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//Tribal Colleges & Universities

TCU Roster and Profiles

REGULAR MEMBERS

Aaniiih Nakoda College (ANC)
Sean Chandler, President
PO Box 159
Harlem, MT 59526
406.353.2607
fax: 406.353.2898
Chartered 1984
More than 25 years ago, a group of forward-thinking men and women from the Fort Belknap Indian Community Council, Fort Belknap Education Department, and Fort Belknap campus of Dull Knife Memorial College (now Chief Dull Knife College) recognized the need to start their own college. They saw that off-reservation programs were not adequately meeting the post-secondary educational needs of the community. In 1984 they established Fort Belknap College to provide the academic and vocational training programs and services to address social and economic needs, while preserving and promoting the A’anin and Nakoda languages, cultures and histories. In 2009, ANC celebrated its 25th anniversary. Academic programs provide students with exciting learning opportunities. ANC remains dedicated to a “grow your own” philosophy of developing the community’s future educational leaders and has hired many talented young people from within the community.
Bay Mills Community College (BMCC)
Duane A. Bedell, President
12214 West Lakeshore Dr.
Brimley, MI 49715
906.248.3354
fax: 906.248.201
Chartered 1984
BMCC was chartered by the Bay Mills Indian Community in 1984. The college is located 17 miles west of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, on the shore of the Saint Mary’s River. BMCC has an enrollment of 432 full- and part-time students primarily from Michigan’s Eastern Upper Peninsula. Due to the rural setting, it is not unusual for BMCC students to drive as much as 100 miles round trip daily to attend classes. Bay Mills Community College offers associate degree, certificate, and diploma programs, in areas of study that include American Indian language and studies, construction, business administration, corrections, computer information systems, natural science, early childhood education, health careers, and social science. BMCC participates in the Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers Articulation Agreement (MACRAO) between public and private community colleges and universities in Michigan. This agreement provides BMCC students a seamless transfer process of their general education credits when transferring to a participating four-year institution.
Blackfeet Community College (BFCC)
Brad Hall, President
PO Box 819
Browning, MT 59417
406.338.7755
fax: 406.338.3272
Chartered 1974
BCC is located in Browning, Montana, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains, where terrain flows from rugged mountaintops to rolling hills of grasslands, to farmland plains. The reservation occupies an area of 1,525,712 acres adjacent to Glacier National Park, Lewis and Clark National Forest, and the province of Alberta, Canada. Browning, the largest community on the reservation, is the trade/service center for the reservation. The Blackfeet Community College campus is located on the south end of Browning, just off Highways 2 and 89. Thirteen buildings house the Administration, Student Services, Academic Affairs, and Vocational Education Departments, as well as the library, classrooms, and various programs. BCC developed objectives based on goals identified by the Blackfeet Tribe: promote educational opportunities, increase the educational level, advance the knowledge and pride in Blackfeet heritage; improve tribal management; provide community facilities for advancement in education and other tribal institutions; and provide cultural and recreational opportunities for residents.
Cankdeska Cikana Community College (CCCC)
Steven Smith, President
PO Box 269, Fort Totten, ND 58335
701.766.4415
fax: 701.766.4077
Chartered 1974
CCCC was chartered by the Spirit Lake Dakota Nation in 1974 and celebrated its first graduating class in 1977 with five graduates. CCCC was established in response to the need for higher education opportunities for the people of the Spirit Lake Reservation. Academic excellence toward student success is the core mission for CCCC along with the teaching and learning of the Dakota culture and language. To date CCCC has conferred 392 associate degrees and 119 certificates in accounting, agriculture and natural resources management, Indian studies and tribal administration, automotive technology, carpentry, business, computer applications, early childhood education, pre-nursing, office technology, and liberal arts. CCCC celebrated its largest graduating class of 42 in spring 2009.
Chief Dull Knife College (CDKC)
Eva Flying, President
PO Box 98
Lame Deer, MT 59043
406.477.6215
fax: 406.477.6219
Chartered 1975
Chartered in 1975 by the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council, CDKC is located in the community of Lame Deer, on the 445,000 acre Northern Cheyenne Reservation in southeastern Montana. Accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, the college offers affordable, quality educational opportunities to residents of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation and surrounding communities. Although the original curriculum of the college was directed at training students for mining jobs near the reservation, the College has quickly expanded its offerings to include post-secondary transfer programs. The College offers a variety of associate degree and certificate programs in agriculture, Native American studies, education, allied health, biology/pre-med, environmental studies, and computer information systems. CDKC maintains articulation agreements with institutions within the Montana University system that facilitate seamless transfer for students. With the addition of interactive television technology at CDKC, the college has also been able to expand opportunities for upper level students to complete advanced degrees online.
