AUTHORITY: Implementing and authorized by Articles II and III and Section 6-5.3 of the Public Community College Act [110 ILCS 805].

SOURCE: Adopted at 6 Ill. Reg. 14262, effective November 3, 1982; codified at 7 Ill. Reg. 2332; amended at 7 Ill. Reg. 16118, effective November 22, 1983; Sections 1501.103, 1501.107 and 1501.108 recodified to 2 Ill. Adm. Code 5175 at 8 Ill. Reg. 6032; amended at 8 Ill. Reg. 14262, effective July 25, 1984; amended at 8 Ill. Reg. 19383, effective September 28, 1984; emergency amendment at 8 Ill. Reg. 22603, effective November 7, 1984, for a maximum of 150 days; emergency amendment at 8 Ill. Reg. 24299, effective December 5, 1984, for a maximum of 150 days; amended at 9 Ill. Reg. 3691, effective March 13, 1985; amended at 9 Ill. Reg. 9470, effective June 11, 1985; amended at 9 Ill. Reg. 16813, effective October 21, 1985; amended at 10 Ill. Reg. 3612, effective January 31, 1986; amended at 10 Ill. Reg. 14658, effective August 22, 1986; amended at 11 Ill. Reg. 7606, effective April 8, 1987; amended at 11 Ill. Reg. 18150, effective October 27, 1987; amended at 12 Ill. Reg. 6660, effective March 25, 1988; amended at 12 Ill. Reg. 15973, effective September 23, 1988; amended at 12 Ill. Reg. 16699, effective September 23, 1988; amended at 12 Ill. Reg. 19691, effective November 15, 1988; amended at 13 Ill. Reg. 1182, effective January 13, 1989; amended at 13 Ill. Reg. 14904, effective September 12, 1989; emergency amendment at 14 Ill. Reg. 299, effective November 9, 1989, for a maximum of 150 days; emergency amendment expired on April 9, 1990; amended at 14 Ill. Reg. 4126, effective March 1, 1990; amended at 14 Ill. Reg. 10762, effective June 25, 1990; amended at 14 Ill. Reg. 11771, effective July 9, 1990; amended at 14 Ill. Reg. 13997, effective August 20, 1990; expedited correction at 18 Ill. Reg. 3027, effective August 20, 1990; amended at 15 Ill. Reg. 10929, effective July 11, 1991; amended at 16 Ill. Reg. 12445, effective July 24, 1992; amended at 16 Ill. Reg. 17621, effective November 6, 1992; amended at 17 Ill. Reg. 1853, effective February 2, 1993; amended at 18 Ill. Reg. 4635, effective March 9, 1994; amended at 18 Ill. Reg. 8906, effective June 1, 1994; amended at 19 Ill. Reg. 2299, effective February 14, 1995; amended at 19 Ill. Reg. 2816, effective February 21, 1995; amended at 19 Ill. Reg. 7515, effective May 26, 1995; amended at 21 Ill. Reg. 5891, effective April 22, 1997; amended at 22 Ill. Reg. 2087, effective January 12, 1998; amended at 22 Ill. Reg. 17472, effective July 10, 1998; amended at 24 Ill. Reg. 249, effective December 21, 1999; amended at 24 Ill. Reg. 17522, effective November 20, 2000; amended at 25 Ill. Reg. 7161, effective May 18, 2001; emergency amendment at 25 Ill. Reg. 12863, effective September 28, 2001, for a maximum of 150 days; emergency expired February 24, 2002; amended at 26 Ill. Reg. 646, effective January 7, 2002; amended at 27 Ill. Reg. 17204, effective October 31, 2003; amended at 28 Ill. Reg. 14092, effective October 18, 2004; amended at 29 Ill. Reg. 6239, effective April 25, 2005; amended at 30 Ill. Reg. 2755, effective February 21, 2006; amended at 32 Ill. Reg. 16396, effective September 23, 2008; amended at 40 Ill. Reg. 14054, effective September 29, 2016; amended at 41 Ill. Reg. 11274, effective August 28, 2017; amended at 41 Ill. Reg. 15723, effective December 18, 2017; amended at 42 Ill. Reg. 2819, effective January 24, 2018; amended at 42 Ill. Reg. 18869, effective October 3, 2018; amended at 42 Ill. Reg. 24855, effective December 17, 2018; amended at 43 Ill. Reg. 7454, effective June 20, 2019; amended at 44 Ill. Reg. 18680, effective November 13, 2020; amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 1616, effective January 21, 2021; amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 12514, effective September 21, 2021; emergency amendment at 46 Ill. Reg. 15357, effective August 24, 2022, for a maximum of 150 days; emergency expired January 20, 2023; amended at 47 Ill. Reg. 2227, effective February 1, 2023; amended at 47 Ill. Reg. 11426, effective July 11, 2023; amended at 47 Ill. Reg. 14801, effective October 6, 2023.

SUBPART A: ILLINOIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD ADMINISTRATION

 

Section 1501.101  Definition of Terms and Incorporations by Reference

 

a)         Definitions

 

"Act" means the Public Community College Act [110 ILCS 805]. 

 

"Board" means the Board of Trustees of an Illinois public community college district.

 

"Classification of Instructional Programs" or "CIP" means a taxonomic scheme that supports the accurate tracking and reporting of fields of study and program completion activity.

 

"College" means an Illinois public community college.

 

"Executive Director" means the executive officer of the ICCB.

 

"ICCB" or "State Board" means the Illinois Community College Board.

 

 "ICCB Grants" means funds appropriated by the State of Illinois to ICCB for community colleges.

 

"Student Member" means the member of ICCB who has been selected by ICCB's Student Advisory Committee. The student member has all the privileges of membership defined in Section 2-3 of the Act.

 

"Recognition Continued" means a status granted to a district that generally meets ICCB standards.

 

"Recognition Continued-with Conditions" means a status granted to a district that generally does not meet ICCB standards.  A district is judged not to meet ICCB standards when one or more of the following conditions exist:  

 

the district continues to be out of compliance with standards cited during the previous visit;

 

applicable standards are disregarded; and/or

 

the district is found to be out of compliance with significant applicable standards.

 

"Recognition Interrupted" is a status granted to a district that fails to meet ICCB standards within a specified period of time after being assigned a status of recognition continued-with conditions.

 

"Shared Data Agreement" means a written contract between parties that defines the care and handling of sensitive or restricted use data, including, but not limited to, the terms of the agreement, ownership of the data, security measures and access to the data, uses of the data, data confidentiality procedures, duration of the agreement, and disposition of the data at the completion of the contract.

 

"Student Advisory Committee" or "SAC" means the ICCB student advisory committee created by Section 2-1 of the Act.

 

"Student-Level Data" means demographic, performance, and other data that pertains to a single student.

 

b)         Incorporation by Reference

"Program Classification Structure", 2^nd Edition (Technical Report 106) (1978). Collier, Douglas J. This document may be obtained from the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS), 3035 Center Green Drive, Suite 150, Boulder CO 80301-2251 or from info@nchems.org. This incorporation by reference does not include any later editions or amendments.

 

(Source:  Amended at 44 Ill. Reg. 18680, effective November 13, 2020)

 

Section 1501.102  Advisory Groups

 

a)         Advisory Organizations.  Independent organizations may be considered by the ICCB to be advisory upon petition to the State Board.  Independent organizations so recognized by the ICCB as "advisory" will have the opportunity to bring matters before the ICCB during a regular ICCB meeting and will have an opportunity to provide advice to the ICCB on proposed rule and policy adoptions and matters of interest to community colleges.  An advisory organization may have its recognition status withdrawn by action of the ICCB or by request of the organization.  Advisory organization recognition may be granted by the ICCB at the request of an organization that meets the following criteria:

 

1)         The organization exists independently of ICCB and any individual college;

 

2)         A primary purpose of the organization is to deal with matters of systemwide importance; and

 

3)         Representatives of Illinois community college districts are included as voting members of the organization.

 

b)         Advisory Committees.  Advisory committees to the ICCB may be authorized and appointed by the ICCB.  Membership and terms of appointment shall be established at the time of authorization.

 

c)         Student Advisory Committee

 

1)         Purpose.  The purposes of this committee are to:

 

A)        Review proposed ICCB policies;

 

B)        Inform the ICCB of systemwide issues that impact the education of community college students; and

 

C)        Select the ICCB Student Member.

 

2)         Membership. Each member of the Student Advisory Committee shall be the nonvoting student member of the local district board of trustees.  In the case of multi-college districts, the student trustee of the district shall automatically be designated as the voting member for the individual college where he or she attends. If the student member of the local district board of trustees cannot  serve and, for colleges that are part of a multi-college district not represented by the district's student member, the district's president or chief executive officer may designate a student as a voting member.  No community college shall have more than one voting member per college.  The ICCB Student Member will serve ex officio.

 

3)         Officers.  The Student Advisory Committee shall annually select the following officers from its membership to serve a one-year term: a Chair to conduct the meeting of the Committee; a Vice Chair to assist the Chair, to conduct the meeting if the Chair is absent, and to represent the SAC on the IBHE Student Advisory Committee; and a Recording Officer to record the minutes of all SAC meetings.

 

4)         The Executive Director of ICCB shall call SAC meetings as necessary and notify each local district board of trustees at least 30 days in advance.

 

5)         ICCB Meetings.  The SAC report shall be given at regular ICCB meetings

 

d)         Selection of ICCB Student Member. The SAC will seek nominations for the ICCB Student Member from all Illinois public community colleges. A college district can nominate one candidate for this position. The nomination shall include information such as personal information (name and address), number of credit hours (current and expected), college and community activities, resume, letters of reference, and rationale for desiring the position. The ICCB Student Member shall be elected before June 1 by a majority vote of SAC members present from all nominations who meet ICCB student membership requirements as delineated in subsection (e).

 

e)         Membership Requirements of ICCB Student Member.  The ICCB Student Member shall be enrolled in an Illinois public community college for a minimum course load of six semester hours during both the fall and spring semesters or equivalent for each term of his/her appointment.  If the course load of the ICCB Student Member falls below the minimum credit hours, that member shall be replaced by a majority vote of the SAC members present at the next SAC meeting.

 

f)         Length of Term of ICCB Student Member.  The ICCB Student Member shall serve for a term of one year beginning on July 1 and expiring on June 30.  No ICCB Student Member shall serve for more than two terms.  Service during a partial term shall not be considered as one term.

 

(Source:  Amended at 44 Ill. Reg. 18680, effective November 13, 2020)

 

Section 1501.103  Rule Adoption (Recodified)

 

(Source:  Recodified to 2 Ill. Adm. Code 5175.140 at 8 Ill. Reg. 6032, effective April 24, 1984)

 

Section 1501.104  Manuals

 

The Executive Director is authorized to develop and promulgate manuals for the purpose of administering ICCB rules.

 

Section 1501.105  Advisory Opinions

 

ICCB will provide advisory opinions regarding interpretation of the Act to community colleges upon request of the district's chief executive officer or Chair of the board and with the approval of the ICCB Chair and Executive Director. These opinions also will be provided to recognized advisory organizations upon request of the chair of each group, subject to the approval of the ICCB Chair and Executive Director.

