Recommended Goals and Strategies for 2006 – 2010

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System

Office of the Chancellor

Diversity and Multiculturalism

 

Systemwide Strategic Work Plan

For

American Indians

2006 – 2010

 

Recommended Goals and Strategies for 2006 – 2010

 

This systemwide strategic work plan for American Indians is designed to help colleges and universities “focus on enhancing the access and success of American Indian students at our system’s colleges and universities.”  This plan will be incorporated into the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System’s 2006-2010 Action Plan.

 

System Strategic Direction 1:  Increase access and opportunity

 

Goal 1.1

 

Evaluate the effectiveness of current American Indian focused programs and activities

 

Institutional Strategies

• Each institution will prepare an inventory of its current American Indian focused programs and activities.[1]
• Each institution, in conjunction with the Office of the Chancellor, will develop and implement a protocol for evaluating the effectiveness of its current American Indian focused programs and activities.

 

Office of the Chancellor Strategies

• The Office of the Chancellor will coordinate the institutional inventory of American Indian focused programs and activities.
• The Office of the Chancellor will prepare a systemwide inventory of American Indian focused programs and activities to be shared with all units of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.
• The Office of the Chancellor will assist institutions to evaluate the effectiveness of their American Indian focused programs and activities.
• The Office of the Chancellor, based upon an evaluation of the effectiveness of the American Indian focused programs and activities, will compile a compendium of best practices. 

 

 

Goal 1.2

 

Increase the number of American Indian students who enroll at Minnesota State Colleges institutions

 

Institutional Strategies

• In consultation with the Chancellor, each institution will establish goals for increasing the number of students of American Indian heritage.
• Selected institutions will create pilot projects to:
• explore new ways to provide information regarding registration and financial assistance to American Indian students;
• provide comprehensive career counseling to American Indians at sites such as on reservations and at urban community centers;
• collaborate with tribal and urban American Indian leaders and through the use of American Indian culture and language, will develop appropriate youth self-esteem building and academic enhancement programs.
• Appropriate institutions, through working with tribal education chairs, will expand partnerships with American Indians to increase youth participation in new and existing pre-college bridge programs.
• Appropriate institutions will, in collaboration with urban American Indian organizations and tribal leadership, establish outreach programs for prospective non-traditional American Indian students.

 

Office of the Chancellor Strategies

• The Office of the Chancellor will support and monitor each institution’s progress towards achieving its recruitment goals for American Indians.
• The Office of the Chancellor will provide professional development opportunities for recruiters, financial aid officers, advisors and admission officers to develop specific and appropriate cultural competency skills specific to American Indians. 
• The Office of the Chancellor will facilitate a Best Practices Forum for the recruitment, retention and graduation of American Indian students.
• The Office of the Chancellor will collect and disseminate employee and student data on persons of American Indian heritage.

 

Goal 1.3

 

Increase the number of postsecondary education opportunities to American Indian communities, reservations and areas with significant American Indian populations.

 

Institutional Strategies

• Appropriate institutions will establish postsecondary education opportunities for American Indians, using traditional and electronic modalities, to reservations and community centers.  The programs should be based upon the needs of the American Indian reservations and communities.
• In order to improve the feasibility of reservation based postsecondary education programs, appropriate institutions will assist American Indians develop programs to increase the participation of local non-American Indians in education programs offered on the reservations.
• Appropriate institutions will provide suitable assistance to tribal colleges in such areas as program development, accreditation issues and other institutional concerns.

 

Office of the Chancellor Strategy

• The Office of the Chancellor will seeks funds to assist colleges and universities provide postsecondary education opportunities to American Indians on their reservations.
• The Office of the Chancellor and appropriate institutions will assist American Indians to develop programs to increase the participation of local non-American Indians in education programs offered on the reservations.

 

Strategic Direction 2: Promote and measure high-quality learning programs and services

 

Goal 2.1

 Afford students enrolled at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System’s institutions the opportunity to increase their knowledge of American Indian history, culture and legal status.

 

Institutional Strategies

• Faculty will be encouraged to, in appropriate courses and learning experiences, integrate information regarding American Indian history, culture and legal systems.
• Faculty will be encouraged to, in appropriate courses and learning experiences, integrate information regarding American Indian sovereignty.

 

Office of the Chancellor Strategies

• The Office of the Chancellor will provide/coordinate professional development opportunities for faculty to enhance their knowledge of American Indian epistemologies and corresponding learning styles.
• The Office of the Chancellor will continue to monitor and support credit transfer agreements with accredited tribal college postsecondary programs.

 

Goal 2.2

Increase the number of American Indian faculty and staff at each institution.

 

Institutional Strategies

• Each institution, in consultation with the Office of the Chancellor, and, based upon underutilization information in its affirmative action plan, set goals for hiring faculty and staff of American Indian heritage.
• Each institution will ensure that search committees and search processes adhere to the system’s commitment to a diverse workforce.
• Each institution will develop and implement plans for retaining faculty and staff of American Indian heritage.

 

Office of the Chancellor Strategy

• The Office of the chancellor will develop and implement appropriate cultural competency professional development opportunities for individuals who serve on search committees.

 

Strategic Direction 3:  Provide programs and services integral to state and regional economic needs   

 

Goal 3.1

 

Enhance relationships with local and regional business

 

Institutional Strategies  

• Appropriate institutions will provide customized training designed to meet the needs of American Indian businesses such as casinos and federally contracted services provide by certain American Indian reservations.
• Institutions will  consider the needs of American Indian economic and business needs in designing customized training programs

 

Goal 3.2

 

Enhance the relationship between American Indian communities and organizations and the Minnesota State College and Universities System.

 

Institutional Strategy  

• Appropriate institutions will establish a formal mechanism designed to serve as a liaison between the institution and American Indian communities, reservations and organizations.

           

Office of the Chancellor Strategies

• Create an American Indian Advisory Board to the Office of the Chancellor.  This board should have a liaison to the Community Action Diversity Council.
• Given their unique political status, the Diversity and Multiculturalism division should designate a staff member as liaison to American Indian people.

 

Strategic Direction 4:  Innovation to meet current and future educational needs efficiently

 

Goal 4.1

 

Increase the knowledge of issues related to the access and success of American Indians in higher education

 

 

Institutional Strategy  

• Each institution will provide appropriate support to qualified faculty and staff to conduct approved research related to American Indians and higher education.  Research designed to enhance the access and success of American Indian students in higher education will be given priority.

 

Office of the Chancellor Strategy

• The Office of the Chancellor will develop and support a three year research project for faculty and staff interested in conducting and sharing research on issues of access and success of American Indians in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System.

 

Goal 4.2

 

Recognize institutions that develop innovative programs that enhance the access and success of American Indian students

 

Office of the Chancellor Strategy

 

• The Office of the Chancellor will recognize institutions that develop innovative and efficient policies, programs and activities that enhance the access and success of students of American Indian heritage.