Title III Part A, American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and
Universities Program

FISCAL YEAR 2007 PROJECT ABSTRACTS

# [P031T070041 - Navajo Technical College]{.underline}

Navajo Technical College (Navajo Tech) is a tribal technical college
established and

chartered by the Navajo Nation. Navajo Tech is committed to providing a
student-oriented learning environment based on the Dine\' Philosophy of
Education: Nitsahakees, Nahat'a, Iina, Sihasin. Navajo Tech is chartered
to serve Navajo students, and its mission is to prepare Navajo and other
students with a quality education. In the journey to fulfill this
mission Navajo Tech has performed a comprehensive self-study to
determine how to better serve its constituency.

This self-study revealed strengths and weaknesses to address. Weaknesses
that Navajo Tech wishes to address in this proposal include weak
enrollment, institutional instability, and operational inefficiencies.
Navajo Tech, with the help of this grant award, will work toward
fulfilling the following goals: 1) to strengthen retention at the
Crownpoint and Chinle campuses and help under-prepared high school
students succeed at a higher rate entering Navajo Tech through the
successful implementation of an intense First-Year Experience program;
2) to improve operational efficiencies and communication through the
implementation of a new integrated student record and financial system
and the campus institutional/organizational effectiveness effort that
will improve administrative, faculty, and staff performance; 3) to
improve enrollment and long-term college success as evidenced by
retention and graduation rates through the development of an e-learning
capacity as part of the long-term cyber-infrastructure effort that will
help Navajo Tech better serve the Chinle (Arizona) campus, eastern
Navajo service area, high school juniors and seniors planning to attend
Navajo Tech, and help strengthen its Internet to the Hogan Project; and
4) to continue building Navajo Tech\'s endowment fund. The fulfillment
of these goals will strengthen the institution, meet the needs of the
student population, and better serve the communities and regions
surrounding Navajo Technical College.

[**P031T070040 - Turtle Mountain Community College & Cankdeska Cikana
Community College** **(Cooperative)**]{.underline}

Turtle Mountain Community College (TMCC) and Cankdeska Cikana Community
College (CCCC) project will prepare culturally based, highly competent
teachers for the Turtle Mountain and Spirit Lake's elementary schools
and Head Start programs. Under this cooperative agreement, the third and
fourth year of the TMCC elementary education will be offered at CCCC
with appropriate modifications for inclusion of the Dakota culture. An
Early Childhood four-year degree (inclusion of both cultures) will be
developed and submitted to the accreditation process and offered to
juniors and seniors at both colleges. Endorsements for bilingual
education, kindergarten through the third grade, and middle school will
be developed and offered to Elementary Education majors and teachers.
The course delivery will be simultaneous using Learn-Linc to transmit
the classes from TMCC to CCCC.

The objectives of this project are:

1.  By the end of the first year, 100 percent of the TMCC Elementary
    Education baccalaureate courses will be available to students at
    CCCC.

2.  By the end of the first year, eight CCCC students will be enrolled
    in upper division Elementary Education courses with 80 percent
    completing the two years.

3.  By the end of the second year, 100 percent of the courses for an
    Early Childhood four-year degree will be developed and 28 students
    will be enrolled for the third and fourth early childhood pilot with
    70 percent completing each year.

4.  By the end of the second year, the Bilingual Endorsement will be
    offered and 20 students will be enrolled for the pilot with 70
    percent completing all Endorsement courses.

5.  By the end of the third year, the kindergarten through the third
    grade Endorsement option will be completed and 20 students will be
    enrolled for the pilot with 70 percent completing all Endorsement
    courses.

6.  By the end of the third year, the second cohort of eight CCCC
    Elementary Education majors will be enrolled with 80 percent
    completing the program.

7.  By the end of the fourth year, the Middle School Endorsement option
    will be completed and 15 students will be enrolled for the pilot
    with 70 percent completing all Endorsement courses.

8.  By the end of the fourth year, 100 percent of the Early Childhood
    courses will be revised and a second cohort of 20 students will be
    enrolled.

**[P031T070038 - Fort Berthold Community College]{.underline}**

The Fort Berthold Community College (FBCC) is tribally chartered by the
Three Affiliated Tribes to meet the higher education needs of the people
of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation. The College was founded May
2, 1973, as the agency responsible for higher education on the Fort
Berthold Indian Reservation located in northwestern North Dakota. FBCC
is a two-year public institution of higher education. The college offers
seven Associate of Arts Degree programs, six Associate of Science Degree
programs, seven Associate of Applied Science Degree programs and 14
vocational certificates.

