SB0440sam002 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Sen. Pat McGuire

Filed: 5/15/2018

10000SB0440sam002 LRB100 04898 AXK 40143 a

AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 440

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 440, AS AMENDED, by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the General Education Uniform Course Commission Act.

Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:

"Commission" means the General Education Uniform Course Commission created by this Act.

"Community college" has the meaning given to that term under the Public Community College Act.

"Faculty" means a full-time, instructional or academic support employee of a public institution of higher education or a community college who is tenured or receiving probationary credit toward tenure.

"Public institution of higher education" means the University of Illinois, Southern Illinois University, Chicago State University, Eastern Illinois University, Governors State University, Illinois State University, Northeastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, Western Illinois University, or any other public university or college now or hereafter established or authorized by the General Assembly.

Section 10. General Education Uniform Course Commission.

(a) The General Education Uniform Course Commission is established to identify statewide general education core courses for community colleges and public institutions of higher education in this State. The Commission shall consist of all of the following members:

(1) Four faculty members, appointed by the Governor.

(2) Nine faculty members from public institutions of higher education, appointed by the Board of Higher Education.

(3) Nine faculty members from community colleges, appointed by the Illinois Community College Board.

Terms of the members shall be staggered, as determined by lot, so that 11 of the initial members shall serve until July 1, 2020, 11 of the initial members shall serve until July 1, 2022, and thereafter each member shall serve for a term of 4 years. Members shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified. Members shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for their reasonable and necessary expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose and subject to the rules of the appropriate travel control board.

(b) The first meeting of the Commission shall be at the call of the Governor, and at this meeting the Commission shall designate, by majority vote, a chairperson. The Commission shall meet regularly, but no less than once every 2 years, upon the call of the chairperson. A majority of the appointed and serving members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

(c) Administrative support for the Commission may be provided by the Board of Higher Education or the Illinois Community College Board and may be appropriated by the General Assembly from the General Revenue Fund, private donations, or any other funds as may be available for the Commission.

(d) The Commission is subject to and shall comply with the Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act.

Section 15. Common degree program; report.

(a) The Commission shall identify those courses offered by community colleges and public institutions of higher education that are accepted as credit toward a baccalaureate degree and shall designate the courses as either general education courses or courses required as a prerequisite for a degree. On or before July 1, 2020, the Commission shall establish a common degree program and shall submit a report on the program to the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board, which shall include, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(1) An examination of common course numbering initiatives in the 16 states that currently implement similar course numbering procedures, and how Illinois may benefit from that process.

(2) A comprehensive list of courses consisting of a maximum of 5 courses within each of the subject areas of communication, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences that shall be offered and successfully completed at a community college and shall be accepted for credit toward a baccalaureate degree by a public institution of higher education beginning with the 2020-2021 academic year.

(3) Statewide identification numbers and a description of all courses under the program.

(b) All community colleges and public institutions of higher education shall accept courses in the common degree program as meeting general education core course requirements for credit toward a baccalaureate degree. The Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board shall create by rule the core course options for the program.

(c) The Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board shall post the report and the courses offered and any course substitutions under the program on their respective Internet websites. No less than once every 2 years, the Commission shall reevaluate the program and provide the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board with any recommendations to change or update the program.

Section 20. Rules. The Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board shall adopt rules to implement this Act.

Section 25. The State Finance Act is amended by adding Sections 5.886 and 6z-105 as follows:

(30 ILCS 105/5.886 new)

Sec. 5.886. The Uniform Course Commission Fund.

(30 ILCS 105/6z-105 new)

Sec. 6z-105. The Uniform Course Commission Fund. The Uniform Course Commission Fund is created as a special fund in the State treasury. All moneys deposited into the Fund, which may include private contributions or endowments, shall be appropriated to the General Education Uniform Course Commission to provide financial assistance to that Commission under the General Education Uniform Course Commission Act. Moneys appropriated from the Fund shall supplement and not supplant the current level of education funding.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.".