COD trustees dispute conflict in dealing with faculty

College of DuPage board members who received campaign funds and assistance from a faculty-run political action committee say they have no plans to recuse themselves from votes on faculty issues as requested by an outgoing board member.

Outgoing COD trustee Kory Atkinson said longtime trustee and newly appointed board Chairman Kathy Wessel and three new trustees should abstain from votes on faculty-related issues to avoid the appearance of impropriety.

Atkinson Monday night displayed two oversized checks with a combined value of $100,000 that he said symbolized the amount of money teachers unions have spent on the campaigns of the four trustees. One check showed $30,000, and the other showed $70,000 and represented the amount spent in the most recent election, Atkinson said.

"We won't find out the final number until July, but we know they spent that kind of money in this election," he said. "It's a blatant conflict of interest for these four board members."

Wessel said she was surprised to hear the complaints now. She said Atkinson never complained when former COD board Chairman Mike McKinnon voted on faculty issues despite receiving endorsements from the faculty in the past. Nor did he raise a stink when trustee Dave Carlin voted on faculty measure after receiving teacher union support during his failed bid for a state representative's seat in 2008.

"That's because it's not a conflict of interest, Wessel said. "I've been voting on faculty contracts since the first year I was seated on the board and I think I've proven myself to be fair and I understand my responsibilities."

Tom Tipton is the executive director of the COD faculty's Friends for Education committee. He said Atkinson's figures are off. Current campaign finance reports on the state election board's Web site show the faculty committee spent about $47,000 on the April 7 election.

The committee's efforts helped Kim Savage, Nancy Svoboda and Sandy Kim win seats. However, a fourth candidate they supported lost to Allison O'Donnell. All four women were sworn into their new offices Monday.

"I was elected by more than just the faculty of COD," Kim said. "Their support is a cry for help to bring back shared governance and the spirit of cooperation that once existed on campus."

Atkinson - who did not seek re-election and ran unopposed for a seat on the Roselle village board - said the faculty wants to control college operations.

"In the faculty's eyes shared governance is faculty governance," he said. "They want a board that does what they want."

Savage said other issues are at play.

"There are two things going on here," she said. "One is sour grapes and the other is they are trying to misrepresent the situation to some people."