The Illinois Board of Higher Education: Shaping the Future of Education in Illinois

The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) serves as the coordinating body for higher education within the state, influencing the trajectory of both public and private institutions. This article delves into the multifaceted responsibilities of the IBHE, exploring its planning, coordinating, and regulatory roles in shaping the landscape of Illinois higher education.

Core Responsibilities of the IBHE

The IBHE is responsible for planning and coordinating the stateâs system of higher education. The Board analyzes the aims, needs, and requirements of Illinois higher education and modifies the policies that guide the stateâs system of public and private colleges and universities. Through its master planning responsibility, the Board approved the Illinois Public Agenda for College and Career Success as the ten-year blueprint for higher education.

Planning and Coordination

At its core, the IBHE is entrusted with the crucial task of planning and coordinating the Illinois higher education system. This involves a comprehensive analysis of the aims, needs, and requirements of higher education across the state. The Board then uses this analysis to modify policies that guide both public and private colleges and universities. A key example of this is the Illinois Public Agenda for College and Career Success, a ten-year blueprint for higher education approved by the Board.

Program Approval and Review

The IBHE plays a pivotal role in maintaining academic standards and ensuring the quality of educational offerings in Illinois. Before any Illinois college or university can offer a degree, the program must be reviewed and approved by IBHE. This includes the approval of all new units of instruction, research, and public service, as well as new academic administrative units, for public colleges and universities in the state. Following approval, new programs must submit a 3-Year Review Report. All programs also undergo an 8-Year Review Cycle per state policy.

Oversight of Institutions

IBHE has also statutory responsibility to approve operating authority and degree-granting authority for certain independent and out-of-state institutions operating within the state of Illinois. The agency authorizes various types of institutions, including religious institutions offering degree programs. Religious institutions offering non-degree programs are exempt.

Data Collection and Analysis

The IBHE collects and analyzes a wealth of data related to higher education institutions, faculty, staff, and students. Student demographic data includes age, gender, racial/ethnic group, enrollment status, major, type of degree being sought, and state of origin. Faculty and staff information includes race/ethnicity and gender as well as academic rank and tenure status. Information about institutions includes price to students; physical plant space and operations; revenue source; objects of expenditures; academic unit and program costs; and faculty credit hour studies. This information supports the Board's planning and budgeting activities, its responsibility for systematic program reviews, and its periodic studies of issues of special concern or interest. It also makes available to the higher education community and the public a host of vital data that helps colleges and universities, as well as state leaders, as they shape policies affecting the significant role higher education plays in Illinois' economic, social, and cultural well-being. This data-driven approach allows the Board to make informed decisions and recommendations, ensuring that higher education in Illinois remains relevant and responsive to the needs of students and the state as a whole. The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) is the official coordinating agency for postsecondary education in the state. IBHE is not the same as the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB).

Specific Areas of IBHE Authority

The IBHE's authority extends to various aspects of higher education operations, including:

Authorization and Accreditation

The IBHE ensures that institutions operating in Illinois meet certain standards of quality and accountability. While Illinois Administrative Codes guiding authorization of institutions do not specify regional or national accreditation, the agency considers accreditation by the Department of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Physical Presence Policy

The IBHE has specific guidelines regarding physical presence and its impact on authorization requirements. A faculty member residing in the state and teaching an online course does not trigger the requirement for authorization with the agency. Similarly, advertising targeted to residents of the state or having a recruiter in the state does not necessitate authorization.

Financial Protections for Students

The IBHE prioritizes the protection of students' financial interests, particularly in cases of institutional closure. Surety bonds are required for non-degree granting institutions. Section 1095.210 of 23 Illinois Administrative Code 1095 states that: Each school shall provide evidence to the Board of a surety bond to protect the interests of the students. The amount of the bond must be sufficient to provide for the repayment of full tuition to all students enrolled at the institution in the event of closure of the institution. Evidence of the continuation of the bond must be filed annually with the Board. The IBHE also has a Student Tuition Recovery Fund for non-degree granting institutions (below associate level e.g.

