| 2009 | Dr. Breuder was hired as COD President (recently left Harper College, having received a vote of no confidence from their faculty) |
| Fiscal 2012 | These 4 for profit operation run by the College of DuPage lost $1.8+ million dollars.
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| December 2013 (discovered in 2014) | $9,254.63 was spent on a Christmas gift of steak and ribs to the Senior Management Team ($2,345.03), a Senior Management Team Holiday party wasted $3,572.40 including $1,553 in booze, a Holiday Board of Trustees dinner ($2,331.60) included $807 in booze, and a Board of Trustees “retreat” dinner squandered another $1,005.60. |
| 3/7/2014(discovered in 2016) | Erin Birt told Dr. Breuder that his contract had been extended by the board majority until June 2019. Listed in Breuder’s law suit document.edgarcountywatchdogs |
| 4/25/2014(discovered in 2016) | Proposed Breuder separation agreement attached to an email. Published by the Edgar County Watchdogs on 1/19/2016. Note: the board voted on the separation agreement in January 2015 (twice) edgarcountywatchdogs and edgarcountywatchdogs |
| 5/22/2014 | Adam Andrzejewski Founder & Chairman of “For The Good of Illinois” called for the College of Dupage (COD) to freeze property taxes and Student fees. According to the data he collected, since 2008, COD hiked property taxes by 59% while home values declined. He also questioned the wisdom of paying COD President Robert Breuder nearly $500,000 yearly. |
| June 2014 | COD lost a $20 million state construction grant because Breuder’s email became public and Governor Quinn rescinded the offer. |
| July 2014 | COD was exposed for paying up to $27,000 in fees and private membership dues at the presidents shooting club – never authorized |
| September 2014 | COD won a national “Golden Hammer” award for hiding $96 million in “Impressed” accounting payments that weren’t disclosed to the public or trustees. |
| 9/18/2014 | The faculty at the College of DuPage has passed a no confidence vote on the current School President, Dr. Robert Breuder. edgarcountywatchdogs |
| October 2014 | COD was forced to publically acknowledge “possible fraud” in the radio station for possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars. |
| 11/20/2014 | McGuire gives a 20 minute rant comparing the “TEA Party” to Nazis youtube |
| 12/18/2014 | Jan Shaw led the Pledge of Allegiance during public comments, She supplied her own flag since there was none in the room. Kathy Hamilton was the only board member to stand. youtube |
| 1/15/2015 | COD made the front page of the Chicago Tribune “College of DuPage employed radio engineer despite theft conviction” |
| 1/22/2015 | COD board voted to amend COD president Dr Breuder’s contract, giving Dr. Breuder a $762,868.77 Golden Parachute when he retires on March 31, 2016. Jan Shaw led the Pledge again during public comments. This time a flag was in the room. Only Trustee Hamilton stood again. |
| 1/28/2015 | Special COD Board Meeting for the purpose of re-voting the Addendum 4 to Dr. Breuder’s contract. The meeting was moved to a larger room per judge’s order. Over 400 people attended the meeting. Ed F. led the Pledge during the second round of public comments. All board members and administrators stood – TV cameras were rolling. |
| 2/19/ 2015 | The Pledge of Allegiance finally appeared on the meeting agenda. |
| 4/7/2015 | Consolidated elections – voters choose the “clean slate” Mazzochi, Napolitano, Bernstein as new COD trustees. |
| 4/29/2015(reported 12/15/2015 | The Physical Therapist Assistant Educator Program at the College of DuPage was placed on “Probationary Accreditation” due to COD’s “inability to demonstrate compliance with a significant number of evaluative criteria“. edgarcountywatchdogs |
| 4/30/2015 | organizational meeting to seat newly elected trustees and elect board leadership (Chair – Hamilton, Vice Chair – Mazzochi, Secretary – Napolitano) |
| 4/30/2015 | Placed Dr. Breuder on Administrative leave, appointed Dr Collins as interim president. Formation of an Ad Hoc Committee to conduct a Search for an interim President. |
| 5/14/2015 | from minutes “Chairman Hamilton said that Res Publica was hired without Board knowledge and was hired initially by a law firm and it was under a thin veil of attorney-client privilege which she believes needed to be disclosed to the public and the Board which is why she is voting to disclose the details of this invoice. ($395,069.11)Trustee McGuire said that it wasn’t without Board knowledge that (then) Chairman Birt was aware of it.” Motion passed. Res Publica provided pro-status-quo propaganda at taxpayer expense prior to the election.
