Full Text of SJR0020 99th General Assembly
SJ0020 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The Illinois Public Agenda for College and Career | 3 | | Success has documented the critical role that higher education | 4 | | plays in economic recovery and growth, particularly in ensuring | 5 | | that this State has an educated workforce to meet the needs of | 6 | | business and industry; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, The Illinois Public Agenda for College and Career | 8 | | Success recommends that the Board of Higher Education, in | 9 | | consultation with other State agencies for education, | 10 | | employment, and economic development, "increase the number of | 11 | | high-quality post-secondary credentials to meet the demands of | 12 | | the economy and an increasingly global society"; and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, Illinois has committed to the goal that 60% of its | 14 | | workforce will hold a high quality college credential by 2025 | 15 | | to ensure its economic future; and | 16 | | WHEREAS, Most recent projections from the Georgetown | 17 | | University Center on Education and the Workforce are that 70% | 18 | | of Illinois jobs will require post-secondary education by 2020; | 19 | | and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, Currently, only 42.5% of the State's nearly 7 | 21 | | million working age adults (25-64 years old) hold at least a |
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| 1 | | 2-year college degree; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, There is a critical need for Illinois institutions | 3 | | of higher education to increase the number of post-secondary | 4 | | degrees in fields of critical skills shortages, such as | 5 | | healthcare, construction, computer technology, public safety, | 6 | | and mechanical fields; and | 7 | | WHEREAS, Illinois' economic success requires providing | 8 | | college credentials aligned with current and future workforce | 9 | | needs at the State and regional levels; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, Achieving workforce needs depends upon additional | 11 | | strategic State investment in higher education along with | 12 | | improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of the higher | 13 | | education system; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, Working age adults attempting to return to school | 15 | | to complete certificates and degrees in high-demand fields face | 16 | | many barriers to success; and | 17 | | WHEREAS, The Illinois Council of Community College | 18 | | Presidents has recommended that the community college system be | 19 | | allowed to grant 4-year baccalaureate degrees for nursing and | 20 | | other applied career areas; and
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, The development of post-secondary degree programs | 2 | | should be predicated on evidence of the needs of Illinois | 3 | | residents rather than institutional interests; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, The Illinois Board of Higher Education has the | 5 | | statutory authority and responsibility to review all | 6 | | applications for new academic degree programs for public | 7 | | community colleges and universities; therefore, be it
| 8 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL | 9 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | 10 | | CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Higher Education | 11 | | Commission on the Future of the Workforce within the Board of | 12 | | Higher Education; and be it further
| 13 | | RESOLVED, That the Commission shall be comprised of 11 | 14 | | members, including one senator appointed by the President of | 15 | | the Senate; one senator appointed by the Minority Leader of the | 16 | | Senate; one representative appointed by the Speaker of the | 17 | | House; one representative appointed by the Minority Leader of | 18 | | the House; and 7 members appointed by the Board of Higher | 19 | | Education to represent a cross-section of the education, | 20 | | employment, and economic development community, as well as | 21 | | experts in quality post-secondary degree creation; and be it | 22 | | further |
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| 1 | | RESOLVED, That the Commission's study shall include, but | 2 | | not be limited to, the following; | 3 | | (1) examining and analyzing current and projected | 4 | | workforce needs for each economic region of the State and | 5 | | post-secondary degree and credential production capacity | 6 | | and goals; | 7 | | (2) identifying State, regional, and national partners | 8 | | available to support efficient and effective delivery of | 9 | | post-secondary credential and degree programs aligned with | 10 | | regional workforce needs; | 11 | | (3) determining current policies and practices in | 12 | | Illinois being utilized among Illinois' public and private | 13 | | colleges and universities for partnerships for degree | 14 | | completion; | 15 | | (4) examining opportunities for expanding | 16 | | post-secondary certificates and associate's and | 17 | | baccalaureate completions using effective and efficient | 18 | | strategies and partnerships between high schools, | 19 | | technical schools, community colleges, and 4-year colleges | 20 | | and universities; | 21 | | (5) developing distance and online learning as well as | 22 | | competency-based credits to serve place-bound and adult | 23 | | learners, including military personnel and veterans; | 24 | | (6) examining incentives for students to enter and | 25 | | complete degree programs in critical needs areas, | 26 | | particularly aimed at underemployed and displaced workers; |
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| 1 | | (7) examining improvements in student advising, | 2 | | including articulation, transfer, and acceptance of | 3 | | credits to streamline education pipeline to the workforce; | 4 | | (8) providing incentives, including financial | 5 | | assistance, for working adults and individuals with | 6 | | substantial college credit but no degree to complete their | 7 | | college degrees; and | 8 | | (9) analyzing best practices implemented in other | 9 | | states for incentivizing certificate and degree | 10 | | completion, including incentives for students and for | 11 | | colleges and universities; and be it further | 12 | | RESOLVED, That the Commission shall submit a report to the | 13 | | General Assembly and the Governor 6 months from the formation | 14 | | of the Commission; and be it further | 15 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 16 | | delivered to the Governor, the
Chairperson of the Board of | 17 | | Higher Education, the Chairperson of the Illinois Community
| 18 | | College Board, the Chairperson of the State Board of Education, | 19 | | the Chairperson of the Illinois
Student Assistance Commission, | 20 | | the chairperson of the Employment Security Advisory Board, and | 21 | | the President of each public and private college and university | 22 | | in this State.
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