Andrew Manno: 2021 candidate for College of DuPage board

Bio

City: Aurora

Age: 30

Occupation: Attorney

Employer: Cray Huber Horstman Heil & VanAusdal

Civic involvement: Volunteer legal educator at the UIC John Marshall Law School teaching trial skills and techniques to law students

Q&A

Q. Why are you running for this office, whether for reelection or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is it?

A. I firmly believe that education is the silver bullet to solving today's problems and creating a more fair, responsible, and productive society. As someone who graduated from a public high school, took classes at a public community college, and graduated from a public 4-year institution, I take pride in our public education system. However, the system is not perfect, and every student did not have the same experiences that I had, every student did not walk away from their school with the same pride that I had, nor the same opportunities that I had. It is for this reason that I felt compelled to run for COD.

I am running to continue and build on what the “Clean Slate” ticket started: a COD that is accountable, transparent, and is a place of opportunity for all students with the common goal of achieving student success. We need to build upon the Pathways program to identify the individual goals of each student rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. We need to create and promote stackable degree programs for students to affordably and efficiently progress toward their career goals. I am running to put the “Community” back in Community College.

Q. How would you grade the current school board on its response to the pandemic? Why?

A. I think the board of trustees responded quickly to the concerns regarding the pandemic and shifted from an in-person classroom environment to a virtual environment consistent with the guidelines available at the time. However, as with all other educational institutions around the country, this shift to a virtual environment highlighted the weaknesses of institutions to adapt effectively. Additional resources should have been provided to students and teachers to allow their educational experience to proceed at the high quality expected of COD. Additionally, hybrid classes should have been made more available, particularly for those programs and classes that could not be completed or performed through virtual means.

Q. Did your district continue to adequately serve students during the disruptions caused by the pandemic? If so, please cite an example of how it successfully adjusted to continue providing services. If not, please cite a specific example of what could have been done better.

A. The ultimate adequacy of the service to the students is determined by the students themselves. As a mere observer, the students were able to virtually attend classes, but their overall experience was hindered by the pandemic. The greatest harm was to students who attended COD for certifications or were enrolled in technical programs, whether a specific trade or medical field, and could not fully complete their programs to the degree necessary without having hands-on experiential training. Hybrid courses could have been utilized on a greater basis. The COD campus is vast and could have allowed for greater flexibility and use for safe, in-person educational experiences. As it still stands, the majority of the campus is closed to the students who are still paying the fees to “attend.” Allowing students safe access to all on-campus resources, i.e. library, study rooms, classrooms, fitness center, etc. would provide greater opportunities and ultimate student success.

Q. Do you have a plan on how to safely and effectively conduct classes in the spring? What have you learned from the fall semester that you would change in the spring?

A. Yes. My plan first starts with following the research and the science in determining how to safely and effectively conduct classes. The next and most critical step in preparing for the upcoming semester would be to ensure that all parties are involved. Students and teachers are at the front lines of education. If they are not involved in the process, then we are doing a disservice to COD and the community. The educational process does not operate effectively unless the teachers feel safe teaching and the students feel safe learning. A clear and concise message would be made from the Board that our institutional goals to foster student success remain undeterred and layout a step-by-step approach to returning, safely, to in-class learning when appropriate and consistent with current guidelines. I would also ensure that on-campus resources, such as the library, study rooms, fitness center, and common areas be open to students for in-person use, subject to safety guidelines and standards.

Q. In tough economic times, many students (and working professionals) turn to a community college for its educational value. How do you ensure that a person's financial sacrifice results in an educational benefit?

A. The question needs to be asked to the student: “what educational benefit are you seeking?” A one-size-fits-all approach to education is not effective in ensuring consistent and sustained student success. This means identifying not only what educational outcomes a student is seeking, but also identifying the most effective means to allow the student to achieve that educational outcome, whether through experiential, classroom, or virtual learning. Once we have identified the educational goals of the student, we need to ensure that we have programs in place to allow the student to achieve those outcomes in the most effective and efficient ways possible.

In the end, the educational benefits COD can offer students is reliant on a strong foundation of trust built between the students, faculty, administration, and the community. The only way to establish that trust is to have transparency and accountability. Open and honest dialogue among all invested parties fosters innovation, creativity, and an educational environment worth the financial sacrifice of the student and the taxpayer. A community proud of their community college invites increased enrollment. A student proud of their community college invites increased retention and graduation rates.

Q. From the college's point of view, what budget issues will your district have to confront and what measures do you support to address them? If you believe cuts are necessary, what programs and expenses should be reduced or eliminated? On the income side, do you support any tax or fee increases?

A. As it currently stands, COD's budget remains healthy and controlled. However, it is very easy, as we have seen in the past, for finances to get out of hand. I am determined to ensure that the budget remains stable and that the taxpayers are not burdened anymore than they currently are. I choose not to focus on cuts but rather growth. I do not believe in a future during my term where we choose to cut resources at COD rather than focusing on how we can ensure students come to COD and stay at COD. We can ensure growth by having a community college that is accountable, transparent, and works toward providing more opportunities for its students to foster student success. The budget should never have an effect on the overall success in the classroom. The student experience and trust built with the professors should be paramount.