Nigerian Educators visit Scottsdale Community College

~Nigerian college chancellors visit SCC as part of International Leadership Program ~ 

Scottsdale, AZ (November 14, 2007) ?  A contingent of University Chancellors from Nigeria visited Scottsdale Community College last week as part of the International Visitor Leadership Program.  Dr. Art DeCabooter, SCC President, greeted the guests upon their arrival.  Dr. Osaro Ighodaro, Associate Dean of Student Affairs at SCC, who is also from Nigeria, hosted the group on a campus tour of SCC?s many successful programs, including a visit to SCC?s Culinary Arts department and the Motion Picture/Television department. 

The Nigerian Chancellors were invited to the United States under the auspices of the US State Department, with the primary goal of gaining insight about college/university planning, administration, management, and exemplary academic/occupational programs.

During the visit, the chancellors were provided with an overview of the Maricopa Community Colleges, Scottsdale Community College, and SCC?s International Education program.  The presentation was hosted by Dr. DeCabooter and Dr. Ighodaro, and included topics such as: issues of access to higher education and the role community colleges play in addressing those issues; the teaching mission of the community college; SCC?s organizational structure, exemplary faculty, occupational programs, and community partnerships that support these programs.  The chancellors also learned about the multiple nations represented in the student body of SCC as well as SCC?s partnership with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

Nigeria, the most populous nation in the continent of Africa, does not have community colleges at the present time, although the country has some of the best universities in the continent.  The leader of the contingent, Dr. Julius Okojie, CEO, Nigerian National Universities Commission, indicated that the time is ripe to explore the possibility of establishing community colleges in Nigeria, which prompted an interest in visiting Maricopa Community Colleges, the largest community college system in the United States.  

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About Scottsdale Community College
Scottsdale Community College offers over 1,500 academic and non-credit classes each semester. Located on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the campus is known for its serene atmosphere and beautiful plant and wildlife. With nearly 12,000 students, Scottsdale Community College is proud to offer high-quality, affordable programs in small class settings. From Motion Picture/Television Production and Culinary Arts to Nursing and American Indian Studies, students have a wide variety of programs from which to earn credits for university transfer, launch their careers, train for new ones, or pursue a special interest. The SCC Business Institute offers customized programs to meet the needs of local business. Scottsdale Community College is one of the ten Maricopa Community Colleges.

To learn about the many academic programs at Scottsdale Community College, call us at (480) 423-6000 or visit our website at www.scottsdalecc.edu.

Media contact:
Denise Kronsteiner
(480) 423-6567
denise.kronsteiner@sccmail.maricopa.edu