The released agenda for the special Danville Area Community College Board of Trustees meeting scheduled for 3 PM on Thursday, August 13th includes a Public Comment period, followed by items that include Title IX training, in addition to board discussion of financial planning and future programming.
However, numerous topics are hanging in the air as DACC heads into the fall semester. A letter obtained by CIMG, which was from President Dr. Randy Fletcher to the Board of Trustees dated July 17th, states that the Illinois Community College Board has omitted Danville Area Community College from receiving funding for its FY27 Adult Education and Literacy Basic Competitive Grant.
This letter stated that “This action will effectively eliminate DACC from being the adult education service provider for the foreseeable future. ” This would include DACC’s roll as the primary provider in the area of GED/HSE instruction; and also stated that current Adult Education grants at DACC will be closed out as of September 30th. DACC Adult Education also handles Career and Post Secondary Education to help adults who have lost their jobs to move on, such as when Quaker Oats closed in Danville.
The letter also states that this is due to the Illinois Community College Board’s DACC Monitoring Report following the ICCB’s investigation of the DACC program.
It was back in late May that the DACC Board of Trustees dismissed Adult Education and Literacy Dean Terry Goodwin, along with Director of Adult Education and Literacy Chantal Savage Bryant. Also at that meeting, a resignation agreement with release of all claims was approved for Provost and Vice-President of Academic Affairs Dr. Carl Bridges.
In addressing the board prior to the vote that dismissed him, Goodwin stated that the alleged “discrepancies in fund disbursement” and “elevated performance outcomes” were not brought to his attention until after the fact; with Goodwin asking why “no concerns were raised at the time the payments now being described as improper were processed, reviewed, and approved through the college itself.”
CIMG had been told that Dr. Fletcher mentioned the Adult Education issue during the Wednesday morning August 12th start of semester faculty in-service meeting. One witness stated that Dr. Fletcher had said he expected media backlash from the Adult Education elimination and would take the heat for it. However, Board of Trustees chairman Greg Wolfe told CIMG that what Dr. Fletcher actually said was he would “shoulder the burden of the negative state report soon to be released by ICCB (Illinois Community College Board).”
Another ongoing issue involves a letter obtained by CIMG recently sent from recently resigned Dean of Arts and Sciences Michael Hepner to Vice-President of Human Resources Jill Cranmore. The letter states that Dr. Fletcher did not assign Hepner to the same or nearly identical position when he returned to work from a Family Medical Leave Act absence as required by federal law. Hepner also expressed concerns that a recently approved policy prohibiting administrators from teaching has not been implemented equally, as select administrators have been allowed to continue to teach while others have been barred.
CIMG has also received a letter stating that there is an ongoing investigation concerning allegations involving an employee, and that that investigation was initiated at the request of the Board of Trustees.
CIMG has been informed that the Thursday, August 13th special Board of Trustees meeting at 3 PM; will be starting at the exact same time as a scheduled DACC Faculty Union meeting. CIMG has also been informed that faculty union negotiations are currently stalled.
