As a teacher at College of DuPage, I am concerned about the recent decision by the board of trustees to reassign President Sunil Chand as "president emeritus" and appoint an interim president in his place. The board did not explain its abrupt decision, and appear to have reached it in a secretive and questionable manner.<br /><br />Because the COD board of trustees has ignored the questions, advice and concerns of COD faculty and students regarding this most recent action, I would like to encourage DuPage County citizens to express their concerns and ask some important questions.<br /><br />Namely, ask the COD board to explain the removal of President Chand and how it represents the best interests of the school (as the board will honor his contract through 2009, this means they are effectively paying "two" presidents - one interim and one emeritus).<br /><br />While you're at it, ask the COD board to explain the other recent resignations tendered by members of the board and the COD administration (including board member Mary Mack in 2008, board member Jane Herron in 2007, and Facilities Management Director Gavin Tun in 2007). Ask the COD board to explain the frequent and expensive change orders they've approved this year for several massive construction projects at the Glen Ellyn campus. Ask the COD board to explain why so many important decisions are made in secret, off the public record.<br />The COD board keeps making decisions that raise questions about whether they have the best interests of the college at heart. But explanations have not been forthcoming. I am increasingly worried about the impact these decisions will have on the future of College of DuPage, and I hope this pattern of secrecy and haste does not continue.Linus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-58973115457253573192008-06-03T20:58:00.000-07:002008-06-03T21:01:44.402-07:00...The College's Board of Trustees has become, as a public official put it, 'an embarrassment.'On February 22, 2000 a review team from James L. Fisher LTD released a comprehensive evaluation of the college. The evaluation contained a stunning condemnation of the Board of Trustees. Given the current operation of the Board, many of these criticisms apply today:<br />Starting on page 8 of the Fisher review (original emphasis):<br /><br />"...The College's Board of Trustees has become, as a public official put it, 'an embarrassment.' Board meetings often are featured by public bickering between Board members, 'ad hominem rants by individual Board members,' adversarial letters and motions, inappropriate interference into the daily operational affairs of the campus, surprise introduction of topics for action by some Board members, and single issue politics that ignore the fundamental, long-term needs of the institution. Several Board members, despite having received votes from only about two percent of the citizens of District 502, regard themselves as having what one asserted to be 'a mandate to get involved in the College's affairs.' With this in mind, it was reported by many that they have become intimately involved in the daily operational affairs of the College and in numerous instances have gone well beyond any reasonable definition of the policy-making role they should occupy. This 'embarrassment' was mentioned often both on- and off-campus.'"Linus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-43058029459929604552008-05-31T21:55:00.000-07:002008-06-01T10:56:58.972-07:00COD secrecy questionedDaily Herald<br />May 31, 2008<br /><br />Why is it nearly every time a top public official gets ousted from their job the folks who pay the salary are the last to find out why? Case in point: This week's abrupt "mutually agreed upon" decision by the College of DuPage to move COD President Sunil Chand out of the college presidency and into a new role as "president emeritus" -- while also paying for an interim president on top of that. COD Board Chairman Micheal McKinnon said "all actions are done with the best interest of the taxpayers in mind." We suspect taxpayers wouldn't mind knowing exactly why Chand was removed from his job as president -- which remains a secret -- and why they now should have to pay for both a "president emeritus" and an interim president.Linus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-43868860182825891272008-05-30T21:12:00.000-07:002008-05-31T22:58:33.768-07:00Trustees under fire at College of DuPage<a title="More stories by Catherine Edman" href="http://www.dailyherald.com/writers/?by=Catherine">By Catherine Edman</a> Daily Herald Staff<br />Published: 5/30/2008 12:11 AM<br />:http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=200260<br /><br />The pressure on College of DuPage trustees continued Thursday after they officially welcomed Interim President Harold McAninch back to the fold. A former board trustee and the president of the faculty union both demanded answers as to why former President Sunil Chand was removed from his job Tuesday morning. Chand, who'd led the school for five years, was reassigned to the status of president emeritus. He'll now focus on fundraising.<br /><br />"The aftershocks continue to ripple through the halls and offices," said Glenn Hansen, president of the COD Faculty Association. "There is a wide gamut of emotions.<br /><br />"A sentiment often expressed in comments is, 'If this can happen so quickly to a president who is highly respected at local, state, national and international levels, who is next?'" Hansen asked.<br />Joseph Morrisey, a former trustee, said he's known three presidents at the school, and "all have been outstanding administrators with clear visions for COD."<br /><br />"Two seem to have been summarily dismissed during the terms of present board members," Morrisey said. "What does this say about the board? Does this board accept its role as one of oversight and governance or is it attempting to be administrators?" Morrisey continued.<br /><br />Foreign language professor Gino Impellizzeri, who said he was speaking more as a concerned citizen, expressed outrage at the suddenness of Tuesday morning's vote. "I am shocked at this in-the-dead-of-night little event," he said.<br /><br />Chairman Micheal McKinnon would not discuss any specifics regarding Chand after the meeting, saying it is a protected "personnel matter."<br /><br />"Keep in mind all actions are done with the best interest of the taxpayers in mind," he said. "This was a very difficult decision." McKinnon did say the "mutually agreed upon" discussion to transfer Chand to president emeritus "began last week."<br /><br />"The college will continue," he said. "Right now, we have two presidents."<br /><br />McAninch will determine Chand's duties. He said Chand will be working with the foundation board on an endowment campaign to raise $10 million for health-related fields.<br /><br />There's no timeframe yet to conduct a search for a new president at the school. But McAninch stressed his intention to serve for a "short" duration. And by short, he said he intends to spend the winter in Arizona as always.<br /><br />McAninch served as president at College of DuPage from 1979 to 1994 and worked on several occasions after retiring as an interim president elsewhere.<br /><br />The board agreed to pay him a salary of $107,680, the amount he is allowed to earn during a calendar year as a retiree with the State University Retirement System. McAninch also will get a monthly housing allowance of $416, which is prorated from $5,000 annually. Chand received a yearly housing allowance of $10,000. The board also will give McAninch a $600 monthly car allowance.Linus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-2852038224412067632008-05-30T21:01:00.000-07:002008-05-31T23:08:54.712-07:00COD will spend at least $400,000 for presidentsBy Catherine Edman Daily Herald Staff<br />Published: 5/30/2008 1:51 PM Updated: 5/30/2008 9:43 PM<br /><br />College of DuPage's presidency will cost taxpayers at least $400,000 over the next year.<br />And that's not including whatever trustees decide to spend searching for -- and hiring -- a third person to fill the job.<br /><br />When the board voted to cancel Sunil Chand's existing contract Tuesday and create a new one for his "mutually agreed upon" role as president emeritus, they committed to spend a minimum of $273,482 on salary and benefits. It will rise once his raises are calculated next month. On Thursday, trustees agreed to spend another $113,776 by hiring former president Harold McAninch on an interim basis.<br /><br />That's assuming McAninch works only for the next six months, which is his stated preference.<br />The total for those two, then, is $387,258. And it doesn't take into consideration the fact the board will create a third contract with a new president once the search concludes, possibly around the start of 2009.