Helping students navigate higher education through Native

American Student Affairs and student organizations

Stephanie J. Waterman, PhD Associate Professor Educational Leadership, Higher Education swaterman@warner.rochester.edu March 23, 2015

Introduction

•  Native students, faculty, & staff nearly invisible on campus (Shotton, Lowe, & Waterman, 2013).

•  0.8% of HED personnel identify as Native. •  Native students report faculty, and cultural

centers as important (McAlpin, 2008; Shotton, Oosahwe, & Cintrón, 2010).

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Context

•  Native students 1.0% of the total college population (Aud, et al 2011).

•  Students report isolation, racism, microaggressions (Jackson, et al. 2003)

•  Higher education policies, historical purpose of assimilation, not education (Carney, 1999)

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Ways to be

•  Yet, Natives have established ways to engage in higher education that centers Indigenous values and purposes, one that empowers rather an assimilates

•  Tribal Colleges and Universities •  Enrollment at TCUs and non-Native

Institutions has increased; more attend non-Native institutions (Aud, et al, 2011)

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Native student support?

•  Higher education Administrators/Personnel identified by Haudenosaunee college graduates

•  Literature about Native American Studies; none about those who work directly with students

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What do we know?

•  Native American Student Affairs personnel serve as advocates (Springer, Davidson, & Waterman, 2013).

•  Students indicate cultural centers are important to success (McAlpin, 2008)

•  Student support often connected to, in collaboration with, the Native American Studies program (an academic unit)

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Methodology

•  Strength-based lens (Kana’iaupuni, 2005) •  TribalCrit assumption of Colonization, and

intersections of Indigenous values (Brayboy, 2005)

•  Relationality (Wilson, 2006) •  Document analysis (Bogdan & Biklen,

2007) Webpages

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Search

•  Google search •  Key words: “institution name” and

combinations of – “Indigenous,” “Native American,” “American Indian, “Native,” or “Indian” –  Institution websites, Facebook, Twitter, news

articles

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Organization of Data

•  Giant Spreadsheet •  NASPA Regions •  Indigenous lands; Institution; name of unit;

website; staff/student; space; bridge program; scholarship; housing; AIS/NAS degree?; IHE demographics; longitude/latitude

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Limitations & Complications

•  Units may not show up in Google Search •  Ex: SUNY Potsdam •  Units are often intricately linked to Native

American/American Indian Studies (academic) programs.

•  No governing body •  Data as presented on website -

problematic 9

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Haudenosaunee

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Region II Units

•  Cornell University, American Indian Program

•  Rochester Institute of Technology Future Stewards Program

•  Syracuse University Native Student Program

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Region II State units

•  SUNY Environmental School of Forestry, Center for Native Peoples and the Environment

•  SUNY Fredonia – SUNY Native American: Western Consortium

•  SUNY Potsdam

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Student groups •  SUNY at Buffalo

– Conference run by grad students

•  Buffalo State College – No web presence; both have Indigenous

studies programs

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Region II

•  Demographics •  7 IHEs

– 59,709 undergraduates; 237 NA/AM/AN – 603 ESF Grad students; 2 NA/AM/AN

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Mission Statements

•  Recruit, Retain, Reintroduction (Cornell)/Return (RIT)

•  Home-away-from-home (Cornell, Syracuse U)

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Goals

•  SU – Created as a resource to support transition to college; tools for academic success; engagement

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State University of New York

•  SUNY Fredonia - Network of college campus personnel, organizations, & NA students, families – West of Syracuse – cooperative network –

Student Development - Financial aid booklet, internships/fellowships and house the education listserv

•  SUNY Potsdam 19

Region II

•  Staffing - 18 identify as Native on IHE reports

•  Space – RIT, SU, Fredonia - office – Buffalo – no office space

•  Building – Cornell Akwe:kon

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Scenarios

•  Share situation in which you would seek NASA personnel to assist a student

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Next Steps

•  Interview/clarify missions/goals with NASA personnel

•  Interview non-NASA personnel •  Visit/participant observation •  Write a book, expand the maps

•  What would you like to know?

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References •  Aud, S., Hussar, W., Kena, G., Bianco, K., Frohlich, L., Kemp, J., & Tahan,

K. (2011). The condition of education 2011 (NCES 2011-033). Washington, DC: U. S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.

•  Carney, C. M. (1999). Native American higher education in the United States. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers.

•  Jackson, A. P., Smith, S. A., & Hill, C. L. (2003). Academic persistence among Native American college students. Journal of College Student Development, 44(4), 548-565.

•  Shotton, H. J., Lowe, S. C., & Waterman, S. J. (Eds.). (2013). Beyond the asterisk: Understanding Native students in higher education. Sterling, VA: Stylus.

•  Shotton, H. J., Oosahwee, E. S. L., & Cintrón, R. (2007). Stories of success: Experiences of American Indian students in a peer mentoring retention program. The Review of Higher Education, 31(1), 81-107

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