Harper readies for close Senate vote on 4-year degree proposal

Now that Harper College's five-year quest to offer four-year degrees has finally found its way to the Senate floor, one or two votes will appear to be the margin of victory or defeat.

On Wednesday, the state Senate is expected to decide whether the Palatine campus can move forward with a pilot program offering bachelor's degrees in public safety administration/homeland security and technology management.

Several first responders gathered Monday at the Hoffman Estates fire station to make one final show of support. They said the Northwest suburban work force needs this legislation, since no area four-year schools currently offer the degrees.

"(Police officers and firefighters) are place-bound and simply cannot access the bachelor's degree programs they need to move up in rank," said state Sen. Michael Noland, of Elgin, the bill's chief sponsor.

Thirty "yes" votes in the 59-member Senate are required, and "right now it could be one or two either way," said Harper spokesman Phil Burdick, who's headed down to Springfield again today, Tuesday, for last-minute lobbying. He declined to identify who specifically might be on the fence.

"Some Senators with four-year universities in their districts are going to vote 'no 'regardless," Burdick said. "We're trying to appeal to people on a policy level, but also link our bill and its affordability to the economy."

Noland also foresees a close vote, but believes "there are enough votes existing to pass this."

Proponents of the pilot program insist it will be funded through tuition comparable to that charged by Northern Illinois University, or $8,000 to $9,000 a year, Burdick said.

Corporate donations and the Harper College Educational Foundation will make up the difference so that no property taxes are used.

Under the bill, Harper would stop it's own four-year degree program should a nearby public university offer the same degrees on Harper's Palatine campus.

Last year, NIU officials indicated in a letter to Harper they'd be willing to discuss offering the programs, but negotiations immediately stalled.

Harper's pilot program would also sunset four years after accreditation, so the state legislature wouldn't have to authorize extending the program until 2014 at the earliest.

"It's often a misnomer that Harper's going to expand into a four-year college," Noland said. "That's not the case."

Should the Senate vote go Harper's way, the first class would likely enroll in fall 2011, Burdick said, adding that he expects a waiting list because "demand has been so strong."