<br /><br />Board Chairman Micheal McKinnon, though, said in a written statement that trustees will not rush the process. "All of us on the Board have experienced this week, these decisions are very difficult. Having the best team in place is critical to a college's success, and the Board bears this responsibility," McKinnon said in the statement. "We must remain focused and have thick skins to make these calls."<br /><br />McAninch said he's already spoken to Chand about working with the foundation board this next year on a $10 million endowment campaign for health-related fields.<br /><br />According to the agreement with Chand released by the college, some aspects of his prior contract will remain the same through July 1, 2009. They include:<br />• $7,200 car allowance.<br />• $10,000 housing allowance.<br />• $7,800 annuity.<br />• State University Retirement System contribution, or 8 percent of salary; and SURS health insurance contribution, or 0.5 percent of salary. A minimum of $20,806.<br />• Six paid days off for consulting, paid vacation, and health and life insurance.<br /><br />New elements of the contract include:<br /><br />• Annual salary of at least $197,676, which was his salary in 2006-2007. His raises through 2009 will match those given vice presidents. Trustees will approve retroactive 2007 administrator raises in June setting base salaries.<br />• Chand will remain president emeritus but go on sabbatical in 2009, from July 1 to Dec. 31, and not accept assignments from the college. He will not receive a salary during those six months, but he will get up to $10,000 in required SURS contributions, if needed.<br />• Pay outplacement costs up to $20,000 incurred between May 27, 2008, and Dec 31, 2009.<br /><br />Meanwhile, COD trustees agreed to give McAninch a salary of $107,680 for a term between three months and two years. He also will receive a $2,496 housing allowance ($416 monthly payments calculated for six-month minimum) and a $3,600 car allowance ($600 monthly payments calculated for six-month minimum).<br /><br />So far, the college is spending less than it did when Chand started and was in the reverse situation with former President Michael Murphy. That should change, though, after they hire an incoming president.<br /><br />Trustees accepted Murphy's early retirement in 2002, effective in 2003 -- a year before his contract expired -- and paid him $297,098 for work as a fundraising and government consultant in 2004. His salary then was larger than Chand's is next year because as a retiring administrator, Murphy automatically received benefits aimed at compensating retiring employees, Murphy said this week.<br /><br />Taxpayers spent at least $521,280 on the two men's salaries and benefits for the year they both worked at the college. As Chand was allowed to choose Murphy's assignments that final year, McAninch now will assign his.Linus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-25734944780727994112008-05-29T23:21:00.000-07:002008-05-31T23:29:18.666-07:00COD board e-mailAs appeared in the Daily Herald<br />05/29/2008<br /><br />The following is the text of an e-mail that College of DuPage trustees sent to faculty and staff after President Sunil Chand was removed from office:<br /><br />The Board of Trustees today voted to approve a proposal by which the College's President, Dr. Sunil Chand, will, by mutual agreement, transition to the position of President Emeritus effective immediately.<br /><br />My colleagues and I on the Board intend to confer to identify an interim leader for the College. We expect to make that decision later this week. Until that time, the College will operate under set procedures governing the temporary absence of the President. Additional information on this change and our future course will be made available to the general public on Wednesday, May 28.<br /><br />I am confident that, together, we will make a seamless transition and continue moving forward while the Board seeks to identify a new President for the College. In the meantime, I want to remind everyone that it is our policy not to disclose details about personnel matters and that this situation will be no exception.<br /><br />We are grateful for Dr. Chand's service to the College. He was an integral part of the College's change from a quarter to a semester academic calendar and our recent accreditation process, and he has provided guidance for the ongoing Facilities Master Plan to expand the College's campus. This decision was not an easy one, but we are pleased that Dr. Chand will remain part of the team at C.O.D. as we move into the future.<br /><br />I am also appreciative of the thoughtful attention that the Board has given this matter, and we will strive to keep you apprised of new developments in the process of identifying a new permanent leader to help guide us into the future.<br /><br />Micheal E. McKinnon<br />Chairman, Board of TrusteesLinus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-8685050060993654192008-05-29T23:18:00.000-07:002008-05-31T23:20:26.771-07:00Faculty ResponseAs appearing in the Daily Herald<br />05/29/2008<br /><br />Glenn Hansen, president of the College of DuPage Faculty Association, released the following statement Wednesday in response to the board's actions this week:<br /><br />The Faculty of COD are very concerned about the latest action of the Board of Trustees and the impact on the Institution and its reputation. This action will affect the employees and the students. We find the timing of this decision and the way it was carried out to be very disturbing and unsettling. As with several other significant events in the last year and a half, it came as a surprise and without detail. The abrupt transitioning of President Chand out of office will give the new public relations firm an opportunity to demonstrate their skills and creating a positive message for the College.<br /><br />The announcement of Tuesday's meeting during a holiday weekend and then holding that public Board meeting at 9 a.m. on the first day of classes for the summer semester, fits a disturbing pattern. Too much has transpired out of the public view to be ignored. As before, we call for the Board of Trustees to be open in how they conduct their business; the business of the College.<br />In January 2007 a Trustee, Jane Herron, abruptly resigned. Former Trustee Herron raised concerns about Board operations in her letter of resignation and in newspaper interviews after leaving the Board that were not responded to. The replacement process was not open to public scrutiny and the replacement Trustee was selected in closed session and then presented to the public when he was administered the oath of office.<br /><br />Later in the same year, the Facility Director, Gavin Tun, resigned making many statements again about decision making and the freedom to express differing opinions.<br /><br />In January 2008 Trustee, Mary Mack, resigned with a long letter of accusations against the Board leadership. After much debate a process to replace her was established that allowed for questions of the finalists to be submitted by the public and asked by the Board. Without feedback from the public the new Trustee was selected in closed session.<br /><br />The Board has now removed President Chand. Interim President Harold McAninch assumed responsibilities today. Obviously decisions were made prior to yesterday. This process to remove the President appears to have been progressing in closed session for a while.<br /><br />There was a public cooling of the relationship between the Board and President Chand since last December and the decision to proceed with the Berg Instructional Center. President Chand was adamant about the importance of renovation of our main instructional building and opposed building a new structure at the expense of any renovation of the BIC. Recently, at Board meetings, President Chand repeatedly called for the level of employee insurance benefits be maintained at their current level. In our newly accepted contract, we agreed to increase our contribution to maintain that level of service. The Board is in the process of finding a new insurance broker and perhaps new plan.<br /><br />We can only speculate as to the nature of the breakdown of the relationship between the President and the Board, personnel matters are not a matter of public record. But, we do know that this comes at a time with many issues in flux. We are involved in a major building program and we are in the midst of planning our new mission and vision statements. President Chand was providing the leadership in these and many other areas. He was bringing all constituency groups to the table to work together in planning the future for COD and our students.