NSU Horizons Spring/Summer 2008

26 horizons A true university Take an outstanding academic institution like Nova Southeastern University, replicate it across Florida and the Caribbean, and what do you get? An accessible, quality education that’s closer than you might think. NSU’s Student Educational Centers (SECs) make the benefits of an on-campus learning experience available in many locations, offering an education con- venient to those who live far from the university’s main campus in Fort Lauderdale. The SECs are seven full-service NSU academic facilities located in Miami, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Southwest Florida, and the Bahamas. These centers reflect the university’s belief that consistency and quality are extremely important to students pursuing their degrees off campus. SEC students have access to the same quality education as those at- tending classes at the main campus, and they are pro- vided with valuable support services such as academic advising, financial aid, student governments, and student affairs. The SECs enhance the university’s relevance and responsiveness to its ever-changing student population. Students and alumni say the centers are the perfect academic solution for busy professionals who must bal- ance the responsibilities of work, family, and school— without relocating to do so. Instead, they can stay close to family and friends, while pursuing their degrees. “The SECs are tangible evidence that NSU’s mission is working beyond the main campus,” said Deo Nellis, Ed.D., SEC executive director. roots Long before the SECs began, NSU held classes away from main campus, beginning in the late 1970s. The problem was classes were held wherever an instructor could find meeting space. “There were four or five Nova Southeastern University programs competing for the same room at the same hotel, elementary school, or church,” Nellis said. In 1998, Nellis met with Ray Ferrero, Jr., J.D., NSU president, and George Hanbury II, Ph.D., NSU execu- tive vice president and COO, to discuss consolidating the university’s operations in other cities. They wanted to strengthen NSU’s presence throughout Florida and the Caribbean and create academic facilities to provide the same services as on the main campus. “It was the president’s vision to emulate the main campus at the SECs,” Nellis said. “Dr. Hanbury was the planner and researcher who made the president’s vision a reality. My job was to get people to work together so the SECs could get off the ground.” The following year, their ideas gave birth to the SECs, which began with an enrollment of 3,800 students. by ken ma and ella gooden