College of DuPage – Disinfecting has begun!

DuPage Co. (ECWd) –

We outlined a list of issues that we felt the College of DuPage should take action on and by all indications they are listening! Our list is below and those matters in red are the ones that are on point with our suggestions in this article. Granted, our list below is lengthy, and by no means meant to be accomplished all at once, but comparing it to tonight’s agenda we are excited to see some very close parallels to our suggestions.  (Tonight’s agenda)

Whoever is listening, we thank you!

1. Adopt a “consent to search” to be provided to all law enforcement agencies currently investigating COD.
2. Initiate an immediate order to prevent any withholding and/or destruction of public records.
3. Robert Breuder and Thomas Glaser are dismissed for cause, instanter. (Administrative leave is a close parallel.)
   
4. Appointment of an acting college president.
5. Immediate suspension of all relationships and authorizations with Res Publica, any and all law firms empowered to represent COD and the Crowe, Horvath auditing firm.
6. Prohibit College President and employees from interfering in any way with the first amendment rights of the Student Newspaper – move over-site back to where it used to be and not under control of Breuder or his cronies.
7. Notification to Max McGraw Hunt Club that all relationships are immediately suspended and to return any unused dues to COD.
8. Authorization to engage a top drawer, squeaky clean auditing firm to conduct a FORENSIC AUDIT of COD. A non-forensic audit by the Illinois Auditor General will not be appropriate to the level of damage Breuder and Glaser have visited upon COD and the taxpayers and the AG is unable to conduct a forensic audit. Certainly Kathy Hamilton would have some expertise locating a suitable forensic auditing firm. There are several reasons for this. First, recent audits have been conducted and found no wrongdoing and problems even though facts proved there were problems.  Second, it will give the students, faculty, COD employees and taxpayers assurance that the new board means business and intends to see that the rule of law and not the rule of men prevails at COD. Third, it will give notice to all law enforcement officials, if any, currently conducting investigations into COD of recent revelations of fraud, theft, misconduct, misapplication of funds and other criminal matters, that the first priority of the board is to clean up this mess. Even if the forensic audit were to cost $1 million, what is that compared to the hundreds of millions of dollars in damages wrought by Breuder and Glaser?
9. Pursue all options to claw back Breuder’s $763,000 golden parachute.
10. Seriously consider suspending operations at the Waterleaf Restaurant and Inn at the end of the current semester until completion of the audit in order to stop the hemorrhaging of money.
11. The immediate naming of the Homeland Security Building after the Medal of Honor recipient.  Breuder has brought an embarrassment to the reputation of the board so they have cause to not name that building after him. 
12. Any authorized reimbursements shall be limited to published IRS Per Diem rates – and only outside 75 miles of the corporate boundaries of the District.
13. DEFINE reimbursements to trustees for expenses incurred as their duty – should only be mileage unless attending board pre-approved conferences, etc.
14. Mandate all airfare to conferences or any other college business be COACH / cheapest fare.
15. Rollback the public speaking policy approved last fall, admit the change violated the law and established college policy.
16. Properly amend the Public speaking policy at board meetings to eliminate “classes” of speakers.
17. Expressly permit public speakers at board meetings the use of the projection system if in use at the meeting in question.
18. Direct the college attorney to provide ALL correspondence between them, the college, and Res Publica – prior to, during, and after the most recent Res Publica contract was awarded.
19.  Establish a definition for “Professional Services”
20. Rescind the “censure” and declare it to be a violation of constitutional free speech rights, clearly outside the authority of the Board, and institute a policy prohibiting any “censure” of trustees in the future.
21. Employees and trustees:

• Cancel all “house accounts” at the Waterleaf and Inn.
• Prohibit all “charge” accounts at Waterleaf and Inn.
• Prohibit all reimbursements of food/beverage at Waterleaf and the Inn.
• Prohibit reimbursements for food/beverage incurred while working.
• Enforce the “zero compensation” law for all trustees, which would include no more receiving meals/food/beverages etc. outside authorized pre-appoved conferences. 
• Prohibit reimbursements for hotel stays and meal reimbursement within 75 miles of district corporate boundaries.

Tonight’s COD Board meeting begins at 7:00 pm. I urge everyone to attend and watch what real leadership can accomplish on behalf of the people.