Native American Students in Higher Education – The Past, Present and Future – Higher Ed Careers

Improving the success of students on campus, especially Native American students, is Karen Francis-Begay’s passion. Our guest expert this month who is Assistant Vice President for Tribal Relations at The University of Arizona explores topics related to the Native American student in higher education such the importance of the recruitment, retention, and graduation of these students. She advises what campus administrators can do to help the Native population become more visible on campus.

Andrew Hibel, HigherEdJobs: Ms. Francis-Begay, you serve at the University of Arizona as the president’s key adviser in working with Arizona’s Native American communities. What are your main responsibilities in this role and why did you choose to be involved in this position?

Karen Francis-Begay: First, I develop opportunities in support of Native American student recruitment, retention, and graduation. Second, I work to strengthen the visibility and presence of the University of Arizona (U of A) among Tribal Nations through outreach and collaboration. Third, I raise awareness and develop understanding of tribal governance, enterprises, culture, and customs among university administrators, faculty, and staff. I accepted the appointment to this position six years ago to advise the University of Arizona President on tribal issues. I have an extensive background in higher education and working with Native American students and tribal communities. I was ready for the opporutnity to be a member of the senior administration and expand my knowledge of advancing the land-grant mission of the University of Arizona.

Hibel: November is National American Indian Heritage Month. What does the University of Arizona campus do to honor the month?

Francis-Begay: Many of our campus departments participate by hosting forums, seminars, and cultural events throughout November. The month opens with a reading of a proclamation that is signed by the University of Arizona President recognizing and honoring the original inhabitants of Arizona and the many contributions Native people have made to the intellectual and social life of the University.

Hibel: You are an author on a couple of chapters in the book, Beyond the Asterisk: Understanding Native Students in Higher Education which was released earlier this year. An excerpt from the description states, “While the success of higher education and student affairs is predicated on understanding the students we serve, the reality is, where the Native American population is concerned, that this knowledge is generally lacking.” Why do you think knowledge is lacking?

Francis-Begay: The reason knowledge is lacking of Native American students in higher education is actually tied to the title of the book, “Beyond the Asterisk.” In conversations about research and in research-based literature, Native Americans are invisible. They are invisible or are the “asterisk” because the sample size is too small or insignificant to report. As you can imagine this is problematic when you are trying to understand and learn about a population of students who have unique challenges and difficulties in higher education. Although our recruitment is fairly decent, but could be better, our retention and graduation rates are dismal. We can only address these issues if we speak out and let the research and higher education community know that Native people are here and that we want representation and our voices to be heard, thus, the title of the book, “Beyond the Asterisk: Understanding Native Students in Higher Education.”

Hibel: Following up from the previous question, what can be done to change or improve this so the American Indian population in higher education is more visible?

Francis-Begay: I have a few recommendations:

1. Change the way we collect data on Native students so that it doesn’t create this “invisibility” i.e. so that we are not represented as just an asterisk. For example, in quantitative data collection, we need to change the culture on how we seek participation in such studies which could increase Native student participation.
2. Challenge the “status quo” in that you should question data where “minority” or “multicultural” students are references to all of the ethnic groups. There needs to be a disaggregated break-down of such data reporting so that you have a better understanding of whether you are really doing a better job in retention of Native American, Latino/a, and African American students, for instance.
3. Enhance awareness of our issues and have recommendations as to how we overcome the invisibility factor through conversations, books and other publications.
4. Get to know the tribal communities in your state and/or region. Many colleges and universities speak about Native student representation but there isn’t an understanding that there is tribal diversity within this group. There are over 560 federally-recognized tribes in the United States and each has its own distinct language, customs, and forms of government, or in other words, sovereign nations. Learn who your students are by their tribal backgrounds and the communities they come from (southwest, northwest, east, urban, rural, reservation, etc.).
5. Increase the number of Native students in research and encourage them to publish on issues that impact Native people and communities.

Hibel: A goal of the book was to “provide an informed base for leaders in student and academic affairs, and administrators concerned with the success of students on their campuses.” What are your top 3-4 critical points of information that key leaders on campus need to be aware of?

Francis-Begay:

1. Proactively seek tribal engagement to enhance how we support Native students.
2. Recognize the government-to-government relationship with tribal Nations. Each tribe has a distinct political status and are not a “minority” group.
3. Tribes want a return on their investment. They invest hundreds and thousands of dollars in scholarships for their students to pursue a postsecondary education. What are colleges and universities doing to help them be successful?
4. Assess campus climate, and do this at least every five years. Dig deep and understand what helps a student to be successful? What more can we do to provide a supportive campus community? Do students feel that they belong? Are there micro aggressions that need to be dealt with?

