Section 1080.100  Purpose

 

a)         This Part provides for the administration of the Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Act [110 ILCS 930] and the program of financial assistance under this Act called the Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Program (DFI).  DFI combines two former programs, the Illinois Consortium for Educational Opportunity Program (ICEOP) and the Illinois Minority Graduate Incentive Program (IMGIP).

 

b)         The purpose of the DFI Program is to encourage minority students to enroll and complete academic programs at the post-baccalaureate level and to enhance the diversity of faculty and professional staff at Illinois higher education institutions and agencies. (Section 6 of the Act)  Only full-time students with a demonstrated financial need are awarded this highly competitive fellowship.

 

Section 1080.110  Definitions

 

"Academic Year" means the period of time beginning with the fall term in one calendar year and running through the end of the summer term in the following calendar year.

 

"Act" means the Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Act [110 ILCS 930].

 

"Board" means the Board of Higher Education. (Section 2 of the Act)

 

"Program Board" means the 21-member entity appointed by the Board to establish policy for administration of the grant program authorized by the Act. (Sections 3 and 4 of the Act)

 

"Institutional Representative" means the designated individual who is responsible for coordinating DFI activities at each qualified institution of higher education.

           

"Illinois Resident" means any United States citizen or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States who meets at least one of the following requirements:

           

Has earned an educational diploma at an institution of education located in this State; or

 

Is a registered voter in the State of Illinois and has lived in Illinois for a period of at least three years prior to applying for a grant. (Section 7 of the Act)

 

The status of the Illinois residency of the student at the time of initial matriculation in this program will hold for his or her entire time in his or her graduate or professional study at the DFI institution.

 

"Qualified Institution of Higher Education" means a qualifying publicly or privately operated educational institution located within Illinois that offers instruction leading toward or prerequisite to an academic or professional degree beyond the baccalaureate degree, excluding theological schools, and that is authorized to operate in the State of Illinois. (Section 2 of the Act)

 

"Traditionally Underrepresented Minority Group" means any of the racial minority groups designated in the Act that are represented in Illinois post-baccalaureate enrollment at a percentage rate less than the percentage of the racial minority group's representation in the total Illinois population.  The Board shall annually determine which racial groups are underrepresented based upon census data and annual graduate enrollment reports from Illinois institutions of higher education.

 

Section 1080.200  Board of Higher Education Responsibilities

 

a)         The Board of Higher Education shall appoint the 21 members of the Program Board. (Section 3 of the Act)

 

b)         The Board shall name the Chair of the Program Board.

 

c)         The Board shall disseminate information regarding the DFI program.

 

d)         The Board shall provide administrative assistance for the Program Board.

 

e)         The Board shall distribute funds appropriated by the General Assembly for the DFI Program in accordance with decisions made by the Program Board. (Section 6 of the Act)

 

Section 1080.210  Program Board Composition

 

a)         Program Board members shall serve 2-year terms and will continue to serve until replacement or reappointment is determined. There are no term limits.

 

b)         The Program Board shall name the Vice-Chair and make any necessary subcommittee appointments.

 

Section 1080.220  Program Board Responsibilities

 

a)         The Program Board shall be responsible for:

 

1)         establishing policies and program guidelines for the operation of the DFI grant program.

 

2)         prioritizing fields of study for awarding DFI funds annually.

 

3)         creating the application materials and setting application deadlines.

 

4)         reviewing and approving applications for participation in the DFI grant program.

 

5)         establishing criteria to promote placement of DFI fellows.

 

6)         reporting annually to the Board on program outcomes and results. (Section 4 of the Act)

 

b)         The Program Board shall meet at least three times per year.

 

c)         Program Board members are expected to consistently attend Program Board meetings.

 

Section 1080.230  Institution and Institutional Representative Responsibilities

 

a)         A DFI institution shall:

 

1)         be a qualified institution of higher education as defined in the Act;

 

2)         commit to providing leadership, information, and placement opportunities for DFI fellows; and

 

3)         designate an institutional representative.

 

b)         A DFI institutional representative shall:

 

1)         actively recruit students who will be eligible for DFI awards and verify to the Program Board that applicants for DFI financial assistance meet all eligibility requirements;

 

2)         maintain records for award recipients, including program application materials, contracts and records of award payments;

 

3)         provide award recipients with academic and support services, such as mentoring, counseling, and other activities that would enhance the chances for degree completion and success in achieving the goals of the program;

 

4)         supervise payment of awards from the funds awarded by the Program Board;

 

5)         collect, process and forward to the Program Board by the announced deadline each spring all new applications and renewal forms from eligible students; and

 

6)         assist award recipients who complete their program of study in seeking a full-time teaching or administrative position in an Illinois institution of higher education or a full-time position as an employee of this State in an education-related capacity.  Such positions may include, but shall not be limited to, administrative positions in State elementary/secondary and higher education agencies.