College of Menominee Nation (CMN)
Chris Caldwell, President
PO Box 1179
Keshena, WI 54135
715.799.5600
fax: 715.799.1308
Chartered 1993
The Menominee Tribal Legislature chartered the College of Menominee Nation (CMN) in 1993 to serve Menominee and surrounding residents in northeastern Wisconsin. The college provides opportunities in higher education infused with American Indian culture and prepares students for careers and advanced studies in a multicultural world. CMN has a main campus located on the southern border of the Menominee Indian Reservation and also operates a campus in Green Bay, WI that serves many students from the Oneida Nation. The Menominee Tribal Legislature chartered the College of Menominee Nation in 1993 to serve Menominee and surrounding residents in northeastern Wisconsin. The college provides opportunities in higher education infused with American Indian culture and prepares students for careers and advanced studies in a multicultural world. CMN has a main campus located on the southern border of the Menominee Indian Reservation and also operates a campus in Green Bay, WI that serves many students from the Oneida Nation.
College of the Muscogee Nation (CtMN)
Monte Randall, President
PO Box 917
1200 Hwy. Loop 56
Okmulgee, OK 74447
918.549.2800
fax: 918.549.2880
Chartered 2004
The College of the Muscogee Nation was created by an act of the Muscogee Nation Council. Located in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, the capital of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the college was organized to serve Muscogee Nation Tribal members and residents. Governance for the college is provided by a five-member board of regents of Muscogee citizens that meet monthly. Currently, the college offers a variety of general education and tribal-specific courses through a formal agreement with Oklahoma State University. Students can pursue associate degrees in gaming, tribal services, police science, and Native American studies with specializations in Mvskoke studies and Mvskoke language. Certificate programs are offered in the Mvskoke language and in gaming. Through these programs, the College promotes tribal economic development and strengthens the sovereignty of the Muscogee Nation. The tribal services program prepares students for employment in tribal government through the study of Indian land issues, project management, and grant writing. The police science program trains students for employment in Tribal law enforcement via study of tribal law, tribal courts, and the complexities of federal Indian law. The gaming program readies students for employment in tribal gaming through the study of tribal gaming, American Indian gaming regulations, and managerial techniques of gaming operations.
Diné College (DC)
Bo Lewis, Acting President
PO Box 126
Tsaile, AZ 86556
928.724.6669
fax: 928.724.3327
Chartered 1968
Diné College is a public institution of higher education chartered by the Navajo Nation in 1968. Originally called Navajo Community College, Diné College was the nation’s first tribally chartered college. The institution has a main campus in Tsaile, Arizona and seven community-based campuses throughout Arizona and New Mexico that provide educational opportunities to a rapidly growing Navajo population. As a postsecondary educational institution, DC offers associate degree and certificate programs in fields important to the economic and social development of the Navajo Nation. To comply with the College’s mission, personalized instruction is guaranteed to each student due to the low student-faculty ratio. In 1998, DC students earned the first baccalaureate degrees under the Diné teacher education program, accredited under a partnership with Arizona State University. DC now also offers a bachelor’s degree program in elementary education.
Fort Peck Community College (FPCC)
Craig Smith, President
PO Box 398
Poplar, MT 59255
406.768.6300
fax: 406.768.5552
Chartered 1978
FPCC is located in northeastern Montana on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, which encompasses over two million acres. The College’s main campus is in Poplar with a satellite in Wolf Point. Chartered by the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes in 1978, FPCC’s mission is to serve the people of the reservation by providing educational opportunities and community service. FPCC’s philosophy is based on the belief that the opportunity for higher education must be provided locally. Many of the reservation’s residents cannot leave their home communities; thus it is essential that postsecondary educational opportunities be made readily accessible to them. FPCC provides a variety of programs to meet the career goals of its students and the training needs of the reservation. As a two-year degree-granting community college, FPCC offers associate degrees and certificates in over 30 fields of study such as automotive technology, building trades, hazardous materials waste technology, business administration, teacher education, American Indian studies, and biomedical science. Moreover, FPCC has several articulation agreements with four-year institutions that allow students to earn bachelor’s degrees in selected areas of study.
Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU)
Frank Arpan, President
155 Indian Ave., PO Box 5030
Lawrence, KS 66046-4800
785.749.8404
fax: 785.749.8411
Chartered 1884 (BIA)
HINU, a land grant institution, is one of two postsecondary institutions operating under the auspices of the Bureau of Indian Education. Haskell serves members of federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Nations as authorized by Congress and in partial fulfillment of treaty and trust obligations. With student learning as its focus, Haskell embraces the principles of sovereignty and self-determination through a culturally based holistic lifelong learning environment that promotes and upholds respect, rights, and responsibility. HINU offers both associate and baccalaureate degree programs. Associate of science and associate of arts programs include natural resources or natural science; liberal arts; art; business administration; health, physical education and athletics; media arts; pre-professional education; social work; theatre; and Tribal management. The programs prepare students for employment in specific fields and may be used as an entry for baccalaureate work at Haskell or another four-year institution. The university offers one bachelor of arts and three bachelor of science degree programs in the fields of American Indian studies, business administration, environmental science, and elementary teacher education.
