Daniel Markwell: Candidate Profile

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Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioQA Bio City: LombardWebsite: www.votedanmarkwell.comTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: College Of DuPage School Board Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: Candidate did not respond.Occupation: Server at Buffalo Wild WingsEducation: In School, pursuing Assoc. in Computer Science.Civic involvement: Have volunteered with PADS and Habitat for Humanity in the past. Have participated in several street/forest clean ups.Elected offices held: N/AQuestions Answers What steps, if any, does the college still need to take to restore trust with the community?I believe we need to continue the recent efforts of the President's Office and the Board, to reach out to the community. I believe regular public forums should take place between the Board and senior Administrative staff, and both the student body and taxpaying community.Do you believe COD is on the right track when it comes to maintaining its accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission?I do believe we are on the right track. I think there is work that needs to be done, but I am confident that by the time the HLC Board meets in November to review our probation, they will give us full accreditation.From the college's point of view, what budget issues will your district have to confront and what measures do you support to address them? If you believe cuts are necessary, what programs and expenses should be reduced or eliminated? On the income side, do you support any tax or fee increases?I believe that the college in a bit of a rough patch: enrollment is down and state funding is a minimal. I think we need to keep tuition stable while we work to increase enrollment, which was severely down throughout this year. I would want to see funds from our reserve used to cover the current deficit, those funds are leftover tax and tuition dollars and should be spent rather than raise tuition or taxes. I think we need to also look at reorganizing our reserves, as there may be options to get better rates on some of our investments.Community colleges provide many services to a diverse population. Is there a service your college should be providing that it is not, or reaching a segment of the population that it is not?I believe we should look into expanding shuttle service from College of DuPage's campus to the Glen Ellyn and Wheaton train stations. Either through a voucher program with existing public transportation or by acquiring additional buses specifically for that purpose. This can help people across the county get to campus easier during traffic hours on the roads, and can expand our reach into towns like Elmhurst and West Chicago.If you are a newcomer, what prompted you to run for the community college board? If you're an incumbent, list your accomplishments or key initiatives in which you played a leadership role.I've spent time throughout my life at College of DuPage: my mother taught in the Nuclear Medicine program when I was young, all of my K-12 schools are within walking distance, and I am a student there. I chose to run because I am invested in the college, and in seeing the college prosper.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I think the most important duty of any community college is to provide a local, affordable option for quality education. To that end, I believe the college must always be focused on providing students with an environment where they feel welcomed and feel wanted, and providing teachers the resources they need to properly instruct their students.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Bernie SandersWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Treat others as you want to be treated.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I'd have never smoked a single cigarette, its a terrible habit and the longer you do it, the harder it is to quit.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?History. Understanding how we got to where we are is key in deciding how we move forward.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?When life gives you lemons, plant the seeds.