User:Borobbins22/Tribal colleges and universities

Affiliations

In 1973, the first six American Indian tribally controlled colleges established the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) to provide a support network as they worked to influence federal policies on American Indian higher education. Today, AIHEC has grown to 37 Tribal Colleges and Universities in the United States. Each of these institutions was created and chartered by its own tribal government or the federal government for a specific purpose: to provide higher education opportunities to American Indians through programs that are locally and culturally based, holistic, and supportive. Through AIHEC, the colleges continue to work together to influence policy and build programs in all facets of higher education. They receive technical assistance in key areas; network with one another, federal agencies, other institutions, and potential partners; mentor new institutions; and plan new initiatives to address evolving areas of need. AIHEC provides leadership and influences public policy on American Indian and Alaska Native higher education issues through advocacy, research, and programmatic initiatives; promotes and strengthens Indigenous languages, cultures, communities, lands, and tribal nations; and through its unique position, serves member institutions and emerging TCUs. AIHEC activities are supported by member dues, grants and contracts. AIHEC is a 501(c)(3) organization governed by a board of directors, which is composed of the presidents of the accredited United States-based TCUs. The board elects from its membership an executive committee to oversee the activities of the collective body and the AIHEC staff.

Special programs

TCLI group photo, 2007

Based in Huntsville, Alabama, Tribal Earth Science & Technology Education (TRESTE) is a NASA-funded team of nine tribal higher education institutions and the Universities Space Research Association's Earth System Science Program. The collaboration is designed to enhance Earth system science and geospatial education using problem-based teaching techniques in order to inspire undergraduate students for careers in Earth system science, the physical sciences, and other fields of engineering or science.

Alternate tribal higher education programs are available, including the Tribal College Librarians Institute (TCLI), founded in 1989, when library faculty at Montana State University Library responded to a request for a special workshop to address the professional needs of librarians at Montana’s seven tribal colleges. In 1992, as tribal college librarians in the region received word of this successful annual workshop, participation was increased to include North Dakota and South Dakota, and in 1993 to include the state of Washington. In 1994, TCLI received a grant from the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) to expand the program yet again to include librarians from all AIHEC affiliated libraries. Funding for TCLI is provided by MSU Libraries and supplemented with grants from private and government institutions. Most recently, TCLI has been funded by IMLS grants for the years 2010-2021. Other funding sources have included EBSCO, the MSU Center for Native American Studies, the National Agriculture Library, the National Museum of the American Indian, the Paul G. Allen Foundation, and the Institute for Museum and Library Services. The bulk of the budget is spent on providing travel funds to participants. To date, the Institute has been able to offer limited travel funds to all those requesting assistance. TCLI is primarily held in Bozeman, Montana. However, funding was received from the National Agricultural Library in 2001 and from the National Museum of the American Indian in 2006 to hold the Institute in Washington D.C. In 2012, TCLI convened in Tulsa, OK, in conjunction with the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums (ATALM) annual conference through IMLS funding. Evaluations each year are overwhelmingly positive. Participants have found programs relevant and useful, and they agree that each institute has been conducted in a friendly, non-threatening, and encouraging manner. They regard the institute as a unique opportunity to meet with other tribal college librarians. In fact, many have come to regard this as ‘the meeting’ they will attend each year because no other addresses their particular needs as well as TCLI.

Publications

The award-winning Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education is a culture-based publication addressing issues in American Indian and Alaska higher education with articles by journalists and scholars. It provides a forum for tribal students, staff, faculty, and college administrators to discuss their needs, successes, and missions. As Paul Boyer- creator of the Journal- described that first journal, it was primitive: 24 black and white pages designed on an early Macintosh computer and with a print run of only 1,000. When the tribal colleges’ demand exceeded the supply, Boyer ordered a second printing, and the journal was fully born. On Nov. 14, 1989, the tribal college presidents on the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) board passed a motion to support the journal with $15,000 to cover four quarterly issues, a huge commitment for the tribal colleges but less than most magazines would spend on postage alone for a single issue. A hybrid of refereed research and journalism, the journal fit into no established and proven niche. The AIHEC board gave it the editorial independence it needed to maintain credibility, so it was not a typical in-house publication. Boyer conceived of the magazine while touring tribal colleges to write a report on them. While visiting Navajo Community College, he learned that they wanted a television station. He assumed that the Navajos in Arizona knew that Salish Kootenai College was beginning to broadcast programs over its own TV station in Montana, but they did not. Although the tribal college presidents met frequently, there was no forum for college staff, faculty, administrators, and students to discuss their needs, successes, and evolving missions. The Journal's financial future is more secure after the board and staff prepared a five year business plan. The plan concluded that the journal would have to to rely upon grants for help for the foreseeable future, in addition to relying upon the tribal colleges and subscription and advertising revenue. The journal is grateful to foundations that have assisted us, especially the Lannan Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation as well as the Christian A. Johnson Foundation, Carnegie Foundation, Phillips Petroleum Foundation, and Handsel Foundation.

