The University of Montana’s Key Imperatives for Excellence in Native American Education
President’s Native American Advisory Council
2021
Background and Significance
Native American (American Indian, Alaska Native, & Native Hawaiian) students, faculty, and staff at the University of Montana represent a vital part of the campus community. Diversity matters and enriches the educational environment of academic excellence for everyone. However, Native Americans are earning advanced academic degrees at a much lower rate than their non-Native counterparts, and are subsequently underrepresented in workforce positions that require such degrees. As a public institution in the State of Montana that benefits from and values indigenous perspectives, and as an educational institution committed to the success of Native students, we aim to do better by promoting academic equity for Native Americans.
The following represents a collaboration between UM faculty, students, staff, administrators, campus community members, and Native American community members. This document outlines six key imperatives in UM’s efforts to become a model of excellence for Native Americans.
Overarching Goals
The University of Montana will:
• Be a model for Native education nationwide by preparing, supporting, and learning
from our Native students, faculty, and staff.
• Acknowledge the uniqueness of our Native populations; incorporate Native cultural
knowledge and historical experience into our curriculum, pedagogy, and administrative
approaches; cultivate reciprocal collaboration with Tribal communities and ensure
pathways to the University and into meaningful careers.
• Create systems of support and enrichment aimed at providing opportunities to achieve
excellence for Native Americans at UM.
Key Imperatives
- Perform foundational quantitative and qualitative data collection, allowing for informed assessments of Native student experiences at UM, as well as use of those assessments to design and refine the programming outlined below.
- Offer robust and inclusive engagement activities to create a strong sense of community for Native students at UM.
- Provide comprehensive support services to empower and assist Native students in navigating their UM education.
- Incorporate knowledge of Natives cultures and histories into UM’s curriculum and student support services.
- Collaborate with tribal communities — particularly tribal colleges — to support and build educational pathways for students to achieve their education goals.
- Develop opportunities for novel scholarship, creative works, service, and teaching collaborations for Native students, staff, faculty, and alumni at the University of Montana. Emphasize in particular career readiness and internship/externship support for Native students.
Key Imperative #1
Perform foundational quantitative and qualitative data collection, allowing for informed assessments of Native student experiences at UM, as well as use of those assessments to design and refine the programming outlined below.
Current Assets
Existing Initiatives and Programs
· American Indian Student Services annual reporting
· Native American Studies program review
· Native American Student Advisory Council survey
· Annual Climate Survey (students)
· Annual Employee Engagement Survey (employees)
· Annual Faculty Survey of Administration (Faculty)
· OCHE dashboard
Proposed Activities
|
Strategy |
Key Actions |
Accountable Owner |
Supporters |
|
Perform annual assessment of Native student experience and success to identify effective engagement programs and existing needs |
Collect data and anecdotal evidence Plan and Implement a study of Native American student financial aid, use of the NA tuition waiver, higher education support, and UM scholarship resources Identify units already collecting data |
Vice Provost Student Success (co-curricular)
|
Student Support Units American Indian Student Services Native American Studies Financial Aid |
Key Imperative #2
Offer robust and inclusive engagement activities to create a strong sense of community for Native students at UM.