 

(Source:  Amended at 42 Ill. Reg. 18869, effective October 3, 2018)

 

Section 1501.106  Executive Director

 

The Executive Director shall perform all specific statutory responsibilities, administer the ICCB rules, and perform any other duties requested or delegated by the ICCB.

 

Section 1501.107  Information Request (Recodified)

 

(Source:  Recodified to 2 Ill. Adm. Code 5175.30 at 8 Ill. Reg. 6032, effective April 24, 1984)

 

Section 1501.108  Organization of ICCB (Repealed)

 

(Source:  Repealed at 42 Ill. Reg. 24855, effective December 17, 2018)

 

Section 1501.109  Appearance at ICCB Meetings (Repealed)

 

(Source:  Repealed at 42 Ill. Reg. 24855, effective December 17, 2018)

 

Section 1501.110  Appeal Procedure

 

Any ICCB decision, not otherwise covered by a specific appeal procedure, may be appealed within thirty (30) days of the decision by submitting a written request for reconsideration of the decision to the ICCB Chair. The Chair shall review the request and place it on the agenda of the next regularly scheduled meeting of the ICCB.  The appellant may make both oral and written presentations to the ICCB at the time the decision is reconsidered.

 

(Source:  Amended at 18 Ill. Reg. 4635, effective March 9, 1994)

 

Section 1501.111  Reporting Requirements (Repealed)

 

(Source:  Repealed at 16 Ill. Reg. 12445, effective July 24, 1992)

 

Section 1501.112  Certification of Organization (Repealed)

 

(Source:  Repealed at 16 Ill. Reg. 12445, effective July 24, 1992)

 

Section 1501.113  Administration of Detachments and Subsequent Annexations

 

a)         ICCB decisions concerning approval or disapproval of requested detachments and subsequent annexations are required by Section 6-5.3 of the Act to be based on the criteria of being in the best interests of the schools in the general area and the educational welfare of the students residing within the territory. These criteria are defined as follows:

 

1)         In the best interests of schools – The effect of the proposed annexation/new district formation on:

 

A)        Reasonableness of cost to taxpayers of the territory being annexed to an existing community college district or becoming part of a new community college district, that is, whether the operating tax rate of the community college district exceeds the chargeback levy of the nondistrict territory;

 

B)        Finances of the existing or new community college district, that is, the equalized assessed valuation of the nondistrict territory is examined to determine how much tax revenue will be generated for the community college district to which the nondistrict territory could annex; and

 

C)        Enrollments of the existing district,

 

i)          which community college the nondistrict territory students have been attending; and

 

ii)         effect of additional enrollments when the nondistrict territory is annexed to a community college district.

 

2)         Educational welfare of students – The effect of the proposed annexation/new district formation on:

 

A)        Program availability to students of the territory being annexed to an existing community college district, that is, will the program be more available to students should annexation be approved?

 

B)        Physical access of students to the campus(es) of the existing or new community college district, that is, what is the distance and time which the students must travel to attend?

 

C)        Cost to students to attend the existing or new community college district, that is, what are the tuition and fees and commuting costs associated with attending that community college district?

 

D)        And participation by students in their normal economic, cultural, and social activities, that is, where do potential students shop, work, and attend religious and cultural events?

 

b)         In addition to the criteria identified in subsection (a), consideration will be given to the expressed wishes of local residents.  The expression shall be in the form of signatures on a petition submitted in accordance with Section 6-5.3 of the Act.

 

(Source:  Amended at 42 Ill. Reg. 18869, effective October 3, 2018)

 

Section 1501.114  Recognition

 

a)         Recognition Provisions

 

1)         Recognition Status.  A district will be granted a status of recognition continued, recognition continued − with conditions, or recognition interrupted.

 

2)         Effect of Recognition Continued.  A district that has been granted the status of recognition continued will be entitled to receive ICCB grants for which it is otherwise entitled and eligible.

 

3)         Effect of Recognition Continued-With Conditions.  A district that has been granted the status of recognition continued − with conditions will be entitled to receive ICCB grants for which it is otherwise entitled and eligible, but it will be given a specified time to resolve the conditions that led to its assignment to that status.  A follow-up visit will be scheduled not sooner than three nor later than nine months after ICCB action on the assignment to determine the district's progress in resolving the conditions.

 

4)         Effect of Recognition Interrupted.  A district that has been granted a status of recognition interrupted may apply for recognition when all requirements set forth by ICCB have been satisfied.  A district on recognition interrupted status will have State funding suspended on a prorata, per diem basis for the period for that such status is in effect.

 

5)         Recognition Action.  Recognition is considered to be continuous unless action is taken to interrupt it.  The ICCB will act on the recognition status of a district at the meeting subsequent to the ICCB recognition report being received.  A district that previously has not been granted a recognition status by the ICCB may apply for a recognition status at any time.  A district that has the status of recognition continued shall apply for continuation of that status at least 30 days before a scheduled recognition team visit.

 

b)         Evaluation.  The ICCB staff recognition team will conduct an in-depth evaluation of a district at least once every  5 years. Additional or alternate focused evaluations may be conducted to review circumstances of alleged gross noncompliance with ICCB standards. The purpose of the evaluation will be to determine compliance with ICCB standards.  The evaluation may include an on-site visit.  No district will be granted a recognition status without having received a prior in-depth evaluation.  A district will receive a draft report of the recognition team's findings no later than 30 days after the conclusion of the evaluation.  The district will have 30 days to review the draft report, respond to compliance recommendations, and return the responses to ICCB.  A final report will be presented to the ICCB at its next regularly scheduled meeting and will include the district's responses to the draft report's findings.  Accompanying the final report will be the evaluating team's recommendation for recognition status.

 

c)         Review and Appeal.  The ICCB may place a district on a recognition interrupted status for failure to meet ICCB standards after being granted a status of recognition continued − with conditions and receiving a follow-up evaluation if the district has not resolved the conditions within the stated time allowed. Any district whose recognition is interrupted may file a written request with the ICCB for a hearing on the decision in accordance with Section 1501.110. Pending the hearing and decision, any consequences of recognition interrupted will be suspended.

 

d)         Recognition Standards.  The recognition standards by which a district will be evaluated for recognition purposes will be the applicable statutes within the Public Community College Act and applicable ICCB rules.

 

(Source:  Amended at 42 Ill. Reg. 18869, effective October 3, 2018)

 

Section 1501.115  Data Repository

 

Under the authority of the P-20 Longitudinal Education Data System Act (105 ILCS 13], ICCB is the State Education Authority responsible for collecting and maintaining authoritative enrollment, completion, and student characteristic information on community college students.  Illinois Community College system data collection, administrative data matching, and reporting is coordinated through ICCB.

 

(Source:  Added at 42 Ill. Reg. 24855, effective December 17, 2018)

 

Section 1501.116  Use, Security and Confidentiality of Data

 

a)         The ICCB and entities accessing ICCB data shall comply with all applicable federal and State laws which regulate the privacy and use of, and access to, shared data. (See, e.g., the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 USC 1232g); the Illinois School Student Records Act [105 ILCS 10]; the Data Processing Confidentiality Act [30 ILCS 585]; the Freedom of Information Act [5 ILCS 140]; Section 487 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 USC 1094)).

 

b)         ICCB data is confidential and shall not be used or shared for any purpose other than that which is directly related to internal operations of ICCB or that which is stipulated in an ICCB shared data agreement with another entity.  Entities accessing ICCB data shall be responsible for meeting ICCB shared data agreement security procedures and protocols, pursuant to Section 1501.117, to protect the integrity of the data accessed, stored, transmitted or received.

 

(Source:  Added at 42 Ill. Reg. 24855, effective December 17, 2018)

 

Section 1501.117  Shared Data Agreements

 

a)         Student-level data furnished by the ICCB on behalf of Illinois community colleges is licensed by ICCB and remains the property of ICCB.

 

b)         All requests for data files, data products, aggregations or reports containing student-level data elements, except in the case of State and federal mandated accountability reporting,  shall be made in writing to ICCB using ICCB forms.

 

c)         All requests shall be approved by the Executive Director prior to execution of a shared data agreement.

 

d)         All data obtained from ICCB shall be used solely for the purpose identified by the requesting entity.  The scope and term of this usage will be detailed in a shared data agreement specific to each request.  Use of the data for any other purpose shall require a separate and specific written request, approval, and shared data agreement.

 

e)         The entity in receipt of ICCB student-level data must comply with applicable laws and regulations with respect to the protection of privacy, security and dissemination of the confidential information.  Upon completion of the data sharing purpose, the entity shall return it to ICCB or destroy it and any copies, as specified in the data sharing agreement. 

 

(Source:  Added at 42 Ill. Reg. 24855, effective December 17, 2018)

 

Section 1501.118  Processing Fees

 

The Board may charge fees to the requesting entity for providing access to data files or producing studies, data products or analyses of data.  A schedule of fees for datasets and products is set forth in Appendix A.  In addition to standard data product fees, the Board will assess a 30 percent surcharge for complex requests related to longitudinal analysis and generation of outcomes measures.  Providing outcomes measures includes data compilation for performance and evaluation and interpretation of results.

 

(Source:  Added at 42 Ill. Reg. 24855, effective December 17, 2018)

SUBPART B: LOCAL DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION

 

Section 1501.201  Reporting Requirements

 

Complete and accurate reports shall be submitted by the district/college to ICCB in accordance with ICCB requirements and on forms provided by ICCB, where applicable. Listed in this Section is the schedule of due dates indicating when items from the community colleges are due at the Illinois Community College Board Office:

 

January 15	•	annual financial statements and notice of publication (see Section 1501.506)
January 31	•	certificate of tax levy (see Section 1501.510(f))
February 1	•	annual African American Employment Plan Survey (see Section 1501.308(b))
	•	annual Asian Employment Plan Survey (see Section 1501.308(b))
	•	annual Bilingual Needs and Bilingual Pay Survey (see Section 1501.308(b))
	•	annual Hispanic/Latino Employment Plan Survey (see Section 1501.308(b))
	•	Annual Native American Employment Plan Survey (see Section 1501.308(b))
February 15	•	spring semester (2nd term) enrollment survey (see Section 1501.406(b))
March 1	•	annual Underrepresented Groups Report (see Section 1501.406(c))
March 31	•	policies for the award of academic credit for prior learning (see Section
		1501.311(a))
June 15	•	annual faculty and staff salary and benefits data (see Section 1501.308(a))
July 15	•	report of out-of-state extensions (see Section 1501.312(d)(4))
	•	annual noncredit course enrollment N1 (see Section 1501.406(d))
August 1	•	annual student enrollment and completion data (see Section 1501.406(a))
	•	Resource Allocation and Management Plan (RAMP/CC) (see Section 1501.510(a))
	•	annual tuition and fees survey (see Section 510(e))
	•	Facilities data (see Section 1501.607)
September 1	•	budget and tax survey (see Section 1501.510(d))
	•	program review report (see Section 1501.303(d)(7))
	•	program review listing (see Section 1501.303(d)(7))
	•	annual Student Identification data submission (see Section 1501.406(f))
	•	annual report of student course information submission (see Section 1501.406(g))
October 1	•	fall semester enrollment data (see Section 1501.406(a))
	•	fall semester enrollment survey (see Section 1501.406(b))
October 15
	•	fiscal year budget (see Section 1501.504)
November 1	•	summer graduate reporting (for the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Graduation Rate Survey) (see Section 1501.406(e))
November 15	•	faculty, staff, and salary data (see Section 1501.308(a))
December 30	•	external audit (see Section 1501.503(a))
	•	annual instructional cost report (see Section 1501.510(c))
	•	unexpended special initiative grant funds return report (see Section 1501.519(d))
30 days after the end of each term	•	credit hour claims (see Section 1501.507(a))

 

(Source:  Amended at 47 Ill. Reg. 2227, effective February 1, 2023)

 

Section 1501.202  Certification of Organization

 

Within five working days after the convening of the newly elected board or the new board as provided in Section 3-8 of the Act, the chair of the board of trustees shall certify in writing to the ICCB that the board of trustees has been organized.  The certification shall include the name of the chair, vice chair, and the secretary and state the time and place of regular meetings. If the board, by resolution, establishes a policy for the terms of office to be one year, instead of the normal two years, or provides for the election of officers for the remaining one year, a copy of this resolution shall also accompany the certification.

