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90_HR0666
LRB9013627THcd
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, It is the educational and economic policy of
3 this State to move the regions and local areas and
4 institutions towards self-reliance, local initiative, and
5 control; and
6 WHEREAS, It is further the policy of this State that
7 education is locally initiated and locally controlled; and
8 WHEREAS, The former State Community College was formed as
9 an experimental college to meet East St. Louis area needs for
10 technical and college preparation for the area population of
11 District 601; and
12 WHEREAS, State Community College was abolished on July 1,
13 1996, and was replaced on that date with a new permanent
14 Class I community college district that was established by a
15 majority vote of the taxpayers of District 541; and
16 WHEREAS, The new Metropolitan Community College District
17 541, which replaced State Community College in an attempt to
18 correct its financial problems, was directed to follow John
19 Logans College computerized record keeping; and
20 WHEREAS, The new computerized plan and old written
21 records caused double entries and confusion among the
22 inexperienced bookkeepers and financial staff; and
23 WHEREAS, John Logans College could not supply its
24 computer plan for months, causing the records of Metropolitan
25 Community College to be kept manually until computer programs
26 were supplied, and the inexperienced staff of Metropolitan
27 Community College was then required to maintain accounting
28 records and transactions as well as previous transactions;
29 and
30 WHEREAS, On May 16, 1998, after one year of operation,
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1 the Illinois Community College Board placed Metropolitan
2 Community College on the status of recognition with
3 conditions that a 1997 audit be completed, enrollment be
4 counted correctly, and adequate financial systems be
5 established; and
6 WHEREAS, The Illinois Community College Board appointed
7 Dr. James Howard, Deputy Director of the Illinois Community
8 College Board, to analyze and correct the financial problems
9 of State Community College and withdrew Dr. Howard upon the
10 termination of State Community College, thereby causing
11 Metropolitan Community College to inherit the uncorrected
12 financial problems of State Community College; and
13 WHEREAS, Metropolitan Community College has been
14 accredited by the North Central Accrediting Association; and
15 WHEREAS, The major universities of Illinois have been
16 approached to intervene, supervise, train staff, and correct
17 any and all faulty operations of Metropolitan Community
18 College and to recommend a plan to correct the problems of
19 staff training and operational problems of Metropolitan
20 Community College; and
21 WHEREAS, The taxpayers of District 541 have voted to
22 support Metropolitan Community College by paying taxes to
23 support its operations and educational programs as recently
24 as November, 1994.
25 WHEREAS, The Illinois Community College Board on October
26 16, 1998, voted to dissolve the Metropolitan Community
27 College District effective January 1, 1999; and
28 WHEREAS, The Illinois Community College Board, by placing
29 Metropolitan Community College on recognition with conditions
30 on May 16, 1998, and then voting to dissolve Metropolitan
31 Community College on October 16, 1998, left no time to
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1 correct the conditions; and
2 WHEREAS, On May 16, 1998, the Illinois Community College
3 Board placed the Metropolitan Community College District
4 Board in oversight and assumed its day-to-day operations,
5 including the hiring and firing of all staff of Metropolitan
6 Community College; and
7 WHEREAS, The Illinois Community College Board has voted
8 to dissolve the Metropolitan Community College District
9 effective January 1, 1999, before the 1999 Session of the
10 Ninety-First General Assembly begins; and
11 WHEREAS, Legislation is currently proceeding through the
12 General Assembly, prohibiting the Illinois Community College
13 Board from dissolving Metropolitan Community College and
14 reserving that power only to the General Assembly; therefore
15 be it
16 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
17 NINETIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, That
18 there is created the Metropolitan Community College
19 Investigative Committee consisting of 2 members appointed by
20 the Speaker of the House of Representatives and 1 member
21 appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
22 Representatives; and be it further
23 RESOLVED, That the Committee shall investigate the
24 circumstances surrounding the dissolution of the Metropolitan
25 Community College District and shall report its findings to
26 the House of Representatives by filing copies of its report
27 with the Clerk of the House of Representatives on or before
28 February 15, 1999; and that upon filing its report the
29 Committee is dissolved; and be it further
30 RESOLVED, That we urge the Illinois Community College
31 Board to withdraw its decision to dissolve the Metropolitan
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1 Community College District effective January 1, 1999, pending
2 action by the Ninety-First General Assembly.