Politics Unusual

So a month has gone by and I haven't posted a darn thing. 

It wasn't for lack of things to discuss. But time has a way of slipping by, especially over the last 4 weeks. My travel schedule has been a little hectic and it seems that there is a meeting, a concert, a play, a dinner, or another similar event that reduces the free evenings to very few.

Certainly, it hasn’t been for lack of anything to talk about.

To the contrary, the MAP task force has rendered an opinion, the President has revealed his budget. The Governor followed suit. Pension reform is on the lips of our elected body and community colleges continue to get good press nationally.

On that note, let's get back into the swing of things with a look at what is happening legislatively in our fair state of Illinois. At our February Board of Trustees meeting, I shared a few bills that have been filled in this session that have potential impact on Parkland College.

It appears that the Illinois Senate will consider 2402 bills this session and the House some 2850. Among this collection of certified papers are a number of interesting offerings that may leave some of you scratching your head just as I am.

Sb (Senate Bill) 135 - Tuition Rates set by the Legislature.

Removes the power of the governing board of each public university and community college district to establish tuition rates and fees. Provides that for the 2011-2012 academic year and each academic year thereafter, the tuition and fee rates for students must be equal to the tuition and fee rates in effect for the 2010-2011 academic year or such lesser or greater amount as may be established by law by the General Assembly. Effective immediately. 

Horrible idea. This removes all local authority from our elected Trustees to do what is best for the District.

Sb 59 - Creates the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act. 

Provides that a public community college student who earns an associate degree for transfer granted pursuant to the Act is deemed eligible for transfer into the baccalaureate program of a State university if the student (1) completes 60 semester units or 90 quarter units that are eligible for transfer to a State university and (2) obtains of a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Watch this. Could be interesting.

Hb (House Bill) 152 - Creates Department of Education

Creates the Department of Education Act and amends the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, the School Code, the Board of Higher Education Act, and the Public Community College Act. Creates the Department of Education, with a Secretary of Education as its head. Provides that, in order to create continuity between all levels of education, the Department shall oversee the State Board of Education, the Board of Higher Education, and the Illinois Community College Board and coordinate and streamline the functions of these boards.

Sure. Exactly what we need…another layer of bureaucracy.

Hb 1503 - Performance funding Fy13.

Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. With respect to the Board's analysis of formulating the annual budget request for State universities and colleges, provides that, beginning with Fiscal Year 2013, the annual budget request must incorporate performance-based funding, pursuant to the report of the Board's Higher Education Finance Study Commission. Provides that the Board shall have 2 fiscal years to implement this performance-based funding, and thereafter must update how this funding is calculated every 6 months.

The jury is still out, but performance funding has not generally accomplished a whole lot is in its inauspicious history. See "Paranormal Academics" to learn how I really feel.

HB 3220 - Higher Ed Accountability

Creates the Accountability in Higher Education Act. Requires public universities in this State to develop annual academic, financial, and enrollment plans that outline (i) tuition and fee estimates, (ii) enrollment projections, (iii) retention policies and projections, and (iv) accepting a number of accountability measures, including meeting benchmarks related to accessibility and affordability. Requires public universities to commit themselves formally to meeting specified State policy objectives, in conjunction with the goals set forth in the Illinois Public Agenda for College and Career Success. Requires the Board of Higher Education to be responsible for developing performance indicators to measure whether public universities in this State are meeting State policy objectives, in conjunction with the goals set forth in the Illinois Public Agenda for College and Career Success. Effective immediately.

FYI, Parkland College has maintained a set of performance indicators since the early 1990s. They have formed the basis of the way the College gauges its effectiveness. Now we may be legally obligated to do what we surely should have rightfully been doing all along.

Hb 3328 – Limits on Dual Credit

Amends the Dual Credit Quality Act. Provides that an institution of higher learning may offer dual credit courses only to high school students in the 12th grade and is prohibited from offering more than 9 semester hours of dual credit courses to those students.

Of all the bills filed this session, this one wins the prize for the worst piece of potential legislation in quite a while.

SB 121 Salary Reduction tied to Audit Results

Amends the Public Community College Act and various Acts relating to the governance of public universities in Illinois. Provides that, with respect to public university audits made by the Auditor General, a board of trustees shall reduce the base salary of the president of the university by 10% for each significant finding in an audit report that is not resolved within one year after receiving the final audit report. Provides that, with respect to community college audits made by an auditor, a board of trustees shall reduce the base salary of the president or chief executive officer of the community college by 10% for each significant finding in an audit report that is not resolved within one year after receiving the final audit report.


Great idea. Really, I mean it.

Lastly, House Speaker Michael Madigan has publically stated that more changes are possible to our (SURS) pension and retiree health benefits -- including the constitutionally problematic possibility that retirement benefits for existing employees could be reduced.

With that, I’ll leave you with this thought:

Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule - and both commonly succeed, and are right. 

 ~H.L. Mencken, 1956