Information about change in tuition levels and structure

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act., I hereby request the following records:

For the last 5 years (2013-current term) overview for each term (Summer, Fall, Spring) for credit students:
- For each discrete number of credit hours, the number of students enrolled per college and total. (For example, x students took 1 credit hour, y students took 2 credit hours, z students took 3 credit hours, etc.)
- For each discrete number of credit hours, the average GPA for students enrolled per college and total. (For example, the average GPA for that term for students taking 1 credit hour was x, average GPA for that term for students taking 2 credit hours was y, average GPA for that term for students taking 3 credit hours was z, etc.)
- For each discrete number of credit hours, the revenue invoiced per college and total.

For the tuition change approved by the Board of Trustees April 5th 2018:
- Any final financial models used to analyze impact of change in tuition levels and structure.
- Any qualitative assumptions used to predict the impact on revenue from change in tuition levels and structure
- Any qualitative assumptions used to predict the impact on students' credit-taking behavior from change in tuition levels and structure.
- Any qualitative assumptions used to predict the impact on students' GPA from change in tuition levels and structure.

About decision-making process
- Any information shared with the Mayor personally or shared with any staff member in the Mayor's Office about change in tuition levels and structure - via email or shared in printed copies.

Sincerely,

James Brackett

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

James Brackett

To Whom It May Concern:

I wanted to follow up on this Illinois Freedom of Information Act request, originally submitted on April 5, 2018. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed.

Thanks for your help.

To Whom It May Concern:

I wanted to follow up on this Illinois Freedom of Information Act request, originally submitted on April 5, 2018. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed.

Thanks for your help.

Sincerely,

James Brackett

Hello Mr. Reilly and Ms. Gowen,

thank you for your reply.

Follow-up and clarification:
1. For enrollment data before Summer of 2015: I have separate confirmation that the City Colleges does have the overview of the number of students who took a particular number of credit hours per term. (If for no other reason, to generate a tuition bill to any student requires having, using, and storing that information.)

This includes your own website where, for example, you have a presentation to the board posted (https://apps.ccc.edu/brpublic/2016/apr/32928.pdf) from April 2016. Page 15 references the information for Spring 2015, which is before the timeframe you say it exists.

Please consult with your departments of Finance and Decision Support, as you referenced, again, and provide the data from 2013, as requested.

2. You may be right that there is no information about students' GPA. However, to generate a diploma to any student again requires having, using, and storing that information. If you mean you literally don't have the "average GPA", then please provide the GPA for each individual student for that term, and I can calculate the average.

3. Thank you.

4. Thank you.

5-7. I want to make sure I understand. Your reply implies that there were no assumptions or forecasts made regarding the expected impact on a) revenue, b) students' credit-taking behavior, and c) students' GPA from the change in tuition levels and structure? Is that correct?

8. The Mayor of Chicago has no formal role in the governance of the City Colleges. The City Colleges of Chicago are a separate organization and separate taxing body from the City of Chicago. Sharing the document you reference, "Tuition Review", with an independent third-party such as the Mayor or his staff members, shows that the information included was far beyond a "frank and open discussion among agency employees before a decision is made" since none of the people the document was shared with are "agency employees" or have any role in the governance of the institution. As such, I ask you to reconsider your rejection, before I appeal the decision.

Sincerely,

James Brackett

I wanted to follow up on this Illinois Freedom of Information Act request. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed.

Thanks for your help.

Sincerely,

James Brackett

I wanted to follow up on this Illinois Freedom of Information Act request. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed.

Thanks for your help.

Sincerely,

James Brackett