<br /><br />This abrupt action is disturbing. We are left asking why and for what purpose such action is taken in such a way. As we must move forward, we call for the search for a new president to be open and inclusive.<br /><br />It is time for the public to ask questions about this pattern of behavior and receive answers. The residents of District 502 are the ones the Board must answer to.Linus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-57432881654835800452008-05-29T23:09:00.000-07:002008-05-31T23:13:35.197-07:00Former COD chief steps back in for the interim: McAninch returns to president's officeBy Catherine Edman Daily Herald Staff<br />Published: 5/29/2008 12:04 AM Updated: 5/29/2008 12:14 AM<br /><br />It didn't take long for Harold McAninch to slide back into the saddle. The former longtime College of DuPage president was back in his old office Wednesday -- just 24 hours after the board of trustees approved an abrupt "mutually agreed upon" separation with President Sunil Chand. rustees today are set to hire McAninch as interim president. Chand stepped into the role of president emeritus with Tuesday morning's 6-1 board vote. Trustee Kathy Wessel said she opposed Chand's removal as president because COD needs "his vision and leadership."<br /><br />His contract expires in 2009, and COD is obligated to honor all terms and financial commitments to him. They'll also be paying McAninch.<br /><br />In a written statement issued one day after the board's action, board Chairman Micheal McKinnon said "trustees are grateful for Dr. Chand's service to COD."<br /><br />"This decision was not an easy one, but we are pleased that Dr. Chand will remain part of the team at COD as we move into the future," McKinnon said in his statement.<br /><br />The president of the COD Faculty Association, however, in his own written statement, called Chand's departure, and the way it came about, "disturbing."<br /><br />"We are left asking why and for what purpose such action is taken in such a way," Glenn A. Hansen said of the trustees' vote.<br /><br />Neither McKinnon, Chand or McAninch returned phone calls Wednesday seeking comment.<br />Hansen said the board's actions continue a pattern of behavior first highlighted with the departure of Trustee Jane Herron.<br /><br />"Herron raised concerns about Board operations in her letter of resignation and in newspaper interviews after leaving the Board that were not responded to. The replacement process was not open to public scrutiny and the replacement Trustee was selected in closed session and then presented to the public when he was administered the oath of office," Hansen said in his statement.<br /><br />"Later in the same year, the Facility Director, Gavin Tun, resigned making many statements again about decision making and the freedom to express differing opinions.<br /><br />"In January 2008 Trustee, Mary Mack, resigned with a long letter of accusations against the Board leadership. After much debate a process to replace her was established that allowed for questions of the finalists to be submitted by the public and asked by the Board. Without feedback from the public the new Trustee was selected in closed session," Hansen continued.<br />Chand supported the faculty's interests, Hansen said, and fought for the renovation of the largest building where they teach, the Berg Instructional Center.<br /><br />There was little indication that Chand's five-year tenure at the helm of the Glen Ellyn school was coming to an end. However, trustees recently started publicly criticizing him at meetings.<br />McKinnon and Trustee Dave Carlin went behind Chand's back and negotiated a $90,000, six-month public relations contract with the Chicago firm Res Publica. The pair also failed to discuss the move with other administrators, including the school's existing news bureau, before presenting it to the board for a vote.<br /><br />McKinnon and Carlin said they'd asked Chand to hire a firm and he'd failed to do so. Chand politely explained he kept trustees informed of reasons for the delay, which was tied to pending infrastructure improvements.<br /><br />On Thursday night, Chand's annual job review was conducted behind closed doors. Saturday afternoon trustees sent notice of an early Tuesday morning meeting in regarding "administrator contracts" that gave no indication of the magnitude of the topic.Linus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-71836423490880943232008-05-29T09:41:00.000-07:002008-06-01T09:43:31.378-07:00College of DuPage president's contract terminated: Trustees say removing Chand early was a mutual decisionNaperville Sun May 29, 2008<br />By Paige Winfield <a href="mailto:pwinfield@scn1.com">pwinfield@scn1.com</a><br /><br />College of DuPage trustees have abruptly terminated Sunil Chand's tenure as president, although his contract doesn't expire for another year. Harold D. McAninch, a Naperville resident and president of the college from 1979 to 1994, will take over as interim president, said Bill Troller, the school's public information director. Chand, 62, was named president emeritus and will be paid the full contract amount, Troller said.<br /><br />Chand's departure came about as a "mutual agreement" he made with the college, board Chairman Mike McKinnon said in a written statement. David Carlin, another trustee on the eight-member board, also said the removal was a joint decision between Chand and the board.<br />"Over the last couple months we've had discussions on different things," Carlin said. "It kind of played out as we were discussing things."<br /><br />The announcement came five days after a May 22 meeting during which the board conducted Chand's annual performance review.<br /><br />Carlin and McKinnon reportedly had a rocky relationship with Chand in recent months as they negotiated a $90,000 contract with Res Publica Group - a Chicago-based public relations firm.<br />While Carlin declined to give specifics about any factors contributing to the decision, former board member Jan Herron said the announcement doesn't surprise her, based on the way the board leadership operated during her own tenure.<br /><br />"I think (McKinnon) knew he wanted a different president," she said. "I think this has been on his mind for a long time. I think at this point he's lined up his ducks, and they've quacked."<br /><br />Herron resigned from the board in January 2007, saying she was disgusted with the manipulation used by McKinnon and other trustees who tried to "micromanage" the college. She said that during her time on the board she saw Chand trying diligently to work with trustees, but was constantly kept "out of the loop" on all sorts of decisions.<br /><br />"We'd go into meetings and there would be little discussion and no need to have any discourse and boom, the vote was done," she said.<br /><br />Kathy Wessel was the only trustee to vote against Chand's departure at a meeting Tuesday, saying she thinks the decision is the "wrong thing" for the college. "I think Dr. Chand is a<br />fantastic leader and president and should still be president of COD," Wessel said.<br /><br />Chand left his job as an executive vice president at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland to take over from previous COD president Michael Murphy in 2003. He also is the former dean of Triton College in River Grove.<br /><br />Troller said McAninch will serve as a competent and skilled president until the board hires a new president - for which trustees have not set a deadline.<br /><br />"(McAninch's) extremely familiar with COD," Troller said. "He's incredibly well-versed on community colleges and I think he's probably going to be integral on the board's discussion of future presidents down the road. I think the goal here is to keep the college moving forward."Linus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-39258076729864219692008-05-27T23:23:00.000-07:002008-05-31T23:27:53.313-07:00College of DuPage President Chand ousted: No reason given for sudden ouster<a title="More stories by Catherine Edman" href="http://www.dailyherald.com/writers/?by=Catherine">By Catherine Edman</a> Daily Herald Staff<br />Published: 5/27/2008 5:42 PM Updated: 5/27/2008 11:13 PM<br /><br />In an abrupt move, College of DuPage trustees Tuesday removed President Sunil Chand from his job. No reasons were given for the immediate separation, though the college is obligated to pay for the remainder of his contract, with a base pay of about $200,000, which expires next year. Later in the day, a former COD president, Harold McAninch, accepted the board's offer to fill the role in an interim position.