SPRINGFIELD — One of Gov. JB Pritzker’s top legislative initiatives stalled in the General Assembly this week when the chair of the House Higher Education Committee refused to call a vote on a bill that would authorize community colleges to offer four-year bachelor’s degree programs in select, high-demand career fields.
The decision not to call the bill for a vote came as lawmakers face a Friday deadline for most bills other than spending bills to pass out of committee and be sent to the floor of their respective chamber.
But legislative deadlines are not always strictly observed in Springfield, and Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, who chairs the committee, said the decision not to act on the bill does not necessarily mean it is dead for the session.
“I don’t think around here anything’s really ever dead, and I think there’s a path forward,” she told reporters after Wednesday’s committee hearing.
Read more: Pritzker to call for expansion of 4-year degree offerings at some community colleges
Pritzker called for expanding the role of community colleges by allowing them to offer four-year degree programs in his State of the State address in February. The idea was to make those programs more affordable and accessible to Illinoisans, especially those who don’t live near a four-year university.
“With lower tuition rates and a greater presence across the state — especially in rural areas — community colleges provide the flexibility and affordability students need,” he said. This is a consumer-driven, student-centered proposal that will help fill the needs of regional employers in high-need sectors and create a pathway to stable, quality jobs for more Illinoisans.”
House Bill 3717, sponsored by Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl, D-Northbrook, would implement Pritzker’s plan. It would allow community colleges to offer bachelor’s degree programs in select areas, provided the school’s board of trustees can demonstrate the program would help fill an “unmet workforce need” in the area the school serves, and that the school has sufficient resources, expertise and student interest to sustain the program.
But Stuart, whose district includes the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, said concerns have been raised that allowing community colleges to offer bachelor’s programs could undercut similar programs already being offered by four-year universities.
Stuart said her concerns were not necessarily about the impact the change would have on SIUE, but rather schools such as Northeastern Illinois University and Chicago State University that serve largely minority student populations.
“If we’re not careful about what programs are allowed, that it could collapse the existing programs in those institutions, collapse their student base, and just make them not able to be operational,” she said. “And then we wouldn’t have a four-year institution serving those communities.”
After Wednesday’s hearing, a coalition of presidents from several public and private universities, including Chicago State and NEIU, issued a statement saying they were concerned the legislation could lead to “duplicating efforts and increasing costs at a time of limited resources,” but they suggested there was still room for a compromise.
“We are encouraged by negotiations and remain committed to working collaboratively to build a higher education ecosystem that serves all of our students and employers,” the statement read.
A spokesman for Pritzker also said there was still time to negotiate a bill that would satisfy the concerns of lawmakers and universities.
“It’s March, and plenty of time remains in session to achieve that goal,” press secretary Alex Gough said in an email. “He (Pritzker) looks forward to continuing discussions with lawmakers in both chambers and other stakeholders throughout the rest of the legislative session.”
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