103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB2986
 
Introduced 1/31/2024, by Sen. Michael W. Halpin
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
110 ILCS 205/9.33a new
    Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that the Board of Higher Education shall, in consultation with the Illinois Community College Board, create a standardized electronic form by which a community college district may document student demand or workforce need for a specific baccalaureate degree completion program and may demonstrate that the demand or need is currently unmet or that there is insufficient access to such a program in the district. Provides that the form must be completed by the requesting community college district and must be submitted to the Illinois Community College Board for initial review. Provides that if the Illinois Community College Board concurs with the community college district that unmet demand or need for a program exists in the district, the Illinois Community College Board may forward the form to the Board of Higher Education and if the Illinois Community College Board does not concur with the community college district, the district may appeal the decision directly to the Board of Higher Education. Provides that if the Board of Higher Education determines that unmet student demand or workforce need for a program exists, the Board of Higher Education shall communicate a request for baccalaureate partnership notification to all public universities. Sets forth the response procedure. Requires the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board to jointly adopt rules.


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A BILL FOR
 
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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 Board of Higher Education Act is amended by 
5adding Section 9.33a as follows:
 
6    (110 ILCS 205/9.33a new)
7    Sec. 9.33a. Collaborative baccalaureate degree completion 
8development.
9    (a) In this Section, "university" means any public or 
10private, not-for-profit university in this State.
11    (b) It is the intent of this amendatory Act of the 103rd 
12General Assembly that the Board, in consultation with the 
13Illinois Community College Board, establish a clear pathway 
14for community colleges to request university partners for 
15delivery of baccalaureate degree completion programs in 
16response to demonstrated need or demand within a community 
17college district. 
18    (c) The Board shall, in consultation with the Illinois 
19Community College Board, create a standardized electronic form 
20by which a community college district may document student 
21demand or workforce need for a baccalaureate degree completion 
22program and may demonstrate that such demand or need is 
23currently unmet or that there is insufficient access to such a 
 
 
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1program in the district. The form must be completed by the 
2requesting community college district and must be submitted to 
3the Illinois Community College Board for initial review. If, 
4upon review, the Illinois Community College Board concurs with 
5the community college district that unmet student demand or 
6workforce need for a program exists in the district, the 
7Illinois Community College Board may forward the form to the 
8Board. If the Illinois Community College Board does not concur 
9with the community college district, the district may appeal 
10the decision directly to the Board.
11    (d) If the Board determines that unmet student demand or 
12workforce need for a baccalaureate degree completion program 
13exists, the Board shall communicate electronically a request 
14for baccalaureate partnership notification to all public 
15universities.
16    (e) Upon expiration of the response period, the Board must 
17review all submitted responses to the request for 
18baccalaureate partnership notification and forward all viable 
19responses to the requesting community college district. If the 
20Board or the community college district determines that no 
21submitted responses are viable, the Board may communicate 
22electronically a second request for partnership notification 
23to all universities located in this State. If the Board 
24determines after the second request for partnership 
25notification that no submitted responses are viable options, 
26it may require all public universities in this State to 
 
 
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1respond to the request for partnership notification.
2    (f) If deemed necessary after all options under subsection 
3(e) have been exhausted, the Board may recommend, by 
4resolution, specific partnerships for collaborative 
5baccalaureate degree completion development under this 
6Section.
7    (g) Nothing in this Section precludes a community college 
8district and a university from directly contacting each other 
9regarding a baccalaureate degree completion partnership 
10established independently of the provisions of this Section.
11    (h) The Board and the Illinois Community College Board 
12shall jointly adopt rules to implement this Section.