<br /><br />Chand's departure is reminiscent of the scenario present before his arrival. Trustees in April 2002 accepted the resignation of former president Michael Murphy in 2003 -- though his contract expired in 2004. That final year, after he stepped down, his salary and benefits totaled $297,098. He worked as a consultant and Chand was installed as president. Now Chand will serve in the reverse role to the incoming leader.<br /><br />The relationship between the board and Chand was rocky in recent months, with two trustees going behind the backs of the president and administration to hire an outside public relations firm for $15,000 a month.<br /><br />Trustee Kathy Wessel was the lone dissenter in the Tuesday vote to have Chand "transition to president emeritus immediately." She said Chand brought a rational approach during recent contract negotiations and that they were without "anger and rancor present in years past." He also formed a partnership with Benedictine University to share nursing and art programs. "Sunil Chand being the president of the college is the best scenario," she said. "I think his vision and leadership are what the college needs. I hate to see him leave."<br /><br />The board met Thursday in closed session to conduct Chand's annual performance review. Late Saturday, the board e-mailed notice of another closed session meeting early Tuesday that dealt with the vague topic of administrative contracts. Members are scheduled to meet again for a special meeting Thursday to officially appoint McAninch, after whom the college's art center is named, as interim president.<br /><br />Glenn A. Hansen, the COD Faculty Association president, said the staff didn't learn of Chand's departure until Tuesday -- the first day of the summer semester. "We're quite surprised and shocked by the timing of the announcement and lack of information that was shared," he said. "We don't know any of the details or the reason behind it." He added: "Dr. Chand has been supportive of the faculty and renovation of the Berg Institutional Center."<br /><br />Board Chairman Micheal McKinnon did not return a phone call Tuesday seeking comment.<br />Chand, 62, took over for Murphy July 1, 2003. Chand left his job as an executive vice president for academic and student affairs at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio. He also is the former dean of Triton College in River Grove.<br /><br />The board spent five months in late 2002 and early 2003 searching for a replacement for Murphy. Former Trustee Jane Herron, who chaired the search committee, said at the time that Chand stood out because of his intelligence, personality, experience and his global view of community colleges.<br /><br />But Chand's tenure was not without controversy -- at least recently. Public concerns arose earlier this year after the Daily Herald reported on a continuing education program its dean, Michael Perez, wanted to start in Costa Rica, where he was buying a retirement home. He spent about $6,000 on two trips there exploring the idea, and staying at his future residence. Chand as well as McKinnon both initially said they were in favor of exploring the out-of-country plan. The officials later said they would re-examine the plan, which has not been put back on the agenda.<br />And, earlier this month, McKinnon and Trustee Dave Carlin negotiated a $90,000, six-month public relations contract for the school, then presented it for a vote without asking the school's existing news bureau. Chand was not involved in the deal with Res Publica Group in Chicago because the trustees said they'd asked him -- unsuccessfully -- for action earlier.<br /><br />Chand, though, said he told board members the process was delayed because a new infrastructure system was not in place to support the related changes, such as a Web site redesign.<br /><br />A message left at Chand's home in Wheaton was not immediately returned. Bill Troller, the college's director of public information, said a news release will be issued today.Linus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-5580188372109159902008-01-21T17:17:00.000-08:002008-06-01T17:18:31.077-07:00College of DuPage trustee resignsBy Brian Hudson, bhudson@mysuburbanlife.com<br />Glen Ellyn News Mon Jan 21, 2008, 11:41 AM CST<br /><br />College of DuPage Trustee Mary Mack has stepped down, charging failed leadership, self-serving interest and what she called “Gestapo-like tactics of intimidation and sexual harassment.”<br />Her resignation took effect Jan. 14.<br /><br />Mack said in her resignation letter that the personal interests of the board members conflicted with her ability to execute her job.<br /><br />“Ultimately it appears the politics of Chairman Michael McKinnon and the top administrative officials have proven stronger than the mandates of the statutes and the mission and objective of the college,” she said in the letter.<br /><br />“What I encountered almost from the beginning of my term as trustee is aberrant, pervasive and contrary to good order, discipline and governance,” she said.<br /><br />In a Jan. 15 response to Mack’s resignation, McKinnon said the board accepted her resignation, but he did not directly respond to or affirm her claims.<br /><br />“Due to the serious nature of your allegations, the board, in fact, is seeking the advice of legal counsel in this matter,” he said in his letter.<br /><br />What was “most disappointing,” McKinnon wrote, was that over the past two years, board members had in private discussed the issues that Mack aired publicly in her letter.<br />Mack is the second COD trustee to step down recently. Last year, Jane Herron resigned mid-term, citing many of the same issues.<br /><br />“The board is going in directions I believe to be in conflict with the values of the college, the community, and my own ethics and values as a board member,” Herron said in her resignation letter.Linus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-5382975751142398512008-01-19T09:56:00.000-08:002008-06-01T09:57:04.205-07:00Can't they just get along?From Daily Herald, January 19 2008<br /><br />Citing "Gestapo-like tactics of intimidation," yet another College of DuPage trustee resigned. This time it was Mary Mack who quit one year after former trustee Jane Herron resigned. Mack accused the college president of failing to lead and the board chairman of undermining other public officials. Chairman Michael McKinnon fired back, saying the board spent significant time trying to address Mack's concerns. It's ironic, though, that trustees are jumping ship under McKinnon's watch when he initiated a leadership study at the school years back, before he took the helm. Perhaps it's time to bring in another outside expert to analyze the problem.Linus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-58462467090001174452008-01-16T09:52:00.000-08:002008-06-01T09:54:46.372-07:00Another trustee leaves COD Official cites lack of leadership - in letterDaily Herald - January 16, 2008<br />By Catherine Edman<br /><br />Citing "a lack of leadership" and "Gestapo-like tactics of intimidation," College of DuPage Trustee Mary Mack has abruptly resigned. In a letter mirroring concerns raised one year earlier by former Trustee Jane Herron, who also quit mid-term, Mack said she was frustrated with "self-serving interests placed above and ahead of the interests of the College." On Tuesday, she declined to elaborate on the specific charges in the letter submitted Monday night, other than to say she intended to make a statement by resigning.<br /><br />Chairman Micheal McKinnon, at whom many of Mack's criticisms were directed, fired back with his own letter Tuesday afternoon on behalf of the board. He, too, declined to return repeated calls. "Most disappointing is that over the last two years the Board, both collectively and in many cases individually, invested significant hours in personal meetings with you as part of concerted, good-faith efforts to carefully address and deal with issues expressed in your letter of resignation," he wrote in the letter. The issues Mack raised include that COD President Sunil Chand has "abdicated many of his responsibilities to the chairman," she said in her letter, which made her resignation effective Monday. "I cannot in good conscience continue to participate in what appears to be a seriously flawed process, a president who is not leading and a Chairman who is determined to undermine every tenant and principle expected of a public official," Mack said.<br /><br />By noon Tuesday, Mack's name, information and photo had been removed from the school's Web site. Chand, who joined COD in 2003, had "no comment on the matter," said Bill Troller, the director of public information. Trustee David Carlin said he disagrees with Mack's assertions, but particularly with her claim about a lack of direction. "(We) have some tremendous leadership," he said, adding, "I think Mary's voice was heard" during her time on the board.