99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
HB5991

 

Introduced , by Rep. Reginald Phillips

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
110 ILCS 305/8  from Ch. 144, par. 29

    Amends the University of Illinois Act. Provides that not less than 90 days prior to accepting applications for any undergraduate program for an academic year, the University of Illinois shall publish the standards for admission to that undergraduate program. Provides that no student shall be admitted to an undergraduate program who does not meet the published standards for admission to that undergraduate program. Provides that once the standards are published, the standards for admission to an undergraduate program shall not be changed during that academic year.


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A BILL FOR

 

HB5991LRB099 20593 MLM 45150 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 University of Illinois Act is amended by
5changing Section 8 as follows:
 
6    (110 ILCS 305/8)  (from Ch. 144, par. 29)
7    Sec. 8. Admissions.
8    (a) (Blank).
9    (b) In addition, commencing in the fall of 1993, no new
10student shall then or thereafter be admitted to instruction in
11any of the departments or colleges of the University unless
12such student also has satisfactorily completed:
13        (1) at least 15 units of high school coursework from
14    the following 5 categories:
15            (A) 4 years of English (emphasizing written and
16        oral communications and literature), of which up to 2
17        years may be collegiate level instruction;
18            (B) 3 years of social studies (emphasizing history
19        and government);
20            (C) 3 years of mathematics (introductory through
21        advanced algebra, geometry, trigonometry, or
22        fundamentals of computer programming);
23            (D) 3 years of science (laboratory sciences); and

 

 

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1            (E) 2 years of electives in foreign language (which
2        may be deemed to include American Sign Language),
3        music, vocational education or art;
4        (2) except that institutions may admit individual
5    applicants if the institution determines through
6    assessment or through evaluation based on learning
7    outcomes of the coursework taken, including vocational
8    education courses and courses taken in a charter school
9    established under Article 27A of the School Code, that the
10    applicant demonstrates knowledge and skills substantially
11    equivalent to the knowledge and skills expected to be
12    acquired in the high school courses required for admission.
13    The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois shall
14    not discriminate in the University's admissions process
15    against an applicant for admission because of the
16    applicant's enrollment in a charter school established
17    under Article 27A of the School Code. Institutions may also
18    admit 1) applicants who did not have an opportunity to
19    complete the minimum college preparatory curriculum in
20    high school, and 2) educationally disadvantaged applicants
21    who are admitted to the formal organized special assistance
22    programs that are tailored to the needs of such students,
23    providing that in either case, the institution
24    incorporates in the applicant's baccalaureate curriculum
25    courses or other academic activities that compensate for
26    course deficiencies; and

 

 

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1        (3) except that up to 3 of the 15 units of coursework
2    required by paragraph (1) of this subsection may be
3    distributed by deducting no more than one unit each from
4    the categories of social studies, mathematics, sciences
5    and electives and completing those 3 units in any of the 5
6    categories of coursework described in paragraph (1).
7    (c) When allocating funds, local boards of education shall
8recognize their obligation to their students to offer the
9coursework required by subsection (b).
10    (d) A student who has graduated from high school and has
11scored within the University's accepted range on the ACT or SAT
12shall not be required to take a high school equivalency test as
13a prerequisite to admission.
14    (e) Not less than 90 days prior to accepting applications
15for any undergraduate program for an academic year, the
16University of Illinois shall publish the standards for
17admission to that undergraduate program. No student shall be
18admitted to an undergraduate program who does not meet the
19published standards for admission to that undergraduate
20program. Once published, the standards for admission to an
21undergraduate program shall not be changed during that academic
22year.
23(Source: P.A. 98-718, eff. 1-1-15.)