Bill Text: IL HB0656 | 2009-2010 | 96th General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: Amends the Public Community College Act. Provides that the Board of Trustees of Community College District No. 512 may establish and offer a pilot program under which the district may offer bachelor's degrees in 2 fields of study if certain conditions are met, including requiring (i) that the degree programs not compete with any nearby public university and the public universities in this State have the right of first refusal to offer the Bachelor of Applied Science Degree programs on the community college campus or a community college extension site, (ii) that the district identify and document unmet workforce needs, (iii) that the degree programs not require any additional funding from local taxes, the State, or the community college students not enrolled in the program, (iv) that the Board of Higher Education approve the offering of the degree programs, and (v) that the pilot program expire 4 years after the initial offering of the degree programs, unless otherwise extended by law. Prohibits Community College District No. 512 from becoming a primarily baccalaureate degree-granting, 4-year institution of higher learning. Effective July 1, 2009.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-3)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2009-08-15 - Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Re-referred to Assignments; Pursuant to Senate Rule 3-9(b). [HB0656 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2009-HB0656-Introduced.html

---

96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2009 and 2010 HB0656 Introduced 02/06/09, by Rep. Fred Crespo SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
110 ILCS 805/3-65 new
Amends the Public Community College Act. Provides that the Board of Trustees of Community College District No. 512 may establish and offer a pilot program under which the district may offer bachelor's degrees in 2 fields of study if certain conditions are met, including requiring (i) that the degree programs not compete with any nearby public university and the public universities in this State have the right of first refusal to offer the Bachelor of Applied Science Degree programs on the community college campus or a community college extension site, (ii) that the district identify and document unmet workforce needs, (iii) that the degree programs not require any additional funding from local taxes, the State, or the community college students not enrolled in the program, (iv) that the Board of Higher Education approve the offering of the degree programs, and (v) that the pilot program expire 4 years after the initial offering of the degree programs, unless otherwise extended by law. Prohibits Community College District No. 512 from becoming a primarily baccalaureate degree-granting, 4-year institution of higher learning. Effective July 1, 2009.
LRB096 08478 NHT 18598 b
A BILL FOR
HB0656 LRB096 08478 NHT 18598 b
AN ACT concerning education.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Public Community College Act is amended by
adding Section 3-65 as follows:
(110 ILCS 805/3-65 new)
Sec. 3-65. Harper College pilot baccalaureate program. The
Board of Trustees of Community College District No. 512 may
establish and offer a pilot program under which the district
may offer bachelor's degrees in 2 fields of study if all of the
following conditions are met:
(1) The public universities in this State have the
right of first refusal to offer the Bachelor of Applied
Science Degree programs on the community college campus or
a community college extension site in a manner that is
mutually agreeable between the district and the
university. If there is a disagreement on whether the
university program meets local workforce needs, a 5-person
panel shall be appointed to determine if the university's
proposed program on the community college campus or
extension site reasonably meets local workforce needs. Two
members of the panel shall be from local employers
representing the applicable field of study, appointed by

HB0656 - 2 - LRB096 08478 NHT 18598 b
the Board of Trustees of Community College District No.
512. Two members of the panel shall be university officials
with expertise in the applicable field of study, appointed
by the board of trustees of the university submitting the
program proposal. One member shall be a Community College
District No. 512 official with expertise in the applicable
field of study, appointed by the Board of Trustees of
Community College District No. 512. Community College
District No. 512 may only proceed with the pilot program if
a majority of the panel rules that the university's
proposed program on Community College District No. 512's
campus or extension site does not reasonably meet local
workforce needs.
(2) The Board of Trustees has determined that it has
the expertise, resources, and interest to offer quality
Bachelor of Applied Science Degree programs and the
programs are consistent with existing board policy.
(3) The district has identified and documented unmet
workforce needs.
(4) The degree programs will not compete with any
nearby public university.
(5) The degree programs will not require any additional
funding from local taxes, the State, or Community College
District No. 512 students not enrolled in the pilot
program. At the completion of the Community College
District No. 512 pilot program, an independent audit must

HB0656 - 3 - LRB096 08478 NHT 18598 b
be conducted to determine if any of the funding for the
pilot program was provided by local taxes, the State, or
the community college students not enrolled in the program.
(6) The Board of Higher Education has approved the
offering of the degree programs in a manner consistent with
approving new bachelor's degree programs at all State
public universities.
(7) The pilot program will expire 4 years after the
initial offering of the degree programs, unless otherwise
extended by law.
The intention of this Section is to allow Community College
District No. 512 to meet specific, documented workforce needs
in the district. Community College District No. 512 is
prohibited from becoming a primarily baccalaureate
degree-granting, 4-year institution of higher learning.
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
2009.