 

(Source:  Amended at 18 Ill. Reg. 4635, effective March 9, 1994)

 

Section 1501.203  Delineation of Responsibilities

 

The board and administration responsibilities shall be delineated as follows:

 

a)         The board shall serve as the policy-making body for the district and for all colleges within the district.

 

b)         Roles of the board and of the chief executive officer and administrative staff shall be delineated in board policies.

 

c)         Administration of the district/college shall be in accordance with policies of the board.

 

(Source:  Section repealed, new Section added at 16 Ill. Reg. 12445, effective July 24, 1992)

 

Section 1501.204  Maintenance of Documents or Information

 

The district shall maintain the following documents or information:

 

a)         board policy manual;

 

b)         staff handbook(s) or copy of rules pertaining to faculty and administrative staff;

 

c)         organizational chart;

 

d)         college catalog or other written information on course listings, programs, admission requirements, grading system, financial aid, and graduation requirements; and

 

e)         student handbook or copy of rules pertaining to students.

 

(Source:  Section repealed, new Section added at 16 Ill. Reg. 12445, effective July 24, 1992)

 

Section 1501.205  Recognition Standards (Repealed)

 

(Source:  Repealed at 16 Ill. Reg. 12445, effective July 24, 1992)

 

Section 1501.206  Approval of Providers of Training for Trustee Leadership Training

 

Entities that offer professional development activities, such as training organizations, institutions, firms, professional associations, and colleges and universities, may apply to the State Board for approval to conduct leadership training activities for members of the board of trustees of an Illinois public community college district in each of the topics specified in Section 3-8.5 of the Act. 

 

a)         Except as provided in subsections (b), each entity wishing to receive approval to offer the leadership training required under Section 3-8.5 of the Act shall submit an application on a form supplied by the State Board.  Each entity shall provide:

 

1)         a description of the intended offerings in any of the required areas;

 

2)         the qualifications and experience of the entity and of each presenter to be assigned to provide the leadership training, which shall include evidence of a presenter's specific skills and knowledge in the area or areas in which he or she will be assigned;

 

3)         the mode of delivery of the professional development (e.g., in-person instruction, online learning);

 

4)         a sample course schedule or syllabi; and

 

5)         a schedule of fees the entity intends to charge for each mode of delivery of training.

 

b)         An entity that meets any of the following criteria will be pre-approved by the State Board to provide leadership training:

 

1)         The leadership training course or course provider is accredited by the Illinois Minimum Continuing Legal Education Board;

 

2)         The leadership training provider is an Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation registered public accountant continuing professional education sponsor;

 

3)         The leadership training course is provided by an Illinois public community college using the college's own qualified faculty or staff; or

 

4)         The leadership training course is provided by the Illinois Office of the Attorney General.

 

c)         All pre-approved entities, except the Illinois Office of the Attorney General, shall submit notification of intent to provide leadership training and verification of status as a pre-approved provider on forms provided by the State Board. The State Board may request reverification of pre-approved status at any time.

 

d)         Applicants may be asked to clarify particular aspects of their materials.

 

e)         The State Board shall consider each application for approval at its next regularly scheduled meeting.  Applications submitted within 30 days prior to a regularly scheduled State Board meeting shall be considered at the next regularly scheduled meeting.

 

f)         An entity shall be approved to offer leadership training if the entity's application presents evidence that:

 

1)         the leadership training that it sponsors or conducts will be developed and presented by persons with education and experience in the applicable areas to which they will be assigned; and

 

2)         the proposed training meets the requirements of Section 3-8.5 of the Act.

 

g)         The State Board will post on its website the list of all approved providers. The website also will indicate that the Illinois Community College Trustees Association is authorized under Section 3-8.5(c) of the Act to provide leadership training. 

 

h)         Approval as a provider shall be valid for two years commencing on the date of initial approval or renewal. To request renewal of approval, a provider shall submit a renewal application on a form supplied by the State Board containing:

 

1)         a description of any significant changes in the material submitted as part of its approved application or a certification that no such changes have occurred;

 

2)         evidence that the material to be used in the renewal cycle conforms to current statute, rules and procedures of the State Board; and

 

3)         a listing of trainings provided during the last approval period.

 

i)          A provider's approval shall be renewed if the application conforms to the requirements of subsection (h), provided that the Executive Director has received no evidence of noncompliance with the requirements of this Section.

 

j)          The State Board may evaluate an approved provider at any time to ensure compliance with the requirements of this Section. Upon request by the State Board, a provider shall supply information regarding its schedule of leadership training, which the State Board may, at its discretion, monitor at any time.  In the event an evaluation indicates that the requirements have not been met, the State Board may withdraw approval of the provider.

 

(Source:  Added at 43 Ill. Reg. 7454, effective June 20, 2019)

SUBPART C: PROGRAMS

 

Section 1501.301  Definition of Terms

 

"Adult Basic Education" means basic skills courses designed to bring students to a competency of Grade 8 equivalency, including English as a Second Language.

 

"Adult Secondary Education" means courses designed to bring students to a competency of Grade 12 equivalency, including English as a Second Language, and the high school equivalency examination preparation.

 

"Associate Degree" means an award for satisfactory completion of a curriculum of 60 semester credit hours or more.

 

"Associate in Applied Science Degree" means an award for the satisfactory completion of a prescribed curriculum intended to prepare individuals for employment in a specific field.

 

"Associate in Arts Degree" means an award for the satisfactory completion of a prescribed curriculum intended to transfer to baccalaureate degree programs in one of the arts, humanities, or social or behavioral sciences or one of the professional fields with these disciplines as a base.

 

"Associate in Engineering Science Degree" means an award for the satisfactory completion of a prescribed curriculum intended to transfer to baccalaureate degree programs in engineering.

 

"Associate in Fine Arts Degree" means an award for the satisfactory completion of a prescribed curriculum intended to transfer to baccalaureate degree programs in one of the fine arts: art, music, or theater.

 

"Associate in General Studies Degree" means an award for the satisfactory completion of a curriculum that has been individually designed by mutual agreement between the student and his/her college-appointed advisor to meet the student's educational intent.

 

"Associate in Science Degree" means an award for the satisfactory completion of a prescribed curriculum intended to transfer to baccalaureate degree programs in one of the mathematical, biological, or physical sciences or one of the professional fields with these disciplines as a base.

 

"Baccalaureate/Transfer Education" means coursework intended to prepare individuals for transfer into a baccalaureate curriculum in a related field of study.

 

"Branch" means an administrative unit of a college that has a continuing educational mission and serves as a secondary instructional site for the college.

 

"Bridge Instruction" means coursework in adult education, remedial education, career and technical education, vocational skills education, or a combination of these types of education, to prepare individuals for entering credit courses and curricula.

 

"Campus" means an organized administrative unit of a college that has a continuing educational mission and serves as a primary instructional site for the college.

 

"Career and Technical Education" means organized educational programs of study that prepare students for employment in a specific field and should be aligned with related secondary and/or upper-division programs that require a common knowledge and skill set.

 

"Certificate" means an award for satisfactory completion of a series of courses or curriculum of less than 59 semester credit hours.

 

"General Certificate" means a noncredit award for satisfactory completion of a series of courses of 30 semester credit hours or less in adult basic education, adult secondary education, remedial education, vocational skills, or general studies.

 

"Occupational or Career and Technical Certificate" means a credit award for satisfactory completion of a prescribed curriculum intended to prepare an individual for employment in a specific field.

 

"College" means a district's administrative unit that is authorized by the Illinois Board of Higher Education to grant postsecondary-level degrees and certificates, is recognized by the ICCB, and provides a comprehensive program of instruction in accordance with Section 1-2(e) of the Act.

 

"Contact Hour" means instructional time based on a 50-60 minute clock hour of instructional activity that may include classroom, online, laboratory, clinical or work-based instruction or any combination of those instructional methods.

 

"Cooperative Agreement" means a contract or agreement between a college and one or more other colleges, organizations, associations, educational institutions, or government agencies to obtain, deliver, or share educational services for academic credit.  A cooperative agreement does not include collective bargaining agreements with any labor organization.

 

"Course" means a sequential presentation, through one or more instructional modes, of subject matter in a particular field to meet specific objectives within a designated time period, such as a semester or a quarter.

 

"Credit for Prior Learning" means evaluation and assessment of a student's life learning through employment, training and experiences outside an academic environment from which skills that comprise terminal objectives are mastered to an acceptable degree of proficiency for college credit, certification or advanced standing toward further education or training.

 

"Curriculum" means an approved unit of instruction consisting of a series of courses designed to lead to an associate degree or a certificate.

 

"District Curriculum" means a curriculum approved for offering within a district, on the basis of student interest, employment demand, and available resources within the district.

 

"General Studies Curriculum" means a curriculum designed to meet individual student goals, in the promotion of personal improvement and self-understanding.

 

"Regional Curriculum" means a curriculum approved for offering within a particular region of the State, on the basis of student interest and employment demand within the region. An institution holding authority to offer a regional curriculum shall not exclude additional districts, including those within the defined region or regional consortia of colleges, from requesting approval to offer the same curriculum in its district.

 

"Statewide Curriculum" means a curriculum approved for offering on the basis of student interest and employment demand statewide. An institution holding authority to offer a statewide curriculum shall not exclude additional districts from requesting approval to offer the same curriculum statewide, regionally or in its district.

 

"Dual Credit Course" means a college course taken by a high school student for credit at both the college and high school level [110 ILCS 27/5].

 

"Educational Agency" means an agency, corporation, or other defined legal entity that offers instruction.

 

"Electronic Exchange System" means an online tool for organizing ICCB proposals and tracking their status.

 

"Extension Center" means an instructional site for the college that is used for offering some of the college's courses and/or programs for a limited duration.

 

"GECC"  means the General Education Core Curriculum of the Illinois Articulation Initiative.

 

"General Education Core Curriculum Credential" or "GECC Credential" means a credential provided by the college for completion of the 37 to 41 credit hours to satisfy the GECC.

 

"Higher Learning Commission" or "HLC" means an independent corporation that serves as one of six regional institutional accreditors in the U.S. and accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the North Central Region, which includes Illinois.

 

"Instructional Activity" means classroom, online, laboratory, clinical or work-based instruction or any combination of those instructional methods.