Iḷisaġvik College (IC)
Justina Wilhelm, President
PO Box 749
Barrow, AK 99723
907.852.3333
fax: 907.852.1821
Chartered 1996
Iḷisaġvik College, located in Barrow, Alaska, serves an 89,000 square mile Arctic tundra region—the North Slope—which is not connected by road or rail. The region is ice-locked nine months of each year and is home to the Iñupiat Eskimos. IC is the only accredited, Alaska Native controlled higher education institution in Alaska, and it is the only college located within the boundaries of the Arctic Slope. In 2005, Ilisaġvik also became the only tribal college in the state. IC provides quality post-secondary academic, vocational, and technical education in a learning environment that perpetuates and strengthens Iñupiat culture, language, values and traditions. The College is dedicated to providing well-educated and trained individuals who meet human resource needs to North Slope employers. As a two-year community college, IC offers associate degree, one-year certificate, and semester-long endorsement programs, as well as short-term training courses. Fields of study include accounting, allied health, office administration, business management, computer technology, heavy truck operations, construction trades, industrial safety, and Iñupiat studies. Every program at the college models the local Inupiat traditions, values, and culture and also has substantial career and employment opportunities relevant to the workforce.
Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA)
Robert Martin, President
83 Avan Nu Po Rd.
Santa Fe, NM 87508
505.424.2300
fax: 505.424.0050
Chartered 1962 (Congress)
Established in 1962 by Executive Order of President John F. Kennedy, the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development is the manifestation of a collaborative vision shared by Lloyd Kiva New (Cherokee) and Dr. George Boyce. A renowned artist and Arizona-based real estate developer, Lloyd Kiva New recruited a faculty rich with American Indian creative talent who believed in IAIA’s mission of educating and training a new generation of Native artists. In 1986, IAIA was granted non-profit, congressionally chartered status, with its board of trustees appointed by the President of the United States. In 1992 the IAIA Museum opened in downtown Santa Fe. Home to the more than 7,000 piece National Collection of Contemporary Indian Art, the museum showcases work by Native artists. As a fully accredited college granting four-year bachelor’s degrees and two-year associate degrees, IAIA attracts a multi-tribal student body whose creative abilities are at the forefront of contemporary American Indian art. Many IAIA graduates make an easy transition into full-time careers as self-supporting artists, while others continue their education at top universities and art schools nationwide.
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College (KBOCC)
Megan Haataja, Interim President
770 N Main Street
L’Anse, Michigan 49946
(906) 524-8400
fax: (906) 524-8420
Chartered 1975
KBOCC was chartered by the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community on July 12, 1975, founded upon the idea that American Indian students, as members of sovereign nations, deserved an educational system responsive to their needs and concerns. In October 2009, KBOCC received initial candidacy for accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission. The Bureau of Indian Education, Bureau of Indian Affairs, conducted a site visit in April 2010 and recommended the college for approval as a Tribally Controlled Community College/University under the Act. In addition, the United States Department of Education approved the college’s application for Title IV federal student aid programs. The College creates an academic environment rich in Ojibwa culture to foster understanding of Native American beliefs while promoting and preserving the customs of the Ojibwa people. Traditional leaders provide direction to faculty and staff for incorporating the Ojibwa language and culture into each of the college’s programs. The student services program offers unique opportunities for students to actively engage in the traditional ceremonies and events throughout their educational journey.
Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University (LCO)
Russell Swagger, President
13466 West Trepania Rd.
Hayward, WI 54843
715.634.4790
fax: 715.634.5049
Chartered 1982
LCO is a unique, cultural organization that has recently celebrated 25 years of providing unique career, cultural and liberal arts education. The College is one of two tribal colleges in the state of Wisconsin (Wisconsin Tribal Colleges). LCO is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offers certificates and associate degree programs, adult basic or remedial instruction, and high school equivalent diplomas. Formal articulation and transfer agreements with University of Wisconsin, University of Minnesota, and other public colleges add future value to an LCO degree. Annually, enrollment averages 550 students on its main campus in Hayward and four outreach sites at Odanah, Bayfield, Hertel, and Lac du Flambeau. More than one-third of students are enrolled at the outreach sites. More than 70 percent of students are American Indian. The College maintains an open door policy with both traditional and non-traditional students attending. The average age of an LCO student is 34. Smaller class sizes lead to more individualized attention and support; the student-to-faculty ratio is consistently ten-to-one.
