Diné College
Former name
Navajo Community College (1968–1997)
MottoThe Higher Education Institution of the Navajo
TypePublic tribal land-grant college
Established1968 (1968)
(opened January 20, 1969)[1]
Academic affiliations
Space-grant
PresidentCharles Monty Roessel[2]
Students2,000
Location
Tsaile
,
Arizona
,
United States
Colors    blue and gold
MascotWarriors
Websitewww.dinecollege.edu
Kayenta Campus

Diné College is a public tribal land-grant college based in Tsaile, Arizona, serving the 27,000-square-mile (70,000 km2) Navajo Nation. It offers associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, and academic certificates.

History

Diné College opened in 1968 as the Navajo Community College, the first college established by Native Americans for Native Americans.[1][3] The college was chartered by the Navajo Nation in 1968. The Navajo Tribal Council appointed Guy Gorman, Yazzie Begay, Chester Yellowhair, Carl Todacheene, Wilson Skeet, Howard Gorman, Allen Yazzie, and Dillon Platero to be the first to serve on the college's Board of Regents.[4][5] Robert Roessel served as the college's first president.[6]

The college was originally located on the site of the Rough Rock Community School in Rough Rock on a temporary basis until a permanent site could be chosen and constructed.[7] The Board of Regents selected three possible sites for the college, namely the Tsaile–Wheatfields area, Many Farms, and Ganado.[8] After a Board-commissioned survey of possible sites for the college, the Tsaile–Wheatfields area was recommended because it had plenty of water available and has scenic forests and lakes.[8] After the Board was guaranteed 1,000 acres for the campus, a residential area, and a shopping area, the Board officially chose the Tsaile–Wheatfields area in October 1968.[9] The Board asked people to send in designs for the college's seal, and it chose the William Morgan's design of an arrowhead encircled by a rainbow god.[10]

The college officially opened on January 20, 1968, with 40 members of the faculty.[1][11] There were 340 students enrolled during its first semester, which was the limit of its capacity.[12] More than 3,000 other applicants had to be turned away because of the lack of space.[12] The college added 23 evening classes because there was so much more demand for evening classes than for daytime classes.[13][12]

By 1973, 3,421 students in total had enrolled at Navaho Community College, but only 46 had graduated with associate degrees during that time.[14] There was little for the students to do outside of classes, and excessive drinking became a problem for some.[14]

Students began taking classes at the college's permanent campus in Tsaile in October 1973, after delays in its construction.[15] The campus was officially dedicated on May 14, 1974.[15] Most campus buildings were built in octagonal shapes, similar to the eight-sided traditional Navaajo hogan.[15] The campus cost $12 million to build.[15] Some classes were taught in Shiprock and Fort Defiance.[16]

Tommy Lewis became president in August 1992. During his tenure, the college's funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs increased to almost $7.3 million in 2000. The Navajo Language and Culture Curriculum became widely popular at the Tsaile campus after the program saw increases in class enrollment, thus allowing the Board of Regents to implement the program throughout the institution. In 1994, the college was designated a land-grant college alongside 31 other tribal colleges.[17]

During the Summer of 1997, the administration changed the name of the college from Navajo Community College to Diné College in order to better to represent the school's function as an institution of learning for the Diné/Navajo people.

In 1998, Diné College bestowed its first bachelor's degrees under the Diné Teacher Education Program, accredited through a partnership with Arizona State University.[18]

In 1998, the Diné College Library was rededicated as the Kinyaa'áanii Charlie Benally Memorial Library.

On May 21, 2011, the women's archery team made history by winning the United States college national championship in compound bow.[19] This is believed to be the first time a tribal college team has won a top-tier intercollegiate national championship event in any sport.

Academics

Diné College offers bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and certificate programs.[20]

The college's Center for Diné Studies "applies Navajo Są́ʼąh Naagháí Bikʼeh Hózhóón principles to advance quality student learning through Nitsáhákees (Thinking), Nahatʼá (Planning), Iiná (Living) and Siihasin (Assurance) in study of the Navajo language, history, and culture in preparation for further studies and employment in a multi-cultural and technological world."

The college also hosts the Uranium Education Program on its Shiprock campus. It is an empowerment program for the Navajo centering on the study of radiation and environmental health issues arising from the aftermath of uranium mining/milling operations on the Navajo Nation, as well as other serious environmental issues.