Current Assets
Current Assets
Existing Initiatives and Programs
· American Indian Student Services
· Diversity Advisory Council
· Native American Studies
· Kyiyo Student Group and Pow Wow
· American Indian Business Leaders
· Pacific Islanders Club
· Willow Project (Native Faculty)
· LEARN Missoula
· GEAR Up
· College of Humanities and Sciences first-year seminar
· UMCH Endowment Fund Program
· Native American Studies Scholarship Initiative
· Native American Natural Resource Program
· Soup Wednesdays
· Study Jam
· Peer Mentoring Program
· HCOP
· MT AIMS
· Native American Youth Conference
· NAS and Indigenous Conference
· Welcome Back, Student Honors Achievement, and Graduation Events
· DiverseU
· Upward Bound/TRiO
· SEA Change Director
· American Indian Support and Development Council
· Native American Student Advisory Council
Proposed Activities
|
Strategy |
Key Actions |
Accountable Owner |
Supporters |
|
Establish a suite of first-year experiences tailored specifically for incoming freshman and transfer Native students, including programming to serve non-traditional students and students with families |
· Tailored welcome activities · · Study tables and tutoring, by subject · · FY Seminar Class (reimagined) · · Mentoring · · Orientation (week long or over 3 days) · · Life Skills · |
Vice Provost Student Success (co-curricular) Vice Provost for Academic Affairs (curricular) Brian Reed and Shannon Janssen (for FY Seminar) |
Student Support Units Director of New Student Success
|
|
Establish the Payne Family Native American Center as a center of community for Native students, faculty, and staff and for NAS-related academic event programming. Provide for a functional home away from home with a robust dedicated PFNAC support and social space for Native students & NAS students. |
· Locate student support activities in PFNAC according to a regular schedule · Include a community presence, i.e., All Nations Health Center
Develop programming that integrates the PFNAC Planetarium |
Vice Provost Student Success (co-curricular) College of H&S/Provost (academic)
|
Student Support Units: American Indian Student Services Native American Studies |
|
Establish an endowment for the Kyiyo Pow Wow and associated programming surrounding this event
|
· |
|
|
|
Faculty and Staff mentorship and outreach with students |
Create incentives and supports to have faculty and staff partner with students in various departments across UM campus Provide faculty development opportunities around mentorship activities |
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Vice Provost for Student Success |
Amy Kinch (OOLD) |
Long-term Outcomes
Outcomes
Increased enrollment of Native students
Improved retention rates for Native students
Improved graduation rates for Native students
Expanded enrollment and supports in a wider variety of degree programs across UM campus
Key Imperative #3
Provide comprehensive support services to empower and assist Native students in navigating their UM education.
Current Assets
Existing Initiatives and Programs
· American Indian Student Services
· Native American Studies
· Tribal Outreach Specialist
· Diversity and Inclusion Position (Branch Center, TBD)
· Diversity Advisory Council
· TRiO
· SEA Change Director
GEAR UP
· Kyiyo Student Group and Pow Wow
· American Indian Business Leaders organization and activities
· Native American Law Students Association organization and activities
· College of Humanities and Sciences first-year seminar
· UMCH Endowment Fund Program
· Native American Natural Resource Program
· Peer Mentoring Program
· Native American Student Advisory Council organization and activities·
Proposed Activities
|
Strategy |
Key Actions |
Accountable Owner |
Supporters |
|
Increase funding, support, and sharing of resources for AISS and NAS |
· Explore the feasibility of a Homeland in-state tuition initiative · · Create a yearly plan and budget for campus-wide student welcome and celebration events · |
|
|
|
Secure more scholarships for Native students; include funding for conferences, internships, workshops, and emergency aid
|
· Monitor use of current scholarship funds · · Work with the UMF on regular contact with current donors
· |
|
Director of Financial Aid |
|
Improve and expand advising support for Native students (using an IEFA lens)
|
· Establish full-time coordinator and advisor serving Native students in any major · · Establish a regular, rotating advisor presence in the PFNAC · Fully fund NAS Program Coordinator / Advisor position · Monitor advising orientation acorss campus to enhance awareness of Native students’ needs and foster appropriate referral. |
Vice Provost for Student Success
|
Office for Student Success American Indian Student Services Native American Studies Advising Centers |
|
Ensure robust financial aid and scholarship mentoring and support for Native students |
Identify a financial aid contact for Native students, i.e., someone with specific knowledge of the issues and opportunities that impact Native students
· Establish a regular, rotating financial aid expert presence in the PFNAC · · Provide Financial Aid sessions for parents and new incoming students throughout the year · · Create a yearly assessment of financial aid resources utilized by students · · Create systematic scholarship information workshops · |
Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management
|
Director of Financial Aid American Indian Student Services NAS Program Coordinator / Advisor DHC Scholarship & Internship Coordinator |
|
Establish the Payne Family Native American Center as a center of community for Native students, faculty, and staff as well as NAS students, faculty, and staff. Provide for a functional home away from home with a robust dedicated PFNAC support and social space for Native students |
· Locate student support activities (advising, financial aid workshops, scholarship workshops, tutoring, etc.) in PFNAC according to a regular schedule · · Include a community presence, e.g.., All Nations Health Center |
Vice Provost Student Success (co-curricular) Dean & Provost (academic)
|
Student Support Units American Indian Student Services Native American Studies |
|
Analyze successful student support programs (at UM and elsewhere) to determine new strategies that would work well at UM (e.g., MSU COOP and UND’s RAIN Program)
|
, |
Vice Provost for Student Success |
Student Support Units
|
Long-term Outcomes
Outcomes
Increased enrollment of Native students
Improved retention rates for Native students
Improved graduation rates for Native students
Expanded enrollment and supports in a wider variety of degree programs
Expand network of Native role models at UM on campus at faculty and staff levels
Key Imperative #4
Incorporate knowledge of Natives cultures and histories into UM’s curriculum and student
support services.