Leech Lake Tribal College (LLTC)
Helen Zaikina-Montgomery, President
6945 Little Wolf Road NW
Cass Lake, MN 56633
218.335.4200
fax: 218.335.4215
Chartered 1990
Founded in 1990 to serve the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) people of the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, LLTC offers postsecondary education grounded in the language, history, and culture of the Anishinaabe. For the first two years, courses from LLTC were offered by extension from the University of Minnesota–Duluth, Bemidji State University, and Itasca and Brainerd Community Colleges. In 1993, LLTC graduated its first student with an associate in arts degree in Anishinaabe language and culture. Most students come from the Leech Lake Reservation and the surrounding reservations in northern Minnesota; approximately eight percent of students enrolled at LLTC are non-Native. LLTC experienced an eight percent increase in student enrollment during AY 2009-10, and in May 2010, the College honored 48 graduates, the largest class to graduate in LLTC’s 20-year history.
Little Big Horn College (LBHC)
Neva Tall Bear, President
PO Box 370
Crow Agency, MT 59022
406.638.3100
fax: 406.638.3169
Chartered 1980
LBHC is a public two-year community college chartered by the Crow Tribe of Indians in 1980. The College is located in heart of the Crow Indian Reservation in south central Montana. The College facility has 35,000 square feet of educational space situated on two acres of wooded river valley. LBHC offers eight associate of arts and two associate of science degree programs. The courses of study are directed to the economic and job opportunities in the Crow Indian Reservation area. The student body is composed of Crow tribal members (95 percent), members of American Indian tribes from around the intermountain west (3 percent), and non-Indian residents of the Big Horn County area (2 percent). LBHC has an open admissions policy and, as a public institution, welcomes enrollment from any adult with a high school diploma or GED.
Little Priest Tribal College (LPTC)
Manoj Patil, President
PO Box 270
Winnebago, NE 68071
402.878.2380
fax: 402.878.2355
Chartered 1996
LPTC, named after Little Priest, the last true war chief of the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) people, was chartered by the Winnebago Tribal Council in 1996 to provide quality education for members of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. LPTC provide associate degree programs, assuring that the majority of credits will prepare students to successfully graduate at a four-year institution. Another equally important purpose of the College is to provide language and culture classes and training opportunities for tribal employees. LPTC’s mission is to implement two-year associate of arts and associate of science degrees, certificate programs, and community education programs, which provide students with the opportunity to learn about Winnebago language and culture so that they are grounded in self-esteem. LPTC integrates culture, academics, and psychological and spiritual behavior so that students can interface within a diverse world. LPTC has an enrollment of 95 students; 88 percent are American Indian.
Navajo Technical University (NTU)
Elmer Guy, President
PO Box 849
Crownpoint, NM 87313
505.786.4100
fax: 505.786.5644
Chartered 1979
Navajo Technical University, formerly Crownpoint Institute of Technology and Navajo Technical College, was chartered by the Navajo Nation with a mission of committing to offering quality technical, vocational, and academic degrees and community education in a student-oriented, hands-on learning environment based on the Diné (Navajo) Philosophy of Education. Since its inception in 1979, NTU has developed into a respected tribally controlled postsecondary career and technical institution that addresses the continually changing requirements of its students. The career and technical college has a long-standing commitment to academic excellence and provides a variety of support services, including student and faculty housing, a childcare center, advanced computer technologies, and comprehensive library services. The College offers a broad selection of certificate and degree programs, each designed to prepare students for entry into careers and further education, including accounting and bookkeeping, automotive technology, building trades, computer and information technology, geographic information technology, early childhood education, environmental science, culinary arts, public administration, pre-professional nursing, legal studies, and vocational careers.
Nebraska Indian Community College (NICC)
Michael Oltrogge, President
College Hill
PO Box 428
Macy, NE 68039
402.837.5078
fax: 402.837.4183
Chartered 1979
NICC began in 1972 as the American Indian Satellite Community College under a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. The grant was administered through Northeast Technical Community College in Norfolk, NE to provide postsecondary education on the Omaha, Santee Sioux, and Winnebago Reservations. In 1979, following the enactment of the Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act, NICC established itself as a fully independent two-year college chartered by the governments of three Nebraska Indian Tribes. An eight-member board of directors governs the college. The College’s focal points are the two rural reservation locations on the Omaha Reservation at Macy, NE and on the Santee Sioux Reservation, in Santee, NE. The institution is also concerned about the educational opportunities available to Omaha, Santee, and other students in urban America and maintains a campus in South Sioux City, NE along with ventures into distance learning. The multi-campus structure of such a small organization presents unique opportunities for individualized attention even while separated by hundreds of miles.
