Citizens have continued to state their concerns about the Ad Hoc Presidential Search Committee at Board of Trustees meetings, through a community signed letter to the Board and Letters to the Editors of local newspapers. However, the leadership continues its present course.

We do claim the following victories, which we believe are directly related to the success of our petition:

·       The Ad Hoc Presidential Search Committee was implemented for review of the applicants from the national search, a search that did not exist prior to the petition.

·       The summer Campus and Community Input Sessions allowed students and other attendees to publicly express alarm about Interim President Brent Brewer’s past criminal record.

·       The continued call for transparency has yielded overdue updates to the Presidential Search page being made available on the college website. See for yourself additional actions: https://www.swmich.edu/presidential-search/

·       August 13, 2025, Board meeting determined the following action:

Becky Moore moved, seconded by Dr. Elaine Foster, to approve the updated Board Policy IV.2 with section 5 A amended as follows: “Any individual may appear before the Board of Trustees according to the following procedure”. Motion passed unanimously.

In all previous meetings, this statement under Public Input on agenda items was followed, “Any individual of the public may speak for up to five (5) minutes on any agenda item. The Board may limit time on any single issue. Public input on non-agenda items is allowed with advance notice as set forth in Board Policy. The Board will take public remarks into consideration but will not comment at time of input.”

A Letter to the Editor published in local newspapers addressed the restrictive nature of only allowing public comments on agenda items unless advance notice was granted to speak on non-agenda items. Area municipalities in Cass County including townships and boards of education and the Board of Commissioners all allow the freedom for people to comment on any issue. 

SMC will now provide for this same freedom at future Board meetings.

We will continue to observe Board actions concerning the search and other pertinent issues then report here to you.

Show up. Speak up. Attend the Board of Trustees meetings and contact your elected officials.  

Here is the remainder of the 2025 schedule:

September 10

October 8

November 12 | Niles Campus (location not given on the website)

December 10

All Dowagiac campus meetings are held at 8 a.m. in Room 2112 of the David C. Briegel Building. 

Call: 800.456.8675

Email: boardoftrustees@swmich.edu 

Write:

Southwestern Michigan College

58900 Cherry Grove Road

Dowagiac, MI 49047 

AND be sure to check your email for more updates that come from Concerned Stakeholders via Change.org on our behalf.