Volume 19 Number 3
May 1980

Dick G. Winchell, Stephen Safforn and Robert N. Porter

TRIBAL leaders today are faced with a critical issue which will affect the future of their communities. How can tribal governments gain the management and administrative skills needed for self-determination? By adopting Public Law 93-638, the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1974, Congress established these policies:

These policies can only be carried out by an active program of education, particularly in the areas of management and administration. As has been typical of past actions, neither Congress nor the responsible Federal agencies have made major efforts to improve existing educational programs or create new programs in these areas. It is left to tribal governments or individual tribal members to take advantage of existing educational opportunities, or to develop their own training programs.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the potentials of the two-year community college as the educational institution which may best meet the needs of Indian communities and their members. The community colleges have been overlooked as a means of providing degree programs in tribal management. A few programs now exist at the master’s level, while most learning experiences consist of training seminars for specific issues where participants receive no college credit. Such training programs are expensive and do little to meet the present needs of reservation staff and community members.

The community college offers special developmental and support services for Indian students, and can create flexible curricula to meet the specific needs of tribal governments. A major concept of the community-college system is "open access" to create "universal opportunity for a free public education without distinction based on social class, family income, and ethnic, racial or religious background" (see Note 7). Many community colleges have expanded this policy to include special services and programs to Indian students to help them enter college and remain successful while in school (see Note 2). The kind of educational cooperation and partnership needed for tribal self-determination is a natural combination of the objectives and policies of tribal governments and of community colleges.

Before pursuing this partnership, a brief mention of the present management programs will be made. Even before the Self-Determination Act, tribal leaders understood that good management training was critical for Indian community development. In response, programs in Tribal Management at several universities were established. These programs are almost all at the master’s degree level, and thus exclude most tribal staff members. As an alternative to these programs, and in order to meet the immediate needs to train people with limited skills, federal agencies have initiated funding for training seminars in specific program skills. The Bureau of Indian Affairs has established a center for these mini-workshops, which are offered throughout the country. The workshops range in content from ‘communications’ to ‘financial management of contract grant programs.’ Indian Health Services, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and other agencies serving Indian communities, also have sponsored training seminars to provide tribal staff with the specific skills needed to operate their programs. These workshops offer a certificate of attendance or accomplishment, but little else for the long-term educational advancement of participants. The workshops do not carry college credit, and have little or no relation to each other. No sequential, well-developed series of courses representing a curriculum with connected areas of learning is presented (see Note 10). Participants learn specific skills, but gain little awareness of how to use their new knowledge in a variety of day-to-day situations.

A program which has a comprehensive curriculum in management theory, but also relates to applied work skills, is needed to adequately train community members for management positions. Such a program can best be developed at a college or institution of higher learning which grants certificates and degrees upon completion of a sequential series of courses. This institution should also provide the student with needed skills in writing, reading and math. Such a program can best be developed in the two-year community college.

One major advantage of the community college is that it can admit students who may not have college-level skills. Special developmental classes are provided. to insure success. Most community colleges offer G.E.D. courses as well as developmental courses in reading, writing and arithmetic. Many community colleges also offer career-guidance, counseling and personal-development services that provide assistance to students until they attain their career objectives.

Other advantages of Arizona’s community colleges are their low cost and proximity to Indian communities. Indian students in community colleges are eligible for the same funding as those in vocational or university programs, but the total dollar cost of education per student is less. For some Indian communities with limited funding for education, this means more students can receive educational funds.

Colleges near Indian communities can serve the entire Indian community, at the same time allowing tribes to cut travel and living expenses while students attend training programs. Tuition, living expenses and travel to one week-long seminar offered by a Federal agency may cost well over $1,000 - enough to fund a full-time student for a full year at many community colleges.

Community colleges have a responsibility to serve Indian-education needs when the Indian communities fall within their service areas. Experience has shown that the community college is also one of the more flexible educational institutions for the introduction of new courses and programs. Given its community-based philosophy, the two-year college is dedicated to meeting the needs of its community. Thus, in cooperation with neighboring Indian tribes, the community college can readily promote an exchange of ideas with its Indian constituency. In short, the community college is a unique institution in terms of its potential for coordinating programs with residents of its service area, including Indian communities.

A major role of community colleges is in serving as a partner with local governments and business groups to meet their common educational needs (see Notes 1, 4, 5, 6, 8). Such opportunities can be extended to tribal governments, with both partners benefiting. An example is the Tribal Management Program being developed at Scottsdale Community College. Meeting stated Management needs expressed in the Delbeq Needs Assessment (see Note 3), the Salt River, Fort McDowell and urban Indian communities that surround the college are working with it to develop a Tribal Management Program that will benefit all those involved. The potential for such partnership agreements is unlimited. Individual students gain vocational training and a college education; the community college gains new students and becomes a provider of a wider range of services to its service area; and Tribal government gains skilled community members who are better employees.

