November 5, 2003

CSUS provides role model for Cote d’Ivoire universities

It’s back to school for two top university administrators from Cote d’Ivoire, West Africa.

The two, Ado Gossan, general director of the Houphouet-Boigny National Polytechnic Institute and Ehile Ehouan Etienne, president of the University of Abobo-Adjamé, are visiting CSUS as part of a State Department-funded program to help them observe U.S. models of higher education which might help them in their plans to restructure higher-education institutions in Cote d’Ivoire.

The former French colony was considered one of the most prosperous in sub-Saharan Africa until recent upheaval. Traditionally, the higher education system has been organized around the French model. Increasingly, top Ivorian educators have become interested in higher education systems that are more appropriate for global education partnerships.

The partnership with CSUS is linked to four national universities and two other post-secondary institutions. Those universities and institutions are also organized along traditional French lines and would like a more global model to deal with the challenges of this century in higher education.

“More and more we’re noticing the global higher-education model is being shaped along the model of American higher education,” said Donald Taylor, communications professor and campus liaison for the program. “They’re coming here to observe how we do things.” Among those things are administration, strategic planning, admissions and enrollment management, shared governance, faculty training, student relations and fundraising.

The three-year program not only provides an opportunity for top educators from Cote d’Ivoire to get a look at the inner workings of CSUS, but gives interested CSUS administrators, administrative staff and faculty with administration backgrounds a chance to go to Africa to share their expertise.

“I’m looking to convince a group to go to Abidjan in January and another in July,” Taylor said. Abidjan is the commercial center of Cote d’Ivoire. While he encourages all those interested to contact him, he said there are particular needs for those with experience in distance learning, library organization and technology, student and faculty relations, and application of information technologies to curriculum and administrative services.

“My hope is the links that are made while they are here are such that they open up new dialog and create more enduring partnerships,” he said. Those interested may reach Taylor at (916) 278-5318 or dtaylor@csus.edu.

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