Illinois Public Radio
March 16, 2011
SPRINGFIELD, IL
(WIUM 91.3FM) -
Illinois Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon believes state universities should be rewarded for turning out more graduates.
She made the comment while addressing a Senate higher education committee this week in Springfield.
State
money goes to universities based on enrollment figures, but Simon said a
better way would be to base their funding on graduation or retention
rates.
Simon said the way lawmakers determine which universities are succeeding needs to be flexible.
"We
want to improve graduation rates. We also want to acknowledge that
people come into the higher education system with a variety of goals,"
Simon said.
"For some people it might be a four year degree. For
some people it might be an associate's degree. For some people it might
be a one year certificate in welding, and we want to encourage
completion of those academic goals."
Simon taught at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, which is a school that has experienced declining enrollment.
Some
people question whether such a measure would cause universities to deny
enrollment to at-risk and low-income students. Simon assured lawmakers
that a funding overhaul would include protections for students who might
not be fully prepared for college life.