Fall 2006 enrollment of 196 students showed a student body that was (97
percent) American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN), and three percent
non-AI/AN. Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) were female; one-third (35
percent) were male; two-thirds (65 percent) were 25 and older; and the
remaining third (35 percent) were 24 and under. The average age of FBCC
students is nearly 32, and over half (51 percent) enters FBCC with a
General Education Diploma (GED). Over 88 percent of the student body
served in academic year 2006-2007 were enrolled members of the Mandan,
Hidatsa and Arikara Nation.

The FBCC faculty consisted of 11 full-time faculty members and 25
adjunct faculty members in academic year 2006-2007. Nearly
three-quarters (73 percent) of full-time faculty members are American
Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) and of this group, most (88 percent) are
enrolled members of the Three Affiliated Tribes. Nearly two-thirds (65
percent) of the part-time faculty members are AI/AN\--of these groups,
all (100 percent) are tribal members. The faculty to student ratio is
approximately one to ten.

**[P031T070037 - Chief Dull Knife College]{.underline}**

### Description of College's Distinguishing Features

Chief Dull Knife College (CDKC) is a public, two-year tribally
controlled college that offers a program in liberal arts and sciences,
and general education that leads to an Associates of Arts degree, and
the Associate of Applied Science in career fields. It also offers
certification programs such as office management. It is chartered by the
Northern Cheyenne Indian Tribe to provide higher education to the
Northern Cheyenne reservation and surrounding area.

During the 2005-2006 academic year, CDKC had 153 Indian full-time
equivalent (FTE) students (64 percent female), and 526 Indian part-time
equivalent (PTE) students (58 percent female). Non-Indian students
included eight FTE (100 percent female), and 138 PTE students (62
percent female). Total FTE during this year was 217. There were 11
full-time and 27 part-time faculty members.

### Overview of the Proposed Project 

Chief Dull Knife College proposes a Title III project to strengthen its
institutional capabilities for providing student support services that
will improve student performance, retention and completion of CDKC
programs. The project also focuses on improving its community outreach
and support as well as alumni involvement with CDKC students. Improved
institutional capabilities and management related to these areas will
positively impact fiscal stability. The Title III project administered
through the Department of Student Affairs will develop and strengthen
the capabilities of the college to offer a Transition to College program
which will assist new students through improved placement testing and
course placement, offer improved developmental skills courses
(specifically communications arts), advising and support services,
childcare, and provide greater academic support in the learning center,
writing center and the college library. These improvements will enhance
the academic opportunities offered by CDKC to the residents of a
geographically and economically isolated, Indian reservation and
surrounding communities.

The emphasis of the project is on improving retention in both specific
courses and degree programs, which will facilitate greater rates of
graduation and transfer to four-year colleges and universities. In
addition, the college proposes to increase student and community
engagement with higher education by formalizing alumni activities. The
proposed project will strengthen CDKC institutional management by
further developing and implementing the use of recently developed
student data sources on an institution-wide basis. Institutionalization
will allow these data sources to be better used to assess and modify
student services and programs and to increase the college\'s
responsiveness to its constituents. This project will positively impact
fiscal stability through the retention and graduation of an increasing
number of CDKC students.

**[P031T070036 - United Tribes Technical College]{.underline}**

To address a key goal of the recent U.S. Department of Education
Strategic Plan, United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) of Bismarck,
North Dakota proposes to enhance access to postsecondary education by
developing and piloting an innovative tribal college model for
educational outreach utilizing leading-edge technology and best
practices to engage American Indian "digital natives" in culturally
relevant interactive learning. A Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU)
Center for Educational Outreach (CEO) will focus on technology
infrastructure expansion, new online coursework, faculty development,
short-term training program development, and market research that extend
the outreach of educational activities of the college beyond the 1,000
plus American Indian students currently served. As a tribally controlled
postsecondary career and technical college with 52 faculty members, UTTC
will leverage current resources including its self-developed online
learning management system, *INDigiLearn*, to expand its Web outreach to
constituents through a new innovative portal, *INDigiWeb*. INDigiLearn
requires minimal bandwidth so that students in rural and remote
reservation locations who do not have broadband Internet services can
access course materials online. INDigiWeb is an expandable and adaptable
web portal focused on increasing access and educational opportunities to
Indian countries through the online degree programs, research data
integration, student experiential learning, targeted training, and
student support using emerging technologies. Sustainability is
integrated into the project design through TCU partnerships, Web
resource development, and ongoing assessment activities that inform
project management. The TCU-CEO will demonstrate that the future of
distance education is no longer simply "online education" but is a
vehicle through which institutional development is envisioned and
accomplished through innovative educational outreach using cutting-edge
technology.

