Harper's Breuder eyed for COD chief

Just eight months shy of retirement, Harper College President Robert Breuder has thrown his hat into the ring for the top job at College of DuPage.

While Breuder, 64, said he only applied for the position last week, others heard his name floated as the leading candidate months ago.

Thursday, COD named him one of five finalists to replace Sunil Chand, who was ousted by the board in May.

"I'm not in the least surprised," said state Sen. Matt Murphy, a former Harper trustee who voted against extending Breuder's contract in 2007. "I had heard rumblings he might have interest in COD over the last year."

COD board Chairman Micheal McKinnon couldn't be reached Thursday.

But COD Faculty Association President Glenn Hansen said there's been continual talk that trustees were working to lure Breuder to the Glen Ellyn campus. And members of the community group DuPage United, who've urged the board for months to bring more transparency and public input to the search, said they'd heard Breuder was the leading candidate since the summer.

"I think everybody assumed from the get-go that it was going to be Bob Breuder," DuPage United steering committee Co-chairwoman Debra Fulks said. "We spent a lot of time talking to different people (around campus), and his name just kept coming up."

Breuder acknowledged he'd heard the rumors but dismissed them as just that. He said it wasn't until a month ago, when he was contacted by the Washington, D.C.-based Association of Community College Trustees, that he considered applying.

"I truly did not give any serious thought to extending my employment anywhere until about 10 days ago," said Breuder. "I wasn't soliciting any opportunity."

Since Breuder took over at Harper in 1998, his contract's been extended three times. He said reversing his October 2007 decision to step down wouldn't be prudent, especially after the search for his replacement got going.

The hemorrhaging stock market also prompted him to reconsider retirement. Breuder said his pension, a nontraditional plan resembling a 401K, has declined nearly 35 percent in value in the past few weeks.

Harper's retirement package should help. After he leaves on June 30, 2009, he'll be paid $508,740 over the next five years. The sum covers insurance, salary with projected increases, long-term disability and income tax reimbursement, said Harper spokesman Phil Burdick.

For this school year, Breuder is earning $247,804. In 2006, he was the state's fifth highest paid community college president. Chand's base pay when he left COD was $200,000.

COD's new president is expected to take over Jan. 1. Breuder senses COD wants someone to "take the college in a new direction as quickly as possible and commit to staying at least three to six years."

Former COD chief Harold McAninch has been interim president since May. Should Breuder get the job, he'd have to ask Harper to release him from his contract. Doing so would save the school $144,000, assuming no interim leader is hired.

Thursday's announcement comes less than a month before the Nov. 4 election, when Harper will ask taxpayers for more than $150 million for facilities improvements.

Breuder doesn't see his departure affecting voters.

"I think people believe in this institution now more than ever," he said. "They knew I was leaving and their support does not hinge on me."

Harper Board President Laurie Stone agreed, given the "deep leadership and expertise at every level of the institution."

COD hired consultants to conduct a search ID about 10 semifinalists. Then three trustees met with an advisory panel of college constituents and later met privately to narrow the list to five.

Advisory panel members were required to sign a confidentiality agreement, and several contacted Thursday said they couldn't discuss any views submitted about the candidates.

Faculty Association member Chuck Boone, who served on the advisory committee, said many in the COD community are familiar with Breuder because of the two schools' proximity.

Because of that, Boone said Breuder "needs to be able to address his successes and failures" when he speaks at a public candidates forum next week.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=243344">COD president finalist <span class="date">[10/16/08]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>