DANVILLE — Professors at Danville Area Community College raised concerns about the college’s direction during Thursday’s board meeting.
“I’m here tonight to share concerns about the direction of our college,” said Angela Springer, a professor of accounting. “I believe there are many changes taking place that negatively impact our faculty, our staff, our community, and foremost, our students.”
This comes following months of contention following dismissals, censures of board trustees, the shuttering of the college’s GED program, as well as many hinting at fear of job security if they speak out.
“I just want to say that I hope that the board will take the concerns that were discussed here tonight and find solutions,” said Tracy Cherry, a former DACC Board member. “That is your job as a board, and I hope that none of these individuals who have had the courage to speak from their hearts tonight to share their concerns will have any repercussions. I will say it again. Please don’t take it personal. Just do the right thing. Serve as a board. That’s your responsibility.”
Springer talked about how more than 140 fall course cancellations on her count will impact student enrollment.
“Students who were online were being informed after the fact that they would have to be required to come to campus if they wanted to take a given course,” Springer said. “It’s impossible to have a student [with] nine kids, a man who has a full-time job — he can’t come to campus. We will lose that student as an accounting major. He will find another school to take online.”
She touched on how students did not even know their class was cancelled online until after the semester started.
“We are not greedy, and we care deeply about our students, their needs, their future, and their college,” Springer said, adding that many instructors feel they are not being consulted on decisions that directly affect their students.
Amber Anderson, a mathematics professor, stated professors are ‘fed up’ with the current status quo.
“We made our decisions individually,” Anderson said. “We were fed up and felt compelled to speak tonight without knowing the other one was thinking the same.”
Anderson added she thinks the elected student representative is “being treated like a petulant toddler,” even though he has “done absolutely nothing wrong,” adding he is just asking questions he and others have.
Anderson also criticized the letter Dr. Fletcher sent to the media, stating she was not aware of some of the changes until the letter was released to the public first rather than college employees.
“The public should not be made aware of our job changes before we are,” Anderson said.
She added there has been minimal communication from Fletcher despite many changes to the college and structure.
“Faculty had issues with the previous president, and the board told faculty that they were sorry they didn’t listen to us and they would do better,” she said. “This can’t happen if we have to go through the person that we are having issues with before we can even approach his supervisors, which are you, the board.”
Anderson referred to a letter sent out to staff about a new policy requiring anyone wanting to speak with the board about an issue to begin with Dr. Fletcher.
“This situation is unheard of,” Anderson added. “It should speak volumes about how middle management is being treated.”
Jen Slavik, a marketing professor with the college, and Kathy Hunter, the computer science professor, echoed Anderson and Springer’s remarks.
“My overload was not in question because of quality — I challenge you to read my student evaluations,” Slavik said. “It is in question because I am being compensated for it.”
Slavik said professors often take on extra work to help meet student needs, not because they are desiring a bigger paycheck.
“I am not greedy,” she said. “What is concerning is now it is being cut with the snap of a finger. I feel the reasons are not valid. They are not in support of student needs.”
Slavik added insight to her own personal background.
“I came from the business world. I fully understand the need for change and cuts and sacrifices,” Slavik said. “But we have to understand the reasons and validity, and be sure the execution equates to the desired results. I believe the results we want at our college are to meet the needs of our students and ultimately student success.”
Meanwhile, Hunter said, “I don’t think the board understands how faculty is paid. The bottom line is faculty are the only people on this campus expected to take a pay cut. Everybody else has gotten pay raises.”
Hunter added that instructors are the ones meeting the students daily.
“Remember that we are the people in the trenches seeing these students every day,” Hunter said. “We don’t go by data on a piece of paper. We know them. Don’t underestimate what faculty does for this college.”
Fletcher did not respond to the public comments directly during the meeting.
However, he did mention a modest enrollment gain for the fiscal year 2026.
He said in total, the enrollment has increased by 1.3%, and total credit hours and full-time student enrollment both increased by 1.4%.
Fletcher said the high school dual credit program with area high schools is driving the growth, with high school enrollment increasing by 8% from 2025, and said high school credit hours climbed 18%.
Fletcher also acknowledged the adult education disruption after not receiving state funding — a gap he says may last until June 30, 2028. He said the college will not be able to get state funding until the Illinois Community College Board accepts their plan.
Fletcher said the college filed their plan on Sept. 18 and plans to submit it to the ICCB by Oct. 14.
However, the college, he says, is prepared to establish a ‘Transition Services Center’ in Prairie Hall to provide GED instruction, which is set to begin this spring.
“This center provides GED and high school completion preparation; GED instruction will begin the spring semester,” Fletcher said about filling the gap. “And we’ll enroll GED students in our bridge programming that enable them to take college credit courses, especially short-term training, and the new workforce education department, and that all be funded with education monies.”