COD Board, Faculty Agree to Formal Mediation

College of DuPage Board of Trustees announced it signed a formal mediation agreement with the full-time faculty association (CODFA) this afternoon in pursuit of a new contract. For the past several months, the College’s Administration has participated in good faith negotiations with CODFA and both parties are working toward meeting the needs of our students.

“Since March of this year, the College’s Administration has been committed to participating in good faith negotiations and had hoped to come to a resolution prior to the end of CODFA’s contract, which expired at midnight Aug. 14,” said College of DuPage Board Chairman Frank Napolitano. “Both parties are committed to education and providing the best possible experience for our students. We fully recognize the need to be competitive to attract and retain first-rate faculty, but we must also balance that with our fiscal responsibilities to the taxpayers of District 502. The Board believes this to be an attainable goal, but there is more work to be done.”

President Dr. Brian Caputo, who has nearly 25 years of experience working with labor unions, said he looks forward to the mediation process and the insight it will provide.

“College of DuPage administration and faculty are both dedicated to student success as a staple of our institution and we believe mediation will greatly assist us in our negotiations,” he said. “This is a comprehensive contract with a host of vital considerations and we believe we are moving in the right direction with a focus on student success.”

College of DuPage is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Serving approximately 25,000 students each term, College of DuPage is the largest public community college in the state of Illinois. The College grants seven associate degrees and offers more than 170 career and technical certificates in over 50 areas of study.