Current Assets
Existing Initiatives and Programs
· AIMA Initiative
· IEFA in Montana Training
· Indigenous Mentoring Program
· Native American Studies
· General Education X (Global and Indigenous) courses
· Willow Project (Native Faculty)
· Native American Natural Resource program
College of Health Diversity Programs
Elouise Cobell Culture and Land Institute
American Indian Governance and Policy Institute
Proposed Activities
Strategy Key Actions Accountable Owner Supporters
Further embed Native ways of knowing into all curricula (with the help of IEFA, AIMA,
and on-campus expertise)
· Embed into New Faculty Orientation
·
· Provide on-going professional development for faculty and staff to promote curricular
revision
• Increase NAS faculty to provide service across campus (e.g., ASCRC, Gen Ed committee;
IRB, etc.)
·
· Identify faculty champions in colleges
·
· Identify model courses that have successfully integrated Native ways of knowing
and IEFA practices
·
• Enhance NAS curricular capacity to teach more general education courses
• Provost
Faculty Senate Office for Organizational Learning and Development
Faculty experts
Tribal Outreach Specialist
NAS Chair
Support ongoing employee education informed by IEFA
· Embed into New Employee Orientation
·
· Involve NAS faculty to provide expertise in IEFA subjects Associate Vice President
for Human Resource Services Office for Organizational Learning and Development
NAS Chair
Support research and scholar\ship education for UM faculty and staff working with
Indigenous people · Work to enforce adherence to the UM Indigenous Peoples Research
Policies and Procedures
https://www.umt.edu/research/compliance/IRB/indigenous.php
• Enhance graduate student opportunities to study NAS subjects and learn Indigenous
Philosophy and Methodology Office of Research
Graduate School
Long-term Outcomes
Outcomes
Incorporate knowledge of Native American cultures and histories into all aspects of
students’ UM experience.
Enhanced knowledge of the Indian Ed For All essential understandings regarding Native
American people
Curricular expansion throughout campus to incorporate knowledge of Native American
histories and cultures as well as of Indigenous methodologies in research
Enhanced understanding of ourselves at UM regarding issues related to diversity and
inclusion of Native American students, faculty, and staff.
Better support and mentoring structure for Native faculty through increasing Native
faculty presence through pedagogy and service to campus.
Key Imperative #5
Collaborate with tribal communities — particularly tribal colleges — to support and build educational pathways for students to achieve their education goals.
Current Assets
Existing Initiatives and Programs
· Tribal College Tour, Spring and Fall
· 2+2 Programs with SKC and BCC
· Common Core (not adopted at all TCUs)
· American Indian Governance Policy Institute
· Elouis Cobell Land and Culture Institute
· Native American Studies Graduate Study Planning (Henry Luce Fdn.)