Hibel: Where has there been a shift in focus regarding Native Americans and higher education? Is it a subject that gets similar, less, or more attention as it did in the past and why?

Francis-Begay: The subject of Native Americans and higher education is gaining more attention partly due to the successes of many of our college graduates. However, there is still a greater focus on the deficits rather than on what works and on achievements.

Hibel: What is a tribal college or university and what is their role in higher education?

Francis-Begay: Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) play a vital role in access and success of our Native American students and communities. There are 37 TCUs in the nation tribally- and federally- chartered. The first TCU was established in 1972 on the Navajo reservation. The uniqueness of tribal colleges is that they serve the needs of the community through course and degree offerings that help with economic and workforce development. They also incorporate tribal language and culture courses and place a priority on cultural relevance in their course offerings. The TCUs are the gateway for many Native American students who live in remote areas and can’t leave the reservation to go to college in the bigger cities.

Hibel: What are some barriers Native American students may face when evaluating the decision to pursue higher education and how can colleges and universities aid in reducing the barriers?

Francis-Begay: I don’t think these are necessarily barriers for just Native American students but for many students. First, the cost of college. Many families are alarmed at the “sticker price.” Second, distance from home. Many parents want their students to be close to home. Third, financial aid and scholarships. Many families worry about whether their student will get funds to cover a majority, if not all, the cost of a college education. For instance, colleges and universities need to expand “College Knowledge for Parents” academies. At the University of Arizona we do a great job in providing an awareness to parents and students at the eigth grade level of what to expect and how to plan for college. We also need to put a college awareness theme into the middle school and high school curriculum offerings and not just leave it to the high school counselors to carry the burden. Students should have a fairly clear road map of what they need to do to prepare for college beginning as early as the third grade.

Hibel: What are the different challenges Native students have on campus and what should campus administration and faculty ideally do to help reduce the challenges?

Francis-Begay: Culture shock is a big issue. Some students have never lived in a large city. Many have never had experience navigating a large university. Finding a support system and mentors is important. Academic preparation is also an issue. Some students did not take college preparation courses in high school (not for lack of interest but due to few high schools on the reservation offering advance courses) or lack the academic rigor for some of the college level courses. Many students find themselves taking remedial courses that extend time to graduation and adds a cost burden to their college experience. Learning how to identify and apply for funding can be complicated.. We still see many students who are struggling to pay for college. Families, already financially strapped, try to avoid applying for educational loans, or sometimes they do not qualify. Students resort to finding jobs that interfere with study time.

The University of Arizona has many wonderful program offerings that appeal to tribal nations such as the American Indian Studies. Our Native American faculty have national and international recognition for their scholarship in indigenous language revitalization, indigenous governance and leadership, and indigenous law and policy, to name a few. For undergraduate students, the Native American Student Affairs office has taken the lead in creating and supporting student leadership and campus engagement for Native American students. The office provides a “home away from home” environment, advocating for students and helping them navigate a large university culture.

I would recommend that colleges and universities offer more summer academic enrichment programs on their campuses so students can get used to being away from home and address some of the academic deficiences early. Financial aid offices should have a dedicated staff member to work with Native American students. At the University of Arizona we have such a resource person who takes great care in working with our Native students and their families on their individual funding issues. When students graduate they often credit her with helping them get through college. The whole financial aid system is daunting and complex.

Hibel: What is the importance of professional associations, such as the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, (AIHEC) for a new or experienced professional in higher education?

Francis-Begay: Very important. Higher education is a rapidly changing culture. Some professional organizations that I recommend are the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Eduation Association (NASPA) which has an Indigenous Peoples Knowledge Community (IPKC). The American College Personnel Association (ACPA) also has a community called the Native American Network or (NAN). The Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) organization also has an indigenous scholar network. AIHEC is the umbrella organization that supports the 37 tribal colleges and universities. They do offer professional development opportunities, mostly for the TCUs. Other organizations that are great professional networks are the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) and the College Board’s Native American Student Advocacy Institute (NASAI). By the way, AIHEC is celebrating its 40th anniversary. A great achievement!

Hibel: Our final question, what aspect of working in academia are you most passionate about and why?

Francis-Begay: Improving success for students, especially Native American students. Serving as an advocate for Native American education on all fronts. When our Native American students succeed, we all succeed. We need to remedy the achievement gaps and hold ourselves accountable to improving college access and success, especially for the low income, first generattion students. I do this because advancing my own education has opened a lot of doors of opporutnity for me. I wouldn’t be where I am without a college degree. I also can relate to the challenges many of our Native American students having grown up on the Navajo reservation and not being adequately prepared for the rigors of college and dealing with “culture shock.” We have made improvements in helping students make adjustments to college but there is still so much more to do.