SJ0049LRB098 19431 GRL 54592 r

1
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois needs effective and quality
3education for all people; and
 
4    WHEREAS, The Illinois Public Agenda for College and Career
5Success is the pathway to an Illinois where all residents have
6affordable access to high-quality educational opportunities
7that prepare Illinoisans for the jobs of the present and the
8future; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The Illinois Public Agenda for College and Career
10Success has documented the critical role higher education plays
11in economic recovery and growth, particularly in ensuring that
12this State has an educated workforce to meet the needs of
13business and industry; and
 
14    WHEREAS, By 2020, 67% of Illinois jobs will require a
15career certificate or college degree; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Forty-three percent of Illinois adults currently
17have an associate degree or higher; and
 
18    WHEREAS, By 2018, the United States economy will have jobs
19for 22 million people with college degrees, but a shortage of
20nearly 8 million people with degrees; and
 

 

 

SJ0049- 2 -LRB098 19431 GRL 54592 r

1    WHEREAS, The pipeline of young college graduates will not
2be enough to meet workforce skills demands; and
 
3    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois and its higher education
4institutions have a responsibility for student success,
5including improved student retention, program completion, and
6graduation; and
 
7    WHEREAS, One in five United States adults has some college
8credits but no degree; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The Illinois Public Agenda for College and Career
10Success has recommended that the Board of Higher Education, in
11consultation with other higher education agencies, "develop a
12strategy to provide incentives to complete degrees, focusing on
13compacts between working adults and employers and on
14individuals with substantial college credit but no degree"; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Prior Learning Assessment is a strategy that
16should be considered as one way to support students' degree
17completion that addresses time-to-degree and college
18affordability barriers hindering working adults; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Prior Learning Assessment is the process by which
20an individual's experiential and other extra-institutional

 

 

SJ0049- 3 -LRB098 19431 GRL 54592 r

1learning is assessed and evaluated for the purposes of granting
2college credit, certification, or advanced standing toward
3further education or training; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Many institutions offering Prior Learning
5Assessments recognize the importance of ensuring that quality
6standards are in place for the assessment of a student's
7learning that will result to the award of college credit;
8therefore, be it
 
9    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL
10ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
11CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Higher Education Prior Learning
12Assessment Task Force is created under the direction of the
13Board of Higher Education; and be it further
 
14    RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall be comprised of the
15following 14 members; one senator appointed by the President of
16the Senate; one senator appointed by the Minority Leader of the
17Senate; one representative appointed by the Speaker of the
18House of Representatives; one representative appointed by the
19Minority Leader of the House of Representatives; and 10 members
20appointed by the Board of Higher Education to represent a
21cross-section of the higher education community and experts in
22experiential learning and national collegiate testing; and be
23it further
 

 

 

SJ0049- 4 -LRB098 19431 GRL 54592 r

1    RESOLVED, That the Board of Higher Education shall provide
2administrative support to the Task Force; and be it further
 
3    RESOLVED, That the members selected by the Board of Higher
4Education shall serve without compensation; and be it further
 
5    RESOLVED, That the Task Force's study shall include, but
6not be limited to, the following:
7    (1) examining the history of Prior Learning Assessment and
8    its impact on the adult and non-traditional learner in
9    today's educational landscape;
10    (2) examining policies and practices in other states;
11    (3) determining existing Prior Learning Assessment methods
12    being utilized among Illinois' public colleges and
13    universities;
14    (4) reviewing the quality standards necessary to
15    adequately assess a student's learning, based upon
16    experience, non-academic training, education, etc. that
17    leads toward the award of college credit;
18    (5) considering alternative methods to award college
19    credit;
20    (6) considering transferability of credit and student
21    mobility;
22    (7) the industry recognition of credentials earned through
23    non-traditional means of demonstrating competency;

 

 

SJ0049- 5 -LRB098 19431 GRL 54592 r

1    (8) the importance of college and university recognition of
2    credentials awarded by industry; and
3    (9) the acceptance of Prior Learning Assessment-based
4    credits, credentials, or degrees by licensing bodies; and
5    be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall report its findings and
7recommendations to the Board of Higher Education, the Illinois
8Community College Board, the Illinois Student Assistance
9Commission, the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois
10Department of Veterans Affairs, the General Assembly, and the
11Governor on or before December 1, 2016; and be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall be dissolved after the
13submission of the report to the General Assembly and the
14Governor; and be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
16delivered to the Governor and the chairpersons of the Board of
17Higher Education, the Illinois Community College Board, the
18Illinois Student Assistance Commission, and the Illinois State
19Board of Education.