Academic Numbers Now in Question at College of DuPage

In the fall of 2015, the College of DuPage reflected 16,857 full-time students, but that number might be misleading, the Chicago Tribune is reporting.

The school counts enrollment in something called full-time equivelant or FTE. To calculate FTEs, the school takes the total credit hours of all students and divides by 15.
But the credit hours may have increased because of a change within the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy, which is held at the college, rather than by more students or by students signing up for more classes.

“Before this academic year, the College of DuPage awarded recruits 13 college credits,” the Tribune reported. “In the fall, school officials decided the academy curriculum was deserving of nine additional credits — arguing that the instruction matched three more traditional college-level criminal justice classes on gangs, criminal investigation and juvenile delinquency.

“The recruits now get 22 credits, though the amount of instruction is the same as when they got 13.”

This is the first report that academics at the college have been questioned.

In January, school board members voted to send the community college’s president Robert Breuder away with a $762,000 buyout. That was funded by taxpayers.

Then there were the business dealings at the college radio station and a move tocensure a board member.

Earlier in March, it was revealed that nearly $200,000 was charged in food and liquor costs at the college’s fine dining restaurant, Waterleaf.

By the end of March, the college allegedly awarded signage contracts to a foundation member without going to bid for the jobs.

Then, on March 31, it was revealed that there are three active subpoenas against the college.