SR0415 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0415 LRB104 14828 LAW 27972 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to congratulate the Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services (LARES) program of the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) on the occasion its 50th anniversary of serving the higher education needs of the Latino community in the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The LARES program was established in 1975 to assist UIC in the recruitment of Latino students and to provide these students with the academic support needed to increase their chances for success; and

WHEREAS, Since its inception, the LARES program has grown from serving approximately 100 Latino students to its present enrollment of more than 4,000; as a result of the program's intentional strategies in recruiting and serving Latino students, UIC's student body reflects the highest number of Latino students in any public or private institution in the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Over the course of its 50-year history, the LARES program has developed numerous initiatives, addressing the comprehensive needs of Latino students; in addition to its own independent projects, the program cooperates with other campus units, local organizations, national organizations, and elected officials on Latino-focused initiatives; and

WHEREAS, Through its activism, the LARES program has emerged as the premier Latino academic support program in the State of Illinois and the largest academic support unit on the UIC campus; over the years, the university has also become a major center for Latino education in the Midwest, granting the largest number of baccalaureate degrees and enrolling the largest number of Latino graduate and professional students among higher education institutions in the region; and

WHEREAS, The LARES program has garnered national attention, receiving an Outstanding Institutional Advising Program Award for best practices in academic advising from the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) in 2014 and, that same year, an Example of Excelencia award for becoming the nation's top program in increasing achievement for Latino students in the undergraduate category by Excelencia in Education, a national nonprofit whose mission is to accelerate Latino student success in higher education; and

WHEREAS, The LARES program's success lies in the recruitment, retention, and graduation of Latino students, reflecting the staff's commitment to its mission of empowering students through personal growth and educational opportunities while simultaneously preparing leaders who will make individual and collective contributions toward the cultural and social advancement of the Latino community; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services (LARES) program of the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) on achieving its 50th anniversary, and we thank the program's staff for increasing the number of Latino college graduates in the State of Illinois through its intentional recruitment, retention initiatives, and programming; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the LARES program as an expression of our esteem and respect.