 

Section 1080.300  Student Eligibility

 

a)         For a student to be eligible to participate in the DFI grant program, the student shall establish and the applicable institution shall verify that the student applicant meets the following criteria:

 

1)         he or she is an Illinois resident as defined in the Act;

 

2)         he or she is a citizen or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States;

 

3)         he or she is a member of a racial minority as defined in the Act;

 

4)         he or she has earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited  institution of higher education;

 

5)         he or she has been admitted as a student pursuing a doctoral, master's, or post-baccalaureate professional degree and will pursue this degree objective as a full-time student, as defined by the institution, for at least 9 months of the year;

 

6)         he or she has signed an agreement to meet the Act's employment conditions if a DFI award is accepted;

 

7)         his or her financial resources are such that in the absence of a DFI  grant the individual will be prevented from pursuing a graduate or professional degree at the institution; and

 

8)         he or she has above-average academic ability to pursue a graduate or professional degree (Section 7 of the Act), as evidenced by the following:

 

A)        minimum grade point average of C+ (2.75 on a grade scale of 4.00 = A) in the last 60 hours of undergraduate work; and

 

B)        admission to a post-baccalaureate degree program at a qualified institution of higher education as defined in the Act.

 

b)         In order to maintain eligibility in the program and in order to be considered for subsequent DFI grants, an awardee must meet scholastic requirements and eligibility for financial assistance as required by the institution in which she or he is enrolled as a DFI participant.

 

Section 1080.310  Student Fulfillment of the Conditions of the Award

 

a)         As a condition for acceptance of the award, the recipient shall agree to the following:

 

1)         Accept a teaching or nonteaching full-time appointment at an Illinois institution of higher education; or

 

2)         Accept a position as an employee of this State in an administrative, education-related position, as determined by the Program Board.  Such positions shall include, but shall not be limited to, administrative positions in State elementary/secondary and higher education agencies; or

 

3)         Make a good faith effort to secure such position for a time period of no less than 5 years. A good faith effort includes actively seeking employment and maintaining contact with the institutional representative and Program Board.

 

b)         The recipient shall accept such positions for a period equal to the number of years that he or she was a participant in the DFI grant program. (Section 10 of the Act)

 

c)         Failure of the recipient to fulfill the award conditions as provided for in subsection (a) or (b) shall require the recipient to repay 20 percent of the total amount of the award on a ten-year repayment schedule.

 

d)         All grants shall be subject to the provisions of the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act [30 ILCS 705].

 

e)         Program participants admitted under the provisions of the former Illinois Consortium for Educational Opportunity Program shall be governed by the statutory provisions and rules governing the program at the time of their admission. (Section 11.5 of the Act) 

 

Section 1080.320  Application Procedures

 

a)         The Board or its administrative designee shall disseminate information about the DFI grant program to qualified institutions of higher education for distribution.

           

b)         A student shall apply directly to the qualified institution of higher education that he or she plans to attend.  All new applications and renewal forms shall be submitted by the institution on behalf of the student to the Program Board with the institution's verification and endorsement.

 

Section 1080.330  Determining and Administering Awards

 

a)         In determining the recipients of the awards, the Program Board shall:

 

1)         consider only members of traditionally underrepresented minority groups who are underrepresented in particular fields of study;

 

2)         favor recipients who received awards in previous years who maintain conditions of eligibility as enumerated in Section 1080.300 and have made satisfactory academic progress toward a degree, as determined by each institution, provided that no student shall receive assistance for more than four years.

 

b)         In administering the award, the Program Board shall:

 

1)         determine the award amount annually (Section 9 of the Act);

 

2)         direct the Board to deliver the awards to the institution to disburse to the recipients, conditioned upon the recipients' satisfactory academic progress; and

 

3)         attempt to achieve distribution of the awards among qualified institutions of higher education so that the awards are distributed equitably within fields of study and geographic locations in the State of Illinois and between public and private institutions of higher education.

 

c)         Grant funds shall be distributed by the institutions to grantees during the period of DFI enrollment, not to exceed 12 months per award.