<br /><br />Mack claims, though, hold echoes of Herron's departure letter last year in which Herron cited "dictatorial" leadership on the board. At the time, Herron said the board displayed "blatant disregard for the professional opinions of our administration," and micromanaged the college. Herron said "the board is going in directions I believe to be in conflict with the values of the college, the community, and my own ethics and values as a board member." In her letter this week, Mack similarly said: "I am resigning because I have tried and failed to reconcile my conscience with my ability to perform the duties and responsibilities of a Trustee as this board is presently constituted. I have no confidence that ... the process is ultimately self-correcting." And how does that all affect the everyday lives of students at the school? "If there's chaos and dysfunction at the top, how does that translate as it trickles down?" she asked. Other issues Mack cited in her letter include a decline in enrollment, "ineffective strategic planning addressing the future needs of the constituencies and electorate," and "ineffective measures and systems of accountability and sound financial management."<br /><br />The board has 60 days in which to appoint a new trustee and plans to solicit applications through early February, said Robyn Johnson, COD news bureau coordinator.Linus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-52355186408885691152007-03-28T09:58:00.000-07:002008-06-01T09:59:53.890-07:00Facilities manager at COD resigns<p>Daily Herald - March 28, 2007<br />Catherine Edman, Daily Herald Staff Writer</p><p>Four years into the massive construction plan at the College of DuPage, the school's man at the building helm, Gavin Tun, is leaving to take a job in the private sector.Tun, who's worked on the college's facilities master plan since 2003, will depart Friday, a month before the first new building is set to receive an occupancy permit. </p><p>"It'll be very hard," said Tun, director of facilities, planning and construction. "This is a department that didn't exist (when I started). We took the facilities master plan from a concept to construction and that took a lot of work." </p><p>The Glen Ellyn college posted Tun's job to internal candidates this week. Until a successor is hired, the college will work directly with The Rise Group, which trustees hired to serve as the outside construction program manager, said Bill Troller, COD director of public information. </p><p>Troller said Tun's contributions to the massive, $297 million expansion and renovation plan were invaluable. "He was especially helpful in shaping the overall facilities management plan and been a key figure in helping to develop its overall implementation," he said. "He was a tireless worker and took great pains on detail." </p><p>Voters in 2002 gave the school permission to borrow $183 million to build a number of new buildings and renovate existing ones, and the balance of the money was to come from tuition and state grants. </p><p>The spotlight fell on the college's construction program earlier this year when college board Trustee Jane Herron suddenly resigned. One of the questions she raised was about construction contractors hired by the board. </p><p>Just this month, the trustees were asked to approve $330,000 for playground equipment for the nearly complete Early Childhood Education Center. The expense wasn't brought to the board earlier in the process. That was the job of an early project manager who's since been replaced by The Rise Group. Because it's now so late, it's not possible to send the work out to bid. </p>Linus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-38502615358437074002007-01-26T10:24:00.000-08:002008-06-01T10:56:31.392-07:00Exclusive Jane Herron InterviewCourier (College of DuPage Student Newspaper) - January 26, 2007<br /><br />The following is an edited copy of an in person interview the Courier conducted on Sunday morning.<br /><br /><br />Courier: There are a lot of people who have not been at the college for ten years. Can you paint a picture of what the board was like ten years ago compared to today?<br /><br />Herron: We had different president, Dr. Murphy, and a different board. They were focused on the big issues, they were important people at the college but not overly important. We worked together to accomplish things, and we also called each other was starting to go outside the boundaries of what we thought we ought to be focusing on other trustees would feel free to criticize in a respectful way and that was a pretty good working relationship. And there were controversies, don’t get me wrong, some pretty big controversies back then, but we worked well<br />focusing on what we did. The college was doing really well, enrollment was good, it was growing,<br />and things were on the upswing. It was a very wonderful experience in the beginning.<br />I had just come off spending four years at an elementary school board, so I had that experience behind me but I still had a lot to learn with respect to the college environment. And the trustees were pretty cool about helping new trustees so it was a good experience.<br /><br />Courier: What changes have been made since that time?<br /><br />Herron: I am not sure how it has changed, but I can say that individual trustees are either being given or feeling a sense of importance that goes beyond what is ought to be and the focus has become more of a micromanaging of things rather than looking at the big picture and setting policy and those kind things. By statute and by professional associations of board members for community colleges the big picture is that we ought to be focusing on, and they are focusing on very small things.<br /><br />Courier: It was four years ago that you re-ran for the board, were you more hopeful then?<br /><br />Herron: Yes, I was hopeful.<br /><br />Courier: So has it been slowly getting worse, or is there one main change?<br /><br />Herron: It has been slowly getting worse, and then the board leadership directions that not only I disagreed with but some other board members, you know I am not alone in my analysis of the situation. But the voice that I speak is a minority voice.<br /><br />Courier: In your letter you mentioned the behavior of individual trustees. Is there more than one trustee in question?<br /><br />Herron: There are individuals but you know when I mentioned earlier on how the oard members felt free to call each other on certain behaviors, that doesn’t so openly and freely now, people aren’t so able to hear the criticism, they tend to get defensive and dig their heels in and get, you know, more like they are rather than opening up their minds to the possibility of being a little different and more effective. In order to do that it takes some introspection, you have to be able to look at yourself and you have to be able to hear the criticisms and in order to do that you have to have the ability and the atmosphere has to be safe so that people can not feel like personally threatened by it, and that has not been able to be pulled off and so the atmosphere isn’t there to look at it more openly and look for improvement.<br /><br />No matter how well you are doing you can always improve, and that is pretty much what I am asking here. I just want to open up the possibility somehow for there to be change in the board.<br /><br />Courier: From my understanding you had an outside friendship with Kathy Wessel, is that true?<br /><br />Herron: You know I didn’t know her before I came onto the board. She and I have a background that is a little similar, she worked in a school system so have I, we have both been involved with union stuff, the Illinois Education Associaton. We have both been involved with teacher negotiations, when she got elected to the board I found a soulmate, and even when we didn’t get a chance to talk ahead of time often came to the same conclusion about different things just because we had the same background and experiences. We found compadres. We didn't know each other, but worked in the same district, her in middle and me in elementary.<br /><br />Courier: Other than Kathy how has your relationship been with other board members?<br /><br />Herron: I’d say on a one and one basis in a meeting, more professional, we’d talk about the business at hand and pretty "board membery", not to schmoozy. The times when we had social<br />events like foundation dinners we’d have a chance to interact and stuff like that but in terms of really getting to know each other really well, the opportunity isn’t there. You're in a kind of created atmosphere that doesn’t always allow for open and honest exchange you’re focused on other things rather than each other. We’ve done a little of that on our board retreats where we try and get to know each other more personally. The associations that teach trustees how to<br />be trustees encourage trustees to do those kinds of things because the more you know a person and care about a person the more you are apt to show respect and understanding to them when the issues get tough.