American Indian College Fund - Faculty Development

The 9th annual TCU Faculty Convening brought together faculty representing 11 TCUs to discuss research, best practices, and lessons learned. The presentations covered topics such as tribal vs. non-tribal law, academic program review, Diné educational philosophy, and Indigenous sovereignty throughout history.Participants also took a cultural trip to view the Sand Creek Massacre exhibit at the History Colorado Center and visited the College Fund office. Richard Williams and Montoya...

As institutions of higher education, tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) share many of the same educational quality assurance practices as their peers, such as pursuing accreditations, evaluating the need for new academic programs, and regularly reviewing current academic programs. Unique to TCUs, they have a dual mission to provide academic programs that incorporate tribal culture and language and to respond to the needs of the communities that chartered them. Little research has been...

Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) were formed to provide a culturally relevant postsecondary education to American Indian and Alaska Native students. TCUs offer an array of services to support their students’ success; however, little is known about the breadth of these services. This research brief summarizes a qualitative study of 34 leaders, faculty members, and staff members from five TCUs. The study examined how student success is defined at TCUs and the programs and...

In 1968, Navajo Community College (now Diné College) became the first tribally chartered, postsecondary institution and launched the tribal college movement. Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) were created (1) to provide tribal citizens with a culturally relevant education that preserves and perpetuates tribal culture and language, and (2) to meet the workforce needs of Tribal Nations. Today there are 35 accredited TCUs that continue to serve this dual mission, but they face challenges...