Hearings conducted last semester involving the System of Systems is already falling upon deaf ears.

What a big suprise.

In the current System of Systems, the Illinois Board of Higher Education serves as an overall coordinating agency for all sectors of state higher education. The system links the four university governing boards, representing 12 public campuses, to the governor and legislature.

Hearings last semester across the state were supposed to gather information regarding the system’s effectiveness, and possible changes to improve the structure.

However, the Intergovernmental Relations Committee that is in charge of the panel, missed their Dec. 31 deadline for their final analysis.

Again, big suprise.

The fact of the matter remains that politicians are always eager to say education is one of the biggest problems facing Illinois today, but apparently forget the route from their mouths to the sheet of paper to get the ball rolling.

Illinois citizens truely concerned with education know the problem. Parents trying to understand why their son and daughter cannot get the classes they need know the problem. Professors know the problem.

Worst yet, if we are to believe the legislation’s rhetoric, they know the problem also. Not knowing the answers would almost be acceptable if we could see some progress in at least looking for the answer.

However, it seems that the hearings were only another weak attempt to convince the public that answers are actually being sought.