What is at Stake in the April 9 Board of Trustees Election

What's at Stake on April 9 for John A. Logan College?

Why is this particular board of trustees' election so important to the future of John A. Logan College?  A good question!  This election represents an opportunity to change the institutional culture of cronyism and lack of transparency perpetuated by some members of the Logan Board

At present, John A. Logan College is a solid educational institution.  It is the place where students get second and third chances to get it right and to find their way to success. The college admits students who may not have gone to the best high school or who often do not have adequate math and communication skills. That is what the college does, and there is an obligation to help those students gain both the skills and confidence to succeed and graduate.  As the demographics of our region change, so do the students who enter through the doors of John A. Logan College.  The fact that Logan is open to anyone who has an interest in furthering his/her education and improving her/his chances of getting a meaningful job and making a decent living is a great asset to Southern Illinois and the rest of the state. But if the college doesn't have a board concerned with providing the best possible education, then we all suffer.

John A. Logan College is in the final stages of developing a strategic plan that will help to guide Logan to become a better educational institution in the future. There was greater participation in this plan by the faculty, staff, non-teaching professionals, maintenance and all others who work at the college than ever before. The preliminary findings show that John A. Logan College has the administration, faculty and staff to address the challenges of students who arrive unprepared and to help students graduate at a higher rate than in the past. 

However, the findings also show that John A. Logan College is failing miserably when it comes to leadership from the Board of Trustees!  The survey results show that faculty and staff have absolutely no confidence in the Board of Trustees to do the right thing and to provide leadership in helping students succeed.  What the survey results do show is that the Board is interested in providing jobs for their children, friends and cronies in the community.  In fact, the survey shows that faculty and staff attitudes towards the Board of Trustees are at their lowest in almost 40 years. 

What is remarkable about this survey is that the questions about the board are the same questions that have been asked of the faculty and staff for the last 30 years. Bottom line is that the people who work at John A. Logan College simply do not trust the Board to make the right decisions when it comes to improving the quality of education offered at the college. It has also become known that there is an effort on the part of some Board members to postpone the release of this information until after the election on April 9.  And if the election goes the way the Brewer and Rendleman are wanting, it is possible that these survey results will never see the light of day.  That is what at stake in this election!