Response to story on Costa Rica program

On behalf of the College of DuPage, I want to share some additional information regarding the Daily Herald's April 3 story on an idea that has been brought to us about possibly opening a continuing education program in Costa Rica.

At COD, we place primary emphasis on serving the needs of the people of our district by providing an outstanding educational value for our students and the taxpayers who help support our institution.

Over the years, our continuing education program has been enormously successful both in giving a whole new type of student wonderful opportunities to broaden their horizons and skills, but also in generating enough revenue to be self-sustaining. So it is only logical that we examine ways that we can expand this program, particularly in a manner that can prove financially beneficial to students and taxpayers.

The fact that the college wants to learn more about this concept in no way means that the administration or the board of trustees is prepared to move forward with this idea. The Daily Herald's discussion of specific aspects of this idea and how any member of the COD staff may he involved is premature to say the least. And no such new initiative will be undertaken that would inappropriately benefit any member of the college's staff or administration.

Each year, we as an institution examine numerous ideas that have the potential to enhance our ability to fulfill our mission. Some we pursue, others we do not. But every idea that is pursued is done so transparently, with ample input from our stakeholders and in the context of the college's long-range strategic plan.

Micheal B. McKinnon

Board Chair

College of DuPage

Glen Ellyn