College of DuPage – More misrepresentations by O’Rourke and malfeasance by Glaser

DuPage Co. (ECWd) –

The Higher Learning Commission is meeting the faculty and the COD Board of Trustees this week pertaining to accreditation issues.

I would suggest the Higher Learning Commission come to the realization that Breuder and his hand picked administration are the root cause of multiple criminal investigations, state audits, and federal investigations by the Department of Education.  This is a Breuder problem, not a faculty education problem.

Case and point:  

After exposing numerous flaws in a Grant provided by M.R. Bauer Foundation and accepted by The College of DuPage in violation of the law, even more disturbing information has now come to light.

The grant in question is not in any way tied to the community college purpose.  The purpose was solely tied to the Cook County Judicial problems, thus a violation of state law for COD to accept those funds.  An act done solely by Thomas Glaser outside is scope of authority and apparently in secret to the normal grant acceptance process as those in charge of grants could not answer any questions on this one.

(110 ILCS 805/3-39.1)  Sec. 3-39.1. To accept gifts, grants or legacies from any source when made for community college purposes.  (Source: P.A. 83-388.)

The contract that was signed by Thomas Glaser, illegally, has some very specific language that we now have evidence is false, fraudulent, and/or at a minimum misleading.

For starters, I asked for a copy of any minutes or other documentation authorizing Thomas Glaser to sign a legal contract with James O’Rourke.  COD was unable to produce any such authorizations!  Thomas Glaser does not have the legal authority to sign contracts for grants that violate state law.   (Click here for copy of FOIA response)

At the bottom of the contract there is a heading of  “ENTIRE AGREEMENT AND CONFLICT”.  In that paragraph it claims the following:  (Click here for copy of contract)

I asked for those claimed incorporated “RFP documents” and “Contractor’s responding proposal”.  Any guess what was provided?

The College did not locate records that respond to subparts 1-4 of my request.

Any institution that issued an RFP is going to be able to locate it if it was within the last few years.  That process has a fair amount of work involved and publication of such would be readily available.  The fact they can’t locate any RFP tells us clearly there was none, contrary to the claim.

So in short, COD accepts Grant money in direct violation of the law not once but twice.  Then Glaser signs a legal contract in which he has no authority to sign, then top it all off, both Glaser and O’Rourke, a practicing attorney, signed a contract with the claim the agreement incorporated RFP documents and contractors proposals of which the College is unable to locate.

If this is not another example of total failure of the past Administration, Breuder and in many regards the old board I don’t know what is.  The Higher Learning Commission should take this example as one of many that expose where the fault lies that lead to the problems being cleaned up by the current Board of Trustees.

This is an administration problem not a faculty problem.  It “was” a  Board of Trustees problem that clearly the election addressed. COD would be best served by the HLC realizing what the real problems were and allow this board to continue working towards what will clearly be a multi year solution to problems allowed to fester for years under Breuder’s control.

I think the bigger issue here is why, as Breuder referred to us as a couple “hay seeds” from southern Illinois, can figure this out why didn’t the old board or the Higher Learning Commission take any notice to all these problems before now?

For those that choose to minimize this matter keep in mind, violating state law as a public official in many cases is Official Misconduct which is a felony.

To keep this particular matter in perspective, follow Glaser’s malfeasance while employed at COD by following the historical reporting on this grant issue through the links here, here, here, and here,