Raghu
P. Mathur, Ed. D., was appointed Chancellor of the South Orange
County Community College District in February 2002.
Since
becoming Chancellor, Dr. Mathur has led the launch of a third
campus, the Advanced Technology & Education Park (ATEP),
and guided the District through construction and renovation
initiatives at the highest level in district history since
the first building phase of Saddleback College over 40 years
ago. Under his leadership, online courses have increased more
than 200% and over $40 million has been invested in technology
initiatives for students. Enrollment is also at its
highest level in District history with a total headcount exceeding
40,000 students. One of his hallmarks is sound fiscal management
as evidenced by the fact that the District is one of the first
in California to fully fund its retiree liability.
Chancellor
Mathur has dedicated his professional career to the South
Orange County Community College District since 1976.
He spent more than two decades on the faculty of Irvine Valley
College as a chemistry professor, chair of the school of physical
sciences and technologies and academic senate leader, before
ultimately becoming the college president in 1997.
Chancellor
Mathur has a critical responsibility of representing the District
as an educational leader. At the national level, he
served on the American Association of Community Colleges Commission
on Research, Technology and Emerging Trends. At the state
level, he was appointed by the State Chancellor's Office to
the Technology and Telecommunications Advisory Council. At
the regional level, he is a member of the Orange County Workforce
Investment Board and Orange County Treasury Oversight Committee.
He was appointed for two years in a row to serve as Chair
of the Orange County Business Council's Community College
Working Group. Dr. Mathur serves as an Advisory Board
Member for the School of Education at Argosy University where
he also teaches courses in educational leadership and management
to doctoral students. Elected to the Board of Trustees
at Saddleback Valley Unified School District for nine years,
Chancellor Mathur served three times as board president.
Chancellor
Mathur earned an associate's degree from Intermediate College
in Banaras, India with a triple major in physics, chemistry
and math and a bachelor's degree with honors from Banaras
University with a triple major in chemistry, geology, and
geography. He earned a master's degree in chemistry
from California State University, Fresno and a Doctorate in
Higher Education Administration from Nova Southeastern University
in Florida. His dissertation focused on distance education
and the results influenced the expansion of programs at both
Irvine Valley and Saddleback Colleges.
One
of the highlights of Chancellor's Mathur's administrative
career was the opportunity to study with other university
presidents from across the United States and other countries
at the Summer Institute for Educational Management (IEM) at
Harvard University. Upon invitation, he presented a
paper on Educational Leadership in Higher Education at Oxford
University in England. He was awarded a Doctor of Business
Administration (Honoris Causa) degree from Pacific States
University for his outstanding contributions to higher education
and for serving as a role model of success for international
students.
Chancellor
Mathur and his wife, Karuna, live in Laguna Hills. They
have two grown sons. Contact Chancellor Mathur at:
rmathur@socccd.edu.
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