News Release

BUSH ADMINISTRATION AWARDS $5 MILLION TO TRIBAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

WASHINGTON – U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Steve Preston today awarded $5 million to seven Native American colleges and universities to expand, renovate, and equip their own facilities, to improve student housing, and to support construction of new facilities.

The funding announced today is provided through HUD’s Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP). Most of these institutions serve remote areas and a growing number of local residents depend heavily on the education, counseling, health, and employment services they offer.

“These institutions of higher learning are critical to the health and vitality of their communities,” said Preston. “HUD and these tribal colleges and universities are working hand-in-hand to improve their facilities so they can continue to be a vital resource for their students, faculty and the communities they serve.”

The following tribal colleges and universities were awarded funding:

The Tribal Colleges and Universities Program is one of several initiatives administered by HUD's Office of University Partnerships (OUP). Established in 1994, OUP is a catalyst for partnering colleges and universities with their communities in a shared search for answers to pressing urban problems. More information about OUP and its programs is available on the Internet at www.oup.org.

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HUD is the nation’s housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development and enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov.

FY 2008 Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) Awardees

Salish Kootenai College intends to use its Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) grant to build a new campus bookstore. The bookstore will replace the oldest building on campus, a 42-year-old dilapidated tin roof and siding structure. The proposed facility will provide increased space for shipping, receiving, offices, student activities, retail merchandise, and academic and reference books. The new bookstore will serve more than 7,000 low-income Indian students, faculty, administrators, staff, and low- to moderate-income Indian community members each year for the next 20 years.

The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) intends to use its Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) grant to equip the new Foundry and Sculpture Center and the New Media Arts Center – both premier facilities of IAIA’s Science and Technology Complex, which is currently under construction on IAIA’s campus in Santa Fe, New Mexico. With the addition of New Media and 3D arts training facilities equipped with cutting edge sculpture equipment, a state-of-the-art Foundry facility, Digital Dome presentation technology, production studio, and new computer laboratories, IAIA will be able to offer advanced, relevant, and culturally appropriate professional training for Native American students who strive to expand their unique skill-base in the arts. The proposed equipment and enhanced facilities will allow IAIA to better address the needs of its students, and thereby increase its overall enrollment, retention and graduation rates, and further empower and support the artistic, economic, and social expressions of Native America.

Tohono O’odham Community College (TOCC) intends to use its Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) grant to build “’Al Ki:kĭ – Little Houses,” four duplexes, each of which will contain two units, for a total of seven one-bedroom apartment units and one multipurpose meeting room unit. The units will be available to student cohorts enrolled in programs at TOCC and to employees whose homes are far from the main campus or who have other reason to use the units, such as teaching evening classes or serving as a cohort instructor. The population to be served by ’Al Ki:kĭ – Little Houses consists of the more than 50 full-time employees and approximately 200 TOCC students. The “little houses” will have the impact of: improving TOCC’s recruitment and retention of students for cohort groups; increasing the retention of employees; and creating a more cohesive and learning-focused campus environment.

Northwest Indian College intends to use its Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) grant to undertake two activities: construct a new Center for Student Success; and undertake renovations and maintenance of existing facilities. The new student center is one of the key facilities required to become a fully functioning four-year, degree granting institution. For the first time, all student support services will be housed in one building. In addition, each of the 15 North Campus buildings is in need of renovations or maintenance of one type or another, including new roofs, windows, doors, heating/cooling systems, and more. Renovations and maintenance activities will increase the utility and energy efficiency of the buildings while enhancing students’ learning environments, resulting in increased student achievement and behavior, improved health and morale of staff and students, and a heightened level of enthusiasm throughout the campus.

United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) intends to use its Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) grant to expand and renovate the campus cafeteria. This project is an institutional priority because UTTC’s student population has increased by 173.3 percent since 2002. The increase in the number of students and their children has caused the cafeteria to be overcrowded. This expansion will: increase physical capacity in the existing cafeteria by 3,500 square feet; increase the number of persons that can be seated in the facility during meal times by 161 persons (from 150 to 311 individuals); increase space available for food preparation and serving; increase space available for cooking appliances and storage; eliminate the need for adult students and children to wait in long lines in harsh weather conditions to be served; enable cafeteria staff to serve larger numbers of adult students and children simultaneously; and enable UTTC to effectively meet the nutritional demands of its ever-increasing student population.

The College of Menominee Nation (CMN) intends to use its Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) grant to implement the Phase II construction of an academic library project, which will allow the college to complete the finishing carpentry of both the second level and basement level of a new academic library, as well as provide for handicap accessibility features, fire suppression, and security system. This project addresses the most pressing challenge that CMN faces at this time, which is responding to needs associated with increasing student populations, accelerating development of academic programs—including four year degree programs—and growing expectations of the community which it serves. The project will mostly benefit students, more importantly low-income students and students with disabilities. CMN serves more than 500 students each semester, the majority of whom are degree-seeking students. Faculty, staff, and community members will also benefit and the project will greatly impact the amount as well as the quality of academic library services the College will be able to provide.

Bay Mills Community College (BMCC) intends to use its Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) grant to resolve the lack of dedicated classroom space dedicated to the Health and Fitness curriculum, and space for future expansion to meet the needs of their growing enrollment and community programming. Educational demand at BMCC has grown rapidly. While this is a positive trend regarding the education of its constituents, it has created a significant need in relation to the availability of classroom space to accommodate the growing student body and faculty. As a result of BMCC’s re-accreditation process, it has been clearly determined that in order for BMCC to meet facility needs for students and faculty now and into the future, a new classroom building must be constructed. This proposed structure will house the Bay Mills Community College Health and Fitness program, including the Fitness and Wellness course that is a requirement of the general education curriculum.