Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/14
Outputs
Target Audience: The target audience for this project includes residents of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation and the surrounding communities. According to the 2000 US Census, 94.3% of the residents of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation are American Indians, most are members of the Gros Ventre (Aaniiih) and Assiniboine (Nakoda) Tribes. Also, residents of the surrounding communities of Havre, Chinook, Harlem, Dodson, and Malta are included in the target audience. Typically, many of the students who attend Aaniiih Nakoda College from this target audience are first generation students. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The Project Director has participated in the following Professional Development activities during this project. Arthropod and Disease Ecology, Montana State University, June 2011, 2012, 2013. West Nile Virus Molecular Detection Protocols, Carroll College, June 2011, 2012, 2013. Biological Assessment Training, Rhithron Associates, Inc. July 2012. Genomics in Education, Montana State University, August 2012. 2013 USDA Land Grant Fellowship, June 2013. Improving the Undergraduate STEM Experience, National Science Foundation, March 2014. Montana INBRE Network Research and Training Symposium, MontanaState University, April 2014. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The newly developed Integrated Environmental Science and Environmental Science Associate of Science Degree Programs have been included in the Aaniiih Nakoda College Catalogs for the 2012-13, 2013-14, and 2014-2015 Academic Years. The National Science Foundation Tribal College and University Project (TCUP) at Aaniiih Nakoda College held a public meeting at ANC during May 2014 to obtain feedback from the local Natural Resource Management Programs located on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. The purpose of the meeting was to get feedback from the local agencies about the developement of a four program in Natural Resources or Environmental Science at ANC. Our existing Environmental Science was discussed at this meeting. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: Work on this objective began during the 2010-2011 Academic Year. The Science Faculty at Aaniiih Nakoda College began working on developing a new Integrated Environmental Science Associate of Science Degree. The Project Director began researching to find existing Environmental Science Degree Programs at neighboring colleges and universities as well as Tribal colleges and universities throughout the nation. The Science Faculty and Co-PIs on this project reviewed the Environmental Science degrees that were found on on-line catatogs and used them as models to develop and produce an Integrated Environmental Science Associate of Degree Program that was presented to the Aaniiih Nakoda College Curriculum Committee during a May 2011 Curriculum Committee meeting. The Curriculum Committee discussed the proposed Integrated Environmental Science AS Program, however they made the recommendation to hold off on approving the new program. The Co-PIs working on the Project continued to work on the developement of the new Integrated Environmental Science AS Degree Program throughout the 2011-2012 Academic Year. Also, several new Sciencefaculty members were hired during this time and they contributed to the developement of the new degree program. The Integrated Environmental Science AS Degree Program was submitted to and approved bythe Curriculum Committee again during a May 2012 Curriculum Committeemeeting. Objecive 2: The newly developedIntegrated Environmental Science Associate of Science Degree was included in the 2012 Aaniiih Nakoda College Catalog and the Program was offered to new students who registered for the 2012 Fall Semester. The originalIntegrated Environmental Science Associate of Science Degree was offered to students for the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 Academic Years. Objective 3: The Integrated Environmental Science Assocaite of Science Degree Program was assessed during the 2013-2014 Academic Year and it was decided to modify the Program. The name was changed to Environmental Science (the word Integrated was dropped) and the degree program was changed to include four different areas of emphasis in Environmental Science (Water/Soil Resources, GPS/GIS, Science/Pre-Engineering, and Traditional Plants). The new Environmental Science Associate of Science Degree with the four different emphasisoptions was included in the 2014 Aaniiih Nakoda College Catalog and the Program was offered to new students who registered for th 2014 Fall Semester.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/13
Outputs
Target Audience: The target audience for this project include the residents of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation and the surrounding communities. According to the 2000 US Census, 94.3 % of the residents of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation are American Indians,most aremembers of the Gros Ventre (AH-AH-NEE-NIN) and Assiniboine (Nakoda) Tribes. Also, residents of the surrounding communities of Havre, Chinooke, Harlem, Dodson, and Malta are included in the target audience. Typically, many of the students who attend Aaniiih Nakoda College from this target audience are first generation students. According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs the unemployment rate for the Fort Belknap Reservation in 2006 was 72 per cent. The main goal of this Project is to develop and implement a new Integrated Environmental Science Associate of Science Degree. This Project addresses the National Institute of Food and Agricultures'scritical need area of Sustainable Rural Economies by promoting the sustainability, health and well-being of the Fort Belknap community and its natural resource- and agriculture-based economies. The project will focus on the Tribal Colleges Equity Grants (TCEG) program area of Curricula Design and Materials Development. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Dan Kinsey, Project Co-PI and Dawn Chandler, GPS Instructor attended the 2012 FALCON Conference in Albuquerque, NM. Also, Victor Gone, ANC student attended the 2012FALCON Conference and presented a student research poster at the Conference. Dan Kinsey will also attend the 2013 Land-Grant Development Tribal Fellows Program in Washington, DC during June 2-7, 2013. