Progress 01/15/10 to 01/14/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Scholarships funding Native students' higher education in agriculture and food systems majors, and thus more educated students. Other outputs include materials associated with this work, such as publications, programs, etc. PARTICIPANTS: After Dr. Joseph Brewer department SDSU (summer, 2011), Dr. Timothy Nichols has served as coordinator of project activities. Other project partners include staff at the American Indian Education and Cultural Center including Scott Fleming, director, Ron McKinney, advisor, and Jaime Nolan-Andrino, director of diversity enhancement. TARGET AUDIENCES: High school and college Native American students interested in agriculture and food system-related majors. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: The major changes have been as a result of turnover in staff working with tribal students at SDSU. This has delayed our ability to successfully recruit scholarship recipients. However, we are hopeful that our efforts will pay off and we'll be successful.
Impacts
Increased number of Native students earning baccalaureate degrees in agriculture and food systems majors.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/15/09 to 01/14/10
Outputs
This year has been a very exciting year for the Multi-Cultural Scholars Program (MSP) here at SDSU. The program has successfully hired a half-time project advisor to administer (Dr. Joseph Brewer) student programming as well as maintain numerous logistical opportunities around campus. Dr. Brewer has recruited four new scholars to actively take part in the program, and continuously works on creating new connections for students (new and continuing) to gain field experiences with professors around campus. We have big plans to bring our scholars together and have a conversation about what other opportunities the program can provide to students. Dr. Brewer has met with each student on an individual basis to provide advising and mentoring as well as discussion in regards to formalizing a network made up of students, for students, to communicate and support each other. Our scholars have a great deal of academic and life experiences amongst them. Some are taking masters level course work, and others are just beginning their college education, so we plan to access those experiences in such a way (both formal and informal) that our students can actively engage each other for the benefit of all involved. We have currently identified dates, and are in the process of putting together a schedule for the large group meeting(s). Our progress extends into the recruitment and retention phase of our program as well. As of recently SDSU has announced, in the fall of 2010 there will be an American Indian Education and Culture Center on campus. This facility will assist MSP in the recruitment and retention of our scholars. Dr. Brewer has been working closely with the Native American student advisor at SDSU to create new, more frequented, channels of communication between numerous academic and administrative offices with all Native American related initiatives on campus. This effort will increase not only the visibility of MSP but he overall recruitment and retention of our scholars. This is a very encouraging time for our campus and MSP. And the Education and Cultural center can serve as a point of synergy for these initiatives. As current research shows, the success of Native American students in higher education dramatically increases when students can share, relate, take part in and create educational opportunity within places on college campus' that are a source of pride as well belonging for Native Americans (Lowe, 2005). PRODUCTS: Highlights Robert Sky Eagle Johnson: An enrolled member of the Fort Thompson community, Mr. Johnson is quit a unique young man balancing his studies and being a father of two young children. Robert has chosen a major in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences here at SDSU, and we are currently assisting Robert in his future employment pursuits, as Robert's dream is to work for the National Parks Service in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Robert will graduate with his undergraduate degree in December of 2010, and is also giving serious thought to an advanced master's degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences here at SDSU. Clay Hutchinson: A member of the Oglala Sioux tribe of South Dakota, Mr. Hutchinson is in his first year here at SDSU and done quit well for himself academically. His passion for horses and livestock has served him well in the classroom and will soon to create opportunity for him on campus. Clay plans to return home to White Clay, South Dakota this summer and train horses, and we at MSP are trying to establish for him an opportunity on campus that will not only provide an outlet for horsemanship but also give him training in other facets of the horse world. Jacklyn Willard: A member of the Crow Creek Sioux tribe of South Dakota, Mrs. Willard is one of the most upbeat, and outgoing students we have in MSP. Jacklyn not only excels in her academic pursuits, but she is the type of student that is always seeking new creative way to engage her education, by talking to professor about ideas, and sharing her ideas with friends and family. A member and secretary of the Native American club here on campus Jacklyn is a great addition to MSP. Wendy Wells: A member of the Rosebud Sioux tribe of South Dakota, Mrs. Wells is currently taking graduate school classes and doing well. Although girdled at times by all of her commitments, Wendy shows great potential and is an asset to professors in the classroom and her fellow MSP scholars (as well as the advisor). Her research interests are in range management on Native reservations, and she is currently