SR1706 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1706 LRB100 21897 MST 39766 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Public higher education is a shared public good; the University of Illinois System should serve everyone in Illinois with equal access to education and the freedom that comes from learning; and

WHEREAS, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) is the flagship campus and was one of the original 37 public land-grant institutions created under the Morill Act with the goal of increasing access to higher education, then widely unavailable to many agricultural and industrial workers; and

WHEREAS, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), with its urban mission is "focused on eliminating disparities in health, education and economic opportunity" because "diversity is not an end in itself, but a vehicle for advancing access, equity, and inclusion" and considers itself one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse campuses in the country; and

WHEREAS, The University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS) is a public affairs university resolved to pioneer leaders in public education who will investigate the social, technological, environmental, and moral questions of our times by encouraging exposure to public affairs that extend beyond the classroom and campus and to the community; and

WHEREAS, 47% of adults in Illinois have a criminal record, which creates barriers to housing, jobs, employment, and full democratic participation; and

WHEREAS, All the factors that increase the likelihood of involvement with the criminal legal system, such as being poor, coming from neighborhoods with low educational spending and high incarceration rates, or having low access to social mobility or economic opportunity, only persist or worsen after a conviction; and

WHEREAS, Many high schools in poor communities of color disproportionately use suspension, expulsion, and zero-tolerance policies, and therefore disciplinary actions and arrests are much higher; and

WHEREAS, Poor people of color are disproportionately arrested, convicted, and incarcerated, and African Americans and Latinos together make up approximately 32% of the U.S. population, but comprise 56% of all incarcerated people; and

WHEREAS, Asking university applicants about their high school disciplinary records and adult conviction records has a chilling effect, discouraging people from even applying to the University of Illinois, and all three campuses currently request information about an applicant's criminal record and high school records in the admission process, thus creating a barrier to education; and

WHEREAS, The United States Department of Education has given forceful guidance for colleges and universities to eliminate collateral consequences of convictions and encourages abolition of these questions from applications, so that universities may mitigate, rather than exacerbate, the damage of the criminal justice system to individuals and communities; and

WHEREAS, By discouraging people from applying, the University of Illinois system acts against the ideals of public higher education, undermines its mission to make higher education accessible to all, and impedes Illinois residents in their efforts to lead positive and productive lives, thus preventing people with unlimited potential from matriculating and depriving current students of valuable colleagues and peers; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the University of Illinois System to eliminate barriers to obtaining a post-secondary education by ceasing to inquire about prior conviction information or past high school disciplinary history on any admissions application; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the University of Illinois System is urged not to consider any conviction or high school disciplinary history information provided at any point during the admissions process from any application using a third-party-vendor and should further urge any such vendor not to disclose such information to the University of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That in spite of the above statements, inquiries or considerations of an applicant's criminal history are permitted if required by federal law or in accordance with Section 2605-327 of the Department of State Police Law of Civil Administrative Code of Illinois or Section 10, 15, or 20 of the Medical School Matriculant Criminal History Records Check Act; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the University of Illinois is urged to only inquire about criminal history information related to specific convictions to follow existing laws and restrictions on aspects of campus life such as housing and employment after the student is admitted; and be it further

RESOLVED, The University of Illinois is urged to only inquire about criminal history after an individual has been admitted, only to offer the individual supportive services, academic, or career counseling, and institutional support; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the University of Illinois is urged to include information on all printed and online admissions materials that informs prospective applicants that a conviction record may affect an individual's ability to obtain certain professional or occupational licenses, types of employment, or to participate in certain clinical or other educational requirements; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to all members of the Illinois General Assembly, and the Governor of the State of Illinois.