| Abstract: |
These materials contain fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025) responses from Illinois' public Community College System to the "Hispanic Employment Plan Survey and the Bilingual Needs and Bilingual Pay Survey" (Public Act 096-1286). The legislation asks that each community college provide an annual assessment of activities and progress implementing strategies to hire and promote Hispanic and bilingual persons at supervisory, technical, professional and managerial levels. An assessment of bilingual needs is also requested. Fiscal year 2025 is the sixteenth year that community colleges and public universities have been given the opportunity to respond to this important legislation. Many state agencies have been reporting their activities and initiatives under the act since 2005. The initial legislation dates back to 1993. The Illinois Community College System consists of 45 colleges that blanket the state and provide equal education, training, and employment opportunities to all individuals. A map of the System is included. College officials recognize that a diverse faculty, staff, and student body enriches and improves the educational environment for everyone. These reporting requirements allow colleges to provide additional information about their efforts to hire and promote individuals who are Hispanic and identify the need for bilingual employees. The report compliments the Equity Plans initiative (Public Act 102-1046, effective 2022), which requires state public universities and community colleges to create and implement equity-focused plans and practices. It also addresses the reporting requirements of the Board of Higher Education Act (Section 9.16), aimed at improving access, retention, completion, and student loan repayment rates for traditionally underrepresented groups, including minorities, rural and adult students, women, individuals with disabilities, first-generation students, and low-income students. This report begins with demographic information about the state of Illinois, and annual community college credit program enrollments, completions, and staffing. Then, individual college responses to standardized surveys addressing components of the legislation are provided. These surveys were adapted from forms developed by the State of Illinois' Department of Central Management Services. The Illinois Board of Higher Education collects similar information for the public four-year universities. |