§ 2-12

The State Board shall have the power and it shall be its duty: (a) To provide statewide planning for community colleges as institutions of higher education and to coordinate the programs, services and activities of all community colleges in the State so as to encourage and establish a system of locally initiated and administered comprehensive community colleges. (b) To organize and conduct feasibility surveys for new community colleges or for the inclusion of existing institutions as community colleges and the locating of new institutions. (c) (Blank). (c-5) In collaboration with the community colleges, to furnish information for State and federal accountability purposes, promote student and institutional improvement, and meet research needs. (d) To cooperate with the community colleges in collecting and maintaining student characteristics, enrollment and completion data, faculty and staff characteristics, financial data, admission standards, facility data, and any other issues facing community colleges. (e) To enter into contracts with other governmental agencies and eligible providers, such as local educational agencies, community-based organizations of demonstrated effectiveness, volunteer literacy organizations of demonstrated effectiveness, institutions of higher education, public and private nonprofit agencies, libraries, and public housing authorities; to accept federal funds and to plan with other State agencies when appropriate for the allocation of such federal funds for instructional programs and student services including such funds for adult education and literacy, vocational and career and technical education, and retraining as may be allocated by state and federal agencies for the aid of community colleges. To receive, receipt for, hold in trust, expend and administer, for all purposes of this Act, funds and other aid made available by the federal government or by other agencies public or private, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly. The changes to this subdivision (e) made by Public Act 91-830 apply on and after July 1, 2001. (f) To determine efficient and adequate standards for community colleges for the physical plant, heating, lighting, ventilation, sanitation, safety, equipment and supplies, instruction and teaching, curriculum, library, operation, maintenance, and administration and supervision. (g) To determine the standards for establishment of community colleges and the proper location of the site in relation to existing institutions of higher education offering academic, occupational and technical training curricula, possible enrollment, assessed valuation, industrial, business, agricultural, and other conditions reflecting educational needs in the area to be served; however, no community college may be considered as being recognized nor may the establishment of any community college be authorized in any district which shall be deemed inadequate for the maintenance, in accordance with the desirable standards thus determined, of a community college offering the basic subjects of general education and suitable vocational and semiprofessional and technical curricula. (h) To approve or disapprove new units of instruction, research or public service as defined in Section 3-25.1 of this Act submitted by the boards of trustees of the respective community college districts of this State. The State Board may discontinue programs which fail to reflect the educational needs of the area being served. The community college district shall be granted 60 days following the State Board staff recommendation and prior to the State Board's action to respond to concerns regarding the program in question. If the State Board acts to abolish a community college program, the community college district has a right to appeal the decision in accordance with administrative rules promulgated by the State Board under the provisions of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. (i) To review and approve or disapprove any contract or agreement that community colleges enter into with any organization, association, educational institution, or government agency to provide educational services for academic credit. The State Board is authorized to monitor performance under any contract or agreement that is approved by the State Board. If the State Board does not approve a particular contract or agreement, the community college district has a right to appeal the decision in accordance with administrative rules promulgated by the State Board under the provisions of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Nothing in this subdivision (i) shall be interpreted as applying to collective bargaining agreements with any labor organization. (j) To establish guidelines regarding sabbatical leaves. (k) (Blank). (l) (Blank). (m) (Blank). (n) To create and participate in the conduct and operation of any corporation, joint venture, partnership, association, or other organizational entity that has the power: (i) to acquire land, buildings, and other capital equipment for the use and benefit of the community colleges or their students; (ii) to accept gifts and make grants for the use and benefit of the community colleges or their students; (iii) to aid in the instruction and education of students of community colleges; and (iv) to promote activities to acquaint members of the community with the facilities of the various community colleges. (o) To ensure the effective teaching of adult learners and to prepare them for success in employment and lifelong learning by administering a network of providers, programs, and services to provide classes for the instruction of those individuals who (i) are 16 years of age or older, are not enrolled or required to be enrolled in a secondary school under State law, and are basic-skills deficient, (ii) do not have a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent and have not achieved an equivalent level of education, or (iii) are an English language learner. Classes in adult education may include adult basic education, adult secondary and high school equivalency testing education, high school credit, literacy, English language acquisition, integrated education and training in coordination with vocational skills training, and any other instruction designed to prepare adult students to function successfully in society and to experience success in postsecondary education and employment. (p) To supervise the administration of adult education and literacy programs, to establish the standards for such courses of instruction and supervise the administration thereof, to contract with other State and local agencies and eligible providers of demonstrated effectiveness, such as local educational agencies, community-based organizations, volunteer literacy organizations, institutions of higher education, public and private nonprofit agencies, libraries, public housing authorities, and nonprofit institutions for the purpose of promoting and establishing classes for instruction under these programs, to contract with other State and local agencies to accept and expend appropriations for educational purposes to reimburse local eligible providers for the cost of these programs, and to establish an advisory council consisting of all categories of eligible providers; agency partners, such as the State Board of Education, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Employment Security, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and the Secretary of State literacy program; and other stakeholders to identify, deliberate, and make recommendations to the State Board on adult education policy and priorities. The State Board shall support statewide geographic distribution; diversity of eligible providers; and the adequacy, stability, and predictability of funding so as not to disrupt or diminish, but rather to enhance, adult education and literacy services.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 103-940, eff. 8-9-24.)