pursuing a research project that will measure the applicability of Extension Agents educational opportunities for ranchers on Native reservations. Jacque Murray: A member of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe of South Dakota, a dynamic young woman; she is currently taking graduate school classes (doing very well) and is a national barrel racing champion. Jacque has recently identified a research project in which she will be heading for the Rocky Mountains this summer, to observe and record big horn sheep mannerisms and behavioral patterns. She will be stationed in a research facility for the majority of the summer, in the mountains. Brian Holmes: A member of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe of South Dakota, Mr. Holmes continues to do well and show encouraging progress in his studies. Brian is currently working with a faculty member on campus, doing lab and sampling work. Brian plans on returning home to Cheyenne River upon his graduation to work for the tribe, and on his family farm. OUTCOMES: 1. Participants will express increased confidence with on the job training 1.a. work to engage each student in field experience training, with a professor in their chosen field. 2. Participants will meet both as a group and as individuals with MSP advisor 2.a. during weeks 2, 7, and 10 students will be asked to meet with advisor 2.b. during week 12 students will be asked to attend an all scholars meeting. 3. Identify and contact eligible scholars and actively recruit them 3.a. Contact admissions office to identify all potential participants by June 16. 3.b. Draft letter and promotional material for potential participants by June 16. 3.c. Send application and promotional material to potential participants by June 30. 3.d. Follow-up with phone calls to families the week of July 14. 3.e. Send follow-up email to potential participants by July 23. 3.f. Begin review of received applications and conduct any necessary follow-up on August 1. 3.g. Notify accepted applicants by August 8. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: The programs activities have been carried out with the onsite MSP advisor. We are currently proceeding with the creation of group activities, and the advisor has mentored each student individually to provide academic advisement, and various forms of mentorship. Please see 2.a. section on Outcomes. At the start of fall semester 2009 a variety of emails were sent to American Indian students who have declared a major in the College of Agriculture, advertising MSP scholarship opportunities. The information provided in the email highlighted MSP and the physical location where applications as well as program administrators could be found at SDSU. The initial emails were followed up with reminder emails, replicating important information disseminated in the initial email. Information of the program was also posted on the Native American Club at SDSU's facebook page, a page that is used frequently by Native American students at SDSU. Applications and program information was given to Ron McKinney, the Native American student advisor for SDSU, and information was passed along to Jay Larson, a financial aid advisor that unofficially provides financial aid advise/opportunities for our Native American students on campus. MSP opportunities were highlighted recently in a workshop for faculty and staff. This workshop presented a summarized inventory of scholarship as well as academic and social opportunities for American Indian students at SDSU. MSP was not only apart of this summarized list but was highlighted as a unique and important program. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Problem solving and communications skills 1. Send one/two MSP scholars to the national conference to present a poster a. Have meetings in the spring of 2010 to promote the formal presentation of research at national conference. Link current research students are already doing (filed experiences) with potential research presented at national conference. Enhance educational partnerships with tribal high schools 1. Within the next academic year we plan on creating a cohort, that meets regularly, of current and future scholars in MSP and focus on one or two projects as a group. I.E. service trips to near by reservation community high school to promote and give presentations on STEM majors for the food/agricultural sciences Network of campus programs that will support student success 1.Meet with the College of Agriculture's new Dean to discuss the promotion of MSP. Our new Dean grew up with and around American Indians, which will assist the program in developing new and potentially more formalized avenues of communication and opportunity.
Impacts
As we have proceeded through the academic year 2009 and 2010 there have been many measureable impacts. We have been successfully recruiting new scholars, and our continuing scholars are on track in their academic pursuits, with the exception of one student, which is a fairly high success rate. The program advisor has continued to promote MSP and STEM professions at reservation high schools and throughout Indian Country. We are finding that as STEM professions are promoted in a way that can show the direct application (community based projects/issues etc.) to American Indian people the more interested high school students or future scholars become. A variety of Native American students at SDSU have begun contacting the advisor to gain further information about the MSP program, and upon contact the advisor has been assessing how students are receiving the information about MSP, and also asking how can MSP at SDSU be well represented in the Native American community at SDSU and reservation based communities.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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