HJ0122 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0122 LRB094 20275 RAS 58269 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, There are 39 public community college districts serving all 102 counties within the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Within the 39 community college districts, there are 48 community colleges, serving nearly 1.2 million Illinoisans annually; and

WHEREAS, Over the past decade, enrollment at the 48 community colleges has increased by more than 20% and the role of the community college has expanded dramatically; local communities and businesses have become reliant on community colleges as the primary provider of worker education and training; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that by the end of this decade 85% of all jobs in the State of Illinois that are capable of sustaining a middle-class lifestyle will require access to post-secondary education; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Labor also reports that 75% of all current workers will require re-skilling or retraining during the current decade in order to maintain the jobs they presently hold; and

WHEREAS, The reimbursement rules that are currently in place for community colleges are, in some instances, more than 30 years old and do not reflect the vast diversity of the structure and operation of the community college model of today; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created a Joint Task Force on Community Colleges, to be facilitated by the Illinois Community College Board, for the purpose of reviewing the present community college system and making recommendations to the General Assembly pertaining to whether the mechanisms that are in place will handle the expanded role and demands on the system in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Joint Task Force on Community Colleges shall consist of the following members: 2 co-chairpersons, each a member of the General Assembly, with one appointed by the Speaker of the House and one appointed by the President of the Senate; 2 spokespersons, each a member of the General Assembly, with one appointed by the Minority Leader of the House and one appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; 3 community college presidents appointed by an organization representing public community college presidents; 3 community college trustees appointed by an organization representing Illinois community college trustees; 2 community college faculty members appointed by the Chairperson of the Illinois Community College Board; 2 community college students appointed by the Illinois Community College Board Student Advisory Committee; and 2 members appointed by the Chairperson of the Illinois Community College Board, one of whom is a nationally recognized community college expert; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Joint Task Force members shall serve on a voluntary basis and shall not be responsible for any costs associated with their participation in the Joint Task Force; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Joint Task Force shall meet initially at the call of the Chairperson of the Illinois Community College Board and thereafter as necessary and shall report its findings to the General Assembly by filing copies of its report with the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate no later than December 31, 2006; and that upon filing its report the Joint Task Force is dissolved; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Chairperson of the Illinois Community College Board and to the Illinois Community College Board Student Advisory Committee.