HR0613 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0613 LRB098 14362 MST 49018 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives desire all residents to continue their education and skill development beyond high school, and are especially concerned with the low number of minorities and first-generation students pursuing and achieving additional degrees and certificates; and

WHEREAS, In 1967, minority enrollment at Northern Illinois University accounted for only 3 percent of the total enrollment, with minority faculty and staff members comprising an even smaller percentage; these numbers, despite NIU's proximity to Chicago, were not an accurate representation of the diversity of the region; and

WHEREAS, Rhoten Smith, who was President of the university at the time, understood that higher education is a vital component of success, especially for those who struggle to break racial, economic, and social barriers; he recognized that public universities have a responsibility to make higher education available to students of all backgrounds, and that a failure to do so, "is to bar the door to a hopeful future in the very faces of those of our citizens who have least to hope for from life"; and

WHEREAS, In an effort to attract a more racially and ethnically diverse faculty, staff, and student representation to Northern Illinois University, President Smith hired William Brooks and McKinley Davis to develop and implement aggressive plans for recruitment, employment, and enrollment; and

WHEREAS, McKinley "Deacon" Davis of Freeport, Illinois, was an All-State basketball player and member of the Harlem Globetrotters who studied the condition of American high schools while traveling the country performing with the Globetrotters; and

WHEREAS, McKinley Davis, as Northern Illinois University's director of Special Programs, developed a procedure for reviewing applications from students who did not meet the university's customary admission policies and selecting certain ones for interviews, support and guidance, which he called giving them a CHANCE - Counseling Help Assistance Necessary College Education; he served as CHANCE director until 1978; and

WHEREAS, McKinely Davis passed away in 2003, and in January of 2004, Northern Illinois University President John Peters re-dedicated the CHANCE program as "The McKinley 'Deacon' Davis CHANCE Program"; and

WHEREAS, The guiding mission of the CHANCE program is to identify, recruit, admit, and assist otherwise capable students whose pre-college education has not fully enabled them to take maximum advantage of their potential and the opportunities of higher education at Northern Illinois University; and

WHEREAS, CHANCE students are provided academic, personal and career counseling; tutorial assistance for courses; academic skills-enhancement courses; academic monitoring throughout the student's undergraduate career; financial aid counseling, peer mentoring; and skills-building for transition to the university experience; and

WHEREAS, The program began with 50 students and has grown to now admit nearly 500 students per year; it has made an impact on more than 15,000 students over the past 45 years; and

WHEREAS, Through a number of programs and concerted efforts, including CHANCE, Northern Illinois University has increased its enrollment of minorities to now total 37% of its student body, and has increased its employment of minorities to 19% of its faculty and staff; and

WHEREAS, CHANCE has received support from State legislators, is well-known throughout Illinois, and holds a national reputation for its achievements, which have served as a model for other states and universities; and

WHEREAS, Moving forward, CHANCE is looking to expand the number of science, technology, engineering and math majors at Northern Illinois University; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Northern Illinois University's CHANCE program on its 45th anniversary; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the CHANCE program and its current Director, Denise Hayman, as a symbol of our respect and encouragement for all higher education institutions to expand hiring and educational efforts for minorities and first-generation students.