The (Re)Purpose of Educational Equipment
Joan DiPiero
By Joan DiPiero
Community Engagement Coordinator
As technical advances move at lightning speed, educational tools, materials and equipment become outdated in just two to three years. To ensure College of DuPage students are equipped for success in today’s competitive job market, it is essential to continually update and modernize classrooms, replacing obsolete equipment and investing in cutting-edge resources.
At the same time, the College is deeply committed to environmental responsibility. Outdated items are never simply discarded. Instead, COD partners with local agencies and organizations to donate, repurpose or recycle old equipment and furnishings whenever possible. COD’s fixed assets team is determined to find new life for slightly outdated equipment, making sure that only 1 to 2% of items end up in the trash.
“There’s a lot of turnover on college campuses, but we never scrap equipment,” said John Gandor, manager of fixed assets at COD. “There is always some value to used furniture or equipment, whether we transfer items on campus or auction through an online government agency to add funds back into the College’s budget.”
Gandor, along with fixed assets team members Ed Haskell and Charles Baumgertner, has added another layer to the disposal process. Working with COD Cares, the team has donated used equipment to neighbors both near and far:
- More than 1,000 tables and chairs to local schools.
- Office desks and file cabinets to DuPage Pads to furnish new workspaces.
- Personal computers, wiped clean of COD programs, refurbished by People's Resource Center volunteers for local families.
- Hall benches and bookshelves to CPS for reading nooks.
“We donated 200 classroom tablet armchairs to a school,” recalled Haskell. "The person picking up the chairs had a small open trailer. It was like a puzzle, but he was able to balance all the items on one trailer.”
COD recently partnered with Project C.U.R.E., a nonprofit international medical relief organization that sends much-needed medical supplies as well as office furnishings to emerging nations around the world. Jessamyn Moore, operations director for Project C.U.R.E., said equipment donations are essential to their mission.
“Everything we ship has been donated. If we didn't have partners like COD, none of this could happen,” she said.
COD's myriad of health care programs requires a variety of technical instruments, from ultrasound machines to hospital beds. As these items are constantly replaced to keep up with changing technology, older versions can be used by health agencies, Gandor said.
"As an educational institution, we have to make sure our students are familiar with materials that are currently used in the industry," he explained. "What we donate is still usable in hospitals and clinics."
In June, Project C.U.R.E. volunteers picked up five hospital beds and ultrasound equipment from COD that made their way to a clinic in Lesotho, South Africa, where many patients often share beds and doctors work at makeshift desks. Moore said doctors and patients have benefitted from the COD connection.
“Imagine being sick and walking five hours to get to the clinic, only to have to share a bed with two other patients,” said Moore. “Having more beds means improving patient outcomes.”
Baumgartner appreciates the significance of giving back. As a COD graduate and now employee, he was personally involved with campus donation drives. Now he can see a broader impact.
“We’ve sent supplies to local schools and community organizations,” he said. “Now we are helping people all around the world.”
Learn more about Project C.U.R.E. and how you can get involved. visits.
Looking for more ideas? Partner with COD Cares. Peruse volunteer opportunities on our website or share ideas via email.
Get involved
Reach out to COD’s Community Engagement at contactus@cod.edu.