NSU awarded $2.4M to retain more American Indian and low-income students

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — The Northeastern State University Center for Tribal Studies has been awarded $2.4M through the Native American Serving Nontribal Institutions program, seeking to expand the reach of services and increase the retention and graduation rates of American Indian and low-income students at NSU.

“NSU is dedicated to supporting and empowering Native American communities,” NSU President Rodney Hanley, said. “This grant will allow us to expand our initiative and outreach programs, expand the Native language revitalization efforts of the Cherokee and Indigenous Studies program and develop innovative solutions that address the educational and cultural needs of the Native American population at NSU.”

The grant is awarded for the 2023-2028 timeframe. The primary objectives for the NASNTI grant focus on: the development of a cultural and life skills lab on campus, expanding and improving delivery of services to students using campus-wide software, providing professional development for faculty and staff and expanding Cherokee language courses and providing immersion-style language learning opportunities.

Funds will be used for the renovation of NSU’s Bacone House, addition of new staff, development of an online Cherokee language course, and to provide certification training which builds upon the proven strategy to increase the retention of students served at NSU.

“I am most excited about the renovation of the Bacone House to serve as a cultural and life skills lab,” Sara Barnett, director for the Center for Tribal Studies, said. “As a student who spent countless hours at the Bacone House, it was important to me to preserve that historic building and maintain its original purpose of serving American Indian students.”

To learn more about CTS, visit cts.nsuok.edu or see them in person at their new location in the basement of the University Center on the Tahlequah campus.