<br /><br />Courier: Do you think that current and past chairmen could have made that happen?<br /><br />Herron: Could have.<br /><br />Courier: But they didn’t?<br /><br />Herron: No, and that’s a loss, it has to be on your priority list. Not too long ago the trustee Umar, Landry and I went on a trip and we spent hours together in a car, and that was great, that kind of time. Diane and I got to talk like real people and we got to know Umar in a different way than we had known him before. Those kinds of opportunities, going to workshops together, those are really good kinds of opportunities.<br /><br />Courier: What made resigning the best possible option over anything else?<br /><br />Herron: I had done everything that I knew how to do while still being a trustee, I tried a number of different approaches, I even tried some public raising of questions and those kinds of things to try and get the board to focus on larger issues and those kinds wasn’t going to happen. And I made a plea the last time that there was an election for board chair. I made a plea to please change directions of the board and I would appreciate the support of the board and then they elected McKinnon instead of me. The board spoke with respect to what they wanted as a whole and what they believed in at that time.<br /><br />Courier: In your letter you say the board should focus on bigger issues, are there certain ones you think they should be focusing on? What are some of the smaller issues?<br /><br />Herron: Way back when Dr. Murphy was president and for a number of years we would get facilities changes and refurbishes and those kinds of things and those came to us on a regular<br />basis but there was no overall campus plan for facilities, and it was way back then when I asked for a facilities master plan, and Dr. Murphy ran with it and we had our first FMP way back then, early 2000, the new millennium. That provided us with a guide and a lot of time and energy went into that and then over time because we didn’t have a referendum that passed we had to kind of put it on hold, and then we got the referendum passed and we had to rework the FMP.<br />What has happened is that the board has gotten into the nitty gritty of the plan, they wont let it stand and enact it. And every time they step into the plan and do more studies and put off the progress of the system it costs hundreds of thousands of millions of dollars for those changes.<br /><br />The tech building. It cost $500 thousand more for the architect fees. We had just approved it maybe a month ago- $500 thousand because there was a change. There’s particular program manager things, we had options, we had options that were more within our budget, options with professionals that were very well qualified and suited for the job. At a board meeting in December, an item came up in the process of the meeting. I had been on the selection committee to make the shortlist, the item came up and I said "Hold on a minute, this price has been cut from 7. something million to 4.9. What has been different? What I would like to kind of talk about is that has gone differently. Are we getting fewer hours of service, what are the differences?" Trustee McKinnon said ‘any other questions?’ And then called the vote. That’s how it went. It<br />was like a done deal. There were five votes for and two against. I looked around at that point in time and I was baffled that the board would without conversation just approve it. That originally we had scheduled 3 million dollars, they somehow found 4 million, so lets just say our budget was 4 million. They approved 4.9 million, that’s almost a million above. And we knew that it is always going to be more than, something will come up that inflates that. So that was like the straw that broke my back. There have been other situations like that. The approval of Gilbane. Multimilliondollar contracts. Gilbane has shown in several different ways that it contracts<br />with us with something and then they end up overcharging us. There have been some things that they have done that put to question their ability to pay attention to detail. And yet we<br />come to a meeting, the president of the college recommends not Gilbane and McKinnon gets up there and says, I move Gilbane, he’s got five votes, boom, Gilbane. And I’m like in the dark. I have no idea. And the president of the college, it’s like wow, ok, so there's things going on that I just don’t understand. I don’t understand what the process was, what the thinking is. My guess is you ask McKinnon and he'll say, "They have a great track record, they are respected in the field, they are terrific, great, wonderful people and they are professional." And you will find people who say that. Paying attention to the data that we get from their work on our college is something that we have to pay attention to. And while other people may be telling you one thing you have to look at the data. Our board seems to be like "Don’t confuse me with the data. I have my mind made up, don’t confuse me with that." And I am not sure what is causing them to make their minds up that way, but it’s rather consistent. It is either 5 to 2 or 4 to 3. It’s not just me<br />against the world. It is usually Kathy and me or me and Diane, or various members of the board that sometimes think "lets think about this a little more."<br /><br />Courier: How long had you been weighing the decision to resign?<br /><br />Herron: Probably nine months or so. I almost did when McKinnon was elected chair, but I decided no, stay, try and make a change.<br /><br />Courier: So from my understanding you don’t feel that McKinnon is the best fit for the chairman of the board.<br /><br />Herron: Right. I don’t want this to be a Donald and Rosie thing.<br /><br />Courier: Do you think that the fact that you have been weighing this decision for the last nine months has affected your job either positively or negatively?<br /><br />Herron: I say it affected me more positively, but the problem was it wasn’t effective, the things I was trying and thinking of, and the processes that I was using weren’t effective. My training is as a social worker, I am a communicator. I am a person who pays attention to the nuances of<br />conversation and the facial expressions that I get and the receipt that I get, I am trained to alter my approach based on how it is being received. I am rather good at that, however, this was a frustration for me because despite the fact that I had training in it and I was doing my best it wasn’t effective.<br /><br />Courier: Did anyone else know about your decision before Thursday’s meeting?<br /><br />Herron: Maybe. It might have gotten out, but not to very many people at all. I don’t think any of the board members knew. It was a very personal decision on my part. And a difficult decision.<br /><br />Courier: Why did you choose to resign in such a public manner?<br /><br />Herron: I really contemplated how to do it. What I really wanted to do was kind of fade off in the woodwork and hope that the board would take it as a reason to look at itself but when I really thought about it I owed more to the people that have meant so much to me over the last ten years to just fade out, I needed to step up and say what’s motivating me to do this. I am a graduate of COD and I value so much its mission and focus and what it brought for me in terms of how I learned to believe in myself. I learned to really respect the faculty the work that they do. The classified staff is spectacular. Some of the other board members are wonderful friends<br />of mine now, I felt like I owed them more, so I decided to let them know, and my only goal is to try and open up the possibilities that they will be able to look at themselves. And maybe other people will put some pressure on them because I am not sure it will happen on their own.<br />Externally to the outside world they are never going to say we have some work to do and we are going to take this on the chin and get down to work. That would be the answer to my prayers. I don’t think that will happen. I think to the outside world they will say that she’s got a bone to<br />pick, she’s the this, she’s the that. They will defend and criticize. They will criticize the messenger rather than hearing the message. But I am hopeful that maybe with some pressure<br />behind closed doors there will be some work done to improve the operation of the board.