The Tribal Management Program at Scottsdale Community College will offer a one-year certificate and two-year Associate of Applied Science degree (A.A.S.) in Tribal Management. This program is the product of much work involving the Indian services office; members of the Salt River, Fort McDowell and urban Indian communities; and college staff. In addition to its general commitment to Indian education, SCC’s location on the Salt River Indian Reservation creates special responsibilities in serving Indians. Presently, the Indian service staff at the college is providing counseling and developmental programs for Indian students. The idea of a Tribal Management Program first came from a series of meetings with community members in 1977 which established the direction for providing additional Indian programs. (This program direction was obtained through the use of the nominal group technique by Delbeq.) This exploratory research identified the ned for Indian management training through a comprehensive education and on-the-job vocational program. A new C.E.T.A. program with four peer counselors form the local Indian communities, plus a grant from the college to develop the Tribal Management Program, have led to its acceptance (see Note 12).

Within the Tribal Management program, a minimum of 34 credit hours for the one-year certificate and 64 credit hours for the degree, are required. These requirements come under general studies, management-core studies, and tribal emphasis. Many of the courses are already being offered at the college. The only new courses are a Tribal Management core of six one-credit classes (TM 101-106), special seminars to discuss management theory with practical application to tribal government (TM 201-202), and a 3-credit course in Indian law. A complete listing of courses for both the certificate and the A.A.S. degree are shown in Figures I and 2. The 34-hour curriculum is required for the certificate and forms the major segment of the 64-hour A.A.S. degree.

Some students may require special courses as prerequisites to English, reading and math. A full-time student should be able to complete the certificate within one year if no prerequisites are required, or in three semesters if they are required. The A.A.S. degree could be completed in four or more semesters.

The Tribal Management Program is one area of emphasis within the college’s middle-management division. Graduation from the degree program demonstrates educational and vocational skills, and graduates can transfer to a four-year college or university program.

Perhaps the most important part of the curriculum is the cooperative-education program, where students receive credit for work in management positions. Under this program, working students meet regularly with a faculty member to discuss specific issues on their job as they relate to management theory. Many students in the program will already be employed by local tribal governments. For those students not employed, intern programs with the two Indian communities, the City of Scottsdale, and private Indian organizations will be established. Students will gain academic skills, guidance and on-the-job training.

The community college holds great promise in meeting the management training needs of Indian communities. The flexibility and commitment of community colleges to higher education encourages their cooperation with tribal governments. For federal agencies, these programs can meet the training needs of Indian communities at much lower costs than would federally-sponsored seminars. More important, however, individual students and tribal employees can gain direct vocational skills, making their jobs more satisfying and challenging them to higher education. It is hoped that tribal governments and Indian communities can become partners in education and development, which can lead to new directions in self-determination for Indian communities.

1. Beman, Richard R. and Michael H. Parsons, "Turning the System Around: Cooperation Between Business and College," Community College Review, Winter, 1979, Vol. 6, #3, p. 60-64.

2. Coronado, Apolonio, "Can Adult Education Serve Indian Reservations?" Community College Review, Summer, 1977, Vol. 5, No. 1, 7-10.

3. Delbeq, Andre L., and others, Group Techniques for Program Planning, Glenview, Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1975, Ch. 3.

4. Gollarttscheck, James F., et al., College Leadership for Community Renewal, San Francisco: Jossey Bass Publishers, 1976.

5. Mahoney, James R., "A Tonic For Economic Health," Community and Junior College Journal, Sept., 1979, p. 36-39.

6. Monetta, Domenic Jr., "The Community College in the Federal Decision-Making Process," Community and Junior College Journal, May, 1978, p. 39-41.

7. Monroe, Charles R., Profile of the Community College, Jossey Bass, Inc., San Francisco, CA, 1972, p. I .

8. Parnell, Dale, "Needed: An Urban Extension Act." Community and Junior College Journal, October, 1978, p. 10-13.

9. Ratcliff, James L., "Finding the ‘Community’ in Community-Based Education," Community College Frontiers, Summer, 1978, p. 18-22.

10. Roessel, Ruth, The Role of Indian Studies in American Education, Tsaile, Arizona: Navajo Community College Press, 1974, p. 20.

11. United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare, An Orientation to Tribal Specific Health Plans, Indian Health Service, Office of Research and Development, Tucson, AZ, Nov. 4, 1977.

12. The program has received preliminary curriculum review and is expected to be under way by Fall, 1980.

Dick G. Winchell, Stephen Safforn and Robert N. Porter are with the Office of Indian Services, Scottsdale Community College, Scottsdale, AZ 85256.