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The event was the second in a series of planned meetings to formalize ways that will help American Indian students succeed in higher education.

By Rebecca Ruiz-McGill, University Communications
October 19, 2009

The University of Arizona hosted the Tribal and College Leaders Summit on Monday which brought together more than 200 statewide tribal and education leaders.

UA Executive Vice Present and Provost Meredith Hay welcomed the leaders to the UA campus. Karen Francis-Begay, the UA special adviser for American Indian affairs, introduced the panel of southern Arizona tribal and higher education leaders invited to lead discussions and answer questions from summit attendees.

Panelist included Ned Norris Jr., chairman of the Tohono O'odham Nation; Melissa Vito, UA vice president of student affairs; Peter Yucupicio, chairman of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona; Olivia Vanegas-Funcheon, president of Tohono O'odham Community College; John R. Lewis, executive director of the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc.; and Roy Flores, chancellor of Pima Community College.

The event was the second in a series of planned meetings to formalize ways that will assist American Indian students succeed in higher education.

According to a report by the Alliance for Excellent Education, more than 23,800 students did not graduate from Arizona's high schools in 2009. By race, 46 percent of American Indian students of the class of 2006 received a high school diploma.

The report further states that of those American Indian students enrolled in four-year institutions in 2006, 48 percent graduated. Forty-two percent enrolled in two-year institutions also graduated.

The summit was co-sponsored by the University of Arizona, Pima Community College, Tohono O'odham Community College and the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona.  

A key element of the summit was the commitment to work in breakout sessions to resolve barriers and challenges identified during the summit's inaugural meeting in June 2009. The initial summit identified barriers such as data sharing, formalized tracking of American Indian students, transfer issues between two-year and four-year institutions, housing and financial aid as well as high school-to-college academic preparation.  

"We will work diligently during the breakout sessions to develop clear and constructive recommendations on moving forward toward providing assistance for Native American students to have access, to develop the persistence and the ability to succeed in higher education. We will work to develop a realistic plan to see that happen," Francis-Begay said.

Representatives from the UA, Pima Community College and the Tohono O'odham Community College shared college enrollment data and invited attendees to review and request any additional data or reports the tribal leaders needed to help support student success. All three schools showed increases in American Indian enrollment with higher rates of enrollment by women.

Breakout sessions also focused on best practices for American Indian recruitment and retention, an area the UA has worked toward establishing successful programs.

"Recruitment and retention of Native American students has increased steadily at the UA. In 1989, the Native American student population at the UA totaled 434, or 1.2 percent of the student population. Now the Native American student population totals 940, or 2.71 percent," said Amanda Tachine, interim director of Native American Student Affairs.

Programs such as the UA's First-Year Scholars Program, designed with American Indian living and learning communities and include workshops, weekly study sessions, tutoring and cultural and social activities that have directly led to increases in retention and recruitment.

Francis-Begay said the U.S. is looking to Arizona to follow in the development of a national model.

"When I travel to peer institutions, they want to know how we track students from various tribes and how we communicate and provide reports to one another. We are lucky to live in a state where we recognize the sovereignty of each native nation and that we are able to actively work on issues that will benefit other states as well."