We know that implementing the strategies will happen over time. But we must begin with a deliberate plan of implementation. Here we outline some immediate next steps.
If we are going to achieve the three goals laid out in this plan, we must hold ourselves accountable. Accountability should be a cycle of continuous improvement: by identifying where we have made progress and where not, we can take steps to get back on track. We believe that the work we have outlined in "A Thriving Illinois" is a shared enterprise, that by bringing people together we can share best practices and create learning communities. We see transparency as a key component because it leads to learning.
IBHE and ICCB will continue to report data disaggregated by race/ethnicity, gender, age group, income status, and geography for enrollment, retention, progression, completion, and attainment.
There are many other measures and metrics that should be reported to ensure we stay on track. As one of the first steps after the Board’s adoption of this plan, IBHE and ICCB will convene a diverse group, including institutions of higher education and other stakeholders, to further develop the accountability system, and once it is developed, IBHE and ICCB will regularly update and report on progress.
A first step in closing equity gaps is for each institution to assess its current state and develop the Equity Plan outlined in earlier sections. Many institutions have already developed Equity Plans under the Illinois Equity in Attainment initiative of the Partnership for College Completion. IBHE and ICCB will build on and support that work underway.
IBHE will begin right away to develop a charter and identify the leaders for the Council. This Council will help bring alignment between the state’s economic development plans and the higher education efforts and ensure that institutions have an early understanding of changes in the nature of work with the lead-time needed to develop new programs. Focus will also be on how business can invest in students and build diverse talent pipelines. IBHE will also undertake the analysis of employer needs compared to degree/credential production in the first phase of implementation.
"A Thriving Illinois" calls for new investment in public higher education through an equitable, stable, and sufficient funding system and outlines a set of principles. These principles were embodied in SB815, which passed the General Assembly on June 1, 2021, and calls for a Commission on Equitable Public University Funding to be convened by October 15, 2021. IBHE is given responsibility for administrative support and ensuring that the requirements of the legislation are met. IBHE will begin this work immediately.
As students return to campuses after the worst of the pandemic, implementing the learning renewal and social-emotional supports with an equity lens as outlined in "A Thriving Illinois" is an urgent priority. Institutions and community partners with the support of IBHE, ICCB, and ISAC will use the federal relief funds to concentrate efforts in ensuring the state meets students’ current needs and the system adapts these best practices for the future.
IBHE and ICCB will begin efforts to identify the supports and programs adult learners need so that they can enroll for the first time or return to college to prepare for the next phase of their career, whether they were displaced during the pandemic, their careers are threatened because of the changing nature of work, or they just want to finish what they started.
The urgency of addressing the educator shortage cannot be overstated. Of particular importance—and opportunity—is the need to help the incumbent early childhood workforce upskill to the associate and bachelor degrees required to best serve our earliest learners. The IBHE and ICCB will establish the Consortium developed through the strategic planning process and outlined in HB2878, which passed the General Assembly May 31, 2021. The Consortium, including all public universities and community colleges with early childhood programs, will streamline, coordinate, and improve access to credentials and degree completion for the incumbent early childhood workforce.
The state’s transfer infrastructure is key to supporting the timely progression of students to completion of a postsecondary credential. Throughout "A Thriving Illinois", strategies related to transfer are noted, including the pilot of a “transfer guarantee.” The IBHE, ICCB, and institutional transfer leaders, working in partnership with other stakeholders such as the ISBE, will begin work on these strategies immediately.
The steps outlined here are only a few of the immediate next steps. Success in each of the strategies requires a detailed implementation plan. The higher education agencies, in partnership with stakeholders, will come together to develop the implementation plan.
We would like to thank the IBHE Strategic Planning Advisory Committee Co-Chairs for their dedication and leadership: former State Senator Pat McGuire; City Colleges Chancellor Juan Salgado; Chicago State University President Zaldwaynaka (“Z”) Scott; and 1871 CEO Betsy Ziegler. We would also like to thank the members of the Advisory Committee and the Design Work Groups whose expertise informed every strategy and whose diversity of experience and perspective led to difficult conversations but a stronger plan. Membership of the Advisory Committee and the Design Work Groups is included in the Appendix.
We thank the nearly 10,000 people who completed our survey about their priorities for the higher education system, the 200 participants of our focus groups who informed our strategies, and the many people who submitted public comments.
This plan also could not have been possible without the leadership and support of UPD Consulting, Stomping Ground Strategies, Rikeesha Phelon, and the SIU School of Medicine. Special thanks to Jacqueline Moreno and Teresa Ramos who volunteered their time as facilitators and thought partners.
Pranav Kothari, IBHE Board member and founder and CEO of Revolution Impact, deserves special mention. Not only did he serve as the Board liaison to the Advisory Committee, he volunteered his time and expertise as a facilitator. Throughout, he provided guidance and served as a key thought partner every step of the way.
The IBHE, ICCB, and ISAC staff went above and beyond to provide research, support, and assistance. Special acknowledgment goes to ICCB Executive Director Brian Durham, ISAC Executive Director Eric Zarnikow, and IBHE Executive Deputy Director Stephanie Bernoteit. Special thanks to IBHE Deputy Director for Information Management and Research Eric Lichtenberger who led the work on the data presented in this report.
We are also grateful for the ongoing support and leadership of the Illinois Governor’s Office. We would like to acknowledge and thank the many institutions that provided photographs —we regret that we could not use them all!
Finally, we are grateful to our funding partners, including the Joyce Foundation, Lumina Foundation, the Steans Family Foundation, and an anonymous donor, who ensured we had the resources we needed, including their always wise counsel.