The Illinois Commitment provides a policy framework to guide the Illinois higher education community in meeting the needs of the state and its residents. The Illinois Commitment emphasizes the diversity of Illinois higher education with the understanding that each institution will be expected to address the six policy areas in a manner that is consistent with the institution’s mission, resources, and constituencies. Each higher education institution and agency submits an annual performance report that shares the ways it has contributed to achieving the state’s higher education priorities.

Two templates – effective practices and institutional performance report - are provided to assist institutions in the development of their performance reports. The completed templates will be used extensively by Board staff in the development of the corresponding two volumes of the Statewide Performance Report. The first volume, the “Compendium of Institutional Effective Practices,” will be presented to the IBHE in October 2006. The second volume, “Assessing the Progress of The Illinois Commitment,” will be presented to the IBHE in December 2006.

Any questions regarding the performance report should be directed to Sandi Gillilan at gillilan@ibhe.org or by phone at 217/557-7352.

• Effective Practices Guidelines
• Institutional Performance Report Guidelines

Due Date: August 1, 2006

Each institution is asked to share at least two examples of effective practices that were either implemented or enhanced within the past five years. An effective practice must demonstrate a direct connection to The Illinois Commitment, responsiveness to a need, measurable outcomes, and sustainability. All effective practices submitted will be included in the “Compendium of Institutional Effective Practices,” which will be presented at the October 2006 Board meeting and included in the comprehensive, on-line database.

Effective practices must be submitted via the web-based form on the IBHE website to ensure consistency in reporting. In addition, each practice must be concisely presented (not to exceed one page). Institutions are strongly encouraged to prepare the effective practice submission in a MS Word document and then copy/paste into the web-based template.

The web-based template includes the following sections:

• Direct connection to The Illinois Commitment
• Title of Effective Practice
• Issue or Need Addressed: In 2 - 3 sentences, describe the issue or problem the effective practice addresses.
• Description of the Effective Practice: Briefly describe the effective practice, including the context, costs, logistics, timelines, and so on.
• Achievement of Sustainability: Briefly describe how this effective practice has achieved sustainability.
• Results and Measurable Outcomes: Briefly describe the results of the effective practice. Indicate any supporting evidence to substantiate that the effective practice led to positive outcomes.
• Contact Information: Provide the name, title, email address, and telephone number of the person that can be contacted to obtain more information regarding the effective practice.

Institutions must include an effective practice for at least two of the six policy areas of The Illinois Commitment. However, institutions may include an effective practice example for each of the six policy areas, if desired. Please do not submit more than one effective practice per policy area or a practice that was submitted in 2004 or 2005.

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Section I: Institutional Context

Mission Statement
Please provide the institution’s mission statement.

Environmental Analysis
This section should provide a brief synopsis of the external and internal factors impacting the institution (e.g., demographic, programmatic, social, fiscal). In particular, please indicate how these factors affect the work of the institution and the ability to address the six policy areas of The Illinois Commitment.

 Section II: Progress

Institutional Accomplishments, Plans, and Challenges
As indicated in the template, institutions are asked to report institutional accomplishments, future plans, and potential challenges for only two of the six policy areas of The Illinois Commitment. The following schedule has been implemented for reporting institutional accomplishment, plans, and challenges:

• 2006: Policy Area Five (High Quality) & Policy Area Six (Accountability and Productivity)
• 2007: Policy Area One (Economic Growth) & Policy Area Two (P-20 Partnerships)
• 2008: Policy Area Three (Affordability) & Policy Area Four (Access & Diversity)

While the extent of an institution’s achievements/actions for any given area will vary depending upon its unique mission and focus, all institutions should address the following questions:

1. What has the institution achieved during the past year that demonstrates the advancement of this policy area?
2. What specific action(s) does the institution intend to undertake in the coming year to advance this policy area?
3. What challenge(s) does the institution foresee in successfully addressing this policy area in the coming year? 

Mission-Specific Indicators.
The template includes a placeholder for mission-specific indicators for all six policy areas. However, there is not a requirement that an institution develop mission-specific indicators for every policy area. Institutions may report as many or as few mission-specific indicators for the policy areas of their choice. The following information shall be provided for each mission-specific indicator developed by the institution:

• Identification of the institutional mission-specific indicator and its relationship to the institution’s mission/goals;
• Performance goal;
• Data for the three most recent years (2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05), if applicable; and
• A brief description/interpretation of institutional performance and related implications.

Submission
The completed institutional performance report template shall be submitted via e-mail to Sandi Gillilan at gillilan@ibhe.org. The performance report materials must be received no later than September 1, 2006.

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