October 30, 2009
Legislature seeks studies of college affordability
The Senate completed action on two joint resolutions directing IBHE to undertake two, complementary studies of college affordability.
On unanimous votes, senators passed House Joint Resolutions 54, and 75.
HJR 54, sponsored by Rep. Cynthia Soto and Senator Ed Maloney, seeks a broad-based study of higher education finance, including state appropriations, student financial aid, and tuition. HJR 75, sponsored by Rep. Kevin McCarthy and Sen. Maloney, is more narrowly focused on the Monetary Award Program (MAP), and seeks information about the academic success of MAP recipients, the demographics of MAP funding, and the feasibility of restructuring MAP eligibility to maximize the educational impact and economic efficiency of the program.
MHEC webinar explores models for ‘Closing the Gap’ An online seminar demonstrating tools to project increases in degree completion to meet President Obama’s goal to make the U.S. the most educated nation in the world by 2020 was conducted recently by the National Center for Higher Education Management System (NCHEMS) for states that are members of the Midwestern Higher Education Compact. The interactive tool enables users to manipulate different variables – high school graduation rates, for instance, or college-going rates – to project the resulting increase in degrees.
New report criticizes university costs, governance A report from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni and the Illinois Policy Institute takes public universities to task on several fronts, from the breadth of the general education requirements and rising costs to intellectual diversity and transparency and accountability of governance structures.
Simon Institute survey seeks data on job barriers for grads with disabilities A survey conducted by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale will identify some of the barriers to employment among college graduates with disabilities, according to Linda Renee Baker, a University professor based at the Institute. The survey is funded through a Medicaid Infrastructure Grant to the Illinois Department of Health Care and Family Services. The survey seeks to obtain data on the barriers to employment --whether attitudinal, structural, physical, mental, logistical or other factors -- faced by this subset of college graduates.
Forming a Campus Behavioral Threat Assessment Team
Threat assessment training is taking place on November 19, 2009, at Western Illinois University, Macomb and November 20, 2009, Western Illinois University-Quad Cities campus. This is a free training sponsored by the Illinois
UPCOMING
November 23 Working Together to Prepare Illinois School Leaders Part 4: Next Steps, Bloomington
