Illinois State Sen. Mike Halpin (D-Rock Island) will lead efforts in Springfield to help colleges and universities, according to a news release.

Halpin has been named the chair of the Illinois Senate Higher Education Committee in his first term in the Senate as a nod to the important role the four-year and two-year institutions have in the district he represents that stretches from the Quad Cities down to Macomb, according to the release.

As chair, Halpin will help lead conversations around investments in MAP grant and capital infrastructure improvements in the state budget and other priorities to help colleges and universities statewide. (MAP grants, which do not need to be repaid, are available to eligible Illinois residents who attend approved Illinois colleges and demonstrate financial need based on the information on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA.) Students are not required to submit high school grades or test scores when applying for a MAP grant.)

Halpin will spend time over the Legislature’s two-week spring break visiting the four-year institutions in a listening tour aimed at helping him connect and learn more about their needs and challenges:

  • Augustana College, 639 38th St., Rock Island: 9:30-11:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 4
  • Monmouth College, 700 E. Broadway, Monmouth: 1:30-3:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 4
  • Western Illinois University, 1 University Circle, Macomb: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 11
  • Knox College, 2 E. South St., Galesburg – 3-4 p.m. Thursday, April 13.

Each visit will feature discussions of different programs of importance at the individual college and university, along with broader talks about the current budget negotiations in Springfield affecting higher education.

Halpin encourages each campus to share with him any needs or concerns they have so he can best advocate for them in the final weeks of the legislative session.

“Our colleges and universities are so resilient, and they have had to battle back from the devastating effects of the 2016-2017 budget standoff in Springfield and the shutdowns from COVID-19,” Halpin said. “I am excited to visit these four excellent institutions to discuss how we can support them and the students they serve.”