Campuses

The Ned A Hataałi Center at Diné College's Tsaile campus

The main campus of Diné College is in Tsaile, a census-designated place in unincorporated Apache County, Arizona. There are also five branches of Diné College: two in Apache County, Arizona (Chinle and Window Rock), one in Coconino County, Arizona (Tuba City), one in McKinley County, New Mexico (Crownpoint) and one in San Juan County, New Mexico (Shiprock).

The main Tsaile campus includes eight fifteen-room dormitories housing about 150 students: each octagonally shaped unit has a fireplace in the center, and is described by the college as a "hooghan away from hogan"—a reference to the traditional Navajo hogan dwelling.[21]

The residence life office is in Ch'ó (Spruce) Hall. Residence halls include:[22]

Co-ed:

  • Deestsiin (Pinyon) Hall
  • K'ai' (Willow) Hall
  • Ndíshchíí' (Pine) Hall
  • Sáá' (Maple) Hall
  • T'iisbéí (Aspen) Hall (Honors)

Female only:

  • T'iisbáhí (Elm) Hall
  • T'iistsoh (Cottonwood) Hall

Male only:

  • Tséch'il (Oak) Hall

Family housing:

  • Gad (Juniper) Hall

Hogan Faculty Housing is also on campus.[23] Residents of family housing and faculty housing are zoned to the Chinle Unified School District. Tsaile Elementary School is in proximity to the university.[24] All Chinle USD residents are assigned to Chinle High School.

Governance

The college is directed by an eight-member Board of Regents confirmed by the Government Services committee of the Navajo Nation Council. The name Diné comes from the traditional name for the Navajo, meaning "the people."

Alumni

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "College Opens for Navajo Tribe". United Press International. The Ogden Standard-Examiner. January 20, 1969. p. 8A.
  2. ↑ "About". Diné College. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  3. ↑ Pollard, Marvin E. (Spring 1984). "Naaltsoos Ba' Hoogan: The Navajo Community College Library". Community & Junior College Libraries. 2: 15-19.
  4. ↑ "All-Indian Regents Selected for Navajos' First College". Associated Press. The Arizona Republic. July 27, 1968. p. 10.
  5. ↑ "Navajo Council Backs College Regents Board". United Press International. Albuquerque Journal. July 21, 1968. p. B11.
  6. ↑ "Open Door Policy Set By New Navajo College". Arizona Republic. September 6, 1968. p. 31.
  7. ↑ "Council Endorses College". Associated Press. Arizona Daily Sun. July 19, 1968. p. 2.
  8. ↑ "Site Selected". Associated Press. Arizona Daily Sun. October 8, 1968. p. 1.
  9. ↑ "Regents Pick Winning Seal for College". Arizona Republic. January 15, 1969. p. 8.
  10. ↑ "Higher Education Comes to Navajoland". Arizona Republic. January 19, 1969.
  11. 1 2 3 "First Reservation College Established By Navajos". El Paso Times. July 19, 1969.
  12. ↑ "Navajo College Adds 23 Night Courses". Arizona Republic. February 7, 1969. p. A8.
  13. 1 2 "First College for Indians Undergoing Growing Pains". The Los Angeles Times. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. April 6, 1973. p. 3D.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Navajo School Dedicated". Associated Press. Carlsbad Current-Argus. May 15, 1974. p. 4.
  15. ↑ Penrose, Steve (July 28, 1974). "Navajo College One of Kind". Albuquerque Journal. p. C8.
  16. ↑ "NIFA 1994s The First 20 Years of the 1994 Land-Grant Institutions Standing on Tradition, Embracing the Future" (PDF). National Institute of Food and Agriculture. September 25, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  17. ↑ "American Indian Higher Education Consortium". Archived from the original on June 14, 2012.
  18. ↑ "US Intercollegiate Archery Championships". May 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Diné College Catalog 2022-2023". Diné College. 2022.
  20. ↑ "Hogan Navajo Dwelling". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  21. ↑ "Residence Life." Diné College. Retrieved on June 16, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Tsaile Campus". Diné College. Retrieved 2020-04-10. – See map
  23. ↑ "Tsaile Campus Area Map" (Archive). Diné College. Retrieved on June 16, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Official Website of Nicco Montaño". Archived from the original on 2018-07-22. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  25. ↑ "Nicco Montano | UFC". www.ufc.com. 14 September 2018.
  26. ↑ Observer, Navajo-Hopi. "Navajo Nation honors UFC champion Nicco Montano". Navajo-Hopi Observer News.
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