New COD chief lays out game plan

Robert Breuder joined the College of DuPage team on Monday, signing a 42-month contract worth a total of around $334,000 annually.

The former longtime Harper College president said he signed on as the new administrative quarterback at the Glen Ellyn school because retirement just didn't feel right. And he believed he could make a difference at COD.

After trustees approved his hiring as president in a 5-0 motion, Breuder sat down with reporters to talk about the future of both the school and its new leader.

Q. You told trustees "It's a big house and there's a lot of work to do." Can you elaborate?

Breuder: There are issues here at the college that need tending, not the least of which is differences of opinion that exist between employee groups and the board, among employee groups and with people having a different view of where the college is and where it needs to go. All of those things are normal for an institution of this size and we'll take them on to bring people together and move in a common direction.

Q. What can improve at COD?

Breuder: I don't know enough about the internal strengths of the institution, programmatically or otherwise. I'll become familiar with that quickly when I'm here. I think the challenges that face the institution now are the human aspect of it. The affected piece of human nature, meaning the ability of people to communicate, feel involvement, a sense of collaboration, a sense of working together, a sense of unconditional positive regard. I think the institution right now is in need of a little bit of healing, a little bit of coming together. We do that through common sense approaches of opening it up, of beginning good earnest dialogue, of being accessible, of involving people, defining our roles and responsibilities so we each know and respect what we have to do to take the institution collectively forward.

Q. You're credited with increasing enrollment at Harper, an in which COD is challenged. What ideas do you have to help that area?

Breuder: I do know that when I arrived at Harper in 1998 we were in our ninth year of an enrollment decline. So when I asked the question, why was Harper not at least reflective of the state and nation, I got a litany of excuses ranging from it was too good an economy, to we have a built-out district. There were four to five reasons. In order for an organization to move forward you focus on program or product, place, promotion, people and price. We were priced OK but I'm not sure we had the right people doing what needed to be done or committed to a direction. We didn't have the right product, meaning the curricula in place was not reflective of the community interests. Our place, or campus, was incredibly unattractive, dysfunctional and in need of repair. And we did an absolutely horrible job of promoting the institution. I focused on promotion, place and product.

Q: There's been continual talk here about a 4-year school. Is that in your plans?

Breuder: It's not in my agenda any time soon. It was on my agenda at Harper. I think it was appropriate for Harper to look in that direction. I don't know that's the case here at COD, besides I think there's many other issues the board wants to look at. I don't feel the need to bring that here, get us all revved up and go chase that goal.

Q: What do you view as the board's role versus your role and are there areas here where you feel that can be refined?

Breuder: The board has five functions as I see it: they approve policy, I didn't say they script it. They approve a budget, I didn't say they build it. They approve the strategic long-range plan, I didn't say they build it. They hire the president, they evaluate the president and from time to time have to do the thing they like least, which is to change the presidents. The fifth function is to determine the extent they want to be involved in community and public relations. That said, most great boards sit in those five areas and delegate the rest to the president. One thing you'll find is that I avoid nothing. If it's an issue I'll deal with it straight up, substantively, in a timely fashion. I will put it to rest, get it off the table and move on to something else. I'll not always make a decision that everybody likes but I'll make a decision that I think is in the best interests of the institution. I'll explain the basis of the decision and I hope that most people will accept it. If I make a bad decision, and from time to time I have, I'm big enough to stand up in front of people and say 'oops I didn't do that right,' or 'I didn't fully understand the issue' or 'I overlooked something, I need to go back and reexamine this.'"

Q: What was your compensation at Harper compared to COD?

Breuder: My compensation, all-in, was higher than what my package will be here. At Harper it was about $345,000 at COD it's about $334,000. So you might ask why? Because I was willing to come over here for that number because of the reputation of this institution and I'm also at a stage in my life where it's important but it isn't the end all. And I get to stay in this community.

Presidential tally

Robert Breuder joined the College of DuPage Monday night as the fifth and highest-paid president in the Glen Ellyn school's history. Here's how his contract breaks down.

• A $249,000 annual base salary, prorated for January 1 to June 30, 2009, when he receives a raise. The board can also award a bonus.

• The college will pay 8 percent of his total compensation to a pension in the State Universities Retirement System.

• A $700 monthly automobile allowance, or $8,400 annually.

• An $8,400 professional development stipend annually, in addition to reimbursement for educational conferences, conventions or seminars.

• An $18,000 annual housing allowance.

• A $2,075 monthly, or $24,900 annual, payment for investment, retirement or life insurance.

• A $500,000 term life insurance policy.

• Reimbursement for moving expenses incurred while "securing a residence" within the COD boundaries.

• Fifteen vacation and three personal days through June 2009, when the annual count switches to 25 vacation and five personal days.