Northwest Indian College (NWIC)
Lexie Tom, Interim President
2522 Kwina Rd.
Bellingham, WA 98226
360.676.2772
fax: 360.738.0136
Chartered 1983
NWIC is a tribally controlled institution of higher education chartered by the Lummi Nation. Its mission is to promote tribal self-determination through higher education and Indigenous knowledge. Located on the Lummi Indian Reservation in Washington state, 20 miles from the Canadian border, NWIC is the only accredited Tribal College or University serving reservation communities of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. NWIC grew from the Lummi Indian School of Aquaculture, which was a single-purpose institution established to provide local technicians for employment in Indian owned and operated fish and shellfish hatcheries throughout the United States and Canada. In 1983, the Lummi Indian Business Council recognized the need for a more comprehensive institution to serve the postsecondary educational needs of Indian people living in the Pacific Northwest and chartered the Lummi Community College. In 1989, in acknowledgment of its wider mandate, Lummi Community College became Northwest Indian College, which achieved accreditation by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, in 1993.
Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College (NHSC)
Twyla Baker, President
220 8th Avenue North
PO Box 490
New Town, ND 58763
701.627.4738
fax: 701.627.3609
Chartered 1974
NHSC was chartered by the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation in New Town, North Dakota. The Three Affiliated Tribes agreed that a local higher education institution was needed to train tribal members and to act as positive influence in retaining the tribal cultures. The first classes offered at NHSC were on an extension basis with coordinating accredited institutions. Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College, formerly Fort Berthold Community College, was granted accreditation on Feb. 12, 1988, through the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges. The College is also one of thirty-two tribal colleges granted 1994 Land Grant Institution status. The college has branches in Mandaree and White Shield. The college associate degree and certificate program offerings include accounting, agriculture, public and tribal administration, graphic arts, construction, computer science and information systems, water treatment technology, mathematics, nursing, emergency medical service, paramedic, environmental science, elementary education, childhood development, human services, addiction studies, medical secretary, and administrative assistant.
Oglala Lakota College (OLC)
Dawn Frank, President
490 Piya Wiconi Rd.
Kyle, SD 57752
605.455.6000
fax: 605.455.6023
Chartered 1971
OLC is chartered by the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council and governed by a 13-member board of trustees. It serves the Pine Ridge Reservation, which has a population of about 26,000 and covers 3,468 square miles in southwestern South Dakota. The College mission is twofold: to produce graduates who demonstrate excellence in their chosen areas of study and fields of endeavor, and to enhance life for the Oglala Lakota Oyate. OLC is unique in its decentralized campus system, which features college instructional centers in each of the nine districts across Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. There are additional college instructional centers in Rapid City and on the Cheyenne River Reservation. OLC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Accrediting Agency to offer degrees at the associate, bachelor’s, and master’s levels. Education graduates are certified by the South Dakota Division of Education to teach in K-12 elementary systems and to serve in school administrative capacities. OLC nursing graduates are certified by the South Dakota State Board of Nursing and eligible to sit for the registered nurse examination. The social work program is accredited at the bachelor’s degree level. OLC has 1,456 students enrolled part- and full-time.
Red Lake Nation College (RLNC)
Dan King, President
23750 Hwy 1 East
PO Box 576
Red Lake, MN 56671
218.679.2860
fax: 218.679.3870
Chartered 2001
Located in the heart of the Anishinaabe nation on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Red Lake, Minnesota, RLNC was chartered by the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians in 2001 to provide higher education opportunities for tribal members living on and near the Red Lake reservation. RLNC allows for a unique cultural exchange within the student learning environment; at any one time there may be 70 students within the student body. This unique setting is further supported by elders and community members who speak the Anishinaabe language and who understand the rich history of the Red Lake Nation. All students are offered the opportunity of obtaining a quality education provided from an American Indian perspective to develop professionally and culturally. In the Fall of 2012, RLNC enrolled 121 students to start the semester.
Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College (SCTC)
Carla Sineway, President
2274 Enterprise Dr.
Mount Pleasant, MI 48858
989.775.4123
fax: 989.772.4528
Chartered 1998
SCTC is a small and unique community college centrally located in Michigan, celebrating its 15-year anniversary (1998-2013). In 1998, Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Council adopted a resolution to establish a tribally controlled college and formed a governing board of regents in order to increase access to higher education and to expand educational and career opportunities for the tribal community. The establishment of SCTC was an important step in an educational empowerment process to preserve and maintain the Saginaw Chippewa tribal culture. The college strives to provide a quality learning experience and environment designed to sustain the cultural continuity of the tribe from past to future generations. SCTC offers associate degrees in business, Native American studies, and liberal arts. While the majority of the student body is tribal members, there are also members from other tribes and a small percent is other. SCTC has an average enrollment of 130 students.
