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March 18, 2024

College of DuPage – Fox in the Hen House?

By Kirk Allen & John Kraft

On June 27, 2015

DuPage Co. (ECWd)

For months the College of DuPage has been rocked by scandal after scandal.  From several thousand dollar bar tabs by its President and Administration, to the cooking of the books on college credits.

This week the Higher Learning Commission will visit the College for a review of the accreditation concerns.

Dr. Dan Phelan is one of those reported to be involved in this visit.  Phelan is the President of the Jackson Community College, however, there appears to be some interesting parallels to COD.

You may recall in September of 2014 the Faculty of COD passed 189-53 vote of no confidence on President Breuder, who is now on Administrative leave.  The board of trustees at the time ignored the faculty and continued to defend the drunken spending on booze and food by its president.   It took an election to wake people up and force a new direction for the college that brought proper investigations.

Now we see the problems that happened under Erin Birt’s leadership, or lack of, depending on how you want to look at it, are going to be reviewed by a person which appears to have questionable baggage of his own.

In January of 2014 Jackson College President Phelan received a vote of no confidence from not one, but two unions at the college.  The JCC Faculty Association and the JCC Education Support Professionals Association Board of Trustees provided their letter of no confidence to the Board of Trustees during the Board meeting public comment session. (Local coverage of vote of no confidence)

In true college trustee form, without ANY investigation to the concerns raised by the educators, the board voted unanimously at the same meeting in support of the President.  (Jackson College minutes with no confidence issued on Phelan)

When trustees refuse to investigate concerns raised by the educators it leads to nothing but trouble, as we have seen at the College of DuPage.

What leads to more trouble is when the Higher Learning Commission brings in people that themselves have votes of no confidence in their ability to run a Community College from the educators.

Is that not bringing the Fox into the Hen House?

 

 

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3 Comments
  • Bob Hazard
    Posted at 11:44h, 27 June

    If Phelan is among the HLC representatives rest assured he will be questioned about this. Faculty have a meeting scheduled with the commission Monday afternoon.

  • Kirk Allen
    Posted at 13:55h, 27 June

    This was sent out by Jean V. Kartje, Ph.D.

    “Drs. Phelan, Wendler, and Kerr from the Higher Learning Commission will be visiting the campus of College of DuPage on June 29th and 30th. They have asked to meet with you at the below time and location.”

    Monday, June 29th 4:30 – 5:30 PM Faculty (Open Meeting) HSC 1234

  • Michael
    Posted at 21:22h, 29 June

    For the record, and speaking as a former Jackson College Faculty member, the Faculty vote of no confidence was *unanimous*. That man is rapidly destroying JC, and he is simply *loathed* by the Faculty and by most of the Staff. Almost everyone I know there is either actively looking for employment elsewhere or is just trying to hang on until they can retire.

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