Scholarships

The American Indian College Fund, originally located in New York City, but now based in Denver, Colorado, provides scholarships for US tribal colleges and universities. Foundation and private-sector donations are crucial to its success. The Fund has one unwavering purpose – increasing the number of American Indians who hold college degrees. Currently only 14.5% of American Indians have a college degree – less than half the national average. Every year, they empower more than 4,000 American Indian students to start and stay in school, complete their degrees and launch careers. They have provided 143,281 scholarships and $237.1 million to support American Indian communities. They intend to double our impact in the next five years. 72% of funds goes to Scholarship Programs and Public Education, 23% of funds go to fundraising, and 5% of funds are allotted to management and "general". 141,283 scholarships have been awarded since 1989 and $237.1 million has been injected into Native communities. $27.8 million has been dedicated to students in the last two years alone. The Fund is the largest and highest-rated American Indian nonprofit organization in the United States. They provide more scholarships to American Indians than anyone else, while being the only organization enhances this individualized financial support by funding accredited, tribally controlled colleges and universities and contributing to programs that ensure student success.

Other scholarship programs abound, including many that are unique to a specific program, geographic area or tribe. Examples are the Tribal Training Grant, Tribal Higher Education Scholarship program, and Alyeska Match Scholarship. and Intertribal Higher Education Program.

The Native American Journalists Association (NAJA), founded by journalist and publisher Tim Giago (Oglala Lakota), has a foundation offering scholarships and internships to American Indian students in journalism. It sponsors three seminars annually for working American Indian journalists and those in the business end.

University College Cork, a university in Ireland offers scholarships to members of the Choctaw to undertake a masters degree at the university including tuition and living expenses in recogition of the generous donation given by members of the Choctaw to the Irish people during the Great Famine.

Legal codes

Specific Executive Orders govern Indian tribe higher education operations in the United States:

• E.O. 13021 Tribal Colleges and Universities

E.O. 13021 is the main Executive Order involving Tribal Colleges and Universities. Signed by President Clinton on October 19, 1996, this Executive Order was put into place for the purposes of helping to : (a) ensure that tribal colleges and universities are more fully recognized as accredited institutions, have access to the opportunities afforded other institutions, and have Federal resources committed to them on a continuing basis; (b) establish a mechanism that will increase accessibility of Federal resources for tribal colleges and universities in tribal communities; (c) promote access to high-quality educational opportunity for economically disadvantaged students; (d) promote the preservation and the revitalization of American Indian and Alaska Native languages and cultural traditions; (e) explore innovative approaches to better link tribal colleges with early childhood, elementary, and secondary education programs; and (f) support the National Education Goals.

• E.O. 13096 American Indian and Alaska Native Education

Executive Order 13096, also signed by President Clinton but on August 6, 1998, states that "The Federal Government has a special, historic responsibility for the education of American Indian and Alaska Native students. Improving educational achievement and academic progress for American Indian and Alaska Native students is vital to the national goal of preparing every student for responsible citizenship, continued learning, and productive employment. The Federal Government is committed to improving the academic performance and reducing the dropout rate of American Indian and Alaska Native students. To help fulfill this commitment in a manner consistent with tribal traditions and cultures, Federal agencies need to focus special attention on six goals: (1) improving reading and mathematics; (2) increasing high school completion and postsecondary attendance rates; (3) reducing the influence of long-standing factors that impede educational performance, such as poverty and substance abuse; (4) creating strong, safe, and drug-free school environ-ments; (5) improving science education; and (6) expanding the use of educational technology." The Order claims a strategy of a comprehensive Federal response to address the fragmentation of government services available to American Indian and Alaska Native students and the complexity of inter-governmental relationships affecting the education of those students. The purpose of the Federal activities described in this order was to develop a long-term, comprehensive Federal Indian education policy that will accomplish those goals. Title 25 of the United States Code defines the role of Indians in the United States Code:

• 25 U.S.C. ch. 20—Tribally Controlled College or University Assistance
• E.O. 13592 Improving American Indian and Alaska Native Educational Opportunities and Strengthening Tribal Colleges and Universities