Don Potoczny: 2021 candidate for College of DuPage board

Bio

City: Naperville

Age: 54

Occupation: High school administrator, Commandant of Patton Leadership Academy

Employer: Chicago Public Schools

Civic involvement: Retired as a U.S. Army colonel last year; board president for the DuPage Symphony Orchestra; senior adviser for Operations Support Our Troops — America; Nonprofit Advisory Council for Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce; Project Management instructor for Black Diamond Charities; Western Illinois University ROTC Alumni Board; Exchange Club of Naperville, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars

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 have a strong sense of duty and desire to serve the community. I believe we all have a responsibility to improve and sustain our public institutions. In this district, no institution is more important than COD.

I believe I am extremely well prepared to serve on the COD board of trustees. I have degrees in Philosophy and Strategy which inform my decision making. I studied Adult Education which provided a foundation of understanding our students and the approaches to serve them. I hold current certifications as a Project Management Professional (PMP) and Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) which demonstrate my preparedness to oversee capital projects and personnel policy development.

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

A. The college's options for pandemic response were limited. The College of DuPage is subject to the guidance of the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB). In July, the ICCB published guidance for the return to campus. This guidance follows the advice of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and incorporated input from all 48 Illinois community colleges.

The guidance follows the state's five-phase plan for recovering from the pandemic. Under this plan, schools don't reopen until Phase 4. I believe it's best to take the advice of our public health officials when it comes to this pandemic.

Every school district is struggling with this question. But our community college has an older population — our average student is around thirty-four years of age. Also, our district is much larger than other school districts. That dispersion complicates the challenge of mitigating the risk of the pandemic.

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. COD could have done more to prepare students and faculty for remote learning when we returned to school in the fall. The provost sponsored some training for teachers on remote learning. The college provided moderate IT support.

One area the college could have improved was the support for adjunct faculty. The college did little to support the large number of adjunct faculty who must use their own time and resources to prepare themselves and their courses. This minimalist approach to adjunct support may not set the conditions for upcoming contract negotiations.

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. The challenge now is to reopen safely. I think organizations must also consider the lessons of COVID. This experience has many lessons to teach us. But that requires an attentive heart.

I am an administrator in a Chicago public high school. I am keenly aware of the concerns of schools and communities. We all want to open schools as soon as we can safely. Considering the moderate speed of the vaccine distribution, I don't anticipate being able to transition to face-to-face learning in the spring. We should expect to use the summer to prepare for a full reopening in the fall.

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. This assumption has proved not to be true this year. Many observers anticipated increased enrollment. But COD enrollment, like many community colleges, has continued to decline this year.

We cannot assess a student's success purely by their increased income. Members of our community enroll in COD classes and programs for a wide variety of reasons. So, any assessment must include an appreciation for the wide variety of learning outcomes and expectations of the college's diverse student body.

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. The Community College Act calls for three sources of revenue. One third of the college's revenue should come from the state, local property taxes, and student fees and tuition. State financial support has been unreliable and varied. The other two sources of revenue are currently sufficient but that may not continue indefinitely. Property tax revenue increases are projected to continue well below inflation. The administration also projects continued enrollment declines. So, the board and administration must continue to monitor closely the college's financial position.

Student fees and tuition remain well below statutory limits. The college is a bargain for most residents and financial aid exists for students in need.

Cuts in programs are not needed at this time. The college maintains large cash reserves. Despite declining enrollment, COD stands on a solid financial foundation.