SJ0049 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0049 LRB098 19431 GRL 54592 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois needs effective and quality education for all people; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Public Agenda for College and Career Success is the pathway to an Illinois where all residents have affordable access to high-quality educational opportunities that prepare Illinoisans for the jobs of the present and the future; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Public Agenda for College and Career Success has documented the critical role higher education plays in economic recovery and growth, particularly in ensuring that this State has an educated workforce to meet the needs of business and industry; and

WHEREAS, By 2020, 67% of Illinois jobs will require a career certificate or college degree; and

WHEREAS, Forty-three percent of Illinois adults currently have an associate degree or higher; and

WHEREAS, By 2018, the United States economy will have jobs for 22 million people with college degrees, but a shortage of nearly 8 million people with degrees; and

WHEREAS, The pipeline of young college graduates will not be enough to meet workforce skills demands; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois and its higher education institutions have a responsibility for student success, including improved student retention, program completion, and graduation; and

WHEREAS, One in five United States adults has some college credits but no degree; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Public Agenda for College and Career Success has recommended that the Board of Higher Education, in consultation with other higher education agencies, "develop a strategy to provide incentives to complete degrees, focusing on compacts between working adults and employers and on individuals with substantial college credit but no degree"; and

WHEREAS, Prior Learning Assessment is a strategy that should be considered as one way to support students' degree completion that addresses time-to-degree and college affordability barriers hindering working adults; and

WHEREAS, Prior Learning Assessment is the process by which an individual's experiential and other extra-institutional learning is assessed and evaluated for the purposes of granting college credit, certification, or advanced standing toward further education or training; and

WHEREAS, Many institutions offering Prior Learning Assessments recognize the importance of ensuring that quality standards are in place for the assessment of a student's learning that will result to the award of college credit; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Higher Education Prior Learning Assessment Task Force is created under the direction of the Board of Higher Education; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall be comprised of the following 14 members; one senator appointed by the President of the Senate; one senator appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; one representative appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; one representative appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives; and 10 members appointed by the Board of Higher Education to represent a cross-section of the higher education community and experts in experiential learning and national collegiate testing; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Board of Higher Education shall provide administrative support to the Task Force; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the members selected by the Board of Higher Education shall serve without compensation; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force's study shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(1) examining the history of Prior Learning Assessment and its impact on the adult and non-traditional learner in today's educational landscape;

(2) examining policies and practices in other states;

(3) determining existing Prior Learning Assessment methods being utilized among Illinois' public colleges and universities;

(4) reviewing the quality standards necessary to adequately assess a student's learning, based upon experience, non-academic training, education, etc. that leads toward the award of college credit;

(5) considering alternative methods to award college credit;

(6) considering transferability of credit and student mobility;

(7) the industry recognition of credentials earned through non-traditional means of demonstrating competency;

(8) the importance of college and university recognition of credentials awarded by industry; and

(9) the acceptance of Prior Learning Assessment-based credits, credentials, or degrees by licensing bodies; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall report its findings and recommendations to the Board of Higher Education, the Illinois Community College Board, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, the General Assembly, and the Governor on or before December 1, 2016; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall be dissolved after the submission of the report to the General Assembly and the Governor; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Governor and the chairpersons of the Board of Higher Education, the Illinois Community College Board, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, and the Illinois State Board of Education.