SR0683

LRB096 21430 NHT 37814 r





  
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SENATE RESOLUTION

  
 
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    WHEREAS, The State's nine public universities are 
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operated, managed, controlled, and maintained by their 
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respective individual boards of trustees; and
  
 
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    WHEREAS, Fiscal Year 2009 appropriations to the public 
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universities totaled nearly $6 billion; and
  
 
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    WHEREAS, On June 30, 2008, the public universities had over 
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$2 billion in outstanding bonds and notes payable and 
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certificates of participation, and additional debt has been 
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issued subsequent to that date; and
  
 
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    WHEREAS, State payments to the public universities are 
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backlogged, with over $475 million owed to the University of 
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Illinois alone; and
  
 
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    WHEREAS, According to the Comprehensive Annual Financial 
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Report (CAFR), the number of employees at the University of 
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Illinois has grown by 12% between 1999 and 2008 (from 26,331 to 
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29,403), while the number of State employees (not including 
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universities) dropped by 20% during that same time frame (from 
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87,719 to 70,144); and
  
 
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    WHEREAS, According to the College Illinois! website, 
 


 






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average annual weighted tuition and fees at this State's public 
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universities was $10,442 for freshman level students entering 
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college in the fall of 2009, an increase of 10.5% over the 
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2008-2009 academic year; therefore, be it
  
 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL 
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ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Auditor General is 
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directed to conduct a management audit of the State's nine 
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public universities; and be it further
  
 
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    RESOLVED, That the audit include, but not be limited to, 
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the following determinations for the most recent completed 
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academic year for which information is available:
         
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        (1)  the total cost of operating each campus, the 
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    average number of credit hours offered to students, the 
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    average cost per credit hour, the number of students 
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    enrolled, and the number of degrees conferred;

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        (2)  the total amount of revenue received by each public 
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    university and the sources of that revenue;

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        (3) comparison of the administrative structure at each 
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    public university and costs related to upper level 
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    administration at each campus;
       
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        (4) the number of academic personnel at each campus, 
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    the average credit hour workload of professors and 
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    instructors at each campus, the range of salaries and the 
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    average salary of professors and instructors at each 
 


 






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    campus, and the number of professors and instructors on 
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    sabbatical at each campus and the associated costs; and
         
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        (5)  the amount of tuition received by each campus and 
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    how much of that tuition was provided in the form of 
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    financial aid provided by or through this State and how 
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    much of that financial aid provided by or through this 
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    State is subject to repayment by the students receiving 
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    that aid; and be it further

  
 
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    RESOLVED, That the State's public universities, the Board 
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of Higher Education, and any other entity having information 
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relevant to this audit cooperate fully and promptly with the 
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Office of the Auditor General in the conduct of this audit; and 
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be it further
 
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    RESOLVED, That the Auditor General commence this audit as 
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soon as possible and report his findings and recommendations 
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upon completion in accordance with the provisions of Section 
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3-14 of the Illinois State Auditing Act; and be it further
 
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    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
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delivered to the Auditor General and the Board of Higher 
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Education.