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The new IntegratedEnvironmental ScienceAssociate of Science Degree Program has been published in the new 2012-2013 ANC Catalog. Also the new Program has been included in news articles that have beenprinted in the local newspaper, The Blaine County Journal. Dr. Carole Falcon-Chandler, ANC President,has included the new Program in her reports to the Fort Belknap Indian Community Tribal Council. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Objective 3 has begun during May 2013 and will continue throughout the upcoming reporting period. A formal comprehensive Assessment Report will be submitted and presented to the Assessement Committee during the May, 2014 meeting. Also, the instructors involved in the IES Program will continue to offer the courses included in the Program.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: A new Integrated Environmental Science Associate of Science Degree was developed and approved by the Aaniiih Nakoda College Curriculum Committee during May 2012. The new IES AS Degree Program was included in the new 2012-2013 Aaniiih Nakoda College Catalog. Objective 2: The new Integrated Environmental Science Associate of Science Degree program was implemented and offered to new students starting the 2012 Fall Semester. Objective 3: Assessment of the new IES AS Degree Program has begun starting May 2013 and a comprehensive program assessment report will be presentedduring the May 2014 Assessment Committee meeting.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/11 to 08/31/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The most significant accomplishment for this Project for the time period of September 2011 thru August 2012 has been the development and implementation of the new Integrated Environmental Science (IES) Associate of Science Degree Program. Members of the Aaniiih Nakoda College Science faculty worked throughout the 2011-2012 Academic Year to develop the new curriculum. The 3 co-Principle Investigators and 3 newly hired science faculty members worked together to develop the new curriculum and in May 2012 it was presented to the ANC Curriculum Committee and approved. The newly approved Integrated Environmental Science Associate of Science Degree was then offered to new students starting this 2012 Fall Semester. The new curriculum is similar to the old Natural Resources Associate of Science degree program, with the General Education requirements being the same in both programs. The changes in the new IES program include the addition of a higher level chemistry course, a general ecology course, a physics course, and an IES capstone course. The addition of the new courses will allow for smoother matriculation to the four year institutions that students generally transfer to. The new IES degree program is now included in the newest ANC Catalog that was published during the 2012 Fall Semester. Besides working on the development of the new IES curriculum, the 3 co-PIs have also been involved in teaching science courses at Aaniiih Nakoda College and working on research projects. Co-PIs Mr. Dan Kinsey and Ms. Erica McKeon-Hanson are both full time faculty and taught science course throughout the 2011-2012 Academic Year. Co-PI, Dr. Elizabeth McClain was also the Co-PI on the USDA Tribal College Research Project titled "Using Bio-Indicators to Assess the Health of the Middle Milk River". Co-PI, Mr. Dan Kinsey was also the PI on a NIH funded research project titled "West Nile Virus Surveillance on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation" and was the faculty advisor on the USDA Tribal College Research Project. Ms. Erica McKeon-Hanson was the Co-PI on the NIH funded research project titled "Addressing Oral Health on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation". ANC students are included in all three of the research projects included in this report. Mr. Kinsey and Ms. McKeon-Hanson also serve as student advisors in the two largest academic programs at ANC. During the 2011-2012 Academic Year, Mr. Kinsey advised 17 students in the Natural Resources Program and Ms. McKeon-Hanson advised approximately 50 students in the Allied Health Program. A full time laboratory assistant/faculty assistant is also worked throughout the 2011-2012 Academic Year and assisted faculty in laboratories and lectures. The addition of a fulltime assistant has been very beneficial to the science courses. PARTICIPANTS: Co-PI, Mr. Dan Kinsey works as the Project Director for this project. He coordinated the development and implementation of the new Integrated Environmental Science Associate of Science degree program at Aaniiih Nakoda College. Mr. Kinsey is also a full time instructor in the Natural Resources/Integrated Environmental Science Program and advises students in the Program. Mr. Kinsey also works on two research projects, 1) "Using Bio-Indicators to Assess the Health of the Middle Milk River", funded by the USDA Tribal College Research Program; 2) "West Nile Virus Surveillance on the Fort Belknap Reservation", funded by the Montana State University NIH INBRE Grant. Co-PI, Ms. Erica McKeon-Hanson also worked on the development and implementation of the new IES Program. Ms. McKeon-Hanson is also a full time instructor and student advisor in the Allied Health Program. Ms. McKeon-Hanson also worked on a research projected titled "Addressing Oral Health on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation", funded by the Montana State University NIH INBRE Grant. Co-PI, Dr. Elizabeth McClain also worked on the development and implementation of the new IES Program. Dr. McClain also is the Co-PI on the USDA Tribal College Research Project titled "Using Bio-Indicators to Assess the Health of the Middle Milk River". Ms. Bryar Flansburg works as the full time laboratory/faculty assistant. She assists science instructors in both laboratory and lecture courses. TARGET AUDIENCES: The direct beneficiaries of this project are the current and future students of Aaniiih Nakoda College. However, the entire reservation community will be positively impacted by