Illinois Compiled Statutes
Chapter 110 - HIGHER EDUCATION
110 ILCS 1010/ - Academic Degree Act.

(110 ILCS 1010/0.01) (from Ch. 144, par. 230)
Sec. 0.01.
Short title.
This Act may be cited as the
Academic Degree Act.

(Source: P.A. 86-1324.)
 
(110 ILCS 1010/1) (from Ch. 144, par. 231)
Sec. 1.

Declaration
of policy.)
It is the policy of this State to prevent deception of the public
resulting from the offering, conferring and use of fraudulent or
substandard degrees. Since degrees
are constantly used by employers in judging the
training of prospective employees, by public and private professional
groups in determining qualifications for admission to and continuance of
practice, and by the general public in assessing the extent of competence
of persons engaged in a wide range of activities necessary to the general
welfare, regulation by law of such evidences of academic achievement is in
the public interest. To the same end, the protection of legitimate
institutions and of those holding degrees from them is also in the public interest.

(Source: P.A. 79-803.)
 
(110 ILCS 1010/2) (from Ch. 144, par. 232)
Sec. 2.
Definitions.
As used in this Act:
(a) "Degree granting institution" means an educational facility
maintained by any person, partnership, public or private corporation or
public body and operating as a school, academy, institute, private junior
college, college, university or entity of whatever kind which furnishes
or offers to furnish instruction leading toward or prerequisite to an
academic or professional degree beyond the secondary school level, and
which requires that in order to obtain a degree the recipient thereof
satisfactorily complete an appropriate course of class, laboratory or
research study in person under a faculty whose members hold appropriate
academic degrees or whose members possess appropriate moral,
intellectual and technical skill and competence; however, this
definition does not apply to Illinois public tax supported higher
education institutions.
(b) "Degree" means any designation, appellation, series of letters
or words, or other symbol which signifies or purports to signify that
the recipient thereof has satisfactorily completed an organized academic
program of study beyond the secondary school level.
(c) "Board" means the Board of Higher Education established under "An
Act creating a Board of Higher Education, defining its powers and duties,
making an appropriation therefor, and repealing an Act herein named", approved
August 22, 1961, as now or hereafter amended.

(Source: P.A. 82-622.)
 
(110 ILCS 1010/3) (from Ch. 144, par. 233)
Sec. 3.

Award of
degrees.)
A degree or any object in evidence thereof may
be awarded only by a degree granting institution. Anything in this Act to
the contrary notwithstanding, a degree granting institution may award
honorary degrees; provided that any such degree be clearly represented to
be honorary and that any other tangible object
issued or purporting to be in evidence thereof shall state on its face
expressly, clearly and conspicuously that the degree is honorary.

(Source: P.A. 79-803.)
 
(110 ILCS 1010/4) (from Ch. 144, par. 234)
Sec. 4. Period before award.
(a) Unless a degree granting institution
was authorized to operate in Illinois, or was in operation, on
August 14, 1961, it shall
not award any earned degree until one year after it has
filed a written notice with and until such institution has received the
authorization and approval of the Board.
Except as permitted under Section 5, no educational organization or
entity shall be authorized to award any degree nor be approved as a
degree granting institution unless it requires an appropriate period of
instruction to be in residence. The notice shall be under oath or affirmation
of the
principal officer of the institution and shall contain: the name and
address of the degree granting institution; the names and addresses of
the president or other administrative head and of each member of the
board of trustees or other governing board; a description of the degree
or degrees to be awarded and the course or courses of study prerequisite
thereto; and such additional information relevant to the purposes of
this Act as the Board may prescribe. An
amendment to the notice shall be under oath or affirmation of the
principal officer of the institution and shall be filed with the Board
prior to the award of any degree not
contained in the original notice or prior amendments thereto. A degree
authorized in an amendment shall not be awarded until one year after the
filing of the amendment with and the authorization of the Board. The
submission of the regular catalog of
the institution shall, if it covers the matters hereinabove mentioned,
be deemed to constitute compliance herewith.
(b) A degree granting institution shall keep the notice which it
shall have filed with the Board current at
all times. For this purpose, it shall report annually, by appropriate
amendment of the notice, any change in any fact previously reported.
(c) The Board shall not approve any
notice or amendment thereto filed pursuant to this Section unless it
finds the facts stated therein to be correct and further finds that such
facts constitute compliance with the requirements of this Act for degree
granting institutions.
(d) The Board may not approve any notice, amendment, or application that has been plagiarized, in part or in whole, and may return any notice, amendment, or application. Additionally, the Board may not approve any notice, amendment, or application that has not been completed in its entirety. Any such uncompleted notice, amendment, or application shall be returned to the degree granting institution.
(e) The Board may not approve any proposed degree program unless it is educationally and economically consistent with the educational priorities and needs of this State and meets a need that is not currently met by existing institutions and is supported by clear evidence of need.
(Source: P.A. 102-1046, eff. 6-7-22.)
 
(110 ILCS 1010/5) (from Ch. 144, par. 235)
Sec. 5.

