Eye On Illinois: No time like the present to expand community college degree offerings

Sometimes a solution is so logical it’s amazing the problem still existed.

I wrote that sentence April 10, 2021, about Senate Bill 1832, which would pave the way for the state’s community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees and professional teaching licenses for early childhood education.

“Once the General Assembly enacts SB 1832 – and it most certainly should,” I added, “the next step is to upscale by identifying any other fields where there are more jobs than qualified applicants and figure out how to strengthen school-to-work pipelines using community colleges.”

Lawmakers most certainly did not pass the bill, as it languished in the Assignments Committee until the 102nd General Assembly ended in January 2023. No one took a serious run at it in the 103rd General Assembly either. But at Wednesday’s state of the state and budget address, Gov. JB Pritzker put the plan back on the table.

“I want to offer one final proposal focused on one of the jewels of the Illinois education system – our community colleges,” Pritzker said. “Illinois is home to one of best community college systems in the nation – third largest in size and still growing. Last fall, enrollment at Illinois community colleges grew for the third consecutive year –outpacing the national average by almost 3%.

“One of those students is Melissa McKaig of Jerseyville who is here today. … Melissa is a nursing student at Lewis and Clark Community College, and a student trustee, along with being a devoted mother and grandmother. Melissa wants to pursue a baccalaureate degree in nursing – but the cost and the commute to a school farther away will make it too expensive.

“There are people like Melissa all across Illinois – who want to get a four-year degree to make a better living. We should make that easier for them. That’s why I’m proposing we allow community colleges to offer four-year baccalaureate degrees for in-demand career paths – like nursing, advanced manufacturing, early childhood education and beyond. With lower tuition rates and a greater presence across the state – especially in rural areas – community colleges provide the flexibility and affordability students need. This is a consumer driven, student-centered proposal that will help fill the needs of regional employers in high-need sectors and create a pathway to stable, quality jobs for more Illinoisans.”

The governor’s office has acknowledged the idea isn’t revolutionary. If Illinois enacts the change it would become the 25th state to have a similar offering. Our 39 community colleges are behind the nearly 200 schools nationwide that already offer advanced degrees.

The best time to make this change has long since passed, so the second best time is now. Perennial failure to seize obvious opportunity is amazing, albeit unsurprising.

• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Local News Network. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.