Salish Kootenai College (SKC)
Stacey Sherwin, Interim President
PO Box 70
Pablo, MT 59855
406.275.4800
fax: 406.275,4801
Chartered 1977
SKC is a tribally controlled college chartered in 1977 under the sovereign governmental authority of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. The mission of SKC is to provide quality postsecondary educational opportunities for American Indians, locally and from throughout the United States. The College provides opportunities for individual self-improvement and promotes and helps maintain the cultures of the Confederated Tribes of the Flathead Indian Nation. While the College encourages diversity, its primary function is to serve the needs of Native American people. SKC has an enrollment of 1,207 students. The College offers bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, and certificate programs in Native American studies, building trades, engineering, education, business, information technology, digital and media arts, environmental science and forestry, dental assisting technology, social work, nursing, psychology, and vocational life skills. The College reaches students at its main campus on the Flathead Reservation and at three satellite locations in Washington in Colville, Spokane, and Wellpinit.
Sinte Gleska University (SGU)
Erica Moore, President
101 Antelope Lake Circle
PO Box 105
Mission, SD 57555
605.856.8100
fax: 605.856.5401
Chartered 1971
SGU was founded in 1971 on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in south-central South Dakota, home to the Sicangu (Burnt Thigh). SGU provides profound programs to preserve and teach tribal culture, history, and language and to seek innovative and effective strategies to address the myriad of social and economic concerns confronting the Sicangu Lakota Oyate. SGU plans, designs, implements, and assesses postsecondary programs and other educational resources appropriate to the Lakota people in order to facilitate individual development and tribal autonomy. SGU has an enrollment of 828 full and part-time students. SGU has seven academic undergraduate departments, which include the art institute, arts and science, business, education, human services, Lakota studies, and the institute of technologies (vocational/career education). SGU offers 23 bachelors, 25 associates, and two masters degree programs, and 12 certificate programs.
Sisseton Wahpeton College (SWC)
Erica Holmes, President
Agency Village Box 689
Sisseton, SD 57262
605.698.3966
fax: 605.698.3132
Chartered 1979
SWC was chartered in 1979 by the tribal council of the Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe. The College serves communities on and surrounding the 105,000 acre Lake Traverse Reservation in northeastern South Dakota, home to the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands of the Dakota people. SWC is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools affiliated with the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. The nursing program is approved by the South Dakota Board of Nursing. SWC offers associate of arts degree programs in business administration, chemical dependency counseling, cross cultural counseling, Dakota studies, early childhood development, general studies and registered nursing. Associate of science degree programs are offered in interdisciplinary environmental science, natural sciences, and general food and agriculture. Associate of applied science degree programs include accounting, business, carpentry, computers, hospitality and casino management, and education. SWC also offers certificate programs in computing, building trades, nursing, and tribal arts. SWC has an enrollment of 237 full- and part-time students; 77 percent of all students are American Indian, mostly Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate.
Sitting Bull College (SBC)
Tomi Kay Phillips, President
9299 Highway 24
Fort Yates, ND 58538
701.854.8000
fax: 701.854.3403
Chartered 1973
In 1973, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council chartered Sitting Bull College, formerly Standing Rock Community College. Its mission establishes it as “an academic and technical institution committed to improving the levels of education and training, economic and social development of the people it serves while promoting responsible behavior consistent with Lakota/Dakota culture and language.” SBC was founded with the philosophy that all people grow to their full potential by knowing and understanding their beautiful and profound cultural heritage; therefore, Dakota and Lakota cultures permeate a holistic educational process which permits all people to develop in balance from the elders’ teachings to live in the present world. SBC serves the Standing Rock Indian Reservation consisting of a land base of 2.8 million acres in North Dakota and South Dakota with campuses in Fort Yates, ND and McLaughlin, SD. It offers academic and vocational training and awards in the following programs: seven bachelor of science, five associate of applied science, ten associate of science, four associate of arts, and seven certificate programs. These programs of study range from building trades, environmental science, energy technology, criminal justice, business, Native American studies, education, human services, office/information technology, and nursing.