Degrees by other than residence institutions.) (a) Any
educational organization or entity which does not conduct instruction in
residence may award degrees and qualify as a degree granting institution
upon approval by the Board. Such approval
shall be given only if the Board finds that
the applicant, organization or entity:
(1) Maintains physical facilities suitable and sufficient to the
giving of a program or programs of instruction of degree caliber in the
field or fields wherein it proposes to grant degrees;
(2) Maintains a suitable and sufficient faculty for instruction in
its degree granting program or programs;
(3) Maintains its student records in a safe and suitable place so
that there is reasonable assurance that they are and will remain
available for all normal purposes for a reasonable period of time;
(4) Maintains a stability sufficient to carry out its obligations
under the enrollment contracts; and
(5) Complies with all provisions of this Act other than the
requirement for instruction in residence.

(Source: P.A. 80-1309.)
 
(110 ILCS 1010/5.5)
Sec. 5.5. Disclosure of heightened monitoring of finances. Any institution approved by the Board under this Act shall make the following disclosures:
(Source: P.A. 102-1046, eff. 6-7-22.)
 
(110 ILCS 1010/6) (from Ch. 144, par. 236)
Sec. 6. Right of inspection; penalty for refusal or obstruction. Any duly authorized employee or other representative of the
Board may enter upon the premises of any
degree granting institution or may have access through electronic means to inspect or otherwise examine the same
and any books, papers or other records pertaining to the degree granting
program of such institution including, but not limited to, financial records such as balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements. For failure to permit such entry,
inspection or examination or for obstruction thereof, the Board may
invalidate any notice filed with it by the
degree granting institution and revoke any authorization made pursuant
to Section 4 of this Act and may refuse to accept another notice from or
on behalf of such institution or any person connected with the
administration thereof until such refusal or obstruction has been
withdrawn. Any action taken pursuant to this Section shall be in
addition to any other penalty which may be imposed for violation of this
Act.

(Source: P.A. 102-1046, eff. 6-7-22.)
 
(110 ILCS 1010/7) (from Ch. 144, par. 237)
Sec. 7.

Unlawful Representations.) Neither the fact of filing nor
the permission to grant any degree or degrees shall be held to mean that
the Board has passed upon the relative
merits of a particular course of instruction. Nothing in this Act shall
be construed to be a legislative finding with respect to the suitability
of instruction given entirely out of residence as a preparation for the
granting of degrees. The only statement that may be made is that the
institution is authorized to confer academic degrees. Any statement
other than the foregoing is unlawful.
No corporate charter shall hereafter be issued to any entity to
operate as or maintain a degree granting institution that has not been
approved by the Board under this Act; nor
shall any foreign corporation be authorized or licensed to operate as or
maintain a degree granting institution in this State that has not been approved
by the Board under this Act.

(Source: P.A. 80-1309.)
 
(110 ILCS 1010/8) (from Ch. 144, par. 238)
Sec. 8.
Penalties.
Any person, firm, corporation, partnership, association, degree granting
institution, or other entity making any false statement in any notice or
amendment thereto filed pursuant to Section 4 of this Act is guilty of
perjury. Any other violation of this Act shall constitute a Class 4 felony.
Each violation shall constitute a separate offense.

(Source: P.A. 77-2457.)
 
(110 ILCS 1010/9) (from Ch. 144, par. 239)
Sec. 9.
Injunctions.
The Board acting through the Attorney
General may proceed by injunction against any violation of this Act, but
no such proceeding and no order issued therein or as a result thereof
shall bar the imposition of any other penalty which may be imposed for
violation of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 80-1309.)
 
(110 ILCS 1010/10) (from Ch. 144, par. 240)
Sec. 10.
Judicial review.
The provisions of the Administrative Review Law, and all amendments and
modifications thereof, and the rules
adopted pursuant thereto, shall apply to and govern all proceedings for
the judicial review of final administrative decisions of the Board. The
term "administrative decision" is defined as in Section 3-101 of the Code
of Civil Procedure.

(Source: P.A. 82-783.)
 
(110 ILCS 1010/10.5)
Sec. 10.5. Fees. Fees to cover the cost of reviewing applications for authorization to operate and for authorization to grant degrees may be set by the Board by rule.
Rulemaking authority to implement this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, if any, is conditioned on the rules being adopted in accordance with all provisions of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act and all rules and procedures of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules; any purported rule not so adopted, for whatever reason, is unauthorized.

(Source: P.A. 95-1046, eff. 3-27-09.)
 
(110 ILCS 1010/10.10)
Sec. 10.10. Academic Quality Assurance Fund. The Academic Quality Assurance Fund is created as a special fund in the State treasury. All fees collected for the administration and enforcement of this Act must be deposited into this Fund. All money in the Fund must be used, subject to appropriation, by the Board to supplement support for the administration and enforcement of this Act and must not be used for any other purpose.
Rulemaking authority to implement this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, if any, is conditioned on the rules being adopted in accordance with all provisions of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act and all rules and procedures of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules; any purported rule not so adopted, for whatever reason, is unauthorized.

(Source: P.A. 95-1046, eff. 3-27-09.)
 
(110 ILCS 1010/11) (from Ch. 144, par. 241)
Sec. 11. Exemptions. This Act shall not apply to any school or
educational institution regulated or approved under the Nurse Practice Act.
This Act shall not apply to any of the following:
(a) in-training programs by corporations or other business organizations
for the training of their personnel;
(b) education or other improvement programs by business, trade and
similar organizations and associations for the benefit of their members
only; or
(c) apprentice or other training programs by labor unions.

(Source: P.A. 95-639, eff. 10-5-07.)

Structure Illinois Compiled Statutes