**[P031T070003 - College of Menominee Nation]{.underline}**

College of Menominee Nation (CMN) is an accredited, tribally controlled,
two-year community college. The college serves the Menominee Nation, its
tribal members, neighboring tribal nations and surrounding non-Indian
communities. The main campus is located on the Menominee Indian
Reservation in Keshena, Wisconsin, with an auxiliary site located near
the Oneida Reservation in Green Bay, Wisconsin. College of Menominee
Nation is accredited by the North Central Association (NCA) Higher
Learning Commission (HLC). In 2003, a ten-year accreditation was
granted.

Associate of Arts and Sciences, and Associate of Applied Arts and
Science degrees are offered for technical and career programs and
include university parallel transfer programs. The transfer programs are
articulated with several institutions. Transfer students can graduate
after two years and transfer to these institutions with junior
classification.

College of Menominee Nation is chartered by the Menominee Indian Tribe
of Wisconsin and is governed by a Board of Directors. The charter of CMN
sets forth the powers of the Board of Directors with "the full power and
authority to" establish policies and procedures, approve the College
budget, supervise the President and approve new programs. The board
members must be enrolled Menominee Tribal members who are appointed by
Menominee Tribal Legislature.

The primary service population is the Menominee Nation, with over 5,000
enrolled members living on or near the reservation. Annually, CMN serves
students representing many tribes. In the fall of 2006, CMN served
students from 22 different tribes. College of Menominee Nation serves
approximately 500 students each semester; 86 percent are degree-seeking
students, 83 percent are Native American, 71 percent are female and 56
percent are part-time. A significant number, 95 percent of the college's
students receive some form of financial aid.

The proposed project is to construct an addition to and renovate the
current Culture Building facility. This facility is key to three CMN
program areas including community outreach programs that provide
essential training requested by the community, youth programs that
provide bridge programs and support to draw high school students into
postsecondary education, and culture and language programs that support
the Native American student body and provide the essential community and
cultural support needed by these students. The proposed project cost is
\$990,000.

**[P031T070006 - Oglala Lakota College]{.underline}**

**Level:** 4 year; **Control:** Public; **Affiliation:** Tribal (Oglala
Sioux);

**Service Population:** Residents of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
(28,782 Native Americans), Rapid City, South Dakota, (15,000 Native
Americans)

**Programs of Study:** Oglala Lakota College (OLC) has Associates
through Master\'s degrees. Programs of study include Applied Science;
Business; Tribal Management; Construction; TV Production;
Entrepreneurship; Human Services; Education (Early Childhood through
12th Grade Teachers); Lakota Studies; Agriculture/Natural Resources;
Science; Engineering and Math (including an Integrated Environmental
Science degree); and Nursing. Oglala Lakota College has a Masters in
Lakota Leadership/Management with an emphasis area in Educational
Administration to educate Principals for Tribal schools. Oglala Lakota
College also operates the Head Start program on the Pine Ridge Indian
Reservation that has 531 children from age three to five in 26
classrooms and 100 children from birth through age three in six
classrooms.

**Student Body Characteristics (Fall 2006)**

Headcount: 1,485 Full-Time Equivalent \-- 1.137

Race: Native American \-- 1,351 (91 percent); Gender: Female \-- 1,013
(68 percent)

Age: Average Age = 31

**Faculty Characteristics:**

Full-time: 60 Adjunct \-- 139

Faculty-Student Ratio: Full-Time \-- 1:19

Full-time/Adjunct: Headcount \-- 1:7

**Activity I: Construct the Pejuta Haka Student Residence, 6,960 square
feet at Kyle, South Dakota**

**Major Objectives in Measurable Terms Performance Indicators**

**Year 1**

1.  To meet student residence needs by providing a safe, handicapped
    accessible Student Residence Building at the Pejuta Haka
    Instructional Center in Kyle, South Dakota.

    -   By September 30, 2008, a new 6,960 square feet Student Residence
        Building will be constructed.

    -   By September 30, 2008, the building will have space for at least
        38 students to live.

-   By September 30, 2008 the Student Residence Building will provide
    space for studying and collaborative work.

