Illinois General Assembly - Illinois Compiled Statutes

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110 ILCS 205/9.16

(110 ILCS 205/9.16) (from Ch. 144, par. 189.16)

Sec. 9.16. Underrepresentation of certain groups in higher education.


To require public institutions of higher education to develop and implement
methods  and strategies to increase the participation of minorities, women
and individuals with disabilities who are traditionally underrepresented in
education programs and activities.  For the purpose of this Section,
minorities shall mean persons who are citizens of the United States or
lawful permanent resident aliens of the United States and who are any of the following:

(1) American Indian or Alaska Native (a person having

origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America, including Central America, and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment).

(2) Asian (a person having origins in any of the

original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, but not limited to, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam).

(3) Black or African American (a person having

origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa).

(4) Hispanic or Latino (a person of Cuban, Mexican,

Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race).

(5) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (a

person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands).

The Board shall adopt any rules necessary to administer this Section.
The Board shall also do the following:

(a) require all public institutions of higher education to develop and
submit plans for the implementation of this Section;

(b) conduct periodic review of public institutions of higher education to
determine compliance with this Section; and if the Board finds that a public
institution of higher education is not in compliance with this Section,
it shall notify the institution of steps to take to attain compliance;

(c) provide advice and counsel pursuant to this Section;

(d) conduct studies of the effectiveness of methods and strategies
designed to increase participation of students in education programs and
activities in which minorities, women and individuals with disabilities are
traditionally underrepresented, and monitor the success of students in such
education programs and activities;

(e) encourage minority student recruitment and retention in colleges
and universities.  In implementing this paragraph, the Board shall undertake
but need not be limited to the following: the establishment of guidelines
and plans for public institutions of higher education for minority student
recruitment and retention, the review and monitoring of minority student
programs implemented at public institutions of higher education to
determine their compliance with any guidelines and plans so established,
the determination of the effectiveness and funding requirements of minority
student programs at public institutions of higher education, the
dissemination of successful programs as models, and the encouragement of
cooperative partnerships between community colleges and local school
attendance centers which are experiencing difficulties in enrolling
minority students in four-year colleges and universities;

(f) mandate all public institutions of higher education to submit data
and information essential to determine compliance with this Section.  The
Board  shall prescribe the format and the date for submission of this data
and any other education equity data; and

(g) report to the General Assembly and the Governor annually with a
description of the plans submitted by each public institution of higher
education for implementation of this Section, including financial data
relating to the most recent fiscal year expenditures for specific minority
programs, the effectiveness of such
plans and programs and the effectiveness of the methods and strategies developed by the
Board in meeting the purposes of this Section, the degree of compliance
with this Section by each public institution of higher education as
determined by the Board pursuant to its periodic review responsibilities,
and the findings made by the Board in conducting its studies and monitoring
student  success  as  required by  paragraph d) of this Section.  With
respect to each public institution of higher education such report also shall
include, but need not be limited to, information with respect to each
institution's minority program budget allocations; minority student
admission, retention and graduation statistics; admission, retention, and graduation statistics of all students who are the first in their immediate family to attend an institution of higher education; number of financial
assistance awards to undergraduate and graduate minority students; and
minority faculty representation.  This paragraph shall not be construed to
prohibit the Board from making, preparing or issuing additional surveys or
studies with respect to minority education in Illinois.

(Source: P.A. 102-465, eff. 1-1-22.)