**American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Program**

**FY 2011 Project Abstracts**

**P031T110333 -  Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College, Michigan**

Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College, Baraga, Michigan, is seeking funding for the purpose of increasing institutional capacity.  This project will focus on four areas:  (1) program development; (2) acquiring a student information system; (3) enhancing student services; and (4) establishing an Office of Sponsored Programs.

Three programs will be developed:  Associate of Applied Science degree in Business; an Associate of Arts degree in Native American Studies; and an Associate of Fine Arts in Art. The main funding needs will be for staff time in the academic affairs and student services departments, travel for curriculum development consultation, and consultant fees.  Funding will be needed for salary support for curriculum development and acquisition of learning resources needed at program launch.  Additionally, funding will also be needed for professional development.  With additional personnel, equipment and supplies will also be purchased in order to perform their responsibilities.

The second activity to be funded is acquisition of a digitized student information system. Currently, the college uses a manual system for collection and processing of all student information which is extremely prone to error.  The Student Information System will serve as a single storage point for all student information.  The system will enable better data-driven decision making to improve student achievement by facilitating the institutional assessment process and by providing informational access to stakeholders important in directing student learning. The system will improve all areas of the college including admissions, enrollment, financial aid, billing, grants, reporting requirements, student services, donor relations, and other planning.

The third activity funded for expansion of student services will be provided through career guidance, counseling, and placement efforts that will increase student success and retention.  Support staff will be hired to better serve students in these areas.  Counseling will be available to students for identifying career opportunities, developing portfolios, enhancing communication skills, perfecting interviewing skills and techniques, and performing an aggressive job search.

The final activity funded under this project is the establishment of an Office of Sponsored Programs to serve as a central resource to support externally funded educational endeavors.  Establishment of an Office of Sponsored Programs would directly contribute to the college’s academic mission by facilitating engagement in activities such as establishing new programs, conducting faculty and faculty/student research, providing improvements in instructional and other services, supporting professional growth and higher degree acquisition for faculty and staff, expanding student service opportunities, etc.

**P031T110334 -  Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College, Michigan**

**Strengthening SCTC’s Student Academic Support for the Future**

The Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College (SCTC) proposes the use of grant funds to improve, strengthen and expand our current capacity to serve Native students.  The projects listed below are all initiatives directly linked to the college’s 2009-2012 Strategic Plan.  This plan calls for cultural relevancy to be integrated into every priority, goal, and objective.  It calls for the development, implementation, and evaluation of policies to ensure that the college is fulfilling its mission, and meeting its responsibilities to both internal and external stakeholders.  In addition to the implementation of the Strategic Plan, the college is currently undergoing self-study for the purposes of receiving Continuing Accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission in the fall of 2012.

The college has identified three target areas where grant funding will enhance the educational experience of students, and enable the college to continue to build intellectual capacity.  The three categories target improvements in the areas of student basic skills, library and student support infrastructure, and outreach to tribal youth.

Category One targets use of funding to strengthen student basic skill levels by strengthening the college’s development education program.  The college needs dedicated staff and resources to ensure its at-risk students are able to persist and develop the skills needed to be successful at the college level.

Category Two focuses on developing a Student Support Center that will house library services, provide tutoring for Math, English, Ojibwa language, and other subjects, as well as promote student growth and development through co-curricular and extracurricular educational opportunities.

Category Three will use funding to assist in reaching out to Native students in the eleventh and twelfth grades and assist them in the preparedness for higher education.  This bridge program will assist in facilitating students to transition from high school to the tribal college or other institutions.  

**P031T110433 - Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College, Michigan**

Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College, Baraga, Michigan, is seeking funding for the purpose of constructing an addition to the current facility at the main campus.  The college is proposing the construction of an addition to the college’s existing Technology Resource Center to establish a Student Services Center.

The center will be built in three phases, with the first phase focusing on planning, design, and constructing a foundation and shell. The college will contract with a local contractor to develop a site layout plan, detail construction methods, and design a preliminary floor and building plan.  A bid schedule will be planned for early spring with construction beginning late spring.

College staff will conduct work group meetings for presentation to the contractor for the incorporation of cultural elements into the design plan. The work group will meet on an on-going basis throughout the project period to ensure the design is ready for the bid schedule in early spring with phase one completion by fall.

**P031T110434 -  Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College, Michigan**

**Strengthening Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College’s Administrative and Governance Infra-Structure for the Future**

The Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College of Mount Pleasant, Michigan, proposes the use of grant funds to improve, strengthen and expand its current capacity to serve Native American students.  The projects listed below are all initiatives directly linked to the college’s 2009-2012 Strategic Plan.  This plan calls for cultural relevancy to be integrated into every priority, goal, and objective.  It calls for the development, implementation, and evaluation of policies to ensure that the college is fulfilling its mission, and meeting its responsibilities to both internal and external stakeholders.  In addition to the implementation of the Strategic Plan, the college is currently undergoing self-study for the purposes of receiving Continuing Accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission in the fall of 2012.

The college has identified three target areas where grant funding will enhance the stability of the college, which enables the college to continue to build its intellectual capacity and provide a top notch educational experience to students. The three categories target improvements in the areas of governance and administration. 

More specifically, funding directed to meet Category One initiatives will enable the college to strengthen the executive administration level by developing positions that will support the executive leadership.  Funds will also be used to provide the governing board organizational support and the opportunity to further develop their expertise so that they can continue to support the college’s mission.

Additionally, Category Two will guide the process to strengthen the college’s fiscal viability by the establishment of the Office of Sponsor Programs and Institutional Research. This office will take the lead in diversifying the college’s revenue sources through grant writing and annual fundraising.  It will also collect and analyze data to support securing funds for the college growth and development, and strengthen the college’s data-driven decision-making and reporting capabilities.

Lastly, Category Three will strengthen the college’s administrative technical capabilities by hiring staff to maintain and expand the use of the Empower student records system, maintain and enhance the college’s Web site, develop the use of social media, and pursue long-range planning for distant education.

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