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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, America's first public community college was
3established in Joliet in 1901; today, there are 48 public
4community colleges in Illinois; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The Illinois Community College System is the third
6largest in the nation, serving 853,524 students in credit and
7non-credit courses during the 2014 Illinois Community College
8System Fiscal Year; credit-generating students accounted for
977.3% or 659,712 students during the same year; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The Baccalaureate/Transfer program remained the
11largest credit instructional program area, enrolling 43.5% of
12students; 34.3% of all students enrolled in Fiscal Year 2014
13indicated the intent to transfer to another school; and
 
14    WHEREAS, A total of 69,812 collegiate-level degrees and
15certificates were awarded to Illinois community college
16students in Fiscal Year 2014; Baccalaureate/Transfer degrees
17accounted for the second largest group of completers with a
18total of 19,524; and
 
19    WHEREAS, The number of community college completions in
20Fiscal Year 2014 is the highest count ever reported for the
21sixth straight year; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Nearly 3 out of every 10 graduates earned
2Baccalaureate/Transfer degrees; 7 out of 10 Transfer degree
3completers in Fiscal Year 2014 indicated the intent to transfer
4to a 4-year institution; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The transfer rate for Illinois Public Community
6Colleges students into 4-year colleges and universities is
7about 37%; and
 
8    WHEREAS, The process of transferring into a 4-year college
9or university is difficult for community college students
10because the Illinois Articulation Initiative lacks uniformity;
11almost every college and university participating in the
12Illinois Articulation Initiative has their own set of
13transferable credits; many credits earned at a community
14college may not be applied towards a 4-year degree and
15community college students spend more time and incur
16unnecessary expenses in pursuit of a 4-year degree; therefore,
17be it
 
18    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
19NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
20respectfully urge all public and private colleges and
21universities in the State to work together to strengthen the
22Illinois Articulation Initiative to allow greater uniformity

 

 

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1in community college transferable credit allowances; and be it
2further
 
3    RESOLVED, That we call upon the Illinois Board of Higher
4Education, the Illinois Community College Board, and the
5Illinois State Board of Education to work together to make
6changes to the Illinois Articulation Imitative to create a more
7uniform set of transfer credit allowances between community
8colleges and public and private 4-year colleges and
9universities; and be it further
 
10    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
11delivered to the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the
12Illinois Community College Board, and the Illinois State Board
13of Education.