 

"Internship/Practicum" means a course of planned and supervised training that allows the application of theory to actual practice and prepares a student for working independently in a specific career. The internship/practicum generally occurs after the student has completed 12 credit hours.  It takes place at a regular worksite and instruction/supervision is shared by a college instructor/supervisor and a qualified employee at the worksite.  Clinical practicums take place in a hospital or other medical/health facility and require close supervision/instruction/monitoring by a qualified college instructor.

 

"Laboratory" means a course of planned and supervised training in which students learn new methods or principles through experimentation, observation, and/or practice.  A lab class  can occur at the beginning, middle, or end of a particular course of study and may be a specially equipped room designed for experimentation, observation, and/or practice on the college campus or at the worksite.

 

"Lecture" means a course presented in an oral or related format that allows for content to be discussed among class participants.

 

"PBVS Program of Study" means any of the programs listed in Section 10 of the Career and Workforce Transition Act [110 ILCS 151].

 

"Principal Site" means the official mailing address of the college.

 

"Private Business Vocational School" or "PBVS" means a non-degree granting institution that is regulated and approved by the Board of Higher Education under the Private Business and Vocational Schools Act of 2012 [105 ILCS 426] and that is nationally accredited by an accreditor approved by the U.S. Department of Education.

 

"Public Service" means noncredit classes and other activities of an educational nature, such as workshops, seminars, forums, exhibits, and the provision of college facilities and expertise to the community, designed to be of service to the public.

 

"Remedial Education" means courses in computation, communication (that is, writing and speaking), and reading, designed to improve the competency of high school graduates, or those persons achieving high school equivalency through standardized testing, to the level necessary for placement into communication and mathematics courses required of first‑year college students.  Remedial courses reiterate basic skills that students were expected to have mastered before entry into postsecondary education.

 

"Research" means investigations or experiments to discover or interpret facts, to revise accepted theories, or to apply those revised theories.

 

"Secondary School" means a private or parochial secondary school, public secondary school district, or public unit school district.

 

"Unit of Instruction" means any one of the following:

 

An organized program of study consisting of a sequence of courses that results in the award to a student of a certificate or an associate degree.

 

Any existing organized program of study offered at a new geographical location outside of the college district.

 

Any organized administrative entity that would have a continuing instructional mission, including but not limited to a college, campus or branch.

 

"Unit of Research or Public Service" means a college's subdivision (e.g., a division, institute or center) that administers one or more research or public service programs.

 

"Vocational Skills Education" means courses designed to provide short-term job entry training, to upgrade the skills of persons already employed, or to review skills for career re-entry.

 

(Source:  Amended at 44 Ill. Reg. 18680, effective November 13, 2020)

 

Section 1501.302  Units of Instruction, Research, and Public Service

 

a)         Approval of New Units of Instruction.  An application for approval of a proposed new unit of instruction shall be submitted to the ICCB on forms provided by ICCB.  The criteria for approval of new units of instruction, which also apply to existing programs offered by community colleges, are:

 

1)         Mission and Objectives

 

A)        The objectives of the unit of instruction are consistent with the mission of the college as set forth in Section 1-2(e) of the Act.

 

B)        The objectives of the unit of instruction are consistent with what the title of the unit of instruction implies.

 

2)         Academic Control

 

A)        The design, conduct and evaluation of the unit of instruction are under the direct and continuous control of the college's established processes for academic planning and quality maintenance, and clear provision is made for ensuring a high level of academic performance of faculty and students.

 

B)        The admission, course placement, and graduation requirements for the unit of instruction are consistent with the stated objectives of the unit of instruction and with Section 3-17 of the Act, when applicable.

 

3)         Curriculum.  The content of the curriculum ensures that the objectives of the unit of instruction will be achieved.

 

A)        The range of total number of credit hours required for completion of an associate degree curriculum shall be within the following parameters:

 

i)          For the Associate in Arts degree and the Associate in Science degree, a total requirement of not less than 60 semester credit hours nor more than 64 semester credit hours or equivalent;

 

ii)         For the Associate in Fine Arts and the Associate in Engineering Science degree, a total requirement of not less than 60 semester credit hours nor more than 68 semester credit hours or equivalent;

 

iii)        For the Associate in Applied Science degree, a total requirement of not less than 60 semester credit hours nor more than 72 semester credit hours or equivalent, except in such occupational fields in which accreditation or licensure by a state or national organization requires additional coursework; and

 

iv)        For the Associate in General Studies degree, a total requirement of not less than 60 semester credit hours nor more than 64 semester credit hours or equivalent.

 

B)        An associate degree curriculum shall include a specific general education component consisting of coursework in communication, arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, and mathematics and science within the following parameters:

 

i)          For the Associate in Arts degree and the Associate in Science degree, the general education component required will represent at least 37 semester credit hours or equivalent for completion;

 

ii)         For the Associate in Fine Arts degree, the general education component required will represent at least 25 semester credit hours or equivalent for completion;

 

iii)        For the Associate in Engineering Science degree, the general education component required will represent at least 19 semester credit hours or equivalent for completion;

 

iv)        For the Associate in Applied Science degree, the general education component required will represent at least 15 semester credit hour or equivalent for completion; and

 

v)         For the Associate in General Studies degree, the general education component required will represent no less than 20 semester credit hours or equivalent for completion.

 

4)         Faculty and Staff

 

A)        The academic preparation and experience of faculty and staff ensure that students receive education consistent with the objectives of the unit of instruction.

 

B)        The involvement of faculty in the unit of instruction is sufficient to cover the various fields of knowledge encompassed by the curriculum, to sustain scholarship appropriate to the unit of instruction, and to ensure curriculum continuity.

 

C)        Support personnel, including counselors, administrators, clinical supervisors, and technical staff, have the educational background and experience necessary to carry out their assigned responsibilities.

 

5)         Support Services

 

A)        Facilities, equipment, and instructional resources (e.g., laboratory supplies and equipment, instructional materials, computation equipment) necessary to provide quality instruction will be available and maintained.

 

B)        Library holdings and acquisitions necessary to support quality instruction and scholarship are available, accessible and maintained.

 

C)        Provision is made for the guidance and counseling of students, the evaluation of student performance, the continuous monitoring of progress of students toward their degree or certificate objectives, the placement of completers of the unit of instruction, and appropriate academic record keeping.

 

6)         Financing

 

A)        The financial commitments to support the unit of instruction are sufficient to ensure that the stated objectives can be attained and that the faculty, staff and support services necessary to offer the unit of instruction can be acquired and maintained.

 

B)        Projections of revenues necessary to support the unit of instruction are based upon supportable estimates of general revenue, student tuition and fees, private gifts, and/or governmental grants and contracts.

 

7)         Public Information

The information that the college provides to students and the public accurately describes:  the unit of instruction offered; the objectives of the unit of instruction; length of the unit of instruction; residency requirements, if any; schedule of tuition, fees and all other charges and expenses necessary for completion of the unit of instruction; cancellation and refund policies; and such other material facts concerning the college and the unit of instruction as are likely to affect the decision of the student to enroll.

 

8)         Accreditation and Credentialing

 

A)        Appropriate steps have been taken to ensure that accreditation of the proposed new unit of instruction will be granted in a reasonable time.

 

B)        The proposed new unit will provide the skills required to obtain individual credentialing (certification, licensure, registration) needed for entry into an occupation as specified in the objectives of the proposed new unit of instruction.

 

9)         Program Needs and Priorities

 

A)        The unit of instruction must be educationally and economically justified based on the educational priorities and needs of the citizens of Illinois and the college's district.

 

B)        The unit of instruction meets a need that is not currently met by units of instruction that are offered by other institutions in the district.

 

b)         Approval of New Administrative Units of Research or Public Service.  An application for approval of a proposed new administrative unit of research or public service shall be submitted to the ICCB on forms provided by ICCB.  The criteria for approval of new administrative units of public service or research are:

 

1)         The proposed new administrative unit shall be authorized by the board of trustees;

 

2)         The objectives of the proposed new administrative unit are consistent with the mission of the college;

 

3)         The proposed new administrative unit shall meet a district's need to deliver a public service or research program which cannot be met through the district's current structure as indicated by an organizational chart;

 

4)         The proposed new administrative unit shall administer at least one public service or research program;

 

5)         The needs assessment demonstrates that the demand for the public service or research program to be administered by the proposed new unit shall be continuous for at least three years; and

 

6)         The district shall provide evidence that the resources for the facilities, equipment and materials, and staff necessary to provide a quality program or service shall be made available to the proposed new administrative unit.

 

c)         Withdrawal.  An approved unit of instruction, public service, or research may be withdrawn by the college when it decides to suspend operation of the unit.  The withdrawal request shall be submitted to ICCB through an electronic exchange system. Withdrawal of a curriculum will require reassignment of related courses.

 

d)         Reasonable and Moderate Extensions

 

1)         An approved unit of instruction, public service, or research may be modified or extended by the college within the parameters listed in subsections (d)(2) through (4).  The college shall notify ICCB of the extensions on forms provided by ICCB.

 

2)         Reasonable and moderate extensions of previously approved units of instruction include:

 

A)        The addition, modification or withdrawal of courses within an approved unit of instruction that does not alter the objectives of the unit of instruction.

 

B)        A change in minimum credit hours for completion of an approved unit of instruction that does not affect the instructional level of the unit of instruction.

 

C)        A change in title of an approved unit of instruction that does not indicate a different objective of the unit than that previously approved.

 

D)        The creation of an option (major, concentration or specialization) within an approved unit of instruction in which:

 

i)          the option created is within the same general academic discipline or occupational field as the previously approved unit of instruction;

 

ii)         the option created within a previously approved associate degree curriculum shares a common core of first-year courses with the previously approved unit of instruction; and

 

iii)        the option created does not substitute more than 15 semester credit hours of other courses for courses previously approved as part of an associate degree curriculum or cluster of closely related curricula, e.g., from the same four-digit CIP code or substitute more than 9 semester credit hours of other courses for courses previously approved as part of a certificate curriculum (or closely related cluster) of 30 semester credit hours or more.

 

E)        The creation of certificate curricula from previously approved associate degree curricula and certificate curricula, including closely related curricula; e.g., from the same four-digit CIP code, providing no more than 6 semester credit hours are substituted for certificates of up to 30 semester credit hours or no more than 9 semester credit hours are substituted in certificates of 30 semester credit hours or more.

 

F)         The creation of certificate curricula of less than seven semester credit hours from previously approved associate degree curricula and certificate curriculum from the same two-digit CIP code.

 

G)        Modifications.  An approved unit of instruction, public service or research may be modified by the colleges within the parameters listed in subsection (d)(2)(D). The college shall notify ICCB of the modifications through an electronic exchange system. Modifications to existing units of instruction include:

 

i)          The addition, modification or withdrawal of courses within an approved unit of instruction that does not alter the objectives of the unit of instruction;

 

ii)         A change in minimum credit hours for completion of an approved unit of instruction that does not affect the instructional level of the unit of instruction;

 

iii)        A change in title of an approved unit of instruction that does not indicate a different objective of the unit than that previously approved; or

 

iv)        A change in program/course classification code that does not alter the objectives of the unit of instruction.