**Cost:** The cost for the Pejuta Haka Student Residence is \$1,650,000,
which includes all design and construction costs.

**[P031T070007 - Turtle Mountain Community College]{.underline}**

This project addresses the identified need of the college provide
increased access for students. This project will create a combined
student union and library facility in a separate building. The project
will be a significant step to providing services to students on a seven
day a week basis and in the evenings.

Currently, the library is housed in the main college building. The open
design of the building and the lack of security for the full building
preclude opening only a portion of the building in off hours. Library
services are currently available only during the regular work day with
no weekend hours. Turtle Mountain Community College (TMCC) student body
experiences a high level of poverty. This creates barriers to academic
success. Notably, TMCC students frequently share homes with other family
members. A housing study of the reservation identified the lack of
habitable rental units and overcrowding of existing units. As it relates
to students, the impact is students seldom have the luxury of a private
place to study at home forcing them to study at the college. More than
half of the students do not have computers or Internet access at home,
which increases the need for weekend and after hours opening of the
library.

One area significantly impacted by poverty is transportation. No public
transportation is available. With nearly half of reservation homes
having one or no car, most students do not have a car of their own. Over
the past several years, gas prices have continued to increase creating a
higher cost of travel. Because of limited transportation option and the
cost of gas, the average student arrives in the morning and stays
throughout the day. Students typically spend out of class time sitting
in the cafeteria. Inclement weather during most of the year prevents
students spending a significant amount of time out doors. A new student
union will provide students an area for relaxation, recreation, eating
and socializing. Small private study rooms with Internet access will be
available. Staff housed in the new facility will provide tutorial and
personal counseling assistance.

This project is a key element in the implementation of the college's
efforts to improve the student environment. It will provide
significantly increased access for use of the library and student
activities. Either side can be independently opened to increase access.

**[P031T070011 - Institute of American Indian Arts]{.underline}**

### Title III, Part A -- One-Year Construction Grant Award Abstract

**Activity: Renovation for Americans with Disabilities Act Regulatory
(ADA) Compliance and Campus Health & Safety Standards for Instructional
Facilities**

Established in 1962 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Institute of American
Indian Arts (IAIA) is a fully accredited, federally chartered fine arts
college with a Board of Trustees appointed by the President of the
United States. As a member of the American Indian Higher Education
Consortium (AIHEC), IAIA is a Tribal College and a Native American Land
Grant Institution. In 2004, IAIA received its 10-year regional
accreditation from North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
(NCACS) and a 10-year national accreditation from the National
Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) to offer baccalaureate
degrees in the areas of Studio Arts, Creative Writing, Museum Studies,
New Media Arts, and Indigenous Liberal Studies. The 562 federally
recognized Tribes in North America represent IAIA's national
constituency, with an immediate service area of the Pueblo Tribes,
Mescalero Apache reservation and the Navajo Nation in New Mexico. The
current student body is comprised of 198 students, 165 of which are
full-time. Of the 198 students, 107 are female; 91 are male; 180 are
Native American; three are Hispanic; 13 are Caucasian; and two are
Asian/Pacific Islander. The median age is 32, and the average age is
21.8. Faculty to student ratio is 1:6, with 17 full-time and 15 adjunct
faculty members.

**IAIA is applying for a \$1,499,893 under the Title III, Part A
Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities program for renovation of
its existing instructional facilities for increased ADA Regulatory
Compliance and improved Health and Safety Standards.** This renovation
project will allow IAIA to provide a high quality and fully accessible,
ADA compliant learning environment that more appropriately supports the
baccalaureate programs, generates and sustains increased enrollment and
retention rates, and allows IAIA to better serve *all* American Indian
and Alaska Native students and community members.

**[P031T070002 - Little Big Horn College]{.underline}**

This is a proposal under the U.S. Department of Education's American
Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities program to
construct an **Archives and Administration Building,** which will meet
the needs of Little Big Horn College and the larger Crow Indian
Reservation community in southeastern Montana.

In November 2005, it was decided that the Library would receive
priority, and plans were redrawn to separate the Library and the
Administration/Archives into two adjacent wings of one building. Using
this "build to budget" plan, construction of the library could be
completed first; construction of the **Archives and Administration**
wing would not interfere with library operations.

The long range goals for Little Big Horn College are, as described
earlier, based on institutional analyses performed during the 2005
self-study process and strategic planning sessions conducted yearly
since 2001. This application proposes one singular activity: *The
construction of an **Archives and Administration Building** at Little
Big Horn College*. Institutional goals related to this activity are
academic, institutional management and long-term fiscal stability.

