The Moraine Valley Community College Board of Education initially refused to accept the resignation of College President Vernon Crawley, voting against it 5-2 Oct. 19.
After reconsidering the motion, however, board members voted 6-1 in favor of allowing Crawley to retire, effective June 30.
Board Chairman Joe Murphy indicated the vote was “somewhat of a joke” and “a way of acknowledging and thanking” the college president.
“We will have to regretfully accept his resignation,” Murphy said.
“I thought it was a mistake,” Crawley said, laughing. He announced his retirement Sept. 26 after 21 years at the helm of the community college.
He is the longest serving college chief in the state.
“We tried and were successful in delaying his retirement for several years, and we were fortunate to get a few more years from him,” Murphy said. “He will be very hard to replace.”
The board appointed Washington-based R.H. Perry & Associates, which specializes in executive educational candidate searches, to help find a new president.
“My 21-year journey has been exciting, challenging and rewarding. Thank you for making my time at Moraine Valley a memorable experience,” Crawley said announcing the retirement.
Also at the board meeting, trustees approved a five-year facilities plan that envisions potential construction projects through 2016.
In composing the plan, officials met with 150 student and staff for feedback.
The first item on the plan calls moving tennis and basketball courts to make way for more parking. Overall, the plan adds 400 new parking spots increasing the total number of available parking spots on campus 10 percent.
Trustee Sandra Wagner questioned if the new tennis and basketball location would be safe, and College Police Chief Patrick O’Connor replied it would.
Currently, the courts are used late at night and sometimes students continue to play there using automobile lights even after the overhead campus lights are turned off. They will have patrols at the new site, he said.
The facilities plan also calls for renovation rehabs of five buildings, a new sustainability center, health and fitness center and a public services training center for police and fire and EMS training courses. A new classroom building may also be needed.
The plan also says the college district should consider adding a new site on the northern end of the college district north of 79th Street in the Bedford Park area.
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