HR1051 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1051 LRB100 21867 ALS 39789 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville originated in 1957 as the result of intense local demand for convenient access to public higher education by the citizens of the Southwestern Illinois Council for Higher Education and their elected public officials; and

WHEREAS, From 1996 through 2016, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville demonstrated a 26.8 percent growth in total enrollment while the enrollment of Southern Illinois University Carbondale has been decreasing; current enrollment at both universities is almost identical; and

WHEREAS, Enrollment at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has increased steadily from 11,808 (total enrollment) and 9,343 (full-time enrollment) in the fall of 1991 to 13,796 (total enrollment) and 11,523 (full-time enrollment) in the fall of 2017, resulting in a 16.8 percent and 23.3 percent increase in total and full-time enrollment respectively ; and

WHEREAS, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has been recognized by the Illinois Board of Higher Education as one of the fastest growing public universities in Illinois; the campuses of Southern Illinois University Carbondale and Southern Illinois University have grown and evolved at different rates; and

WHEREAS, The distribution of the state appropriation to the SIU Board of Trustees was historically viewed as warranting a split of 60 percent of funding going to the Carbondale campus and 40 percent of funding to the Edwardsville campus; and

WHEREAS, The GRF funds appropriated by the SIU Board of Trustees has been approximately disbursed with 64 percent going to the Carbondale campus and only 36 percent going to the Edwardsville campus, a failure to live up to the historical expectation dating back to the inception of the Edwardsville campus; and

WHEREAS, Current and future enrollment trends warrant an investigation into the governance and funding of the two separate campuses; and

WHEREAS, The SIU Board of Trustees voted down a proposal to reallocate approximately $5.1 million in state funds in order to begin to meet the 60 percent/40 percent expected levels; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Illinois Board of Higher Education to conduct a study in regards to the governance structure of the Southern Illinois University system and the feasibility and viability of becoming two distinct universities with separate Boards of Trustees, as outlined in HB 1292; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the study will review the practicability of maintaining a single board of trustees with membership outlined in HB 1293, and whether an appropriation that recognizes student enrollment, such as outlined in HB 1294, will be an equitable distribution of state funds; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Chair of the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the Chair of the Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees, the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor, and the Southern Illinois University Carbondale Chancellor.