IL SB2986

Board of Higher Education shall create a standardized electronic form in consultation with the Illinois Community College Board for community colleges to document student demand or workforce need for baccalaureate degree completion programs.

Community college districts submit completed forms to the Illinois Community College Board for initial review, with the option to appeal directly to the Board of Higher Education if the Illinois Community College Board does not concur with the documented need.

Upon determining that unmet demand or workforce need exists, the Board of Higher Education shall electronically notify all public universities of the request for baccalaureate partnership.

The Board reviews submitted university responses and forwards viable options to the requesting community college district, with the ability to issue a second request to all state universities if initial responses are insufficient.

The Board of Higher Education and Illinois Community College Board must jointly adopt rules to implement this collaborative baccalaureate degree completion process.