The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, in collaboration with the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, will host a panel discussion on the future of higher education in Illinois on Tuesday, November 4, 2025 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in Ballroom B of the SIU Student Center.
The program will bring together experts to examine challenges and opportunities facing Illinois colleges and universities, including funding, access, affordability, and the role of higher education in driving economic growth and civic life. The panelists, to be announced soon, will offer perspectives on how state policy can strengthen higher education and support students across Illinois.
“We have assembled a terrific panel to analyze the current state of affairs in higher education in Illinois and to consider the future,” said John Shaw, institute director and panel moderator.
“We will examine the financial context shaping higher education in Illinois — demographic challenges, revolutionary developments in technology and the most likely changes coming to our colleges and universities in the decade to come.”
The panelists are:
· State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, whose 103rd legislative district includes all or parts of Champaign, Urbana and unincorporated Staley in east central Illinois.
· Daniel F. Mahony, president, Southern Illinois University System.
· Ralph Martire, executive director, Center for Tax and Budget Accountability.
· Jim Nowlan, author of several books on Illinois politics and government, former member of the Illinois General Assembly, state agency director and retired university professor.
Registration is no longer available because the registration deadline has passed.