COD board chair eyes dorms for future

Would dorms on campus lure more students to the College of DuPage?

Board Chairman Micheal McKinnon thinks so.

He wants wants student housing placed among the top priorities addressed by the incoming president. But since state laws forbid community colleges from owning dorms, so such a proposal would have to be undertaken by a private business.

It's more partnerships between the private and public sector that McKinnon wants to see the Glen Ellyn-based school pursue, he said in a meeting with the Daily Herald editorial board.

In theory, he explained, student housing is simple.

"You've got two acres of land, you put 500 beds on it, not one penny is used by taxpayer dollars, and you could generate on average a half-million dollars of revenue per year," McKinnon said. "But more important, (you'll) provide a service to that young man or young woman in Naperville who really doesn't know what they want to do. They now can come to COD, sit in on very small classes - our average class size is 15.3 students per class - and it would only cost $13,000 instead of going to the University of Illinois and it costing $29,000."

In reality it's a little more complicated.

Not only does state law forbid community colleges from operating housing, it can't be provided on land owned by the schools, either. They also can't provide any services at all to any housing, explained Steve Morse, spokesman for the Illinois Community College Board.

Trustees have not discussed offering housing.

"We're in the very exploratory stages," Interim President Harold McAninch said. "It's a ways from here to there."

Harper College in Palatine looked into providing dorms back in 2003 and surveyed community residents on the notion. At that time, only 22 percent of those participating in the phone survey said they supported the idea.

"We still feel there is a need for dorms," Harper spokesman Phil Burdick said. "I don't think our community has as much enthusiasm as the college."

The Joliet Community College Foundation provides housing for that institution. They formed a corporation, borrowed money, then built housing for students to offer single rooms, doubles and quads averaging about $500 a month in rent, explained Kristy Mulvey, executive director of the foundation.

While they opened about five years ago with 100 percent occupancy, they ran about 85 percent last year and are looking for ways to get back to a full house, she said. They're focusing on specialty programs that are unique to the school and attract out-of-state students.

McKinnon said the primary lure, in his mind, is for students and parents who want students to have an away-from-home experience but can't afford the four-year schools while they decide on a major. For $13,000, they could get tuition, books, and housing while they take their prerequisite classes and get those out of the way.