Restore excellence at College of DuPage

The College of DuPage is a great institution.

On Tuesday, voters can restore trust between the community and the board of trustees and between the board and faculty, students and staff. Our community deserves responsible, accountable trustees committed to promoting the college's tradition of academic excellence and its highly regarded national reputation.

There must be no surprises, as when two board members independently revised 240 policies, requesting full board approval within two months. New policies would distort the balance between duties and responsibilities of the board, administration and faculty.

They would impose censorship by requiring board approval for all speakers, imposing presidential approval on the student newspaper, and removing control of curriculum from faculty.

We can elect four new board members - Nancy Svoboda, Kim Savage, Tom Wendorf and Sandy Kim - unaffiliated with incumbents and their choices. These candidates will: Stand for election in open competition, not attempt to eliminate other candidates through questionable challenges; honor the respective functions of administration and governance; strengthen consistency of mission, providing affordable education and work force development; shape policy that expresses community values and perspectives in open, honest discussion and with careful review of practices and consideration of constituency input; keep partisan politics out of education decisions; restore proper balance between duties and responsibilities of board, administration and faculty; support our community's future through strong academic programs.

We former board members are dismayed by the decline in COD governance and want to maintain excellence at the college.

Nolan Baird, Jr.

Glen Ellyn

Marjorie Bardeen

Warrenville

Jim Blaha

Geneva

Mary Sue Brown

Glen Ellyn

Peggy Connolly

Wheaton

Donald Fischer

Wheaton

Jane Herron

Woodridge

Diane Landry

Western Springs

Evelyn Zerfoss

Elmhurst