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Filed Under:college, College Of DuPage, Craig Dellimore, education

(CBS) — Spurred by apparent financial abuses at the College of DuPage, Illinois lawmakers have held a hearing on legislation to crack down on questionable spending at all public colleges and universities, reports WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore.

State Senator Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago, who chairs the legislative panel, says there have been problems beyond the perks in $763,000 severance package given to ousted College of DuPage president Robert Breuder and there are several bills to address them.

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“When hiring a new president or retaining a president, the first consideration for these board members should always be: What can we afford?” Cunningham said. “Not: How much will it take?”

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Kathy Hamilton who chairs the COD Board of Trustees says she applauds bills on audits and compensation but warned against one requiring trustees to be trained by a college presidents association.

“Then you lose your independence because you take trustee education, you align it with a presidential association and you have developed tremendous insiderism,” Hamilton said.

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Hamilton says that was at the heart of COD’s problems.