Public Act 093-0862
 
SB3107 Enrolled LRB093 19113 NHT 46577 b

    AN ACT concerning education.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Illinois Consortium for Educational
Opportunity Act is amended by changing the title of the Act and
Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 and by adding
Section 11.5 as follows:
 
    (110 ILCS 930/Act title)
An Act to create the Diversifying Higher Education Faculty
in Illinois Program Illinois Consortium for Educational
Opportunity.
 
    (110 ILCS 930/1)  (from Ch. 144, par. 2301)
    Sec. 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known and may be
cited as the Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois
Illinois Consortium for Educational Opportunity Act.
(Source: P.A. 84-785.)
 
    (110 ILCS 930/2)  (from Ch. 144, par. 2302)
    Sec. 2. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the
context otherwise requires:
    (a) "Board" means the Board of Higher Education.
    (b) "Institution of higher education" means a publicly or
privately operated educational institution located within
Illinois:  (1) which offers instruction leading toward or
prerequisite to an academic or professional degree beyond the
baccalaureate degree, excluding theological schools, and (2)
which requires that in order to obtain such degree the student
satisfactorily completes appropriate courses of class,
laboratory or research study in residence under a faculty whose
members hold appropriate academic degrees, and (3) which meets
the standards of approval established by the Board of Higher
Education.
    (c) "Consortium Board" means the representatives of the
institutions of higher education participating in the
Consortium established under this Act.
    "DFI" (d) "ICEOP" means the Diversifying Higher Education
Faculty in Illinois Program Illinois Consortium for
Educational Opportunity program of financial assistance to
minorities who are traditionally underrepresented as
participants in postsecondary education. The program shall
assist them in pursuing a graduate or professional degree and
shall also assist program graduates to find employment at an
Illinois institution of higher education, including a
community college, in a faculty or staff position.
    "Program Board" means the entity created to administer the
grant program authorized by this Act.
    "Qualified institution of higher education" means a
qualifying publicly or privately operated educational
institution located within Illinois (i) that offers
instruction leading toward or prerequisite to an academic or
professional degree beyond the baccalaureate degree, excluding
theological schools, and (ii) that is authorized to operate in
the State of Illinois.
    (e) "Racial minority" means a person who is a citizen of
the United States or a lawful permanent resident alien of the
United States and who is:
        (1) Black (a person having origins in any of the black
    racial groups in Africa);
        (2) Hispanic (a person of Spanish or Portuguese culture
    with origins in Mexico, South or Central America, or the
    Caribbean Islands, regardless of race);
        (3) Asian American (a person having origins in any of
    the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the
    Indian Subcontinent or the Pacific Islands); or
        (4) American Indian or Alaskan Native (a person having
    origins in any of the original peoples of North America).
(Source: P.A. 84-785.)
 
    (110 ILCS 930/3)  (from Ch. 144, par. 2303)
    Sec. 3. Composition of the Program Consortium Board. The
Program Board shall be comprised of 21 members and shall be
appointed by the Board of Higher Education. Persons appointed
to the Program Board shall include, but need not be limited to,
individuals who are in leadership positions in institutions of
higher education, including community colleges. Illinois
institutions that grant doctoral degrees must have
representation on the Program Board. Consortium Board shall
include one representative from each of the institutions of
higher education participating in the Consortium.
    The method of selection shall be determined by each
institution of higher education.
    The Board shall assure, by additional appointments to the
Consortium Board, if necessary, that racial minorities who are
traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education
programs and activities are members of the Program Consortium
Board.
(Source: P.A. 84-785.)
 
    (110 ILCS 930/4)  (from Ch. 144, par. 2304)
    Sec. 4. Responsibilities of the Program Consortium Board.
The Program Consortium Board shall be responsible for:
        (a) Establishing policy for administration of the DFI
    ICEOP grant program authorized under this Act, including
    criteria to promote placement of grant recipients.
        (b) Reviewing and approving applications for
    participation in the DFI ICEOP grant program.
        (c) Establishing subcommittees or panels as necessary
    to review applications and promote student placement.
        (d) Reporting annually to the Board on program outcomes
    and results, including lists of new and continuing
    scholarship award recipients by institution, level, and
    field of study; lists of recipients retained in the program
    from the previous year; lists of placements of most recent
    program graduates; a description of institutional efforts
    to place program graduates; and a description of policy and
    administrative actions designed to increase placement of
    grant recipients.
(Source: P.A. 84-785.)
 
