# Title III, Part A, American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCU) Program, 84.031T

# FY 2016 Abstracts

## Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College — P031T160032

## L’Anse, Michigan 

The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College (KBOCC), located in L’Anse, Michigan, is a rural two-year college chartered by the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community in 1975. The College’s mission is to provide postsecondary education rich in Ojibwa culture, tradition and beliefs that support life-long learning. The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College is seeking funding to strengthen institutional systems to increase the College’s capacity to serve students through the following main objectives:  1) to provide professional and program development; 2) to increase student learning; and 3) to provide student practicum in early childhood education.

The first activity for building institutional capacity is professional development for faculty and support staff, as well as program development for continuing education units. Professional development for faculty is a continual need in order to provide quality education and efficient services, as well as to maintain accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission. Professional development will be needed for adjunct faculty and staff become credentialed and/or expands their area of teaching. Professional development is also needed for support staff that are providing services to students, through training and attendance at national and other conferences. The College also seeks to develop additional continuing education units that directly support the College’s mission of providing life-long learning. The College would like to expand its current offerings of continuing education units to serve the needs and interests of the community. Curriculum consultants will develop curriculum and programming.

Institutional capacity will also be created through expansion of student services, including continued improvement of student learning, expansion of the developmental education program and provide career development activities. The majority of students entering KBOCC are not fully prepared for college-level work, with roughly half of new students placing into developmental composition and over 90 percent placing into math courses lower than college algebra. To better prepare students in core areas such math, English, and science, the College seeks to further implement an achievement model which assists all students in becoming successful as opposed to separating lower learning level students from others. In additional to offering developmental course, this achievement model will be used to further develop an academic success center, providing staff and services to enhance student learning, such as improving delivery of tutoring services, study skills and assistance, time management and goal setting, anxiety and exam preparation to better meet the needs of the students. Assessment of learning and student success will be conducted. Student services will also be expanded through providing career counseling. Counseling services and resources will be available to students for identifying career opportunities, developing portfolios, enhancing communication skills, developing interviewing skills, and assistance and resources for aggressive job searching. Services are needed to improve career readiness and to meet career goals of students. The library will assist students with on-line applications and job searches.

To improve the College’s Early Childhood Education Program, the current child care program will be enhanced and developed into an early learning program. The development and expansion of an early learning program will allow for a higher quality early childhood education, which will benefit students whose children attend, as well as improve the Early Childhood Education program. Culturally-appropriate early learning programming will be implemented in the classrooms and will facilitate in-classroom observation and learning, serving as a practicum for Early Childhood Education student teachers. Professional development of current staff is needed to obtain credentials. Through the demonstration of quality early learning programming, the College will attract and retain more students and faculty.

## Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College — P031T160033

## Mt. Pleasant, Michigan 

Title:  “Strengthening SCTC’s Student Academic Support for the Future”

A majority of Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College (SCTC) students are Native American who are also economically and academically diverse, many of whom are underprepared for college. Currently, all new students take the COMPASS placement test and nearly all require remediation in one or more essential skills areas needed for college-level achievement. Building the infrastructure for Student Support Services is paramount to SCTC’s effort to help students succeed. Title III funds have allowed the college to create the positions of Dean of Student Services, Mathematics Developmental Education Specialist, English Developmental Education Specialist, and tutors in mathematics, English, business, and Ojibwe language.

Grant projects will continue to include the development of a tutoring manual and use of technology, such as creation of video casts on mathematics and English concepts. The grant will fund tutors in key subject areas, such as mathematics, English, business and Ojibwe language. Having tutors available on a regular schedule is essential because students need to be able to depend on the services being available when they need them. “Strengthening SCTC’s Student Academic Support for the Future” project will continue the college’s efforts to strengthen student success in these areas.

9/30/2016