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Student Complaint Resolution

The IBHE provides a mechanism for addressing student complaints against institutions under its oversight. Student complaints from institutions that the Agency oversees are handled within the Agency. Address: 1 N. Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 333 Springfield, IL 62701.

Academic Records Management

In the event of an institution's closure, the IBHE takes steps to ensure the preservation and accessibility of student academic records. In the event a school proposes to discontinue its operations, the chief administrative officer of the school shall cause to be filed with the Board the original or legible true copies of all such academic records of the institution as may be specified by the Board. These records shall include, at a minimum, the academic records of each former student that is traditionally provided on an academic transcript, such as, but not limited to, courses taken, terms, grades, and other such information. In the event it appears to the Board that any such records of an institution discontinuing its operations is in danger of being lost, hidden, destroyed, or otherwise made unavailable to the Board, the Board may seize and take possession of the records, on its own motion and without order of court. The Board shall maintain or cause to be maintained a permanent file of records coming into its possession. As an alternative to the deposit of records with the Board, the institution may propose to the Board a plan for permanent retention of the records that may include the transfer of records to a similar institution. The plan must be put into effect only with the approval of the Board. Records retained by the Illinois Board of Higher Education may be obtained directly from the Agency.

Initiatives and Programs

The IBHE is actively involved in several initiatives aimed at improving access to and affordability of higher education in Illinois.

One Click College Admit

One notable initiative is the One Click College Admit program, designed to streamline the college admissions process for Illinois students. One Click College Admit matches you with Illinois public universities and community colleges for direct admission. No essays, no fees! Just one click and youâre in! Getting into an IL public higher education institution just got easier with One Click College Admit! Skip the application fees and essays! GPA is all that is needed for admission to a partner school. One Click College Admit is an initiative of the state of Illinois and is the stateâs free, quick, and stress-free direct admissions program into state public universities and community colleges. Through this program, all eligible high school seniors automatically receive offers of general admission to state public universities and to their local community college, and the program removes the requirement for application fees, essays, and letters of recommendation. College is just a click away! Get admitted to an Illinois public university or community college through the sateâs direct admissions program. Skip fees, essays, and stress! All you need is your GPA for admission.

Relationship with the General Assembly

The University of Illinois, as a public university, is under the ultimate authority of the state legislatureâthe Illinois General Assembly. Subject to constitutional and self-imposed restraints, the General Assembly exercises control by virtue of its authority to change the laws pertaining to the university and its power to appropriate funds for the maintenance and improvement of the university. The General Assembly and then Governor Otto Kerner created the Board of Higher Education in 1961 to plan and coordinate Illinoisâ system of colleges and universities at a time when enrollments in post-secondary education were taking flight.

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Current Issues and Emerging Strategies

The IBHE is actively engaged in addressing current issues and exploring emerging strategies in higher education. The official launch of Illinois' direct admissions program, One Click College Admit, is right around the corner! The team is excited to be on the ground with our colleagues in the field at the SHEEO (State Higher Education Executive Officers Association) Policy Conference this week to learn and share about critical issues and emerging strategies in higher education. Matt Gandal was joined by Steven Gentile of Tennessee Higher Education Commission/Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (THEC/TSAC) and Michael Vente of the Colorado Department of Higher Education to wrestle with questions around value in higher education. How can we measure it? What's the best way to communicate it? What levers can state and college leaders use to improve it? Lauren Norton and Melanie Heath of Lumina Foundation shared exciting emerging innovations from the first year of the Great Admissions Redesign, featuring the voices of on-the-ground leaders Rathi Sudhakara of the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC), Stephanie Cheung of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE), and Colleen Sexton of the Illinois Board of Higher Education. Kenyatta Lovett, Ph.D., Joseph Thiel of the Montana University System, and Theresa Thompson, M.S. CTE of State Council of Higher Education for Virginia dug in on major learnings from the Noncredit Mobility Academy about improving state noncredit data systems -- a crucial piece of delivering value and economic mobility.

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