State senator reaffirms support for four-year degrees at Harper

A Harper College board still shattered by the recent death of Trustee Patrick Botterman received encouragement Tuesday about the progress of a groundbreaking plan Botterman strongly supported to offer bachelor's degrees at the college.

Democratic state Sen. Dan Kotowoski of Park Ridge attended the board's meeting to share its grief and reaffirm his commitment to the uphill battle awaiting in the Senate.

"Patrick was one of the people who encouraged me to think about the bill and its impact on the people of the district," Kotowski said. "I'm confident we can move on this legislation during this session. It's what Patrick would have wanted."

Controversial House Bill 1434 is the latest incarnation of Harper's long-running plan to offer bachelor's degrees for majors not offered locally.

The two fields of study the bill intends to bring to Harper on a trial basis are criminal justice and information technology.

To allay the fears of the four-year institutions and state legislators nervous about its impact, the bill includes an expiration date of four years that would force its success or failure to be evaluated before renewal.

The colleges and universities that oppose it are not merely watching with interest, but have hired a $175,000 lobbyist to make sure the bill never leaves the Senate's Rules Committee, Harper College President Robert Breuder said.

"This is a perfect example of the kind of fight Pat Botterman would have loved," Kotowski said.

Botterman died March 10 at age 44. In a resolution approved at the start of the meeting, he was remembered by board Chairwoman Laurie Stone for his strong ethics and his passion for a political process that puts people first.

The board also approved the contribution of $10,000 from college funds to a new, annual scholarship in Botterman's name that had already received more than $8,000 in donations.

But Kotowski said he's also working to ensure the passage of House Bill 1434 this spring will be another legacy of Botterman.

He's supported by many local law enforcement agencies, including departments in Des Plaines and Palatine, because of the new requirement of bachelor's degrees for police officers.

"We're grateful for your efforts and realize this is not an easy pull or push," Breuder told Kotowski.