 

3)         Reasonable and moderate extensions of previously approved units of research or public service include units with an annual operating expenditure from whatever source of less than $250,000 or an annual operating expenditure from state appropriations of less than $50,000.

 

4)         Reasonable and moderate extensions of previously approved units of administration include any administrative reorganization of a college.

 

e)         Approval in a Multi-College District.  Approval of new units of instruction, research, or public service in a multi-college district will be for a specific college.  Transfer of a unit to, or duplication of a unit by, other colleges within the district constitutes a new unit requiring approval by the ICCB.  However, up to 9 hours of a program approved at one college may be offered by any other college in the district at the option of the Board.

 

f)         Inactivation.  When a college no longer offers an approved unit of instruction to additional new students, that unit of instruction shall be reported to the ICCB and shall be removed from the college catalog and other documents advertising the program offerings to the public. An inactive unit of instruction shall be maintained on the ICCB Curriculum Inventory File with the date that it became inactive for a period of at least 10 years.  The effective date that a unit of instruction becomes inactive shall be determined by the college.

 

g)         Reactivation. A unit of instruction that has been inactivated by a college may be reactivated by submitting the materials outlined in subsection (a) for review and approval by ICCB.

 

1)         A unit of instruction that has been inactive for less than three years may be reactivated by the college once it has completed the following:

 

A)        Obtained approval to reactivate the program from its chief executive administrator;

 

B)        Obtained approval to reactivate the program from agencies that license, certify, or accredit the program, if appropriate; and

 

C)        Submitted a request for reactivation and an updated copy of the curriculum to ICCB.

 

2)         A unit of instruction that has been inactive for three to 10 years may be reactivated by the ICCB Executive Director if the college has completed the following:

 

A)        Obtained approval to reactivate the program from its chief executive administrator;

 

B)        Obtained approval to reactivate the program from agencies that license, certify or accredit the program, if appropriate;

 

C)        Demonstrated through local surveys or State labor market data that the labor market demand and supply shows a need for graduates of the program;

 

D)        Conducted a review of the program with representatives from business and industry including on-site visits and advice regarding current technologies and equipment;

 

E)        Demonstrated, in accordance with subsections (a)(5) and (a)(6), that the college has adequate facilities, equipment and financial resources to offer a quality program;

 

F)         Demonstrated, in accordance with Section 1501.303(f), that the college has available qualified faculty to provide the instruction for the program; and

 

G)        Submitted a request for the reactivation and an updated copy of the curriculum to ICCB.

 

3)         A unit of instruction that has been inactive for over 10 years may be reactivated by following the new unit approval process described in subsection (a).

 

h)         Discontinuation of Programs.  The ICCB may discontinue programs thatfail to reflect the educational needs of the area being served as follows:

 

1)         Programs that do not meet standards of need, quality and cost effectiveness may be discontinued by the ICCB.  This determination shall be made based on review and collective findings of information available to the ICCB through ICCB and Illinois Board of Higher Education program review, evaluation and productivity processes; the ICCB Management Information System; and other sources of pertinent information on the following criteria:

 

A)        Program need, including educational priorities of the district, accessibility, credit hours generated, enrollments, completions, and labor market supply and demand.

 

B)        Program quality, including job placement or education continuation, program content, academic control, faculty qualifications, and accreditation and credentialing.

 

C)        Program costs, including adequacy of financial support and unit costs.

 

2)         ICCB will use special State-level analyses to identify programs that appear to be of questionable need, cost or quality based on State data. Programs identified through State-level analysis will be referred to the colleges to enable them to evaluate the programs in detail in their normal process and to obtain the results and comments from the local level.

 

3)         ICCB will notify college districts of programs being considered for discontinuation and shall grant the district 60 days to respond to concerns regarding the program in question before action by the Board.  This information shall be taken into account in determining if a program should be discontinued by the ICCB.

 

4)         Once a program is discontinued by the ICCB and the appeal process is concluded, the college must inactivate the program by not enrolling any additional new students and develop a plan for an orderly discontinuation of the program for students currently enrolled.  Programs discontinued by the ICCB may be reestablished by obtaining approval as a new unit of instruction under subsection (a).

 

(Source:  Amended at 44 Ill. Reg. 18680, effective November 13, 2020)

 

Section 1501.303  Program Requirements

 

a)         Comprehensive Program.  The programs of a college shall be comprehensive and shall include:  pre-baccalaureate, occupational, and general studies curricula, and public service programs.

 

b)         Degrees and Certificates.  A college shall award associate degrees and certificates in accordance with units of instruction approved by ICCB.  This authority is not extended to administrative units of the college.

 

c)         Honorary Degrees.  Honorary degrees awarded by a board shall be limited to the associate degree.

 

d)         Review and Evaluation of Programs.

 

1)         A college shall have a systematic, collegewide program review process for evaluating all of its instructional, student services, and academic support programs at least once within a five-year cycle.

 

2)         The minimum review criteria for program review shall be program need, program cost, and program quality, as defined by each college.

 

3)         The review of academic disciplines, student and academic support, cross-disciplinary instruction (remedial education, adult education and vocational skills), and career and technical education shall be scheduled according to the published ICCB schedule.  A college shall follow the published schedule set by ICCB that shows when each program will be reviewed during a five-year cycle.  If a college seeks an exception to the published schedule, the college must receive written approval from ICCB.

 

4)         The five-year schedule of program review is determined through a combination of several factors, including but not limited to:

 

A)        National trends that consider high need, high demand sectors;

 

B)        Accreditation requirements in specific occupational areas;

 

C)        Areas that the agency has determined are in specific need of review based upon industry trends;

 

D)        Feedback from local community colleges;

 

E)        Changes in federal priorities, including specific updates to CIP classifications;

 

F)         Other factors as appropriate.

 

5)         ICCB may request the college to include special reviews of programs that have been identified as a result of State-level analyses, legislative resolutions, or Illinois Board of Higher Education policy studies by notifying the college of this request before January 1 of the year the special review is to be conducted.

 

6)         A college shall keep on file for ICCB recognition purposes a copy of the current program review process, its five-year schedule for program review, and complete reports of program reviews conducted during the past five years.

 

7)         A college shall submit to ICCB by September 1 each year a summary report of its previous year's program review results in a format designated by the ICCB and a copy of the current five-year schedule of program reviews.  If an institution cannot meet this deadline, a written request for an extension shall be submitted to ICCB for approval.

 

e)         Academic Calendar. 

 

1)         A college shall operate on an academic calendar that provides at least two academic terms consisting of at least 15 weeks (at least 75 days of instruction each), three academic terms consisting of at least 10 weeks (at least 50 days of instruction each) or a different combination of academic terms consisting of at least 30 weeks (at least 150 days of instruction).

 

2)         The days of instruction prescribed in subsection (e)(1) shall include all days when there is a full schedule of classes and support services, but will exclude holidays, Saturdays, Sundays, and days scheduled exclusively for registration, orientation, collegewide placement or assessment testing, faculty workshops, and final examinations.

 

3)         Colleges may include terms during the summer or any other time during the year, in addition to the ones identified in subsection (e)(1).

 

4)         Courses/classes may be scheduled between academic terms, spanning academic terms, for a shorter time frame than the academic term, or for a longer time frame than the academic term, if the schedule provides sufficient duration and contact hours to meet the requirements in Sections 1501.309(b) and 1501.507(b)(10).

 

5)         If an emergency such as a fire, flood, pandemic, or strike makes it necessary for the college to shorten one of its academic terms, the college may request that the Executive Director approve a shorter term. In such cases, the length of the term may be shortened, but only to the extent that enables all courses to meet the contact hours specified in Section 1501.309(b).

 

6)         Colleges must have a plan in place to address modifications to the academic terms in the event of an emergency.  This plan must be approved by the Board of Trustees.

 

f)         Preparation of Professional Staff.  Professional staff shall be educated and prepared in accordance with generally accepted standards and practices for teaching, supervising, counseling and administering the curriculum or supporting system to which they are assigned.  This preparation may include collegiate study and professional experience.  Graduate work through the master's degree in the assigned field or area of responsibility is expected, except in those areas in which the work experience and related training is the principal learning medium.

 

g)         Library.  A college shall maintain a library or learning resource center with a collection of reference works and other learning resources to meet the specific needs of its curricula and students.  This collection shall be kept up to date through a planned program of acquisition and deletion.

 

h)         Supplies and Equipment.  Classrooms, laboratories, and shops shall be provided with equipment and supplies that are adequate for effective teaching and learning.

 

i)          General Education.  Organized curricula leading to an associate degree shall include general education courses designed to contribute to the liberal education of each student.

 

j)          Apprenticeships.  A college that participates in apprenticeships coordinated by the Office of Apprenticeship, U.S. Department of Labor and/or other programs related to business, industrial, or trade groups or organizations shall meet applicable federal, State, and local governmental rules, regulations, and guidelines.

 

(Source:  Amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 12514, effective September 21, 2021)

 

Section 1501.304  Statewide and Regional Planning

 

a)         Program planning is based on an assessment of program needs within districts, regions, and the State as a whole.  Program approval shall be based, in part, on the labor market and economic needs of the district or regional consortium of colleges requesting authority to offer specific curricula.

 

b)         Approval of statewide and regional curricula is limited to three years, after which the program must be reapproved by the Board or it is automatically converted to district approval.

 

c)         Admission of Students to Regional Curricula.  Regions, or regional consortia of colleges, may comprise a community college district and one or more adjacent districts; e.g., some or all surrounding districts or the regional university/community college consortium.  A college that offers approved regional curricula shall admit qualified students from throughout the Region on the same priority basis as in-district students.

 

d)         Admission of Students to Statewide Curricula.  A college that offers approved statewide curricula shall admit qualified students from throughout the State on the same priority basis as in-district students.

 

(Source:  Amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 12514, effective September 21, 2021)

 

Section 1501.305  College, Branch, Campus, and Extension Centers

 

a)         Approval of a New College.  An application for approval for a proposed new college shall be submitted to ICCB on forms provided by ICCB. The criteria for approval of a new college are:

 

1)         The proposed college shall be authorized by the Board of Trustees.

 

2)         The proposed college shall meet educational needs that cannot be met within that area of the district as demonstrated by a needs assessment. The needs assessment shall include identification of all other educational institutions providing postsecondary education within a 30-mile radius of the proposed college, identification of student demand for postsecondary education by program area within the service area of the proposed college, a statement on how the establishment of the proposed college will impact the enrollments on these postsecondary educational institutions within a 30-mile radius of the proposed college, a statement on how the establishment of the proposed college will impact the current enrollments of the district's present colleges, and of student enrollments for the proposed college.

 

3)         The proposed college shall provide a comprehensive program of instruction as specified in Section 1-2(e) of the Act.

 

4)         The district shall certify that the resources for the facilities, equipment, instructional materials, library holdings, and faculty and staff necessary to provide quality instruction pursuant to Section 1501.302 shall be made available to the proposed college.

 

5)         The needs assessment substantiates that the student enrollment for the proposed college shall be at least 1,000 full-time equivalent students (30,000 semester credit hours) per year by the second full year of operation.

 

6)         The district shall have at least $150 million of assessed valuation for each of its colleges, including the proposed college.

 

7)         The proposed college shall serve a population of at least 60,000 or a geographic area of at least three entire counties.

