Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HJR0052
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Full Text of HJR0052  99th General Assembly

HJ0052ham001 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 52

2    AMENDMENT NO. ___. Amend House Joint Resolution 52 by
3replacing everything after the heading with the following:
 
4    "WHEREAS, The Illinois Public Agenda for College and Career
5Success has documented the critical role higher education plays
6in economic recovery and growth, particularly in ensuring the
7State has an educated workforce to meet the needs of business
8and industry; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The Illinois Public Agenda for College and Career
10Success recommends that the Board of Higher Education, in
11consultation with other State agencies for education,
12employment, and economic development, "increase the number of
13high-quality postsecondary credentials to meet the demands of
14the economy and an increasingly global society"; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Illinois has committed to the goal that 60% of its

 

 

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1workforce will hold a high-quality college credential by 2025
2to ensure its economic future; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Most recent projections from the Georgetown
4University Center on Education and the Workforce are that 70%
5of Illinois jobs will require postsecondary education by 2020;
6and
 
7    WHEREAS, Currently, only 42.5% of the State's nearly 7
8million working-age adults between the ages of 25 and 64 years
9hold at least a 2-year college degree; and
 
10    WHEREAS, There is a critical need for Illinois institutions
11of higher education to increase the number of postsecondary
12degrees in fields of critical skills shortages, such as
13healthcare, construction, computer technology, public safety,
14and mechanical fields; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Illinois' economic success requires providing
16college credentials aligned with current and future workforce
17needs at the State and regional levels; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Achieving workforce needs depends upon additional
19strategic State investment in higher education, along with
20improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of the higher
21education system; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Working age adults attempting to return to school
2to complete certificates and degrees in high-demand fields face
3many barriers to success; and
 
4    WHEREAS, The Illinois Council of Community College
5Presidents has recommended that the community college system be
6allowed to grant 4-year baccalaureate degrees for nursing and
7other applied career areas; and
 
8    WHEREAS, The development of postsecondary degree programs
9should be predicated on evidence of the needs of Illinois
10residents rather than institutional interests; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The Board of Higher Education has the statutory
12authority and responsibility to review all applications for new
13academic degree programs for public community colleges and
14universities; therefore, be it
 
15    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
16NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
17SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Board of Higher Education
18establish a Higher Education Commission on the Future of the
19Workforce; and be it further
 
20    RESOLVED, That the Commission shall be comprised of 11

 

 

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1members, including one senator appointed by the President of
2the Senate, one senator appointed by the Minority Leader of the
3Senate, one representative appointed by the Speaker of the
4House of Representatives, one representative appointed by the
5Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and the
6remaining 7 members appointed by the Board of Higher Education
7to represent a cross-section of the education, employment, and
8economic development communities, as well as experts in quality
9postsecondary degree creation; and be it further
 
10    RESOLVED, That the Board of Higher Education shall provide
11administrative support to the Commission; and be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That the Commission's study shall include, but
13not be limited to the following:
14        (1) examining and analyzing current and projected
15    workforce needs for each economic region of the State and
16    postsecondary degree and credential production capacity
17    and goals;
18        (2) identifying State, regional, and national partners
19    available to support efficient and effective delivery of
20    postsecondary credential and degree programs aligned with
21    regional workforce needs;
22        (3) determining current policies and practices in
23    Illinois being utilized among Illinois' public and private
24    colleges and universities for partnerships for degree

 

 

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1    completion;
2        (4) examining opportunities for expanding
3    postsecondary certificates and associate and baccalaureate
4    completions using effective and efficient strategies and
5    partnerships among high schools, technical schools,
6    community colleges, and 4-year colleges and universities;
7        (5) developing distance and online learning, as well as
8    competency-based credits to serve place-bound and adult
9    learners, including military personnel and veterans;
10        (6) examining incentives for students to enter and
11    complete degree programs in critical-needs areas,
12    particularly aimed at underemployed and displaced workers;
13        (7) examining improvements in student advising,
14    including articulation, transfer, and acceptance of
15    credits to streamline the education pipeline to the
16    workforce;
17        (8) providing incentives, including financial
18    assistance, for working adults and individuals with
19    substantial college credit, but no degree, to complete
20    college degrees;
21        (9) analyzing best practices implemented in other
22    states for incentivizing certificate and degree
23    completion, including incentives for students and for
24    colleges and universities; and be it further
 
25    RESOLVED, That the Commission shall report to the General

 

 

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1Assembly and the Governor 6 months from the formation of the
2Commission; and be it further
 
3    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
4delivered to the Governor, the chairperson of the Board of
5Higher Education, the chairperson of the Illinois Community
6College Board, the chairperson of the State Board of Education,
7the chairperson of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission,
8the chairperson of the Employment Security Advisory Board, and
9the president of each public and private college and university
10in the State."