HE.07.12
April 30, 2007
University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign Senate
Final;Information
HE.07.12 Report on the IBHE Faculty Advisory Council Meeting, April 13, 2007.
The FAC met at Heartland Community College in Normal. President John Astroth discussed issues facing community colleges with particular attention to Heartland. Funding is currently at 2002 levels meaning 5 years of essentially level funding. Heartland gets 15% of its funding from the state. State funding favors those with a poor economic basis: Rend Lake gets about 50% of its funding from the state, Harper about 8%. The presumed formula of 1/3rd state support, 1/3rd tuition, and 1/3rd local taxes has never really been reality. The state only funds about 80% of the per-student credit hour cost. The state uses a formula based on cost per student credit hour minus local resources, i.e. local taxes and tuition. Heartland benefits from high property values and thus higher tax support. Astroth believes the outlook for state funding is not good. There has been an erosion of support for public higher education as it is seen as a private good for the individual, not for the public as a whole. The focus on training suggests a private good; a broad education suggests a public good. Privatization is a big wave that has swept across the nation affecting many things including higher education negatively.
Heartland is building a new workforce development building which will be a “green building.” They have 30 students from China in a three-year program, giving it an international link. In terms of underrepresented groups at Heartland, African-Americans are the largest, Latinos are increasing, and there is a sizeable Asian segment. The college expects to double in size long term beyond its 5K students taking college credit courses and 6K in non-college credit courses and is planning a $60M expansion. He believes community colleges should enrich out-of-class activities for students to provide some of the benefits of residential colleges. It is easier to get funding for buildings than programs as one can float bond issues for the former but we must strengthen programs.
The FAC met with a representative from the Student Advisory Committee, John Kindseph, from ISU. The FAC explored the possibility of working more closely with the student group on issues of student debt, legislative activities, and articulation of course requirements between 4-year and community colleges.
The resolution on pension funding adopted at SURSMAC and the pending one in the UIUC Senate were distributed. FAC members were encouraged to consider similar efforts on their campuses. Members were urged to encourage attendance at the April 15 Higher Education Lobbying Day.
Comments by the BHE staff indicated a continuing concern about demonstrating the impact of higher education institutions have on quality of life beyond their impact on students. There may be a move toward statewide planning for education and formation of a P-20 Council. There is legislation pending to effect such a Council. Baccalaureate completion, underrepresented groups and access are key issues for legislators. Legislators believe there must be more systematic planning for higher ed and that that was what the BHE was established to do.
Private colleges are moving to take on more-out-of-state degree completion programs. We don’t have the capacity to produce more baccalaureate degrees in our current public institutions at current funding levels.
During the business meeting the FAC engaged in extensive discussion of the need to link education faculty and arts and sciences faculty in joint efforts to improve the quality of future teachers. Key issues are how this could be accomplished and how to spur such an effort.
The FAC reacted to a first draft of a paper being developed focused on the contribution of higher education to an enhanced quality of life for the citizenry as a whole.
The meeting concluded with a call for nominations for FAC officers for the coming year and the setting of dates and meeting sites of the coming year. UIUC will likely host the FAC on October 19 with September 21 as an alternate date.
Ken Andersen
UIUC Senate FAC Representative