COD to narrow search for president
College of DuPage trustees are continuing an aggressive timeline to find a new president and plan to meet 10 applicants for the job next week.
While the board is soliciting input from a committee comprised of college employees, students and residents, members of a community group continue to raise objections to the search process.
Members of DuPage United say opinions from the community are merely advisory, finalists for the job are selected by only three trustees, and the entire search is overly accelerated. Based on the current timeline started in August, a new president will be in place in December.
"What sort of conscientious (college) president would be willing to leave his job with one month notice between terms," said Debbie Fulks, co-chairman of the umbrella organization of churches, mosques, synagogues, education associations and unions.
In fact, the board not only is looking for existing administrators from a higher education setting but from business, as well, explained college spokeswoman Robyn Johnson.
"It's one of the few searches where a Ph.D. wasn't required to get a broader pool of candidates," she said.
Trustees are searching for a new president because they removed the former top administrator, Sunil Chand, from his job in May and transferred him to president emeritus. Former president Harold McAninch agreed to return on an interim basis. He is set to leave by Jan. 1.
Candidates are required to submit applications by the end of this week. Consultants from Association of Community College Trustees will winnow that list down to 10 applicants they'll present to the full advisory group and three trustees on Tuesday, Oct. 14.
The Representative Advisory Group includes faculty members Glenn Hansen and Chuck Boone; Lisa Stock of the administrative council; Andrea Richmond and Brenda Marcy of the Classified Personnel Association; Joanne Barsanti, a part-time faculty member; Maureen Buckley from the foundation; Student Trustee Malek Zoubi; student Liz Dong; former board chairman Mary Wuttke Kranz and resident Irene Antoniou.
After a morning session where committee members can offer suggestions, three trustees will meet later that day and further narrow the list to between three and five finalists. Those trustees include Chairman Micheal McKinnon, Vice Chairman Mark Nowak and Trustee David Carlin.
A tentative schedule for open forums where the public can meet and question the candidates is set for the following week, between Monday, Oct. 20 and Thursday, Oct. 23. Those dates will be set based on when the candidates can visit the college.
Fulks said her group is asking trustees to ensure they're selecting the best candidate, even if it means delaying the process.
"If upon review of applicants they don't see true excellence, we ask that they reopen the search," she said.