 

8)         The plans to obtain regional accreditation for the proposed college have been developed.

 

b)         Approval of a Branch or Campus.  An application for approval of a proposed branch or campus shall be submitted to ICCB on forms provided by ICCB. The criteria for approval of a branch or campus are:

 

1)         The proposed branch or campus shall be authorized by the Board of Trustees.

 

2)         The proposed branch or campus shall meet educational needs that cannot be met in that area of the district as demonstrated by a needs assessment.

 

3)         The college shall certify that resources for facilities, equipment, instructional materials, library holdings, and faculty and staff necessary to provide quality instruction pursuant to Section 1501.302 shall be made available to the proposed branch or campus.

 

4)         The proposed branch or campus shall provide student and academic support services on site that are adequate pursuant to Section 1501.302 to support the curricula offered and the students in attendance at the branch or campus.

 

c)         Extension Centers.  An extension center located within the community college district is a reasonable and moderate extension of a college and may be established at the discretion of the district's Board of Trustees. An extension center located outside the community college district requires ICCB approval under Section 1501.307.

 

(Source:  Amended at 44 Ill. Reg. 18680, effective November 13, 2020)

 

Section 1501.306  State or Federal Institutions (Repealed)

 

(Source:  Repealed at 9 Ill. Reg. 3691, effective March 13, 1985)

 

Section 1501.307  Cooperative Agreements

 

Cooperative agreements may be established for the purpose of providing more accessible instructional services to students and increasing efficiency in the use of educational resources.  An application for approval shall be submitted to ICCB on forms provided by ICCB.

 

a)         Cooperative Agreements for Instruction.  A community college district may enter into contractual arrangements to deliver or obtain educational programs or services for previously approved units of instruction upon approval by ICCB.  Criteria for the approval of agreements for instruction shall be:

 

1)         accessibility of instruction to students;

 

2)         labor market need;

 

3)         cost-effectiveness in providing instructional programs;

 

4)         comprehensiveness of available programs for student;

 

5)         impact on regional and statewide programs;

 

6)         impact on programs at neighboring community college districts, applicable only if the college is delivering service outside its district; and

 

7)         the partnering entity's past experience in offering similar units of instruction, applicable only if partnering to obtain services.

 

b)         Interdistrict Cooperative Agreements for Instruction.   A community college district may enter into interdistrict contractual arrangements with another community college district to enable its students to attend the other district's programs/courses.

 

1)         The curricula included in the cooperative agreement for instruction shall be listed in the catalog of the college that does not have the program but is making it available to its students through a contractual arrangement with another college. A copy of the listing shall be kept on file at the district central administrative office.

 

2)         Interdistrict Cooperative Agreements may be entered into for courses and/or curricula offered through Illinois Community Colleges Online.  The cooperative agreement shall specify that the programs/courses will be approved as programs/courses of the receiving district and will be included in the receiving district's Illinois Community College Board curricula and course master files as such.  This agreement would allow the receiving institution to offer the program only through online delivery through the sending college.  The sending institution will be the institution of academic control of the course/curriculum.

 

c)         Copies of these contractual arrangements shall be kept on file at the district central administrative office.

 

(Source:  Amended at 44 Ill. Reg. 18680, effective November 13, 2020)

 

Section 1501.308  Reporting Requirements

 

A college shall submit the following specified items in a format prescribed by ICCB and according to the schedules indicated: 

 

a)         Annual salary data and basic characteristics, including but not limited to sex, date of birth, ethnic classification, highest degree earned, tenure status, and employment or teaching areas, of the faculty and staff employed by the college as of November 1 shall be submitted on or before November 15 of each year. Fiscal year data shall be submitted on or before June 15.

 

b)         An annual African American Employment Plan Survey, Asian Employment Plan Survey, Bilingual Needs and Bilingual Pay Survey, Hispanic/Latino Employment Plan Survey, and Native American Employment Plan Survey submitted on or before February 1.  (See 5 ILCS 410.)

 

(Source:  Amended at 47 Ill. Reg. 2227, effective February 1, 2023)

 

Section 1501.309  Course Classification and Applicability

 

a)         Course Classification.  Information on courses for which credit is to be awarded shall be submitted to ICCB through an electronic exchange system in order for the courses to be classified into appropriate instructional and funding categories and added to the college's Management Information System (MIS) Course Master File.

 

b)         Course Credit Hour Determination

 

1)         Credit hours for courses for which ICCB credit hour grants are to be claimed shall be determined on the basis of an expected 45 hours of combined classroom/laboratory and study time for each semester hour.

 

2)         Lecture Courses.  Courses with students participating in lecture/discussion oriented instruction shall be assigned one semester credit hour or equivalent for each 15 classroom contact hours, at a minimum, of instruction per semester or equivalent.  It is assumed that two hours of outside study will be invested for each classroom contact hour.

 

3)         Laboratory Courses.  Courses in which students participate in laboratory/clinical-laboratory oriented instruction shall be assigned one semester credit hour or equivalent for each 30-45 classroom contact hours, at a minimum, of instruction per semester or equivalent.  It is assumed that one hour of outside study will be invested for each two laboratory contact hours.

 

4)         Clinical Practicum courses. Courses in which students participate in clinical practical experiences shall receive one semester credit hour or equivalent each 30-60 contact hours, at a minimum, per semester or equivalent.  It is expected that one hour of outside study time will be invested for each two clinical practicum contact hours.

 

5)         Internship Courses.  Courses in which students participate in nonclinical internship, practicum, or on-the-job supervised instruction shall receive one semester credit hour or equivalent for each 75-149 contact hours, at a minimum, per semester credit hour or equivalent.

 

6)         Students who participate in an approved program with an intensified or accelerated schedule shall be exempt from the contact hour requirements of this subsection (b).

 

c)         Course Syllabus.  A syllabus shall be developed and maintained for each credit course and shall be available to the public and students upon request.  A syllabus contains the description of the course, specific objectives of the course, a topical outline, and the method for evaluating student performance.

 

d)         Course Applicability.  All credit courses must be part of an approved unit of instruction (see Section 1501.302), and the approved unit of instruction for each course shall be indicated on the college's ICCB MIS Course Master File.

 

1)         Lower-division Baccalaureate Courses.  Courses designed to meet lower-division baccalaureate degree requirements shall be applicable to associate transfer degrees.  For each baccalaureate course offered, the college shall either obtain approval for the course to be listed as a Statewide articulated transfer course by a general education or baccalaureate major panel of the Illinois Articulation Initiative or maintain current written articulation agreements or transfer equivalency documents with:

 

A)        at least three Illinois public universities;

 

B)        at least three baccalaureate degree-granting institutions to which a majority (51%) of the college's students transfer; or

 

C)        one or more baccalaureate degree-granting institutions to which a majority (51%) of the college's students, majoring in the field for which the course is required, transfer.

 

2)         GECC Credential.  Upon a student's completion of the GECC, a college is authorized to award a GECC credential, which shall, at a minimum, consist of a notation on a transcript for the student achieving the credential.

 

3)         Remedial Course Credit.  No remedial course credit shall be applicable to associate degrees designed for transfer to institutions granting baccalaureate degrees.

 

4)         Adult Basic Education Course Credit.  No adult basic education course credit applies to degrees or to certificates, except the Adult Basic Education Certificate.

 

5)         Adult Secondary Education Course Credit.  No adult secondary or college preparatory education course credit applies to degrees or certificates, except the Adult Secondary Education Certificate.

 

6)         Career and Technical Education Course Credit. Courses designed to prepare individuals with a technical skill shall be applicable towards the requirements or electives for completion of an associate's degree (applied or transfer) or a career and technical education certificate.

 

7)         General Studies Course Credit.  General studies course credit applies only to the Personal Development; Homemaking; Improving Family Circumstances; Intellectual and Cultural Studies; Community and Civic Development; and Health, Safety and Environment Certificates.

 

e)         Special Upper-Division Courses

 

1)         A college may offer any course that is offered by a university, regardless of numbering system, if the university normally permits its own students to take the course as lower-division students.  These courses will be eligible for ICCB grants, if they meet all other criteria.

 

2)         If at least three public universities in Illinois agree, or if a public university that is the principal recipient of transfers from the community college agrees, certain special courses taught at the upper-division level may be offered by a college and be eligible for ICCB grants, provided they meet all other criteria.

 

f)         Independent Study.  Independent Study course credit shall not exceed 25 percent of the credit hour requirements for a student to earn an associate degree.  The topic of an independent study course shall be listed on the student's permanent academic record.

 

g)         Internships.  An internship experience for credit that is designed to provide the student an opportunity to put into practice the theories and techniques learned in the classroom/laboratory shall be applicable to an associate degree or certificate, provided at least 12 semester credit hours or equivalent in the corresponding curriculum are completed by the student before, or are taken by the student concurrently with, the experience.

 

h)         Courses Approved as Repeatable

 

1)         Courses in which the content varies from term to term or from student to student (e.g., independent study, special topics, and internship courses) or in which a student is expected to gain increased depth of knowledge and skill through repetition shall, at the request of the college, be approved for repeatability under the following conditions:

 

A)        The number of times the course may be taken for credit does not exceed four times, or the semester equivalent, e.g., a single course can be taken one time and repeated no more than three times per student;

 

B)        The method of determining the amount of credit to be awarded for each section of the course, for each term, or for each student is specified in the college's catalog, on the course syllabus, and on the course classification form, and the subject matter and number of credits for which the student enrolled is specified on the student's permanent academic record;

 

C)        The college's catalog, the course syllabus, and the course classification form requesting approval of repeatability by the ICCB indicate the number of such credits that will apply to degree or certificate completion for a single course or a combination of related courses; and

 

D)        The total number of credit hours for a single course or for a combination of related courses that are applicable to degree or certificate completion does not exceed the maximums established in subsection (b) governing credit hour determination, subsection (f) governing independent study, or Section 1501.507(b)(10) governing the maximum rate of credit hour production.

 

2)         Vocational skill courses that must be retaken periodically by law for persons employed in an occupation or vocation to maintain employment shall, at the request of the college, be approved for repeatability beyond the limits described in subsection (h)(1)(A) under the following conditions:

 

A)        The content of the course is determined by law and does not change from one year to the next; and

 

B)        A copy of the law (or regulation administering it) and a course syllabus accompany the course classification form requesting repeatability.

 

3)         An adult basic, adult secondary, or a remedial education course that is organized into discrete modules and offered for variable credit shall, at the request of the college, be approved for repeatability under the following conditions:

 

A)        No discrete module is repeated more than three times;

 

B)        The title of a module completed and the grade received is permanently recorded on the student's permanent academic record; and

 

C)        The content and number of credit hours for a discrete module is shown on the course syllabus and on the course classification form requesting approval of repeatability by ICCB.

 

4)         An adult basic, adult secondary or remedial education course that is not organized into discrete modules shall, at the request of the college, be approved for repeatability under the following conditions:

 

A)        The number of times the course may be taken for credit does not exceed four times, or the semester or equivalent; e.g., a single course can be taken one time and repeated no more than three times per student.

 

B)        The variety of skill levels included in the course and the methods used to accommodate individual differences based on an assessment of student skills is specified in the course syllabus; and

 

C)        The course title and the grade received is permanently recorded on the student's academic record each time that the course is taken.

