SB0440sam002 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Sen. Pat McGuire

Filed: 5/15/2018

 

 


 

 


 
10000SB0440sam002LRB100 04898 AXK 40143 a

1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 440

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 440, AS AMENDED, by
3replacing everything after the enacting clause with the
4following:
 
5    "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
6General Education Uniform Course Commission Act.
 
7    Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
8    "Commission" means the General Education Uniform Course
9Commission created by this Act.
10    "Community college" has the meaning given to that term
11under the Public Community College Act.
12    "Faculty" means a full-time, instructional or academic
13support employee of a public institution of higher education or
14a community college who is tenured or receiving probationary
15credit toward tenure.
16    "Public institution of higher education" means the

 

 

10000SB0440sam002- 2 -LRB100 04898 AXK 40143 a

1University of Illinois, Southern Illinois University, Chicago
2State University, Eastern Illinois University, Governors State
3University, Illinois State University, Northeastern Illinois
4University, Northern Illinois University, Western Illinois
5University, or any other public university or college now or
6hereafter established or authorized by the General Assembly.
 
7    Section 10. General Education Uniform Course Commission.
8    (a) The General Education Uniform Course Commission is
9established to identify statewide general education core
10courses for community colleges and public institutions of
11higher education in this State. The Commission shall consist of
12all of the following members:
13        (1) Four faculty members, appointed by the Governor.
14        (2) Nine faculty members from public institutions of
15    higher education, appointed by the Board of Higher
16    Education.
17        (3) Nine faculty members from community colleges,
18    appointed by the Illinois Community College Board.
19    Terms of the members shall be staggered, as determined by
20lot, so that 11 of the initial members shall serve until July
211, 2020, 11 of the initial members shall serve until July 1,
222022, and thereafter each member shall serve for a term of 4
23years. Members shall serve until their successors are appointed
24and qualified. Members shall serve without compensation, but
25may be reimbursed for their reasonable and necessary expenses

 

 

10000SB0440sam002- 3 -LRB100 04898 AXK 40143 a

1from funds appropriated for that purpose and subject to the
2rules of the appropriate travel control board.
3    (b) The first meeting of the Commission shall be at the
4call of the Governor, and at this meeting the Commission shall
5designate, by majority vote, a chairperson. The Commission
6shall meet regularly, but no less than once every 2 years, upon
7the call of the chairperson. A majority of the appointed and
8serving members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction
9of business.
10    (c) Administrative support for the Commission may be
11provided by the Board of Higher Education or the Illinois
12Community College Board and may be appropriated by the General
13Assembly from the General Revenue Fund, private donations, or
14any other funds as may be available for the Commission.
15    (d) The Commission is subject to and shall comply with the
16Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act.
 
17    Section 15. Common degree program; report.
18    (a) The Commission shall identify those courses offered by
19community colleges and public institutions of higher education
20that are accepted as credit toward a baccalaureate degree and
21shall designate the courses as either general education courses
22or courses required as a prerequisite for a degree. On or
23before July 1, 2020, the Commission shall establish a common
24degree program and shall submit a report on the program to the
25Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College

 

 

10000SB0440sam002- 4 -LRB100 04898 AXK 40143 a

1Board, which shall include, but is not limited to, all of the
2following:
3        (1) An examination of common course numbering
4    initiatives in the 16 states that currently implement
5    similar course numbering procedures, and how Illinois may
6    benefit from that process.
7        (2) A comprehensive list of courses consisting of a
8    maximum of 5 courses within each of the subject areas of
9    communication, mathematics, social sciences, humanities,
10    and natural sciences that shall be offered and successfully
11    completed at a community college and shall be accepted for
12    credit toward a baccalaureate degree by a public
13    institution of higher education beginning with the
14    2020-2021 academic year.
15        (3) Statewide identification numbers and a description
16    of all courses under the program.
17    (b) All community colleges and public institutions of
18higher education shall accept courses in the common degree
19program as meeting general education core course requirements
20for credit toward a baccalaureate degree. The Board of Higher
21Education and the Illinois Community College Board shall create
22by rule the core course options for the program.
23    (c) The Board of Higher Education and the Illinois
24Community College Board shall post the report and the courses
25offered and any course substitutions under the program on their
26respective Internet websites. No less than once every 2 years,

 

 

10000SB0440sam002- 5 -LRB100 04898 AXK 40143 a

1the Commission shall reevaluate the program and provide the
2Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College
3Board with any recommendations to change or update the program.
 
4    Section 20. Rules. The Board of Higher Education and the
5Illinois Community College Board shall adopt rules to implement
6this Act.
 
7    Section 25. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
8Sections 5.886 and 6z-105 as follows:
 
9    (30 ILCS 105/5.886 new)
10    Sec. 5.886. The Uniform Course Commission Fund.
 
11    (30 ILCS 105/6z-105 new)
12    Sec. 6z-105. The Uniform Course Commission Fund. The
13Uniform Course Commission Fund is created as a special fund in
14the State treasury. All moneys deposited into the Fund, which
15may include private contributions or endowments, shall be
16appropriated to the General Education Uniform Course
17Commission to provide financial assistance to that Commission
18under the General Education Uniform Course Commission Act.
19Moneys appropriated from the Fund shall supplement and not
20supplant the current level of education funding.
 
21    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon

 

 

10000SB0440sam002- 6 -LRB100 04898 AXK 40143 a

1becoming law.".