The problems many Indian children experience in schools-- low academic achievement, absenteeism, high drop-out rates-- cannot be solved by any one individual. Instead, it requires action by the entire school system and, especially, greater leadership by Indians themselves. Tribes must become partners in the process of school reform and become…

Mary-Anne Stoutsenberger has been the NASA Tribal College and University Program Manager at NASA Headquarters, Washington DC, since 2000. As NASA's liaison to the tribal colleges, she has seen firsthand how Native American students can flourish and succeed when they are surrounded with people who recognize and nurture their potential. She has…

Like other tribal colleges across the nation, Fort Peck Community College (FPCC, Poplar, MT) has seen its student population get younger. As student demographics change, so do their expectations and needs, according to software game designer Mark Prensky. Faculty should be aware of the options and benefits of using technology to enhance…

The article presents information on challenges faced by tribal colleges in the United States. A study has revealed that retention rates at 1,127 community colleges in the U.S. is very low. Approximately 67 percent of "tribal college" students are women. Students of tribal colleges often stop pursuing their studies due to family problems. To…

The article presents the author's views on the important role of tribal colleges in shaping the social and cultural development of their tribes. The author says that even small tribal colleges can manage programs that promote wellness, economic development, and basic scientific research. Tribal colleges need to develop culturally based approaches…

The article offers the author's comments on the Niitsitapi Education Program initiated by Red Crow Community College in Canada. The program was aimed at promoting Kainai knowledge and culture as the basis for student learning. The program was widely appreciated by students as well as their parents. It was harder than the regular teaching program…

The article discusses how Sinte Gleska University (SGU), South Dakota, has been promoting Lakota language since its inception. SGU is the first tribal-based university in the U.S. White Hat, a teacher from SGU, has been promoting Lakota language through his impressive style of teaching. The university requires every SGU student to opt for Lakota…

Discusses the commercialization of academic research at New England's colleges and universities. Describes the origins of the trend, the region's leadership in research funding, the role of venture capital and business incubators in academic research, and the long-term impacts. Includes tables of research and development spending and patents…

Describes the housing issues that are a frequent point of contention between universities in New England and communities. New England colleges are experiencing a boom in dorm building, but many students, as the experiences of several cities show, prefer to live off campus, sometimes creating tensions between the college and the town. (SLD)

Describes the critical housing shortage and soaring rents in Boston, Massachusetts, that are exacerbated by the housing policies of the city's institutions of higher education. Boston colleges have accelerated their construction of dormitories, but nearly 107,000 students still live off campus. The issue is not one of student behavior, but of the…

In Burlington, Vermont, city concerns about student pressure on the rental housing market, neighborhoods, and traffic and parking resulted in the city's zoning board making approval of the University of Vermont's new microbiology building conditional on the provision of additional student on-campus housing and parking. The university has adopted…

Describes the efforts of Village Ventures, a company that manages early stage venture capital funds and invests in promising companies, to develop markets that are as rich in intellectual capital as the top 10 venture markets but substantially cheaper to live in. These are primarily college towns with a high potential for launching technology…

Describes how what happens in the most elite institutions of higher education in the United States creates the body of knowledge and attitudes by which most colleges are judged. Among the issues for which this phenomenon is apparent are those of grade inflation, graduation rates, and core curricula. (SLD)

Describes ENFOR (environmental forestry) and initiative of the New England Governors' Conference, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and the U.S. Forest Service that is exploring whether distance learning through home computers can be used to improve the management of New England's 700,000 privately owned nonindustrial forestlands. Courses and…

Presents seven myths about online learning that discourage its expansion. These myths revolve around the purported inadequacies of online learning, the limits imposed by for-profit ventures, and the damage that virtual colleges will do to their traditional counterparts. (SLD)