 

(Source:  Amended at 44 Ill. Reg. 18680, effective November 13, 2020)

 

Section 1501.310  Acceptance of Private Business Vocational School Credits by Community Colleges in Select Disciplines

 

a)         Approval of Private Business and Vocational School Programs of Study. An application for approval of each proposed program of study eligible for credit transfer and acceptance shall be submitted to the ICCB on forms provided by the ICCB on or before July 1.  The criteria for approval of PBVS programs of study eligible for community college credit acceptance are:

 

1)         Program Goals and Objectives

 

A)        The proposed PBVS program of study meets the goals for career and technical education or workforce preparation within the district and region.

 

B)        The objectives of the PBVS program of study are consistent with what the title of the program of study implies.

           

2)         Academic Control

 

A)        The PBVS has the capacity to develop, deliver and support the PBVS program of study.

 

B)        The PBVS has established clear provisions for ensuring a high level of academic performance of faculty and students.

 

3)         Curriculum

 

A)        The content of the curriculum ensures that the objectives of the PBVS program of study will be achieved.

 

B)        The PBVS has developed quality curricula that align with federal, State and local requirements, is responsive to the local workforce needs, and will prepare graduates with the appropriate level of skill to meet their educational goals.

 

C)        The PBVS program curricula and community college coursework and curricula are aligned to ensure a smooth transition for students.

                       

4)         Faculty Qualifications. The academic preparation and experience of faculty and staff shall be consistent with Section 1501.303(f).

 

5)         Program Needs

 

A)        A student's completion of the PBVS program of study satisfies employment requirements in the occupational field.

 

B)        Labor market data for each PBVS program of study shows that the program is feasible and demonstrates evidence of labor market need.

 

6)         Assessment and Evaluation

 

A)        Assessment plans demonstrate clear and appropriate program and student learning goals and have identified appropriate outcomes. 

 

B)        The PBVS utilizes continuous quality improvement to ensure the curricula remains rigorous and relevant; uses Assessment of Student Learning information and data to improve curricula; and includes educational, business and community partners in the improvement process.

 

7)         Accreditation.  The PBVS has successfully completed a full term of national accreditation without probation, without being denied accreditation, and without withdrawing an application.

           

b)         Application.   Applications for approval of each PBVS program of study as eligible for credit transfer and acceptance shall have attached to them the following:

 

1)         Evidence verifying that the PBVS is in good standing during the period of its national accreditation from an accreditor approved by the U.S. Department of Education.

 

2)         A Permit of Approval Certificate from the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

 

3)         A catalog description for each PBVS program of study as it appeared in the PBVS's catalog.

 

4)         A curriculum chart for each PBVS program of study indicating the general education, career and technical education, work-based learning and elective requirements and options to complete the program.

 

5)         Individual course syllabi for each course that is part of the PBVS program of study.

 

c)         Credit Transfers.  Credit transfers from the PBVS may be made only during the institution's verified accreditation period.  A PBVS under review due to probation, that is denied accreditation, or withdraws an application for national accreditation shall not be approved by ICCB.

 

d)         Faculty Advisory Committee.  The State Board may establish a faculty advisory committee, from the appropriate program disciplines, to assist ICCB staff with curriculum review of the PBVS programs of study.

 

e)         Additional Information Site Visit. In the case of a proposed PBVS program of study for which staff determines it is necessary to verify or supplement the information supplied in the application, the staff may request additional written documentation and/or arrange for a site visit.

 

f)         Renewal.  A PBVS shall submit a renewal application every 5 years following the approval by the State Board.  A PBVS shall also submit a renewal application if curriculum changes are made to the approved PBVS programs of study.

 

g)         Appeal Process 

 

1)         All decisions of the State Board that result in non-approval of a PBVS or PBVS program of study shall be provided in writing in the form of a letter delivered by certified mail and shall specify the reason for the non-approval.

 

2)         All decisions of the State Board that result in non-approval may be appealed within 30 days after the written notification by submitting a written request for reconsideration of the decision to the ICCB Chair.

 

3)         The ICCB Chair shall review the request and place it on the agenda no later than 60 days after the conclusion of the 30-day appeal process.

 

4)         The appellant may make both oral and written presentations to ICCB at the time the decision is reconsidered.

 

h)         Acceptance of Credits

 

1)         A community college district shall accept up to 30 credit hours from a PBVS that has been approved by the Board if a student has completed a  PBVS program of study that is listed in Section 10 of the Career and Workforce Transition Act [110 ILCS 151] at that institution.

 

2)         The community college may accept the credits as direct equivalent credits or prior learning credits, as determined by the college and consistent with the accrediting standards and requirements of the Board, the Higher Learning Commission, other State and national accreditors,  and State licensing bodies, as appropriate.

 

(Source:  Added at 42 Ill. Reg. 2819, effective January 24, 2018)

 

Section 1501.311  Credit for Prior Learning

 

a)         Policy and Procedures

 

1)         Each college shall electronically submit to ICCB for review its policies for the award of academic credit for prior learning. This submission shall be made by March 31 of each calendar year for policies effective in the subsequent Fall semester,

 

A)        These policies shall include a listing of the types of documentation acceptable to the college and the dates of inclusion for which credit for prior learning is acceptable. 

 

B)        At a minimum, each college shall publish the procedures for students to earn credit for prior learning in its catalog and on its official website.

 

C)        Colleges shall regularly monitor, evaluate and, if necessary, revise credit for prior learning activities.

 

2)         As a part of these policies, each college shall adopt a specific policy for the awarding of academic credit for military training that is considered applicable to the requirements of the student's certificate or degree program.

 

A)        The policy shall apply to any student who is enrolled at the college and who has successfully completed a military training course or program as part of his or her military service that is:

 

i)          recommended for credit by a national higher education association that provides credit recommendations for military training courses and programs;

 

ii)         included in the student's military transcript issued by any branch of the armed services; or

 

iii)        otherwise documented as military training or experience.

 

B)        These policies may be incorporated into the college's broader credit for prior learning policies.

 

3)         This Section is not applicable to secondary/postsecondary articulation agreements or dual enrollment.

 

b)         Awarding Credit for Prior Learning

 

1)         Credit for prior learning can be awarded only after the assessment of prior learning experiences and only for documented learning that demonstrates achievement of all terminal objectives for a specific course or courses. 

 

2)         Colleges awarding credit for prior learning must validate credit on a course-by-course basis.  The following publications and methods are acceptable for validating prior learning for awarding credit:

 

A)        Standardized tests:

 

i)          College-Level Examination Program (CLEP);

 

ii)         Excelsior College/Formerly American College Testing Proficiency Examination Program (ACT-PEP/RCE EXCELSIOR);

 

iii)        Defense Activity for Nontraditional Educational Support (DANTES);

 

iv)        Advanced Placement (AP);

 

v)         International Baccalaureate (IB);

 

B)        College examinations:

 

i)          Examination (written, oral, demonstration or a combination of all three) that is equivalent to the comprehensive final exam;

 

ii)         Evaluation by an area dean or designated subject expert;

 

C)        Published guides:

 

i)          American Council on Education (ACE) for military training and experiences;

 

ii)         ACE (non-collegiate) for industrial and corporate training programs;

 

iii)        Other published guides developed by nationally recognized organizations;

 

D)        National Certifications: Child Development Associate (CDA);

 

E)        Portfolios:

 

i)          Credit through the development of a portfolio;

 

ii)         Evaluation by subject matter experts.

 

3)         Credit may not be awarded twice for the same learning.

 

c)         Standard for Awarding Credit for Prior Learning

 

1)         The student must enroll at the college and meet all admission requirements for the program in which course credit for prior learning is being sought.  A college may seek an exception to this provision by making a request and receiving subsequent approval from ICCB.

 

2)         Students must be able to meet residency requirements for certificates and degrees without the use of prior learning credit in the determination.

 

3)         Assessment of prior learning credit may happen at any point during the application and admission process.  To award a degree or certificate, the college must ensure that residency requirements are met. Typically, fifteen credit hours is required towards a degree or at least twenty-five percent of the required credit for a certificate.

 

4)         College validation procedures should be objective to the extent that external evaluators would reach the same conclusion given the material reviewed.

 

d)         If pursuing a transfer degree (Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS) or Associate in General Studies (AGS)), credit for prior learning will only be granted for the purpose of satisfying graduation requirements.  These credits might not transfer to other colleges. 

 

e)         All work assessed for prior learning must meet or exceed a grade level of "C".  Minimum cut-off scores on standardized tests are set at a "C" grade level. 

 

f)         In the process of determining if credit can be awarded for prior learning, colleges shall charge students only for the cost of the prior learning assessment services and not for the amount of credit awarded.

 

(Source:  Amended at 47 Ill. Reg. 2227, effective February 1, 2023)

 

Section 1501.312  Extension of Curricula/Credit Courses

 

a)         A community college may extend previously approved credit courses into another community college district with approval of the other community college district.

 

b)         A community college may extend previously approved curricula into another community college district upon approval of ICCB.  Criteria for approval shall be:

 

1)         a request from the community college district in which the proposed extension is to be offered;

 

2)         labor market need;

 

3)         cost-effectiveness in providing instructional programs;

 

4)         adequacy of facilities and support services;

 

5)         impact on regional and statewide programs; and

 

6)         impact on programs at neighboring community college districts.

 

c)         If a district in which military installations, correctional institutions, or other State or federal institutions are located elects not to provide previously approved units of instruction to these institutions, any other college may be selected by the ICCB to do so.  ICCB will select a college using the following criteria:

 

1)         proximity of the college to the institution;

 

2)         availability at the college of the instructional units needed by the institution;

 

3)         cost of providing the instructional units for the institution; and

 

4)         college's past experience in offering similar units of instruction.

 

d)         Curricula and credit courses offered at out-of-state locations (except for field trips and travel that are in conjunction with a course offered within the district) must have prior annual approval by ICCB.  A community college shall be granted approval to offer previously approved curricula and credit courses out-of-state provided that it meets the following criteria:

 

1)         A request for approval including information about the curricula and courses, location of the proposed extension, projected enrollments, and projected funding is submitted on forms provided by ICCB.

 

2)         The college shall identify how the extension will be used by students to complete degree or certificate programs.

 

3)         If the extension is offered for out-of-state students, the college shall submit a copy of a written request from the group desiring the service and assurance that no State or local tax monies will be used to provide the extension.

 

4)         The college shall submit annual reports of its out-of-state extensions for the past fiscal year, on forms provided by ICCB, by July 15 of each year.

 

5)         The college shall request approval of its out-of-state extensions, on forms provided by ICCB, prior to May 15 for the fiscal year beginning on the next July 1.

 

6)         Deletion, modification or addition of courses and curricula offered at out-of-state extensions previously approved by ICCB are reasonable and moderate extensions and must be reported to ICCB.

 

(Source:  Amended at 47 Ill. Reg. 2227, effective February 1, 2023)

 

Section 1501.313  Dual Credit

 

a)         Dual credit courses offered by the college for high school students during the regular school day shall be college-level and shall meet the following requirements:

 

1)         State Laws and Regulations and Accreditation Standards.  All State laws, ICCB regulations, accreditation standards specified by the Higher Learning Commission and local college policies that apply to courses, instructional procedures, and academic standards at the college apply to college-level courses offered by the college on campus, at off-campus sites, and at secondary schools.  These policies, regulations, instructional procedures, and academic standards apply to students, faculty and staff associated with these courses. The Board hereby incorporates by reference the following:  Higher Learning Commission Assumed Practices:  Number:  CRRT.B.10.020. (2018), with no later editions or amendments, available from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL  60604-1411.