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI)
Tamarah Pfeiffer, President
9169 Coors Rd., NW
PO Box 10146
Albuquerque, NM 87184
505.346.2348
fax: 505.346.2343
Chartered 1971 (BIA)
SIPI in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a community college, funded through the Bureau of Indian Education, United States Department of the Interior. SIPI was established at the request of the All Indian Pueblo Council and other federally recognized tribes to help train American Indian and Alaskan Natives for jobs. SIPI opened in September 1971 on approximately 164 acres in northwest Albuquerque, New Mexico. Today, more than 120 different Indian tribes are represented in SIPI’s student body. SIPI is located in the center of New Mexico’s agricultural and high-tech corridors (Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, and Intel Corporation), major universities and the largest technical force within a 500-mile radius. SIPI has established excellent working relationships with these industries and universities allowing a responsive learning environment within which American Indian and Alaska Native students develop skills that will be needed by tribal nations to build cohesive and economically strong communities. SIPI is an important part of the New Mexico higher education system. The College has agreements with the University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University, and New Mexico Highlands University that ensure better recruitment, transfer, and retention rates for Native Americans. The College has also established articulation agreements with regional public institutions outside of New Mexico. SIPI boasts a state-of the-art Science and Technology Center, which includes 12 research and teaching laboratories, 10 classrooms, two distance learning rooms, a 500-seat auditorium, and several faculty offices and conference rooms. As a 1994 land grant institution, SIPI has extensive research and extension programs designed to meet the growing needs of tribal nations.
Stone Child College (SCC)
Cory Sangrey-Billy, President
RR1, Box 1082
Box Elder, MT 59521
406.395.4875
fax: 406.395.4836
Chartered 1984
SCC is an accredited tribal community college located on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation in north central Montana. SCC is a young institution, originally chartered by the Chippewa Cree Business Committee on May 17, 1984. Tribal leaders acknowledged that the establishment of a tribal community college was necessary for the preservation and maintenance of the Chippewa Cree cultural and history, Cree language, and the education and training of the tribal members. SCC is one of seven Tribal Colleges in Montana and offers associate of arts and associate of science degree programs in general studies, human services, applied science, business, and computer science, as well as certificate programs in accounting, construction technology, customer relations, physical fitness training, pre-engineering, and pre-nursing. In 2008–09, SCC had an enrollment of 511, of whom 98 percent were American Indian descent; 20 percent were bilingual or of limited English proficiency. SCC students range in age from 17 to 72, with the average age at 30. The College retention rate is 47 percent and the graduation rate is 20 percent.
Tohono O’odham Community College (TOCC)
Stephen Schoonmaker, President
PO Box 3129
Sells, AZ 85634
520.383.8401
fax: 520.383.8403
Chartered 1998
In 1998, the Tohono O’odham Nation chartered Tohono O’odham Community College in Sells, Arizona. The College was established to serve the residents of the Tohono O’odham Nation and nearby communities, with the critical goals of preparing students to contribute to the social, political, and economic needs of the Tohono O’odham Nation and the world and preserving the O’odham Himdag (cultural way of life). TOCC opened its doors in 2000 with classes accredited through an intergovernmental agreement with Pima County Community College District in Tucson, AZ. Almost immediately, the College began the process of seeking its own accreditation and was awarded initial candidacy status by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools in February 2003. TOCC is now fully accredited offering students the opportunity to earn associate degrees in liberal arts, business administration, and science and numerous certificates. TOCC serves approximately 216 students (61 percent female; 39 percent male). TOCC’s student body is 88 percent American Indian/Alaskan Native. The College’s faculty/staff is 57 percent American Indian, half of whom are O’odham.
Turtle Mountain College (TMC)
Wanda Parisien, Acting President
PO Box 340
Belcourt, ND 58316
701.477.7862
fax: 701.477.7807
Chartered 1972
TMC, a quality higher education institution, was chartered to the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in November, 1972. TMC is located ten miles from the Canadian border in the wooded, hilly, lake-abundant north central portion of North Dakota known as the Turtle Mountains. The main campus is located just north of the unincorporated city of Belcourt, which serves the reservation community as the center of government, commerce, and education for the more than 31,000 enrolled members of the tribe. The main campus houses a 165,000 square foot building located on an approximately 123 acre site. The facility includes a state-of-the-art technology, a fiscal area, general classrooms, science, math and engineering classrooms and labs, library and archives, learning resource centers, faculty area, student services area including a student union, gymnasium, auditorium, career and technical education facility, and mechanical. As part of this campus, a wind turbine in 2008 was erected and serves as a major source of power to the main campus. TMC currently has an enrollment of 630 full- and part-time certificate and degree-seeking students. TMC offers certification and associate and bachelor degree programs.