The proposed project is scheduled to be completed February 2008.

[P031T070027 - United Tribes Technical College]{.underline}

United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) was founded in 1969 by an
intertribal organization, the United Tribes of North Dakota Development
Corporation, chartered in the state of North Dakota with 501(c)(3)
non-profit status. Located in Bismarck, North Dakota, the College is
owned and operated by the five Tribal Nations located wholly or in part
of North Dakota. These tribes are the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe, the
Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, the Three
Affiliated Tribes (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation) of the Fort
Berthold Reservation, and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. United
Tribes Technical College is governed by a 10-member board of directors
made up of the Tribal chairperson and one Tribal delegate selected from
each of the owner tribes. United Tribes Technical College provides
specialized vocational technical programs to American Indians seeking to
become skilled in the contemporary workforce. The college is a 1994
Tribal land grant institution, two-year private, not-for-profit
institution, with a student enrollment of 1,118 in academic year
2005-2006. United Tribes Technical College's operational budget consists
of core funding totaled in the amount of \$9.3 million in fiscal year
2005 with the total net worth of UTTC being \$21.1 million.

**Activity 1 - \$1,500,000 over one year. Campus
Expansion---Infrastructure Construction Project PHASE I.**

The United Tribes Technical College's overall expansion plans focus on
the development of a comprehensive campus that is conducive to creating
an effective learning environment. The entire proposed construction will
consist of four phases. Phase I will consist of the development UTTC
South Campus, Northwest Quadrant to include student housing, science,
arts and administration and site infrastructure. It is UTTC's intention
to utilize Title III construction funding to develop the infrastructure
construction under Phase I construction. The further intent includes
that such site improvements will facilitate the long-range goals for
campus expansion. The implementation of Phase I is the first step toward
the institution's vision to provide a campus community with
state-of-the-art facilities to promote skilled, knowledgeable,
culturally grounded, and healthy graduates. The anticipated outcome is
that the expansion will broaden the capacity of the institution to
provide services and opportunity to greater numbers of individuals to
achieve their personal educational goals.

**[P031T070034 - Fort Berthold Community College]{.underline}**

The Fort Berthold Community College (FBCC) is tribally chartered by the
Three Affiliated Tribes to meet the higher education needs of the people
of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation. The college was founded May
2, 1973, as the agency responsible for higher education on the Fort
Berthold Indian Reservation located in northwestern North Dakota. The
college is tribally controlled by a seven-member board of directors.
Fort Berthold Community College was granted initial accreditation on
February 12, 1988, through The Higher Learning Commission of the North
Central Association of Colleges and Schools as a two-year public
institution granting associate level degrees. In 1996, The Higher
Learning Commission (HLC) granted FBCC a 10-year accreditation status.
In February 2006, a visiting HLC team completed a comprehensive site
visit and recommended another ten-year accreditation status. The college
is also one of thirty-two tribal colleges recognized as a United States
Department of Agriculture's 1994 Land Grant Institution. The Fort
Berthold Community College is a member of the American Indian Higher
Education Consortium (AIHEC).

The fall 2005 student body of 216 was 92 percent American Indian/Alaska
Native and eight percent White-Caucasian, and nearly two-thirds, 62
percent were female, and one-third were 38 percent male. Two-thirds, 65
percent were 25 and older, and the remaining third, 35 percent were 24
and under. The average age of FBCC students is nearly 32. Almost
one-third, 28 percent of the student body enters FBCC with a General
Education Diploma (GED); 64 percent of the student body are single
parents and non- traditional students. During the fall 2005 semester,
the FBCC full-time faculty numbered 11 and part-time was 25 with an
approximate ten to one student to faculty ratio. The college provides
educational and vocational services throughout the communities of the
reservation. Currently, the college offers seven Associate of Arts
Degree programs, six Associate of Science Degree programs, eight
Associate of Applied Science Degree programs and twelve vocational
certificates.

**Activity 1 - \$1,164,780 over one year. Early Childhood Learning
Laboratory at the Fort Berthold Community College**

The Fort Berthold Community College "Early Childhood Learning
Laboratory" proposes to construct a learning lab for the Education
students at FBCC to complete their practicum experiences. The additional
3,500 square feet will enhance curricular offerings for the Early
Childhood program and provide a site for students to complete student
teaching.

11/21/2007