    (110 ILCS 930/6)  (from Ch. 144, par. 2306)
    Sec. 6. DFI ICEOP grants. A program of financial assistance
is established to implement the policy of encouraging minority
students to enroll and complete academic programs at the
postbaccalaureate level and to enhance the diversity of faculty
and staff of Illinois institutions of higher education. The
Board of Higher Education shall provide administrative
assistance for the Program Consortium Board and shall
distribute funds appropriated by the General Assembly for this
purpose in accordance with decisions made by the Program
Consortium Board.
(Source: P.A. 84-785.)
 
    (110 ILCS 930/7)  (from Ch. 144, par. 2307)
    Sec. 7. Eligibility for DFI ICEOP grants. An individual is
eligible for an award under the provisions of this Act when the
Program Consortium Board finds:
        (a) That the individual is a resident of this State and
    a citizen or lawful permanent resident alien of the United
    States;
        (b) That the individual is a member of a racial
    minority as defined under the terms of this Act;
        (c) That the individual has earned any educational
    diploma at an institution of education located in this
    State, or is a resident of the State for no less than three
    years prior to applying for the grant, and the individual
    must hold a baccalaureate degree from an institution of
    higher learning;
        (d) That the individual's financial resources are such
    that, in the absence of a DFI an ICEOP grant, the
    individual will be prevented from pursuing a graduate or
    professional degree at a qualified institution of higher
    education of his or her choice;
        (e) That the individual has above average academic
    ability to pursue a graduate or professional degree; and
        (f) That the individual meets other qualifications
    which shall be established by the Program Consortium Board.
    Grant funds shall be awarded only to those persons pursuing
a graduate or professional degree program at a qualified
institution of higher education.
    The Consortium Board shall by rule promulgate, pursuant to
the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, precise standards
to be used by the Program Board to determine whether a program
applicant has above average academic ability to pursue a
graduate or professional degree.
(Source: P.A. 85-1337.)
 
    (110 ILCS 930/8)  (from Ch. 144, par. 2308)
    Sec. 8. Application. The Program Consortium Board shall
design the application for the DFI ICEOP award and determine
the timetable for submission of the application.
(Source: P.A. 84-785.)
 
    (110 ILCS 930/9)  (from Ch. 144, par. 2309)
    Sec. 9. Terms of award. After a person has been accepted
into the DFI ICEOP, the individual shall be eligible for an
annual award which may shall be renewable for up to an
additional 3 years provided that he or she makes satisfactory
progress toward completing his or her degree. The Program
Consortium Board shall determine the award amount annually.
(Source: P.A. 92-45, eff. 7-1-02.)
 
    (110 ILCS 930/10)  (from Ch. 144, par. 2310)
    Sec. 10. Conditions of award. Conditions for acceptance of
a DFI an ICEOP award are that the recipient shall agree to: (1)
accept a teaching or nonteaching full-time appointment at an
Illinois institution of higher education; or (2) accept a
position at one of the higher education governing boards for
the period equal to the number of years that he or she was a
participant in the ICEOP; or (3) accept a position as an
employee of this State in an administrative,
educational-related education related position for the period
equal to the number of years that he or she was a participant
in the DFI ICEOP.
(Source: P.A. 85-727.)
 
    (110 ILCS 930/11)  (from Ch. 144, par. 2311)
    Sec. 11. Penalty for failure to fulfill the conditions of a
DFI an ICEOP award. If the obligation of the award is not met,
repayment of the funds awarded may be required according to
procedures rules developed by the Program Consortium Board.
(Source: P.A. 84-785.)
 
    (110 ILCS 930/11.5 new)
    Sec. 11.5. Continuing participants. Program participants
admitted under the provisions of the former Illinois Minority
Graduate Incentive Program/Illinois Consortium for Educational
Opportunity Program prior to January 1, 2004 shall be governed
by the statutory provisions and rules governing the program at
the time of their admission.
 
    (110 ILCS 930/5 rep.)
    Section 10. The Illinois Consortium for Educational
Opportunity Act is amended by repealing Section 5.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
2004.