United Tribes Technical College (UTTC)
Leander R. McDonald, President
3315 University Dr.
Bismarck, ND 58504
701.255.3285
fax: 701.530.0605
Chartered 1968
UTTC was chartered in Bismarck, North Dakota, in 1969 by the United Tribes of North Dakota Development Corporation. UTTC is owned and operated by and serves the five tribal nations located entirely or in-part of North Dakota: Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, Spirit Lake Nation, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Three Affiliated Tribes (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation) of the Fort Berthold Reservation, and Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. UTTC applied for, and was granted candidacy for accreditation status by the North Central Association (NCA) in 1978. In spring 1982, UTTC received full membership in NCA as a vocational technical school, when in 1987, the institution received authority from NCA to offer its first associate degree program. In 2003, the institution became the first Tribal College to receive accreditation for online programs offering associate of applied sciences degree programs. UTTC has an enrollment 885 students, 635 full-time undergraduates and 250 part-time undergraduates. Throughout UTTC’s history, the college has maintained a commitment to develop economic, social, and cultural advancement of Indian families by providing housing, daycare, health care services, counseling, a child development center, an elementary school, cafeteria, transportation, interdenominational chapel, athletic programs, and recreational services.
White Earth Tribal and Community College (WETCC)
Anna Sheppard, President
2250 College Road
PO Box 478
Mahnomen, MN 56557
218.936.5610
fax: 218.935.0708
Chartered 1997
The White Earth Reservation Tribal Council established the White Earth Tribal and Community College in 1997. The College is dedicated to educational excellence through provision of a culturally relevant curriculum in partnership with students, staff, community, and industry. The College promotes critical pedagogy, a creative approach to education, which seeks through discourse a fuller understanding of Ojibwe epistemology. WETCC has articulation agreements with several regional universities: Minnesota State University Moorhead, Bemidji State University, and the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Today, WETCC serves over 140 students in five associate of arts degree programs and four associate of applied science degree programs, in addition to several occupational programs and certificate options in a wide range of career fields. WETCCe has a fully equipped computer science center serving the college, White Earth Reservation, and surrounding communities.

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

California Indian Nations College (CINC)
Celeste Townsend, President & CEO
75080 Frank
Sinatra Dr. Ste 221
Palm Desert, CA 92211
760.933.9833
Chartered 2017

 

Despite the largest overall Native American population of any state in the country, there are no accredited federally-recognized TribalColleges or Universities in California. The vision for CINC began in 2015;under the direction of Theresa Mike (Lummi Nation), an advisory committee made up of local educators, community members, and tribal leaders began meeting to discuss the feasibility of a tribal college and to plan for its opening. For three years, the committee explored ideas, potential partnerships with local colleges and universities, and worked out a plan to open California Indian Nations College. The work of the committee became a reality in 2017 when the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians chartered CINC to educate and empower Native American students with a culturally-relevant curriculum that integrates Native culture, history, and language, established its first Board of Trustees, and hired Celeste Townsend (Gidutikad Paiute, Fort Bidwell Indian Community & descendent of the Duck Valley Shoshone/Paiutes) as College President. With 25 Tribes within a 60 mile radius, CINC administration, faculty, and staff educate, strengthen, and empower our students. As one of our recent graduates said to his peers: “We are leaders in our communities and we are going to go on and pass it on to our children and to our cousins and to our relatives. We are going to be a positive influence.”.

DEVELOPING MEMBERS

California Tribal College (CTC)
Juliet Maestas, President
2300 E. Gibson Road, Suite 869
Woodland, CA 95776
530.661.5767
Chartered 2015
The California Tribal College Board of Regents and the Yuba Community College District Board of Trustees announce a partnership focused upon providing quality higher education opportunities and resources to Native American students across the state. The California Tribal College (CTC) is located at Woodland Community College (WCC) and provides educational opportunities for Native and non-Native students to attain tribal cultural and language enrichment through rigorous curricula. Courses and programs, grounded in the CTC’s mission of “creating educational, research, and economic development opportunities by honoring Native ways of knowing” will prepare future Native business and tribal leaders to succeed, strengthening sovereign tribal governments. With support from more than 70 California tribal governments and national and statewide tribal organizations, the California Tribal College has been working strategically with education experts and tribal leaders for more than five years to lay the foundation for an enduring educational institution to serve the needs of Native students.
San Carlos Apache College (SCAC)
Linda Sue Warner, President
1 San Carlos Ave, Bld 3
PO Box 344
San Carlos, AZ 85550
928.475.2016
Chartered 2014
San Carlos Apache College (SCAC)—the first Apache-controlled institution of higher education—is a visionary concept rooted in “Go’zhoo” (Spiritual) values and traditional culture of the “N’nee” (Apache word for The People) of the San Carlos Apache Tribe. SCAC operates as an accredited site of Tohono O’odham Community College, which provides students quality in the education received, access to federal financial aid programs, and transferability of credits earned. The SCAC vision is Building Stronger Families and Communities Through Education. One of the College’s primary objectives is to ensure the preservation of the Apache language, culture, and history through courses, seminars, and other educational opportunities. SCAC’s other objectives include workforce development, small business workshops, and healthcare initiatives. SCAC will offer courses in the Arizona general education curriculum.