Tribal College Contributions to Local Economic Development

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10Figure Four: Average Educational Attainment on Tribal CollegeReservations by State, Compared to U.S. Population OverallU.S. population, 25 years or olderWisconsinWashingtonSouth DakotaNebraskaNorth DakotaMontanaMinnesotaMichiganArizona3%4%4%3%7%6%6%5%0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%role in making a public commitment to economic development,and in creating public awareness of the importanceof college programs and activities to futuregrowth (Thomas, 1989).Linkages. Community colleges act as leaders to openup the lines of communication between public education,social services, four-year colleges, and the businesscommunity (Cavan, 1995). “Especially in distressedareas, the community college is often the institutionbest capable of initiating and nurturing the local partnershipsand regional collaborations that can help solvecritical community problems” (Eller et al., 1998, p. 1).20%23%BA or higher41%60%62%64%67%65%66%71%High school graduate or higherNote: Reservation data exclude six colleges that are not reservation-based or are the second college on a reservation,and three colleges for which information was not available. Two additional colleges did not have information for BAor higher. U.S. population data are for 1995; reservation data are for 1990-95. Reservations were assigned to statesbased on the primary location of the Tribal College, even in cases in which a reservation crosses state lines.Sources: Tiller, 1996; U.S. Census Bureau, 1998, Table 26082%95%Tribal Colleges are perhaps most comparable to rural communitycolleges, which are more likely to operate with lowerlevels of resources than other community colleges or fouryearinstitutions but tend to take on a more expansive role incommunity development (Thomas, 1989). “In rural areas, thelocal community college is the only game in town for economicdevelopment, cultural enrichment, and higher education”(Cavan, 1995, p. 9). Thus, rural community colleges traditionallyplay a dominant role inthe community, and may be the“primary catalyst for improving thequality of rural life” (AACC, 1992,p. 3). Although the resources ofTribal Colleges tend to be evenlower than those of most ruralcommunity colleges, Tribal Collegesare similar in their significancefor the local community.As new land-grant institutions,Tribal Colleges also have becomepart of a specific tradition of involvementin economic development.Like community colleges,land-grant universities have beenformally involved in rural economicdevelopment for many decades.According to a survey by theNational Association of State Universitiesand Land-Grant Colleges(NASULGC, 1997), land-grantuniversities foster new business andcreate long-term job growth; promoteinnovation; enhance theworkforce; and conduct research at the forefront of sustainableagriculture in order to improve the quality of rural life.They therefore perform many of the same activities as communitycolleges, and often work in cooperation with nearbycommunity colleges in local development efforts.Tribal Colleges also share experiences with other minorityservinginstitutions. Historically Black Colleges and Universities(HBCUs), for example, took on the responsibilityof improving the economic well-being of African Americansfrom their earliest stages, and appear to be better atpreparing African American students for professional lifethan predominantly white institutions (OERI, 1996). Researchhas shown that attendance at HBCUs has humancapital development benefits that lead to higher wages inthe labor market (Constantine, 1995; OERI, 1996). LikeTribal Colleges, HBCUs have faced barriers to their involvementwith economic development that are specific to theirrole as minority-serving institutions, including: limitationsin their curricula due to historic underfunding; exclusionfrom many informal social networks; and perceived or realeffects of racial bias (OERI, 1996).Tribal Colleges’ Contributions to Local Economic Development
11Tribal Colleges contribute to local development in numerousways that are similar to efforts of otherpostsecondary institutions. At the same time, they add twounique aspects. First, Tribal Colleges integrate cultural relevanceinto their development efforts, as tribal traditionsand values permeate the curricula and learning styles of thecolleges. This ability of the colleges fits in with the broadvision of economic development in which higher educationinstitutions become “community-building colleges,”empowering their local communities to create sustainableeconomic activities while preserving traditional culturalvalues (Eller et al., 1998, p. 6). Second, Tribal Colleges havea special responsibility to help local communities understandthe nature of choices between different types of economicgrowth, given the specific history of economic developmenton reservations. For example, job creation maymean reliance on one industry to provide a steady supplyof jobs (as it has in the past), or it may mean a dynamicexpansion of the economy with new jobs and businesses;Tribal Colleges can illuminate the disparate impacts of thesetypes of development on the long-term health of the community.Both of these special aspects of Tribal Colleges’ contributionsto local economic development support the futuresuccess of such efforts.Tribal Colleges’ Contributions to Local Economic Development
Page 1 and 2: Tribal College Contributionsto Loca
Page 3 and 4: ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThis report is the s
Page 5 and 6: I. INTRODUCTION“With determinatio
Page 7: 3Economic Development: A New Defini
Page 10 and 11: 6portation, more doctors, more reti
Page 12 and 13: 8Despite the increased need for Ind
Page 17 and 18: III. TRIBAL COLLEGES AND LOCALECONO
Page 19 and 20: 15Reservation CasinosThe publicity
Page 21 and 22: Increased skills/productivityof loc
Page 23 and 24: 19percent of the labor force on the
Page 25 and 26: 21Tribal Business Information Cente
Page 27 and 28: 23A Brief History of the Land-Grant
Page 29 and 30: 25Profile of Development Activities
Page 31: 27developing and implementing a Fam
Page 34 and 35: 30numbers of students from disadvan
Page 36 and 37: 32Cavan, John. 1995. “The Compreh
Page 38 and 39: 34Slater, Lois R. 1997. “Patterns
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