· Tribal Outreach Specialist
· Collaborative Languages Project
· Precision Medicine Project
· Sister Nations Empowerment Program
· Tribal College Faculty Development Workshop
· National Native Children’s Trauma Center
· All Nations Health Center
Proposed Activities
Strategy Key Actions Accountable Owner Supporters
Establish new 2+2 programs with tribal colleges · Catalogue and disseminate all current
2+2 programs; follow up with faculty who attended 2+2 workshops in fall 2020 Vice
Provost for Academic Affairs
Tribal Outreach Specialist
Establish connections between UM faculty and tribal college faculty
· Connect faculty at UM and on tribal college campuses through 2+2 program planning
·
· Connect faculty at UM and on tribal college campuses who teach similar courses (syllabus
exchange, class outcome design, transfer of credits, etc.)
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs (co-curricular)
Tribal Outreach Specialist
Provide students at tribal colleges with exposure to UM programs and guidance in transferring
Refine the Tribal College Tour and expand outreach opportunities
· Tribal Outreach Specialist
Director of Admissions
Long-term Outcomes
Outcomes
Collaborative learning and engagement with Tribal colleges.
Improved retention rates for Native students, faculty, and staff.
Enhanced Interunit collaborations at UM and throughout the MUS for promoting Native
student success best practices.
Increased quality engagement and collaboration with tribal communities across the
state, including the Tribes higher education departments.
Better understanding of ourselves at UM regarding issues related to diversity and
inclusion of Native American students, faculty, and staff.
Key Imperative #6
Develop opportunities for novel scholarship, creative works, service, and teaching
collaborations for Native students, staff, faculty, and alumni at the University of
Montana. Emphasize in particular career readiness and internship/externship support
for Native students.
Current Assets
Existing Initiatives and Programs
· Dedicated scholarships and Fellowships
· Native American Studies speaker series
· American Indian Student Services
· Experiential Learning and Career Success (ElevateU)
· MUS American Indian Tuition Waiver
· Native American Natural Resources Program
HCOP
Proposed Activities
Strategy Key Actions Accountable Owner Supporters
Establish career preparedness programming for Native students, from first year through
graduation
· Deliberately design ElevateU with Native student exposure and participation in
mind
· (enhanced strategies to reach Native students for internship opportunities and study
abroad) Vice Provost for Student Success
Experiential Learning and Career Success
NAS Program Coord/Advisor
Director Global Engagement Office
Through ElevateU, provide opportunities for paid internships/ externships available
to Native students
• Develop partnerships with employers to provided dedicated internships/externships
for Native students
•
· Develop cohort of Native undergraduate and graduate students to conduct research
through the AIGPI and, ultimately, through the Cobell Institute
· Vice Provost Student Success
Experiential Learning and Career Success
American Indian Student Services
Native American Studies
Develop methods to improve rate of Native hires in faculty, staff, and admin. positions
· Develop financial resources dedicated to increasing workforce diversity Provost
Deans
Human Resources NAS Chair
Support Native faculty and staff with equitable compensation commensurate with regional
and national institutional trends · Provide professional development resources to
help provide workforce incentives for Native faculty and staff (travel supports, creative
scholarship, professional fees, & culturally appropriate leave or support mechanisms)
Provost
Deans
Human Resources
Supervisors
Long-term Outcomes
Outcomes
Improved retention/graduation rates for Native students
Increased internship placement for Native students
Successful job placement for Native students
More diverse faculty and staff at UM
More equality in compensation and professional development opportunities for faculty
and staff
More Native role models for students
Enhance UM Brand as a place to study Native American and Indigenous subjects in a
culturally appropriate and efficacious manner
Enhance UM Brand as a place to study Native American and Indigenous land/culture issues
and policy and governance issues.
Establish UM as a leader in cutting edge research regarding Native American governance
and policy as well as GIS land and culture studies.
Contribute to strengthen tribal communities by assisting Native American language
revitalization and maintenance efforts in Native communities
Enhance UM presence as serving the health needs of Native American communities and
training professionals in those fields