T
here has been some local
dialogue in recent weeks
about whether Peoria needs
to have a four-year, public university
within its region, if not within its city
limits. That discussion may grow in
intensity as the region increasingly
looks to its various educational
institutions as keys to future
economic development.
The pros are simple: A public
university is less costly to the
average student and can serve
more average students who might
not be able to afford to attend or
qualify academically for the area’s
premier private institution, Bradley
University.
The con are equally simple: There
is an affordable, quality public
university less than a hour east of
Peoria (Illinois State University in
Normal) and two others within a two-
hour drive (the University of Illinois
in Champaign-Urbana and Western
Illinois University in Macomb. Also,
there is no public money with which
to build a new public university
anywhere.
Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis, who
is as strong on education as any
mayor this city has ever had (at least
to my knowledge), is perplexed
that a metropolitan area the size
of Peoria does not already have a
public university. He is running for
re-election and could easily make his
push for more public post-secondary
educational opportunities a major
part of his next four years.
But Ardis isn’t naïve, as he
says himself in a story contained
within this magazine. He knows
the likelihood of a new four-year
university being built from scratch
in this region or anyplace else in
Illinois is slim, at best. That’s why he
has started working with officials at
the University of Illinois-Springfield
to expand the number of programs
it offers through Illinois Central
College.
To me, that seems like the most
plausible solution — if enough of our
civic leadership backs that plan. The
more who do, the more likely UIS
will see the advantage of becoming
a larger part of the local educational
platform, part of the economic
development solution being put
forth by the new organization Focus
Forward CI.
That group hasn’t yet taken a
position on the question of whether
the immediate area needs a public
university. I look forward to knowing
its collective opinion.
In the meantime, this region and its
residents should feel good about the
higher ed opportunities that do exist
here. As Ardis said in his most recent
State of the City Address, a person
can literally go from kindergarten
through medical school without
ever leaving Peoria, because of the
top-notch and highly rated medical
school that has been here many years,
the University of Illinois College of
Medicine at Peoria.
If the leadership at Bradley
University, which already is one of
the country’s top engineering schools,
decides to start a law school there, all
the better for the region.
Then, if the public school districts
in the region continue to improve as
they’ve been, this could be one of the
most attractive regions in the country,
right?
So, am I just dreaming?
President ӕ Publisher
Julie Russell
Editor
Paul Gordon
Design
Stuart Clubb
Mike Cameron
Megan Valentine
Contributing Writers
Kevin Kizer
Dr. Peter J. Couri
Cathi Hawkinson
Dr. Joy Miller
Kate O’Hara
Bill Knight
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