COD trustee candidates talk about improvements for students
The twelve candidates vying for three seats on the College of DuPage board of trustees on Wednesday shared their differing visions about improvements they would like to make for students.
Their ideas included creating an alumni association and keeping tuition at a constant level.
The twelve candidates running in the April 7 election are Dan Bailey of Wheaton, Claire Ball of Addison, former Trustee David Carlin of Naperville, Roger Kempa of Darien, Matt Gambs of Naperville, Sandra Pihos of Glen Ellyn, Joseph M. Wozniak of Naperville, incumbent Nancy Svoboda of Downers Grove, incumbent Kim Savage of Darien, Deanne Mazzochi of Elmhurst, Frank Napolitano of Bloomingdale and Charles Bernstein of Wheaton. Mazzochi, Bernstein and Napolitano are running as a slate and are supported by Trustee Kathy Hamilton.
At a Wednesday forum organized by the College of DuPage Adjuncts Association, the twelve hopefuls shared their ideas and concerns on a wide range of topics including transparency, college finances and proper board member behavior. Forum guests were able to submit questions to candidates.
Each candidate was asked to briefly describe the most important improvement they would make for students if elected.
Most of the candidates' proposed improvements focused on academics and support.
Carlin said his ideas include making sure students benefit from their classes, protecting and expanding student opportunities and keeping tuition affordable.
Gambs said he would like to improve technology, infrastructure and online learning for students.
Meanwhile, Savage said she wants to give students the tools they need to make sure they complete their studies at the college.
"We want to make sure students are successful," she said.
Napolitano said he would like to work with business leaders to make sure students are ready for careers or four-year universities when they leave the community college with their certificates or associate degrees.
Kempa's hope was simple: He said he wanted to work on bringing an alumni association to the school.
Bailey said he wanted to increase the number of counselors at the school and help decrease student debt.
Pihos said she would like the college to analyze its current services.
"I think we need to assess the kinds of support services here that we have at the college and make sure all the necessary support services are in place so the students can accomplish their goals," she said.
Incumbent Svoboda said she wanted to see the college's programming examined.
"We need to assess the needs in different program areas and build on them," Svoboda said. For example, Svoboda added, the college district's retirees need more attention from the school.
Mazzochi said that in addition to lowering tuition, she would like the college to assess student outcomes in classes.
"I think we need to really analyze which classes that COD currently offers are serving as bottlenecks that are causing students to either not be able to progress to get their associate degree or which are causing them to get frustrated and drop out," she said.
Other candidates had more financial improvements in mind to help students, including Ball, who said she wanted to "open the books" and "clean out the expenses."
Bernstein agreed with Ball's proposal, telling forum guests he wanted to stop the "hemorrhaging" of cash at the community college so tuition can remain at a constant level, the faculty can be paid what they "deserve" and the school can get more permanent faculty.
Wozniak said he wants to "repair the damage done" at COD for students and graduates.