State Rep. Chapin Rose questions the priorities of the politicians in Springfield when it comes to higher education.

He said the United States is falling behind many first world nations, and a few third world nations in per capita output of doctorate degrees.

Rose, R-Mahomet, believes a stronger focus on higher education will affect global competitiveness, will grow a vibrant economy and will ensure there are quality jobs for everyone.

“The general idea is I want to start a drumbeat for higher education,” Rose said. “I want to make the case to the people of the state of Illinois that higher education is what creates jobs.”

Rose sent a letter to the Illinois House Higher Education Committee and the Appropriations-Higher Education Committee suggesting a need for a long-term, strategic review of higher education.

“Ideas come from a highly trained, highly skilled and highly educated work force,” Rose said. “You take that, and couple it with the fact that we are well behind our peer nations in the amount of idea generators (the U.S.) are putting out; it’s a recipe for disaster.”

Both committees liked the idea, and the Higher Education Task Force was formed.

The task force toured the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus and Lakeland Community College’s work force training center Thursday and will be touring Eastern today starting a 9 a.m.

Rose said he wants to create a blueprint for the next 20 years on higher education.

By personally traveling to each university, they will be able to see first-hand the conditions of Illinois universities, Rose said.

Rose said U of I’s Lincoln Hall and Eastern’s Biological Sciences Building are falling apart.

“You can’t see these things sitting in Springfield,” Rose said.

He wants to gain insight on what faculty members and the student population think about their respective universities and what aspects need improvement, he added.

Jill Nilsen, vice president for external relations, said the task force made recommendations to Illinois universities as to what issues the task force should address.

She said the issues the task force decided to address was approved by State Rep. Kevin McCarthy, D-Orland Park, chairman of the Higher Education Committee. McCarthy is also a member of the task force, Rose said.

The issues the task force plans to address are affordability of a world-class higher education, faculty and staff retention, campus safety, state funding and infrastructure needs, and maintaining global competitiveness.

Nilsen said the task force will tour Eastern’s steam plant, Doudna and the Biological Sciences Building during their visit to the campus.

The steam plant and the Biological Sciences Building is in need of a renovation, Nilsen said. The task force will tour Doudna so they can see an example of new construction, she added.

There will also be an open meeting from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in the Charleston/Mattoon Room located on the third floor of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Blair Lord, provost and vice president for academic affairs, and Jeff Cooley, vice president for business affairs, are scheduled to speak during the open meeting.

Teacher preparation, the Study Abroad program, academic technology and energy savings are a few examples of what Lord and Cooley plan to speak about.