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SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The University of Illinois Extension is the
3 flagship outreach effort of the University of Illinois at
4 Urbana-Champaign, offering educational programs to residents
5 of all of this State's 102 counties; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Through learning partnerships, the U of I
7 Extension's programs are aimed at making life better,
8 healthier, safer, and more profitable for individuals and their
9 communities; and
 
10     WHEREAS, The U of I Extension offers educational programs
11 in 5 specific areas, including a healthy society, food security
12 and safety, environmental stewardship, sustainable and
13 profitable food production and marketing systems, and efforts
14 that enhance the State's youth, families, and communities; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Most U of I Extension programs are offered on an
16 informal, non-credit basis; some Extension programs do offer
17 continuing education credits in certain fields of study; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Extension programs may be offered as hands-on
19 workshops, field days, or self-paced tutorials via the Internet
20 or offered in formats made appropriate for the audience and
21 subject matter; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, More than 2.5 million Illinois residents take part
2 in Extension programs each year; and
 
3     WHEREAS, Nearly 300,000 of the State's youth participate in
4 4-H programs; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Each month, the U of I Extension web pages draw
6 more than 10 million "hits"; and
 
7     WHEREAS, People in more than 200 countries access
8 information provided by the U of I Extension, via the Internet;
9 and
 
10     WHEREAS, Communities are served directly by Extension
11 staff in 77 regional-based offices located throughout this
12 State; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Extension educators located in 12 centers across
14 this State and specialists located on the U of I campus develop
15 and deliver in-depth programming locally, in regional venues,
16 and through distance-learning technologies; and
 
17     WHEREAS, As part of the nationwide Cooperative Extension
18 System, the U of I Extension is able to draw on research-based
19 expertise from land-grant universities all across the country;

 

 

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1 and
 
2     WHEREAS, The U of I Extension is based in the College of
3 Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at
4 the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Some U of I Extension programs are offered in
6 conjunction with the College of Applied Life Studies for the
7 College of Veterinary Medicine; and
 
8     WHEREAS, The Fiscal Year 2008 Budget appropriated
9 approximately $17.8 million for U of I Extension programs; and
 
10     WHEREAS, As of April 1, 2008, not a single dollar of the
11 $17.8 million appropriated has been released to the U of I
12 Extension; and
 
13     WHEREAS, The U of I Extension cannot retain staff or
14 maintain its programs without funds that are appropriated by
15 the General Assembly and approved by the Governor of the State
16 of Illinois; therefore, be it
 
17     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL
18 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Governor to
19 immediately release the entire $17.8 million that was
20 appropriated to the University of Illinois Extension in the

 

 

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1 Fiscal Year 2008 Budget passed by the General Assembly and
2 signed into law by the Governor; and be it further
 
3     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
4 delivered to the Governor.