110 ILCS 235/ Equity in Higher Education Act.

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 5 heading) Article 5. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 10 heading) Article 10. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 15 heading) Article 15. (The Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Act is compiled at 325 ILCS 75/)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 20 heading) Article 20. (The Data Governance and Organization to Support Equity and Racial Justice Act is compiled at 20 ILCS 65/)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 25 heading) Article 25. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 35 heading) Article 35. (The Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultations Act is compiled at 405 ILCS 47/)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 40 heading) Article 40. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 45 heading) Article 45. (The Early Childhood Workforce Act is compiled at 325 ILCS 80/)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 50 heading) Article 50. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 60 heading) Article 60. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 65 heading) Article 65. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 70 heading) Article 70. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 75 heading) Article 75. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 85 heading) Article 85. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 95 heading) Article 95.

(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/95-1)

Sec. 95-1. Short title. This Article may be cited as the Equity in Higher Education Act. References in this Article to "this Act" mean this Article.

(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/95-5)

Sec. 95-5. Findings; policies.

(a) The General Assembly finds the following:

(1) Historic and continuous systemic racism has created significant disparities in college access, affordability, and completion for Black, Latinx, low-income, and other underrepresented and historically underserved students.

(2) Higher education is examining its role as a contributor to systemic racism, while recognizing its place in providing opportunity and upward mobility, and its role as a powerful actor in dismantling systemic racism.

(3) Chicago State University has created the Equity Working Group, which includes statewide representation of private, community, and public sector stakeholders, to create an action plan for employers, the secondary and postsecondary education systems, philanthropic organizations, community-based organizations, and our executive and legislative bodies to improve college access, completion, and post-graduation outcomes for Black college students in Illinois.

(4) Despite similar numbers of Black high school graduates, Illinois saw about 25,000 fewer Black enrollees in Illinois higher education in 2018 compared to 2008.

(5) Illinois must address wide disparities in degree completion at Illinois community colleges, which currently graduate Black and Latinx students at a rate of 14% and 26% respectively compared to the rate of 38% for White students, as well as at public universities, which currently graduate Black and Latinx students at a rate of 34% and 49% respectively compared to 66% of White students, within 6 years.

(6) The State of Illinois benefits from a diverse public higher education system that includes universities and community colleges with different missions and scopes that maximize college enrollment, persistence, and completion of underrepresented and historically underserved students, including Black and Latinx students and students from low-income families.

(7) Illinois has a moral obligation and an economic interest in dismantling and reforming structures that create or exacerbate racial and socioeconomic inequities in K-12 and higher education.

(8) The Board of Higher Education has a statutory obligation to create a strategic plan for higher education and has adopted core principles to guide this plan.

(9) The Board of Higher Education has included among its core principles designed to guide the strategic plan the assumption that excellence coupled with equity should drive the higher education system and that the higher education system will make equity-driven decisions, elevating the voices of those who have been underserved, and actively identify and remove systemic barriers that have prevented students of color, first generation college students, low-income students, adult learners, and rural students from accessing and succeeding in higher education; access and affordability as well as high quality are embedded in the definition of equity.

(b) The General Assembly supports all of the following work and goals of the Board of Higher Education:

(1) Its work on the strategic plan for higher education and the vision it has set forth that over the next 10 years Illinois will have an equitable, accessible, innovative, nimble, and aligned higher education ecosystem that ensures individuals, families, and communities across the state thrive.

(2) Its goal to close equity gaps in higher education in Illinois and that the strategic plan will identify multiple strategies to achieve this goal.

(3) Its goal to increase postsecondary credential/degree attainment and develop talent to drive the economy of Illinois and that the strategic plan will identify strategies to achieve this goal, including embedding equity in the State's attainment goal.

(4) Its goal to improve higher education affordability, increase access, and manage costs and the expectation that the strategic plan will identify strategies for stakeholders to achieve these goals, including opportunities to improve efficiency and principles for equitable and adequate ways to fund higher education.

(c) The General Assembly encourages the Board of Higher Education to prepare an array of policy, practice, and proposed legislative changes required to implement the strategic plan, along with an implementation process and timeline by May 1, 2021 and to regularly evaluate the impact of the implementation of the strategic plan and publicly report the evaluation to ensure that the goals are achieved as intended and lead to a high-quality, equitable, and diverse higher education system in Illinois.

(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 100 heading) Article 100. (The Developmental Education Reform Act is compiled at 110 ILCS 175/)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 115 heading) Article 115. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 120 heading) Article 120. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 125 heading) Article 125. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 130 heading) Article 130. (The Transitions in Education Act is compiled at 110 ILCS 180/)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 135 heading) Article 135. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 145 heading) Article 145. (The Early Education Act is compiled at 325 ILCS 21/)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 150 heading) Article 150. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 155 heading) Article 155. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/Art. 999 heading) Article 999.

(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 235/999-999)

Sec. 999-999. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.

(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)