CONGRATS-UIC LARES PROGRAM

104th Regular Session Introduced by Omar Aquino and 1 co-sponsor

A ceremonial Illinois Senate resolution honors UIC's LARES on its 50th anniversary, recognizing its role in recruiting, advising, and graduating Latino students.

Resolution Adopted

Purpose and intent

SR 415 is a non‑binding, congratulatory resolution of the Illinois Senate recognizing and honoring the Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services (LARES) program at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. The resolution thanks LARES staff and stakeholders for their work in recruiting, retaining, advising, and graduating Latino students and acknowledges the program’s contributions to higher education in Illinois and the Midwest.

(Note: the bill text provided also contains an unrelated congratulatory resolution for Girls on the Run Georgia. This summary focuses on the LARES / UIC content associated with SR 415.)

Key provisions

Officially congratulates the LARES program of UIC on its 50th anniversary (established in 1975).

Recites program achievements and impacts, including:

Growth from about 100 students at inception to more than 4,000 currently served.
Contributing to UIC having the largest number of Latino students of any Illinois public or private institution.
Development of multiple initiatives addressing Latino students’ comprehensive academic needs, including recruitment, retention, advising, and graduation support.
Collaboration with campus units, local organizations, and elected officials on Latino‑focused initiatives.
National recognition: Outstanding Institutional Advising Program Award from NACADA (2014) and an Example of Excelencia award (2014).

Expresses thanks to LARES staff for increasing the number of Latino college graduates in Illinois and preparing future leaders.

Directs that a suitable copy of the resolution be presented to the LARES program as an expression of the Senate’s esteem.

Who is affected

Directly acknowledges and benefits (symbolically) the LARES program, its staff, board, and volunteers.

Positively recognizes UIC, Latino students and alumni, community partners, and organizations involved in Latino higher‑education advocacy.

No regulatory, fiscal, or programmatic mandates are created — the resolution is honorary and has no binding legal or budgetary effect.

Procedural and timeline highlights

Legislative actions on record (as provided): Senate hopper and readings in March 2025; introduced/received April 15, 2025; read & adopted April 16, 2025; reported enrolled and vote recorded April 16, 2025. Additional docket entries show filing, referral, and cosponsor additions through October 2025, culminating in “Resolution Adopted” on October 31, 2025.

Sponsors listed include multiple state senators as primary sponsors; Sen. Omar Aquino was added as a cosponsor later.

Bottom line

SR 415 is a ceremonial Senate resolution recognizing the 50‑year history and accomplishments of UIC’s LARES program. It formally honors the program’s role in recruiting, advising, and graduating Latino students and directs that a copy of the resolution be presented to LARES. The measure conveys legislative appreciation but does not change law or funding.

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