<br /><br />Courier: In your letter you mention companies and different projects that have done what they shouldn’t have been doing. I am assuming that one of those is Gilbane. Any others?<br /><br />Herron: Mmm-hmmm, yes. And if you look at my voting record you will know what those are.<br /><br />Courier: Were votes always close or were there usually two or so people that were the odd people out?<br /><br />Herron: I don’t know that I was ever a lone vote; it was never six to one. There were at least one or two others, we just happened to be a minority. There were times when it was six to one and McKinnon’s vote was the sole vote, he is a person who is not afraid to stick his neck out and say<br />what he believes, going against the grain. We have that in common.<br /><br />Courier: You also mentioned the "board shrine" in your letter. What are your feelings about it?<br /><br />Herron: We as trustees are elected to without compensation do our job and be volunteers to the college. We don’t look for ways to put ourselves out there and show ourselves off, we don’t get any special favors from the college, we don’t want or expect special treatment.<br /><br />Courier: So you feel that the board shouldn’t be targeted out to be recognized over anyone else?<br /><br />Heron: No, especially since we are elected and not to be receiving compensation.<br /><br />Courier: Was there an official vote in the board for the wall?<br /><br />Herron: There probably was, and I probably voted for it. Because I don’t always vote against.<br />Sometimes I try and go along, that was one of my MO’s, sometimes I try and go with the flow if I know it will inevitably happen anyways.<br /><br />Courier: You also mentioned in your letter that you no longer feel like a valued board member. When and why did you feel that way?<br /><br />Herron: It was when the last chair was elected and my plea for change wasn’t recognized at that point in time that we needed to change. I felt that my understanding of what a board member is, the possibilities that existed for the board to improve the way that it worked went unrecognized,<br />and when that happened I thought--is this a waste of my time? I decided stick it out as long as I could, really really try, don’t be afraid to make some waves, don’t be afraid to tick some people off, to go with the flow when you can. And that’s what I have been doing for the last nine months. With this last vote it is getting worse instead of better. That’s when I said that’s enough. I was really hopeful that there would be change and that somebody on the board would make four votes instead of three but it didn’t happen.<br /><br />Courier: Why did you choose the Martin Luther King Jr. quote?<br /><br />Herron: It was the week of his birthday, and I had gotten that Green Sheet in the mail and I thought to myself "somebody chose this to reflect the culture of the college" and what I was<br />doing was fitting to that quote. So knowing what I was going to do, that came across my desk and I said "wow, this speaks to what I am trying to get at." I respect Martin Luther King Jr. and much of what he was about.<br /><br />Courier: You mentioned that the board micromanages the college. What do you mean by that? Is there anything specific that you think is being done?<br /><br />Herron: The best example over the last few years has been the Facilities Master Plan. There are quite a few examples. When the board members come to the college and see things happening<br />at the college and have questions for the board members what ought to happen is the board members should think in their own head "is this something I should be paying attention to<br />as a board member, is this something that I am noticing as a person because of my own personal knowledge, and it really doesn’t have a place with me as a board member" if you come to the conclusion that you should say something about it, the protocol says that you should go to the president with it. The board members ought not be calling members of the faculty, administration and things like that. There have been situations where board members have noticed things and they bring it to attention of the college, not through the protocol. What that does is it sets the college into a spin, because a board member calls, a board member has some status. You have to be aware of that and not abuse it. So if a board member calls into question something that is going on in the college, it could be FMP, building, or sports, that person who receives that communication needs to pay attention to it in a certain way. They could say the protocol is to go to the president, but they don’t do that because it is a board member. They try to make things happen. It can be things on the agenda of the meeting, paying attention to certain<br />things in the meeting, and not on other things. For example, the board has scheduled a retreat next weekend, where originally we were going to work on ourselves and improving ourselves in the way we function as a board. Instead the agenda got changed and we are going to talk about FMP, because we now have the Rise Group and they have to communicate with us about things. There we go again. The board had an agenda item to work with themselves. Instead of doing that we are going to pay attention to building, mortars, brick, and that sort of stuff. All of those things should be managed by other people. They believe they know about things that they really don’t know about. It scares me to think some of these things curricular wise. Some of the things that the board exerts its pressure on they really don’t know anything about. We don’t have to be<br />educational experts to be on the board of community college.<br /><br />Courier: What are some things you would have removed focus from?<br /><br />Herron: The micromanaging of anything. The refocusing of energy from management to policy making.<br /><br />Courier: How much power does the chairman of the board have over the other trustees versus how much is the chairman supposed to have? Does he have more power listed in the paperwork?<br /><br />Herron: The board chair is a board member first. They have a little deeper role because one of their roles is to be the spokesperson to the board, so they shouldn’t be speaking for themselves,<br />they should be speaking only after a collective voice has been expressed. They speak for the board. The board chair is a facilitator, they facilitate conversation in order to get all voices<br />heard, they facilitate meetings in order to be focused and get the job done.<br /><br />Courier: Do you think that that criteria is being followed right now?<br /><br />Herron: No, and I will tell you that the board chair has as much power as people give them. Some people can try and exert power but they don’t have it unless other people give it to<br />them. In the big picture of philosophical power there are duties and responsibilities the board chair ought to be paying attention to and then there is power.<br /><br />Courier: Do you think there is an overuse of power in the board?<br /><br />Herron: Mmm-hmmmm.<br /><br />Courier: Was part of your resignation to change that?<br /><br />Herron: I wanted people to realize that it needs to change. To me it is very clear and to some other people it is very clear. If you get people to speak there are many people who would look toward the philosophy that I am explaining.<br /><br />Courier: Do you feel you left completely on your own will or do you at all feel that you were forced out?<br /><br />Herron: No it was completely on my own. I think that most of the board members have the mindset that says you stay and you work on things. I think that is the expected mindset.<br />That has been my mindset for a long time; you stay and work on it. It’s only when you realize that things can't be worked on, when the value systems of the players are so vastly different that it cant be worked on that you say, you know, I am not about hitting my head on a brick wall.<br />I am just not about that.<br /><br />Courier: When is the next election for board chairman?<br /><br />Herron: There is an election for new board members in April, right after that there will be a reorganization of the board. There will be new members and a new chair elected.<br /><br />Courier: What are your plans now that you are no longer a trustee?<br /><br />Herron: I have a career and a family, and I am thinking about what my future life is going to be, and setting myself up for that. I have a certain number of years left in my career and then I am going to do something else. I don’t know what those things are but now I have time to investigate it. I have time to workout, and do things to keep myself healthy, that is really important to me. I had a health scare in 2003 and was treated for breast cancer, I am focusing<br />on being healthy and decreasing my stress. This gives me a chance to do that.