(Name-mce) ListServ A Tribal College Crumbles

[Villanueva Anselmo]

A Tribal College Crumbles


http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/08/23/tribal


D-Q University, near Sacramento, has long been one of the leaders of the
American Indian tribal college movement. One of the first of the
nation's 34 tribal colleges, it has graduated hundreds of American
Indian and non-Indian students since opening in the early 1970s.

Now, however, faced with steep financial and longstanding accreditation
obstacles, the institution will more than likely have to shut its doors
this fall. With only six students now enrolled - and administrators,
faculty and staff members, and money all but gone - closing seems to be
the only option on the table. Still, some educators expect that with
much hard work and planning, a new tribal college will one day rise
again in California.

"We were kind of forced to give up hope a while back," said Cindy
LaMarr, a former member of the university's governing board. "I could
see it coming many years ago. Many people were fearful of attaching
their name or reputation to the school.

"It's a big frustration," added LaMarr, director of Capitol Area Indian
Resources, an academic assistance group for Indian youth in Sacramento.
"I know it was a last chance for some Indian students to get an
education."

The university's low enrollment and dwindling finances, which LaMarr and
others attribute to a lack of skilled management over many years, led
the Western Association of Schools and Colleges to revoke D-Q's
accreditation in January 2005. In turn, federal financial aid was no
longer available to students.

Many students stopped applying and attending after the accreditation
decision. Those familiar with the situation at D-Q said, too, that the
institution had been having difficulties reaching out to Indian students
before the accreditation issue ever arose.

Problems that prompt a revoked accreditation often are often so severe
that the chances of recovering are exceptionally poor, according to
Barbara Beno, president of the Accrediting Commission for Community
Colleges at the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. "In a
sense, it continues a broken ball rolling in motion," she said. "And
students are pretty savvy about knowing they need accredited credits to
transfer to another school."

Elmer Guy, president of the Crownpoint Institute of Technology, in New
Mexico, said that D-Q's situation has had a negative effect on people's
perceptions of tribal colleges and other such institutions. "I'm worried
that students and others might think that minority serving institutions
have a hard time meeting rigorous educational standards," he said.

Rather than focusing on the bleakness of the situation, many Native
American educators say that this is a critical time to think about ways
to support other tribal colleges and their missions to educate and
infuse cultural elements into their curricula.

"We all have to understand how important tribal colleges are," said
Cynthia Lindquist, president of Cankdeska Cikana (Little Hoop) Community
College, in Fort Totten, N.D. She added that the colleges have been
"instrumental" in helping students learn Native American languages that
"could have been lost forever" with the passing of elders.

They've also helped many students earn valuable two-year degrees that
have helped them transfer on to four-year institutions and graduate with
bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, she said. "Tribal colleges
are a ray of hope, offering culturally relevant opportunities for
thousands of Indians across the U.S," said Lindquist.

Some experts in the tribal college field have ideas for how an
Indian-focused institution can eventually forge a comeback in
California. But they don't necessarly believe that D-Q University itself
will be the incarnation. LaMarr, for instance, has already formed a
group of volunteers and past officials associated with D-Q University
who have turned their sights on establishing a new tribal college. Their
efforts have resulted in the California Tribal University, which is
currently an incorporated nonprofit group.

"We're in the process of creating a plan," said LaMarr. She said that
the group envisions a multi-branch institution with a heavy focus on
Internet education.

"People have to understand that you just don't announce it and then it
opens a month later," she said. "I'm just telling people to hang in
there."

Lindquist believes that in all new efforts tribal support will be
crucial. "If a tribe is fortunate enough to have resources to support a
tribal college, that's an important path to pursue," she said. The
colleges currently depend on a limited amount of federal funding each
year, with some receiving extra support from their tribes.

"We also need more Native Americans with the financial credentials
necessary to work at our institutions," said Lindquist.

David Beaulieu, a board member with the National Indian Education
Association and director of the Center for Indian Studies at Arizona
State University, said that future developments should focus on
articulation agreements with community and state colleges.

"There's no doubt in my mind that this issue is solvable," he added.
"It's only a matter of time and a few committed individuals."

- Rob Capriccioso <mailto:rob at insidehighered.com> 


Related stories


*	Saving a Community College
<http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/08/25/compton> , Aug. 25 
*	Building Up College Towns
<http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/08/23/development> , Aug. 23 
*	More Than a Penny Saved
<http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/08/14/books> , Aug. 14 
*	An End to Picking One Box
<http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/08/08/race> , Aug. 8 
*	Financial Woes for Benedict College
<http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/07/25/benedict> , July 25