Full Text of SJR0088 096th General Assembly
SJ0088 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The Illinois Public Agenda for College and Career | 3 |
| Success has documented the critical role higher education plays | 4 |
| in economic recovery and growth, particularly in ensuring this | 5 |
| State has an educated workforce to meet the needs of business | 6 |
| and industry; and
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| WHEREAS, The Illinois Public Agenda also has documented the | 8 |
| fact that at least some postsecondary education is an essential | 9 |
| credential for jobs in the present and future global | 10 |
| marketplace; and
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| WHEREAS, 40.8% of Illinois adults held a college degree in | 12 |
| 2008, while the best-performing countries in the world averaged | 13 |
| 55% of adults holding a college degree; and
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| WHEREAS, To achieve a level of 60% of adults holding a | 15 |
| college degree by 2025, the National Center for Higher | 16 |
| Education Management Systems estimates that this State will | 17 |
| need to increase the number of degrees awarded by 4,671 each | 18 |
| year, for a total of 635,243 additional degrees between 2010 | 19 |
| and 2025; and
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| WHEREAS, The State of Illinois and its higher education | 21 |
| institutions have a responsibility for student success, |
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| including improved student retention, program completion, and | 2 |
| graduation; and
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| WHEREAS, Funding for community colleges and public | 4 |
| universities in Fiscal Year 2010 is $592 million, or 26% below | 5 |
| appropriations in Fiscal Year 2002 after accounting for | 6 |
| inflation; and
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| WHEREAS, Tuition and fee rates for entering students have | 8 |
| escalated 86% at public universities between Fiscal Year 2004 | 9 |
| and Fiscal Year 2010 and by 52% at community colleges during | 10 |
| that period; and
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| WHEREAS, Between Fiscal Year 2002 and Fiscal Year 2010, | 12 |
| appropriations for the Monetary Award Program, the State's | 13 |
| premier, need-based, student financial aid program, fell by | 14 |
| nearly $57 million or 12%, after accounting for inflation; and
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| WHEREAS, Many public universities and community colleges | 16 |
| have experienced severe cash flow crises due to delinquent | 17 |
| payments of Fiscal Year 2010 State appropriations; and
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| WHEREAS, The Illinois Public Agenda for College and Career | 19 |
| Success has recommended that the Board of Higher Education, in | 20 |
| consultation with other higher education agencies, "develop a | 21 |
| comprehensive funding strategy that makes more explicit and |
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| intentional the links between state appropriations, tuition, | 2 |
| and need-based student financial aid"; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL | 4 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | 5 |
| CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Board of Higher Education establish | 6 |
| a Higher Education Finance Study Commission; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That the Commission shall be comprised of 11 | 8 |
| members, including one senator appointed by the President of | 9 |
| the Senate, one senator appointed by the Minority Leader of the | 10 |
| Senate, one representative appointed by the Speaker of the | 11 |
| House, and one representative appointed by the Minority Leader | 12 |
| of the House and the remaining 7 members appointed by the Board | 13 |
| of Higher Education to represent a cross-section of the higher | 14 |
| education community as well as experts in higher education | 15 |
| finance; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That the Commission's study shall include, but | 17 |
| not be limited to, the following:
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| (1) examining the history and means of higher education | 19 |
| funding in this State, comparing funding with other states | 20 |
| and peer institutions, and reviewing funding mechanisms | 21 |
| for adequacy, equity, and reliability;
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| (2) comparing the productivity of Illinois higher | 23 |
| education to other state systems and the productivity of |
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| public colleges and universities to peer institutions;
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| (3) analyzing best practices implemented in other | 3 |
| states, such as Ohio and Indiana, for incentivizing | 4 |
| certificate and degree completion, including incentives | 5 |
| for students and for institutions;
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| (4) reviewing tuition and financial aid policies and | 7 |
| practices and their roles in improving certificate and | 8 |
| degree completion; and
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| (5) considering alternative funding mechanisms that | 10 |
| will advance the goals of the Illinois Public Agenda; and | 11 |
| be it further
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| RESOLVED, That the Commission consult with representatives | 13 |
| of other states or other higher education finance experts, as | 14 |
| appropriate, to inform the Commission about best practices; and | 15 |
| be it further | 16 |
| RESOLVED, That the Commission shall report its findings and | 17 |
| recommendations to the Board of Higher Education, the Illinois | 18 |
| Community College Board, and the Illinois Student Assistance | 19 |
| Commission for adoption by these agencies; and be it further | 20 |
| RESOLVED, That the Commission shall report its findings and | 21 |
| recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor on or | 22 |
| before December 1, 2010; and be it further |
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| RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 2 |
| delivered to the chairpersons of the Board of Higher Education, | 3 |
| the Illinois Community College Board, and the Illinois Student | 4 |
| Assistance Commission.
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