 

2)         Instructors.  The instructors for these courses shall be selected, employed and reviewed by the community college.  They shall be selected from individuals with appropriate credentials and demonstrated teaching competencies at the college level.

 

A)        For instructors teaching transfer courses (1.1 PCS (in the ICCB Program Classification System)), these qualifications shall include a minimum of a master's degree within the discipline or any master's degree with 18 graduate hours appropriate to the academic field of study or in the discipline in which the instructors will be teaching.

 

B)        High school instructors teaching dual credit transfer courses who do not meet the faculty credential standards of this subsection (a)(2) to determine minimally qualified faculty may teach dual credit courses if the instructor has a professional development plan, approved by the college and shared with the State Board of Education. 

 

C)        For a high school instructor entering into a professional development plan by December 31, 2022, to raise his or her credentials to be in line with these credentials, the following requirements are in effect.

 

i)          The college shall have 30 days to review the plan and approve an instructor professional development plan that is in line with the credentials appropriate to the discipline being taught.

 

ii)         These approvals shall be good for as long as satisfactory progress toward the completion of the credential is demonstrated, but in no event shall a professional development plan be in effect for more than 3 years from the date of its approval.

 

iii)        The instructor shall qualify for a professional development plan if the instructor has a master's degree in any discipline and has earned 9 graduate hours in a discipline in which he or she is currently teaching or expects to teach; or

 

•           Has a bachelor's degree with a minimum of 18 graduate hours in a discipline that he or she is currently teaching or expects to teach; and

 

•           Agrees to demonstrate his or her progress toward completion to the supervising college, as outlined in the professional development plan. [110 ILCS 27/20(1)(B)]

 

iv)        The provisions of this subsection (a)(2)(B) and (C) shall not apply after December 31, 2022. 

 

D)        For a high school instructor entering into a professional development plan on or after January 1, 2023, to raise his or her credentials to be in line with these credentials, the following requirements are in effect.

 

i)          The college shall have 30 days to review the plan and approve an instructor professional development plan that is in line with the credentials appropriate to the discipline being taught.

 

ii)         These approvals shall be good for as long as satisfactory progress toward the completion of the credential is demonstrated, but in no event shall a professional development plan be in effect for more than 3 years from the date of its approval.

 

iii)        The instructor shall qualify for a professional development plan if the instructor has a master's degree in any discipline and has earned 9 graduate hours in a discipline in which he or she is currently teaching or expects to teach; or is a fully licensed instructor in career and technical education who is halfway toward meeting the institution’s requirements for faculty in the discipline to be taught and agrees to demonstrate his or her progress toward completion as outline in the professional development plan.  [110 ILCS 27/20]

 

E)        For instructors teaching career and technical education (1.2 PCS) courses, these qualifications shall include 2,000 hours of work experience and appropriate recognizable credentials and demonstrated teaching competencies appropriate to the field of instruction.

 

3)         Qualification of Students.  Students accepted for enrollment in college-level courses must have appropriate academic qualifications, a high level of motivation, and adequate time to devote to studying a college-level course.  The students' course selections shall be made in consultation with high school counselors and/or principals and are restricted to students who are able to demonstrate readiness for college-level work, as determined by placement procedures consistent with those that would be used with college level students.  The students shall meet all college criteria and follow all college procedures for enrolling in courses.  Credit hours generated by freshman and sophomore students for dual credit courses are not eligible for reimbursement.

 

4)         Placement Testing and Prerequisites.  High school students enrolling in college-level courses must satisfy the same course placement tests or course prerequisites as other college level students, when applicable, to assure that they are qualified and prepared. 

 

5)         Course Offerings.  Courses shall be selected from transfer courses that are direct equivalents of those of baccalaureate institutions in Illinois (i.e., have been articulated) (see 23 Ill. Adm. Code 1501.309(d)) or from courses in ICCB approved certificate or associate in applied science degree programs. 

 

6)         Course Requirements.  The course outlines utilized for these courses shall be the same as for courses offered on campus and at other off-campus sites and shall contain the content articulated with colleges and universities in the State.  Course prerequisites, descriptions, outlines, requirements, learning outcomes and methods of evaluating students shall be the same as for on-campus offerings. 

 

7)         Concurrent Credit.  The determination of whether a college course is offered for concurrent high school and college credit shall be made at the secondary level, according to the school's policies and the practices of the district.

 

b)         A community college district shall, upon the request of a school district within the jurisdiction of the community college district, enter into a partnership agreement with the school district to offer dual credit coursework.

 

1)         A school district may offer any course identified in the Illinois Articulation Initiative General Education Core Curriculum package under the Illinois Articulation Initiative Act [110 ILCS 152] as a dual credit course on the campus of a high school of the school district and may use a high school instructor who has met the academic credential requirements under this subsection (b) to teach the dual credit course. [110 ILCS 27]

 

2)         The partnership agreement shall include all of the following:

 

A)        definition of roles and responsibilities for both the college and the high school;

 

B)        the dual credit courses that the high school district will offer its students and location of courses;

 

C)        criteria for eligibility for high school students to enroll in dual credit coursework;

 

D)        limitations that the college or school district may have on course offerings;

 

E)        requirements for academic credentials for dual credit instructors, consistent with ICCB rules and Higher Learning Commission standards;

 

F)         criteria by which the school district shall identify, and the college review and approve, high school instructors of dual credit on the high school campus;

 

G)        the collaborative process and criteria by which the community college district and the school district will work to ensure students with disabilities have access to dual credit;

 

H)        criteria as to how the college will take appropriate steps to ensure that dual credit courses are equivalent to those offered at the community college; and

 

I)         identification of costs associated with the dual credit course. 

 

3)         The college shall establish a mechanism for evaluating and documenting on a regular basis the performance of students who complete dual credit courses consistent with students in traditional credit-bearing college courses.

 

4)         A partnership agreement entered into, amended, renewed, or extended after the December 31, 2022, shall allow a high school student who does not otherwise meet the community college’s academic eligibility requirements to enroll in a dual credit course taught at the high school, but only for high school credit.  Instructors, in coordination with their higher learning partner, may differentiate instruction by credit section. However, this shall not be construed to allow the award of dual credit to a student who does not meet the requirements of the partnership agreement.

 

A)        High schools shall establish procedures, prior to the first day of class, to notify all individual high school students enrolled in a mixed enrollment dual credit course that includes students who have and have not met the criteria for dual credit coursework of whether or not they are eligible to earn college credit for the course.

 

B)        The expectations for maintaining the rigor of dual credit courses that are taught at the high school and including students not deemed ready for college-level coursework are set according to the standards of the community college.

 

5)         If, within 180 calendar days after the school district's initial request to enter into a partnership agreement with the community college district, the school district and the community college district do not reach agreement on the partnership agreement, then the school district and community college district shall jointly implement the provisions of the Model Partnership Agreement, published on the ICCB website. [110 ILCS 27/16]

 

6)         A college may combine its negotiations with multiple high schools to establish one multi-district partnership agreement or may negotiate individual partnership agreements at its discretion.

 

c)         Within 15 days after entering into or renewing a partnership agreement, the institution shall notify its faculty of the agreement, including access to copies of the agreement if requested. 

 

d)         The ICCB shall provide a report annually on its website that reports on aspects of professional development plans as specified in P. A. 102-1077

 

(Source:  Amended at 47 Ill. Reg. 14801, effective October 6, 2023)

SUBPART D: STUDENTS

 

Section 1501.401  Definition of Terms (Repealed)

 

(Source:  Repealed at 42 Ill. Reg. 18869, effective October 3, 2018)

 

Section 1501.402  Admission of Students

 

a)         Students Whose Connection With a Secondary School is Severed. Any student who is 16 or 17 years of age and has severed connection with a secondary school, as certified in writing by the chief executive officer of the secondary school in which the student has legal residence, is eligible to attend a college in accordance with policies of the Board.  Courses taken by those students are eligible for ICCB grants.

 

b)         Students Currently Enrolled in a Secondary School Program. Students currently enrolled in a secondary school program may be accepted into college courses.  If the courses are offered during the regular school day established by the secondary school or are offered for secondary school credit, prior approval of the chief executive officer of the secondary school must be received.

 

c)         Admission of Students in Programs.  Students shall be admitted to instructional programs supported by State funds for which they are otherwise qualified without regard to race, religion, sex, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, or membership in any profession, group, organization or association.

 

1)         Designating Specific Sections.  Course enrollments shall be open to those individuals identified in this subsection (c).  However, the nature of the instructional unit may make it desirable to offer specific sections for students with certain common backgrounds, experiences, and future aspirations.

 

2)         Organizations' Standards Not Applicable.  While it is recognized that certain organizations, groups, fraternities and associations have standards that must be met to become employed in a particular field, those standards shall not be applicable to the continuing participation of students in college courses receiving ICCB grants.

 

(Source:  Amended at 42 Ill. Reg. 18869, effective October 3, 2018)

 

Section 1501.403  Student Services

 

Student services including, but not limited to, advising and counseling, financial aid, and placement, shall be provided by the college in a manner convenient to students as defined below.

 

a)         Advising and Counseling.  The college shall have a comprehensive and organized program of academic advising and career counseling.

 

b)         Financial Aid.  The college shall provide a financial aid program, which provides students with information about and access to available financial support.

 

c)         Placement.  The college shall provide job placement services for students.

 

Section 1501.404  Academic Records

 

The college shall maintain permanent academic records for each student and protect them against loss, damage, or unauthorized alteration.

 

Section 1501.405  Student Evaluation

 

A system of evaluating and recording student performance in courses shall be in effect as per district policies and shall be available for review.

 

Section 1501.406  Reporting Requirements

 

A college shall submit the items listed in this Section in a format prescribed by ICCB and according to the schedules indicated.

 

a)         Basic characteristics, including sex, date of birth, ethnic classification, and instructional area of enrollment, of each student enrolled in all courses offered for credit during each term within the following schedule:

 

1)         Students enrolled as of the end of the regular registration during the fall term shall be reported on or before October 1 of that year.

 

2)         Students enrolled and/or completing a certificate or degree program during the fiscal year shall be reported on or before August 1.

 

b)         Student headcount and full-time equivalent enrollments as of the end of regular registration for fall and spring/winter terms within the following schedule:

 

1)         Fall Term:                    On or before October 1

 

2)         Spring Semester:         On or before February 15

 

c)         An annual report on underrepresented groups submitted on or before March 1.

 

d)         An annual noncredit course enrollment data submission (N1) on or before July 15.

 

e)         Summer graduate reporting (for the Integrated Postsecondary Educational Data System Graduation Rate Survey) submitted on or before November 1.

 

f)         An annual Student Identification data submission on or before September 1.

 

g)         An annual course submission on or before September 1.

 

(Source:  Amended at 41 Ill. Reg. 15723, effective December 18, 2017)

SUBPART E: FINANCE