In honor of Community College Month, Dr. Avis Proctor, 91制片厂 president, and Bill Kelley, chair of the 91制片厂 Board of Trustees, recently collaborated on a guest opinion piece for the , urging state lawmakers to advance legislation that would expand access to community college baccalaureate degrees in Illinois.
Just one year ago, we made the case for why Illinois should embrace community college baccalaureate degrees. At the time, it was a long-overdue step 鈥� one grounded in student need, workforce demand and a belief that our state could do better.
Today, that idea is no longer hypothetical. It is moving forward.
For the first time in Illinois history, legislation to allow community colleges to offer bachelor鈥檚 degrees in high-demand fields has advanced out of committee. That progress reflects thoughtful collaboration, careful design and a shared commitment to students and our state鈥檚 future.
But progress alone is not enough.
Now is the moment to ensure House Bill 5319 continues to move forward.
We cannot take our foot off the pedal.
As we recognize Community College Month this April, the case for action remains as urgent as ever. Across Illinois, millions of adults are being left behind by a higher education system that was not built with their realities in mind. We know that 1.7 million Illinoisans age 25 and older have some college but no degree. Another 3.1 million have only a high school diploma, GED or less. Together, that鈥檚 nearly 5 million adults who could be served by a local, affordable pathway to upskill in the very fields where employers are identifying critical talent gaps.
These are not abstract numbers; they represent working adults, parents, caregivers and community members striving for better opportunities. They are also the backbone of our workforce and our community.
That urgency is echoed by employers across Illinois. We have a growing list of more than 100 employers and industry leaders 鈥� from school districts including 211, 214 and 220 to health care partners including Endeavor Health Northwest Community Hospital, Ascension and Advocate Good Shepherd 鈥� who have signed on in support of this legislation. They see firsthand the need for more workers with bachelor鈥檚-level skills and the value of expanding affordable, local pathways to meet that demand.
Community college baccalaureate (CCB) programs are designed with these learners in mind. They offer a practical, affordable and local pathway to a four-year degree 鈥� one that does not require students to leave their jobs, relocate their families or take on unsustainable debt. They are not about changing the mission of community colleges, but about fulfilling it more completely.
And importantly, this effort has evolved in meaningful ways over the past year.
Four-year colleges and universities 鈥� critical partners in Illinois鈥� higher education ecosystem 鈥� have engaged in shaping this legislation. Their input has helped ensure the bill includes provisions that prevent unnecessary duplication, encourage partnership and align new programs with real workforce needs.
That collaboration matters.
It sends a clear message: this is not about competition. It is about coordination. It is about building a stronger, more responsive system of higher education 鈥� together.
As chair of the Illinois Council of Community College Presidents and as chair of the Illinois Community College Trustees Association Community College Baccalaureate Committee, we have seen firsthand how this proposal has been shaped through partnership across sectors. College presidents, trustees, university leaders, employers and policymakers have come together around a shared goal: expanding opportunity for Illinoisans.
Community college baccalaureates serve as another tool, and an important one, that can help us do just that.
Other states have already recognized this. More than 20 states have implemented CCB programs, with strong results: increased degree attainment, stronger local economies and expanded access for students who would otherwise never pursue a bachelor鈥檚 degree.
Illinois has the opportunity to join them 鈥� and to lead.
This legislation has been thoughtfully constructed and aligns directly with the goals of the state鈥檚 higher education strategic plan, 鈥淎 Thriving Illinois.鈥� It includes rigorous approval processes, regional and programmatic limits and a clear emphasis on workforce alignment. It builds on existing partnerships and ensures that any new programs are driven by demonstrated need.
In short, it reflects the best of what Illinois can do when we work together.
Now, we must follow through.
This cannot be another year where we acknowledge the problem but stop short of solving it. Our students cannot afford delay. Our employers cannot afford delay. Our state cannot afford delay.
We have the momentum. We have the collaboration. We have the framework.
Let us meet this moment with the same boldness that has long defined Illinois as a national leader in community college innovation. Let us open new doors for working adults and first-generation students and strengthen our workforce and our communities.
Now is the time to act. Pass this legislation and help us achieve A Thriving Illinois for all.