Bill Text: IL HR0613 | 2013-2014 | 98th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Congratulates Northern Illinois University's CHANCE program on its 45th anniversary.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2013-10-22 - Resolution Adopted [HR0613 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2013-HR0613-Introduced.html

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HR0613 LRB098 14362 MST 49018 r
HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
Representatives desire all residents to continue their
education and skill development beyond high school, and are
especially concerned with the low number of minorities and
first-generation students pursuing and achieving additional
degrees and certificates; and
WHEREAS, In 1967, minority enrollment at Northern Illinois
University accounted for only 3 percent of the total
enrollment, with minority faculty and staff members comprising
an even smaller percentage; these numbers, despite NIU's
proximity to Chicago, were not an accurate representation of
the diversity of the region; and
WHEREAS, Rhoten Smith, who was President of the university
at the time, understood that higher education is a vital
component of success, especially for those who struggle to
break racial, economic, and social barriers; he recognized that
public universities have a responsibility to make higher
education available to students of all backgrounds, and that a
failure to do so, "is to bar the door to a hopeful future in the
very faces of those of our citizens who have least to hope for
from life"; and

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WHEREAS, In an effort to attract a more racially and
ethnically diverse faculty, staff, and student representation
to Northern Illinois University, President Smith hired William
Brooks and McKinley Davis to develop and implement aggressive
plans for recruitment, employment, and enrollment; and
WHEREAS, McKinley "Deacon" Davis of Freeport, Illinois,
was an All-State basketball player and member of the Harlem
Globetrotters who studied the condition of American high
schools while traveling the country performing with the
Globetrotters; and
WHEREAS, McKinley Davis, as Northern Illinois University's
director of Special Programs, developed a procedure for
reviewing applications from students who did not meet the
university's customary admission policies and selecting
certain ones for interviews, support and guidance, which he
called giving them a CHANCE - Counseling Help Assistance
Necessary College Education; he served as CHANCE director until
1978; and
WHEREAS, McKinely Davis passed away in 2003, and in January
of 2004, Northern Illinois University President John Peters
re-dedicated the CHANCE program as "The McKinley 'Deacon' Davis
CHANCE Program"; and

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WHEREAS, The guiding mission of the CHANCE program is to
identify, recruit, admit, and assist otherwise capable
students whose pre-college education has not fully enabled them
to take maximum advantage of their potential and the
opportunities of higher education at Northern Illinois
University; and
WHEREAS, CHANCE students are provided academic, personal
and career counseling; tutorial assistance for courses;
academic skills-enhancement courses; academic monitoring
throughout the student's undergraduate career; financial aid
counseling, peer mentoring; and skills-building for transition
to the university experience; and
WHEREAS, The program began with 50 students and has grown
to now admit nearly 500 students per year; it has made an
impact on more than 15,000 students over the past 45 years; and
WHEREAS, Through a number of programs and concerted
efforts, including CHANCE, Northern Illinois University has
increased its enrollment of minorities to now total 37% of its
student body, and has increased its employment of minorities to
19% of its faculty and staff; and
WHEREAS, CHANCE has received support from State
legislators, is well-known throughout Illinois, and holds a

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national reputation for its achievements, which have served as
a model for other states and universities; and
WHEREAS, Moving forward, CHANCE is looking to expand the
number of science, technology, engineering and math majors at
Northern Illinois University; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
we congratulate Northern Illinois University's CHANCE program
on its 45th anniversary; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to the CHANCE program and its current Director,
Denise Hayman, as a symbol of our respect and encouragement for
all higher education institutions to expand hiring and
educational efforts for minorities and first-generation
students.