Bill Text: IL HB5991 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the University of Illinois Act. Provides that not less than 90 days prior to accepting applications for any undergraduate program for an academic year, the University of Illinois shall publish the standards for admission to that undergraduate program. Provides that no student shall be admitted to an undergraduate program who does not meet the published standards for admission to that undergraduate program. Provides that once the standards are published, the standards for admission to an undergraduate program shall not be changed during that academic year.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-04-08 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB5991 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2015-HB5991-Introduced.html

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99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2015 and 2016 HB5991 Introduced , by Rep. Reginald Phillips SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
110 ILCS 305/8 from Ch. 144, par. 29
Amends the University of Illinois Act. Provides that not less than 90 days prior to accepting applications for any undergraduate program for an academic year, the University of Illinois shall publish the standards for admission to that undergraduate program. Provides that no student shall be admitted to an undergraduate program who does not meet the published standards for admission to that undergraduate program. Provides that once the standards are published, the standards for admission to an undergraduate program shall not be changed during that academic year.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning education.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The University of Illinois Act is amended by
changing Section 8 as follows:
(110 ILCS 305/8) (from Ch. 144, par. 29)
Sec. 8. Admissions.
(a) (Blank).
(b) In addition, commencing in the fall of 1993, no new
student shall then or thereafter be admitted to instruction in
any of the departments or colleges of the University unless
such student also has satisfactorily completed:
(1) at least 15 units of high school coursework from
the following 5 categories:
(A) 4 years of English (emphasizing written and
oral communications and literature), of which up to 2
years may be collegiate level instruction;
(B) 3 years of social studies (emphasizing history
and government);
(C) 3 years of mathematics (introductory through
advanced algebra, geometry, trigonometry, or
fundamentals of computer programming);
(D) 3 years of science (laboratory sciences); and

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(E) 2 years of electives in foreign language (which
may be deemed to include American Sign Language),
music, vocational education or art;
(2) except that institutions may admit individual
applicants if the institution determines through
assessment or through evaluation based on learning
outcomes of the coursework taken, including vocational
education courses and courses taken in a charter school
established under Article 27A of the School Code, that the
applicant demonstrates knowledge and skills substantially
equivalent to the knowledge and skills expected to be
acquired in the high school courses required for admission.
The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois shall
not discriminate in the University's admissions process
against an applicant for admission because of the
applicant's enrollment in a charter school established
under Article 27A of the School Code. Institutions may also
admit 1) applicants who did not have an opportunity to
complete the minimum college preparatory curriculum in
high school, and 2) educationally disadvantaged applicants
who are admitted to the formal organized special assistance
programs that are tailored to the needs of such students,
providing that in either case, the institution
incorporates in the applicant's baccalaureate curriculum
courses or other academic activities that compensate for
course deficiencies; and

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(3) except that up to 3 of the 15 units of coursework
required by paragraph (1) of this subsection may be
distributed by deducting no more than one unit each from
the categories of social studies, mathematics, sciences
and electives and completing those 3 units in any of the 5
categories of coursework described in paragraph (1).
(c) When allocating funds, local boards of education shall
recognize their obligation to their students to offer the
coursework required by subsection (b).
(d) A student who has graduated from high school and has
scored within the University's accepted range on the ACT or SAT
shall not be required to take a high school equivalency test as
a prerequisite to admission.
(e) Not less than 90 days prior to accepting applications
for any undergraduate program for an academic year, the
University of Illinois shall publish the standards for
admission to that undergraduate program. No student shall be
admitted to an undergraduate program who does not meet the
published standards for admission to that undergraduate
program. Once published, the standards for admission to an
undergraduate program shall not be changed during that academic
year.
(Source: P.A. 98-718, eff. 1-1-15.)