edgarcountywatchdogs and cod.edu (page 10) |
| Formed a Budget committee and a Waterleaf committee | |
| 5/21/2015 | Adopted new board policies |
| Strategic plan for the time being is to identify problems, repair them, and continue to transform lives through our faculty teaching students. | |
| 6/11/2015 | Hired Alix Partners for provision of interim financial services – CFO & Comptroller had been put on administrative leave. |
| 7/24/2015 | IL State’s Attorney’s office (Lisa Madigan) issued an opinion that there was indeed an Open Meetings Act violation on 7/12/2011 when they extended Dr. Breuder’s contract. edgarcountywatchdogs |
| 7/30/2015 | Formed a Education committee |
| 8/13/2015 | Establishment of Presidential Search Committee |
| Vote to close the Waterleaf restaurant & transition to purely educational use | |
| 8/20/2015 | Authorization to Initiate Termination Proceedings against College President |
| Introduced a transition team | |
| Authorized a request to DuPage County State’s Attorney to pursue enforcement of the Attorney General’s 7/24/2015 opinion. | |
| 9/11/2015 | Letter from DuPage State’s Attorney declining to prosecute the Open meetings act violation on 7/12/2011 in chich Dr.Breuder’s contract was illegally amended. edgarcountywatchdogs |
| 9/?/2015 | Thomas Glaser (CFO) and Lynn Sapyta (Comptroller) terminated during the week prior to the 9/17/2015 board meeting. |
| 9/17/2015 | Public hearing on the 2016 budget |
| Dr. Beuder’s contract declared Void Ab Initio (never valid – a board cannot tie the hands of a future board. Each board term is two years. A self renewing five-year contract is not valid) | |
| Proclamation naming Homeland Security Education Center in honor of Congressional Medal of Honoe Recipient, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller | |
| Retained the Law firm of Nicolay & Dart and TayorUhe to provide Governmental Legal Services | |
| 9/28/2015 | Adopted FY2016 Budget – COD reduced tuition & certain fees |
| 10/5/2015 | The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) has issued a ruling against the College of DuPage (COD) and their process used to place Suburban Law Enforcement Academy (SLEA) cadets as COD students and having it count towards COD’s credit hour enrollment numbers. edgarcountywatchdogs and edgarcountywatchdogs |
| 10/20/2015 | terminate Dr. Breuders’ contract |
| 11/16/2015 | presidential search committee met |
| 11/19 /2015 | Per recommendations of the presidential search committee m the board hired William E. Hay & Co to conduct a presidential search. |
| 12/13/2015 | Kathy Hamilton resigned for “personal reasons” the board has 60 days to pick a replacement. If not the Chair of the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) will appoint one |
| 12/16/2015 | COD placed on academic probation by HLC edgarcountywatchdogs |
| 12/17/2015 | McGuire, Birt and Wozniak boycott board meeting – no quorum |
| 12/30/2015 | Criminal Complaint filed against McGuire, Birt and Wozniak for 720 ILCS 5/33-3 Official Misconduct and 720 ILCS 5/12-6 Intimidationedgarcountywatchdogs
Will Bob Berlin, DuPage States attorney do anything? |
| 1/ 7/2016 | Special board meeting called by McGuire, Birt, Wozniak to hold a new organization meeting for 7 pm2nd board meeting called for 6:45 by Mazzochi, Napolitano and Bernstein containing everything the other one had + public comment at the beginning and legal interpretation by council regarding re-organization.
McGuire, Birt and Wozniak boycotted both. |
| 1/ 14/2016 | Special board meeting called by McGuire, Birt, Wozniak to hold a new organization meeting for 7 pm2nd board meeting called for 6:30 by Mazzochi, Napolitano and Bernstein containing only 1 item, approval of releasing Feb & March 2014 closed door minutes and recordings to the state’s attorney.
McGuire, Birt and Wozniak boycotted both. |
| 1/21/2016 | Regular board meeting – no quorum |
| 1/25/2016 | “The IRS determined that “a significant and substantial number” of Waterleaf restaurant meals charged on college house accounts — 44 percent in 2013 — did not have a business purpose or had insufficient documentation. As a result, an IRS audit found, they should be considered taxable employee compensation.”(Tribune article) |
| 1/28/2016 | Special board meeting – no quorum |
| 2/3/2016 | All 6 trustees finally show up for the 7pm meeting. Consent agenda and personnel items approved. Boycott ended, but still little sign of cooperation. McGuire, Birt and Wozniak missed 2 regularly scheduled board meetings 12/12/2015, 1/21/2016 and special board meetings on 1/7/2016, 1/14/2016 and 1/28/2016 including meeting that they called. |
For more information:
- cod.edu/about/board_of_trustees/
- edgarcountywatchdogs.com/category/college-of-dupage-2/
- codfaculty.org/blogs/bot/
- Chicago Tribune
- Daily Herald
Wow there has been a lot of changes ni the history of the College of DuPage board. That is interesting that all six trustees finally showed up in 2016. Why were they not all coming before?
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After the “Clean Slate” was elected the board was split 3-4 . When Kathy Hamilton resigned the split became 3-3. It takes 4 board members to have a quorum which is needed to take any action. When the 3 legacy board members did not show up, nothing could be done. The deadlock was broken when David Olsen was appointed, and the board began to function again.
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