The Illinois Higher Education Strategic Plan, A Thriving Illinois: Higher Education Paths to Equity, Sustainability, and Growth, calls on institutions to review and revise existing policies and practices that exacerbate equity gaps and develop and implement equity plans and practices to close those gaps. In 2022, as part of omnibus legislation to implement A Thriving Illinois, the Illinois legislature passed and the Governor signed HB 5464 (P.A. 102-1046) requiring all public institutions of higher education to create and implement equity plans and practices to close gaps in enrollment, retention, completion, and student loan repayment rates. (see 110 ILCS 205/9/16 ).
This Advisory Committee was created as part of 102-1046, which states that the illinois board of higher education, in collaboration with the illinois community college board, shall require all public institutions of higher education to develop and submit an equity plan and implement practices that, at a minimum, close gaps in enrollment, retention, completion, and student loan repayment rates for underrepresented groups and encourage all private institutions of higher education to develop and submit such equity plans and implement such practices.
The charge of the Advisory Committee is to provide recommendations to the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board on the components, methods, practices, and strategies to be included in an Illinois Higher Education Equity Plan and Practices framework. The framework will be used by public higher education institutions to develop new and expand existing equity plans and implement practices designed to close gaps that exist among underrepresented and minoritized groups within their respective institutions.
Institution/Organization/Agency
Name
Title
City Colleges of Chicago & IBHE Board Member
Veronica Herrero
Chief Strategy Officer, City Colleges of Chicago
ICCB Board Member
An-Me Chung
Director and Strategic Advisor in the Education Policy Program at New America, and co-founder of build4good
Partnership for College Completion
Lisa Castillo Richmond
Executive Director
Diversity Agency
Dr. Addie Shrodes
Deputy Director of Equity
Women Employed
Christina Warden
Director of Policy
Heartland Community College
Terrance Bond
Assistant to the President for EDI
Northern Illinois University
Dr. Vernese Edghill-Walden
Vice President for DEI Chief Diversity Officer
University of Illinois-Chicago
Dr. Amalia Pallares
Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Engagement
University of Illinois-Springfield
Dr. Jennifer Martin
Associate Professor, School of Education
University of Illinois-Springfield
Dr. Jennifer Martin
Associate Professor, School of Education
Governors State University
Dr. Joi Patterson
Chief Diversity Officer
Southern Illinois University System
Dr. Sheila Caldwell
Vice President for EDI Chief Diversity Officer
UIUC
Dr. Lorenzo Baber
Associate Professor, School of Education Director of the Office of Community College Research and Leadership
Adler University
Dr. Nataka Moore
Core Faculty for the Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D) for Clinical Psychology Program
Greenville University
Dr. Eugene Dunkley
Associate Professor of Biology Dean of Diversity
Elgin Community College
Dr. David Sam
President
Southeastern Illinois College
Sky Fowler
Senior Director of Human Resources and Legal Affairs
John A. Logan College
Toyin Fox
Director of Diversity and Inclusion
Moraine Valley Community College
Dr. Pam Haney
Vice President of Academic Affairs
Illinois Central College
Dr. Sheila Quirk-Bailey
President
Harper College
Dr. Tamara Johnson
Vice President of DEI
Coming soon