5 April 2015

Dear Faculty Association members,

Over the weekend, a number of faculty members contacted me in regards to information about the planning process and financing of Moraine Valley’s Health Fitness Center. Candidates for the Moraine Valley Board of Trustees have claimed that “the Moraine Valley Community College Board spent $35 million of your tax dollars” on the Health Fitness Center. These claims are factually inaccurate. They cast suspicion around a very open and well-managed process. Lynn Doulas, President of the MV Support Staff and I were able to talk to Dr. Jenkins about these claims. I wanted to set the record straight for our members.

First, the $35 million to build the HFC were not taxpayer dollars from the college’s budget. This funding was made possible through bonds issued by the college. This works in a similar fashion to a home mortgage. The college issued the bonds, and then, it makes payments on the bonds. The bond payments come from community memberships to the HFC (including the memberships charged to faculty and staff) and from a portion of the $8 dollar infrastructure fee charged to students. Many other community colleges in Illinois have an infrastructure fee, which is used to support the regular maintenance and upkeep on the college infrastructure. A portion of this fee goes to help make the payments on the HFC. Most faculty probably know that full time students get free access to the HFC, and part time students are charged a reduced rate which is because of this fee. The community memberships and the infrastructure fee are paying for the bonds, not tax dollars.

Second, the candidates suggest that the planning and building of the HFC was done without transparency. This is also untrue. The planning, financing, and construction of the building took many years. College representatives visited other schools who have similar facilities. They created a business plan that was presented over several public meetings. In fact, the Board asked for several changes to the plan. Additionally, the finalization of plans, discussions of funding, and many other issues relating to construction were discussed at public meetings. The HFC had a solid plan that was put together with full transparency and discussion.

Finally, the candidates indicate that the college is seeking a health partner to rent part of the space, which is true. The candidates use this as some sort of indictment that the HFC is a failure, which is not true. At the time of the approval of the HFC, the college had a potential tenant, but that tenant had to drop out for financial reasons. Since then, the college has had discussions with several potential tenants, but has not found a good fit. Eventually, the college will find a health partner. It is wise to move slowly and make good decisions. Ironically, one of the candidates who has made these claims is an incumbent who has been on the Board of Trustee for two years. He works in real estate and has not been able to help the college find a tenant. Nor has he voiced these concerns in any of the Board of Trustee meetings. I appreciate the service of all of our Board members, so I am not trying disparage any individuals.

However, Lynn Doulas, Chair of the Support Staff, and I feel that it is important for our members to know the truth behind some of these claims. Our members do the frontlines work serving students and supporting the twenty-six communities of our district. Mostly, we are very concerned that an incumbent would make unfounded claims that cast our college in such a bad light. Moraine Valley has always operated with transparency and careful financial decisions. This is why we remain a very healthy institution providing an affordable and high-quality education to students.

If any members have questions or concerns, I urge you to contact me.

Sincerely,
Troy Swanson
President Moraine Valley Faculty Association