103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB2986

 

Introduced 1/31/2024, by Sen. Michael W. Halpin

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
110 ILCS 205/9.33a new

    Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that the Board of Higher Education shall, in consultation with the Illinois Community College Board, create a standardized electronic form by which a community college district may document student demand or workforce need for a specific baccalaureate degree completion program and may demonstrate that the demand or need is currently unmet or that there is insufficient access to such a program in the district. Provides that the form must be completed by the requesting community college district and must be submitted to the Illinois Community College Board for initial review. Provides that if the Illinois Community College Board concurs with the community college district that unmet demand or need for a program exists in the district, the Illinois Community College Board may forward the form to the Board of Higher Education and if the Illinois Community College Board does not concur with the community college district, the district may appeal the decision directly to the Board of Higher Education. Provides that if the Board of Higher Education determines that unmet student demand or workforce need for a program exists, the Board of Higher Education shall communicate a request for baccalaureate partnership notification to all public universities. Sets forth the response procedure. Requires the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board to jointly adopt rules.


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A BILL FOR

 

SB2986LRB103 37955 RJT 68087 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Board of Higher Education Act is amended by
5adding Section 9.33a as follows:
 
6    (110 ILCS 205/9.33a new)
7    Sec. 9.33a. Collaborative baccalaureate degree completion
8development.
9    (a) In this Section, "university" means any public or
10private, not-for-profit university in this State.
11    (b) It is the intent of this amendatory Act of the 103rd
12General Assembly that the Board, in consultation with the
13Illinois Community College Board, establish a clear pathway
14for community colleges to request university partners for
15delivery of baccalaureate degree completion programs in
16response to demonstrated need or demand within a community
17college district.
18    (c) The Board shall, in consultation with the Illinois
19Community College Board, create a standardized electronic form
20by which a community college district may document student
21demand or workforce need for a baccalaureate degree completion
22program and may demonstrate that such demand or need is
23currently unmet or that there is insufficient access to such a

 

 

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1program in the district. The form must be completed by the
2requesting community college district and must be submitted to
3the Illinois Community College Board for initial review. If,
4upon review, the Illinois Community College Board concurs with
5the community college district that unmet student demand or
6workforce need for a program exists in the district, the
7Illinois Community College Board may forward the form to the
8Board. If the Illinois Community College Board does not concur
9with the community college district, the district may appeal
10the decision directly to the Board.
11    (d) If the Board determines that unmet student demand or
12workforce need for a baccalaureate degree completion program
13exists, the Board shall communicate electronically a request
14for baccalaureate partnership notification to all public
15universities.
16    (e) Upon expiration of the response period, the Board must
17review all submitted responses to the request for
18baccalaureate partnership notification and forward all viable
19responses to the requesting community college district. If the
20Board or the community college district determines that no
21submitted responses are viable, the Board may communicate
22electronically a second request for partnership notification
23to all universities located in this State. If the Board
24determines after the second request for partnership
25notification that no submitted responses are viable options,
26it may require all public universities in this State to

 

 

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1respond to the request for partnership notification.
2    (f) If deemed necessary after all options under subsection
3(e) have been exhausted, the Board may recommend, by
4resolution, specific partnerships for collaborative
5baccalaureate degree completion development under this
6Section.
7    (g) Nothing in this Section precludes a community college
8district and a university from directly contacting each other
9regarding a baccalaureate degree completion partnership
10established independently of the provisions of this Section.
11    (h) The Board and the Illinois Community College Board
12shall jointly adopt rules to implement this Section.