Reaching, Engaging Communities to Build Support for Equity-Driven Public Policy
This summer, Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (4th District) and Representative Carol Ammons (103rd District) introduced SB 3965, the Adequate and Equitable Funding Formula for Public Universities bill. Based on recommendations from the state's Equitable Funding Commission, this historic bill centers student need and considers factors not previously accounted for in higher education funding. These factors include a public university's unique mission and size, student demographics and need, and expected revenue. In determining the distance between what an institution needs to serve students versus what it expects to bring in a given year, the formula calculates the institutions “adequacy gap,” allowing the state to allocate funding in an equitable manner.
Once SB3965 was filed, the Coalition for Transforming Higher Education Funding (CTHEF) began organizing “listening sessions” across Illinois public university campuses. The Time is Now: Equitably Funding Our Public Universities sessions engage with university communities – college students, university faculty and staff across the state of Illinois in discussions about how more adequate and equitable institutional funding can improve student experiences and lead to more equitable outcomes in college completion and degree attainment.
“Community engagement provides a platform for creating awareness of public policies such as SB 3965,” said Isabel Enad, a Senior Community Engagement Associate at Advance Illinois who has been collaborating with other core partners of the Coalition – the Partnership for College Completion, Young Invincibles, and Women Employed — to develop and facilitate such listening sessions. "By socializing and championing policy proposals together, our advocacy for our students' needs strengthens.”
For Enad, engaging the community encourages widespread participation in increasing public awareness about the bill. The goal for listening sessions is to bring not only higher education leaders into dialogue about policy proposals but to engage members of the community who may not already have existing knowledge of higher education funding but are passionate about advancing access in education.
Enad said that while the agenda of the listening sessions may differ slightly from one university to another, the primary purpose of these events is to make sure that all attendees have the information and space needed to develop their thoughts about SB 3965. This goal is kept at the core of planning for these sessions, one among many strategies community engagement uses to garner participation and interest. Each listening session is broken into two main components: the presentation on the bill itself, and a portion dedicated audience participation, whether that is a Q&A and/or roundtable discussion. In addition, a post-event survey provided to participants serves as another opportunity to raise questions or express opinions on the bill and learn about more ways to engage with the CTHEF.
“We are at a critical time in higher education and are actively working to ensure that funding is adequate and equitable,” Enad said. “This means that people should have the opportunity to ask questions, critique, and advocate for this bill.”
A recent listening session held in October at Northern Illinois University (NIU) featured a presentation, panel discussion and roundtable discussions. Women Employed President and CEO Cherita Ellens moderated the program’s panel that included NIU President Dr. Lisa Freeman, NIU faculty member Dr. Simón Weffer, Hernandez, and NIU student Jatavion Young. The panel discussion explored the importance of students having access to the supports and resources they need to persist in attaining their college degree. Young, a junior, shared how some of his friends have been unable to continue their college education due to a lack of resource support. Were the bill to pass, Young said it would be important for additional funding to be invested 'in programs that address individual student needs—academic, financial, and mental health. “Without resources, students don’t know where to go,” he said.
Jelani Saadiq, who leads Government Relations at Advance Illinois, said that hosting listening sessions such as these makes a difference in helping legislation move forward. While community engagement teams work to build coalitions with those directly impacted by legislation, government relations teams push for policy and legislative change with the support of coalitions. The primary goal is to ensure that any systems-level change reflects the input of those who are most impacted by the policies. The listening sessions serve as an avenue for members of the community to learn the intricacies of a topic and ask questions. When community members understand a topic, they are prepared to participate in the elevation of a related bill.
“Higher education policy should reflect the unique needs of universities in Illinois,” Enad said. “Listening sessions are an important strategy in ensuring that policy can respond to on-the-ground experiences as accurately as possible.”
Eucarol Juarez is the Senior Communications Associate for Advance Illinois.
Learn more about the Coalition for Transforming Higher Educations Funding’s The Time is Now Listening Sessions.