<br /><br />Courier: Will you still be involved with College of DuPage?<br /><br />Herron: I have been involved with the Foundation, I am such a supporter of the Arts Center, I go to a lot of stuff over there. I think I probably will. I set up a little scholarship through the<br />foundation, my brother passed away a couple of years ago, he was a veteran, so I am going to set up a small scholarship in honor of my brother and that kind of thing. I think in terms of my long-term commitment, I may take classes and travel, so yes, I still value the college and I still consider it a resource. I have taken continuing education classes there, it is a wonderful wonderful resource and I still believe in it.<br /><br />Courier: Any other parting comments?<br /><br />Herron: I just want to say that I hope that my calling attention to the situation does more good than harm. I’m hoping that people who have an investment in the college and the dedication<br />to the college will take the opportunity to step up and that will take a lot of courage on peoples parts, but step up and let their voices be heard now. Use this chance to improve the situation<br />over there. I really hope that people do that. Then I will feel like something got accomplished by what I did.<br /><br />Courier: How would you feel if the board changed and did the things you are hoping for and you were not a part of it? Would you miss being a part of the board?<br /><br />Herron: It is ok. If they are doing the right thing it does not matter if I am not a part of it.<br /><br />A copy of the letter that former trustee Herron read to to board<br />during the meeting Thursday.Linus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-82318862643262230082007-01-20T10:00:00.000-08:002008-06-01T10:03:13.316-07:00College trustee quits in disgust COD board moving in wrong - direction, she saysDaily Herald - January 20, 2007<br />Author: James Fuller, Daily Herald Staff Writer<br /><br />College of DuPage Trustee Jane Herron resigned in disgust this week for what she called "dictatorial" and possibly unethical leadership on the board. Herron resigned Thursday night during a board meeting. During the general information portion of the meeting, she stood up and read a statement citing concerns about a pattern of disregard for college administrators, inappropriate micro-management of operations, and questionable contract awards. Then she put on her coat and walked out.<br /><br />Neither college administrators nor President Sunil Chand would comment on the resignation Friday. Herron was head of the national search committee that brought Chand to the college. The faculty association also did not return a request for comment.<br /><br />As trustee, Herron had been a lead negotiator with faculty on contract issues. Herron, of Woodridge, said Friday she's been disturbed for at least two years by the direction the board is heading in. "I've been trying to work within the system to effect change," she said. "I finally came to the conclusion that it's not possible. Sometimes you have to create a crisis for change to happen. That was the only way I saw to do it."<br /><br />The tipping point, Herron said, was the board's recent hiring of a program manager for the facilities master plan. Herron said trustees selected The Rise Group to manage $300 million in capital projects at the college through 2012. Herron said the firm initially bid more than twice the $3 million trustees budgeted and was not the low bidder - even after dropping its price to $4.9 million. "I thought, 'This is not right,' " Herron said. "That robs the students and that robs the taxpayers, and that's not OK." Herron said that instance is reflective of several recent board decisions. She acknowledged being on the losing side of many of those votes but said she's not resigning because she didn't get her way.<br /><br />Board Chairman Micheal McKinnon said he felt Herron's resignation letter was an attack against him, but he's not bothered by it. He just doesn't agree with it. McKinnon pointed to the hiring of The Rise Group as an example of following a recommendation of college administrators. McKinnon said the firm was one of the two choices administrators preferred. It might not have been the low bid, but you get what you pay for, McKinnon said.<br /><br />"I'm one of the very, very, very few board members that will ask hard questions," he said. "There have been many times during my last 10 years (on the board) where my voice was the minority or only voice on key issues. Instead of stepping down, I decided to keep my voice heard in order to best represent the taxpayers."<br /><br />Herron would have had a chance to run for the chairman position in April but decided she had no chance to win. The chairman is selected by the trustees. "I don't see an appreciation among the board members of a need for change," Herron said. <strong><em>She then called for an investigation of the board and its decision-making process. "I really hope somebody looks into what's happening over there," Herron said. "I want someone to ask some hard questions about ethical operations. I have nothing concrete about what's going on, but the decisions were not based on data. They were coming from somewhere else."</em></strong><br /><br />The board now has 60 days to appoint Herron's replacement. Trustees are to meet Jan. 27 to discuss filling the vacancy.Linus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-10213815389287230342007-01-19T10:03:00.000-08:002008-06-01T10:05:02.591-07:00Jane Herron's Letter of ResignationI have become very concerned about the operations of this board over the last few years. Some of the things that concern me include the blatant disregard for the professional opinions of our administration, the awarding of multimillion-dollar contracts to companies that have not done their job well, the awarding of contracts that are hundreds of thousands if not millions above our budget, the behavior of individual trustees, the building of a board shrine outside the boardroom, and the board focus on micromanaging the college.<br /><br />The board is going in directions I believe to be in conflict with the values of the college, the community, and my own ethics and values as board member. Some of you might think that I am unhappy because some recent board votes have not gone my way. Nothing could be further from the truth. I assure you that I have pained over this decision, and it is based on a grave concern for the future of this institution, which I hold close to my heart. I have been a board member for 14 years, 10 of which have been here at College of DuPage. For most of the 10 years I have served here, I have felt like a valued member of the board. No longer is that true.<br /><br />Because of these and other issues, I can no longer serve on this board. I wish you all well, and I hope that this serves as a catalyst for the board and others to look seriously at the board's internal operations. I hope, also, that the board chooses to readjust its operations to be in concert with the best interests of the college and the community.<br /><br />Thank you for the opportunity to serve the College of DuPage. I hereby resign my position at Trustee at College of DuPage effective immediately.Linus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548690454640336659.post-49088995075941113322006-06-26T09:55:00.000-07:002009-04-05T16:47:08.343-07:00"Modifying Change Orders After The Fact"Here's an e-mail leaked by yet another whistleblower. Though the one dollar amount listed is small, since this apparently happened with frequency, we'd like to know a total dollar amount.<br /><br />From: Monica Chadha [RBJ Architects]<br />Sent: Monday, June 26, 2006 9:55 AM<br />To: Spivey, T. Gary<br />Subject: 0546.00 Change Order Number Differences<br /><br />Gary - Can we review and discuss this a little further?If I modify Change Orders 4 and 5 I would have to revise and reissue every change order that comes after - they all reflect previous totals per AIA guidelines. We could just issue an additional change order for the difference on Proposal 4 - the excavation costs<br /><br />Did you review the steel change order with Dave Binford? It is broken out and totaled differently than what they submitted April 25th. The difference is $78.81 - again we could pick this up as a correction.<br /><br />Has EVS reviewed with you why they are modifying the change orders after the fact? All of the information that I included in the earlier change orders include their backup documentation and Edwin did sign them from what Steve told me.Linus C. Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085528744293652831noreply@blogger.com0