project activities that will help provide future environmental professionals with the multi-dimensional knowledge and skills they need to effectively serve the reservation community and take care of the place they call home. Aaniiih Nakoda is a tribally-controlled community college located on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in northcentral Montana. The reservation covers an area approximately 28 miles wide (east to west) and 40 miles long (north to south). According to the 2000 US Census, 2,959 people live on the Fort Belknap reservation, 94.3 percent of whom are American Indians. Fort Belknap is an extremely rural community with a population density of 2.6 people per square mile, compared to the national average of approximately 80 people per square mile (Montana DOC 2003). Fort Belknap also ranks among the poorest areas in Montana and the United States. According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Fort Belknap's average annual unemployment rate is 72 percent (2006). Aaniiih Nakoda College was chartered in 1984 by the Fort Belknap Indian Community Council, which serves as the governing body of the A'aniinin (White Clay People or Gros Ventre) and Nakoda (Assiniboine) tribes of the Fort Belknap reservation. ANC received its initial accreditation from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities in 1993. Accreditation was most recently reaffirmed in 2008. Tribal leaders established ANC as a tool to fight generations of economic depression, to provide needed post-secondary and vocational education programs for tribal members, and to preserve and promote Nakoda and A'aniinin cultures. The following mission statement serves to guide the planning, development and implementation of all college programs: The mission of Aaniiih Nakoda College is to provide quality post-secondary education for residents of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation and surrounding communities. The college will help individuals improve their lives by offering them the opportunity to maintain the cultural integrity of the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Tribes as well as succeed in an American technological society. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The project directly addresses Goals 1-3 of Aaniiih Nakoda College's current strategic plan. For example, the project will further the goal of 'providing high quality postsecondary education opportunities' by: (1) improving the quality of classroom instruction and (2) improving transfer success. At the same time, the project supports the development and implementation of an academic program that 'responds to the educational, environmental, technological, and economic needs of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation and surrounding communities,' and is 'based on the cultural heritage and traditions of the A'aniinin and Nakoda tribes.' In addition to aligning with institutional goals and objectives established in FBC's most recent strategic plan, the project also advances the goals of the college's Science Department. In 2009, the department received funding from the National Science Foundation to establish the A'aniinin-Nakoda Environmental Excellence Center. The center seeks to promote connectivity and synergy among FBC's environmental research and education projects by building intellectual capital and research capacity and by providing students with a fully integrated learning experience in which research and education are embedded in a cultural and land-based context that fosters student engagement and promotes student success. The proposed project will support the integration of student learning within the IES degree program, while providing students with learning experiences that address relevant, real-world issues in a geographically and culturally meaningful context.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/11
Outputs
The main objective for Year One of the Fort Belknap College EQUITY Project titled "Integrating Environmental Science Curricula" is to develop a new Integrated Environmental Science Associate of Science Degree and to have the new degree approved by the Fort Belknap College Curriculum Committee and Board of Directors and the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The key personnel involved with this project, along with the other Fort Belknap College Science faculty members, worked throughout the 2010-2011 Academic Year to develop a new Curriculum Plan by first, reviewing Environmental Science curriculum plans at neighboring colleges and universities; second, an Integrated Science Curriculum Plan was prepared by the Science Faculty; third, the newly developed Curriculum Plan was presented to the Fort Belknap College Curriculum Committee at a meeting that was held on May 20, 2011. The Curriculum Committee discussed the proposed Integrated Environmental Science Associate of Science Degree Program and made the recommendation to hold off on approving the new program until the Committee meets again in the upcoming 2011-2012 Academic Year. So, the key personnel will continue the development of the Integrated Environmental Science Associate Degree Program and will present the new program to the Curriculum Committee in the upcoming 2011-2012 Academic Year. The Key Personnel working on this Project include Co-PI(s) Dan Kinsey, Erica McKeon-Hanson, and Dr. Elizabeth McClain. Each of the Co-PI(s) devoted 33 percent of their time to this project. Besides working on this project, each of the Co-PI(s) also devote a portion of their time to instructing science courses, advising students, and are PI(s) on research projects here at Fort Belknap College. During the 2010-2011 Academic Year, one student laboratory assistant was hired to work in the laboratories here at Fort Belknap College. This student assisted in laboratory preparation and cleanup. The addition of a laboratory assistant was a big help to the Science Faculty because it allowed the faculty more time for course preparation and management. The Natural Resources Program was able to upgrade the Geographic Information System software for the upcoming 2011-2012 Academic Year. Also, the Natural Resources Program is preparing to purchase new upgraded hand-held Global Positioning System instruments. The new GPS/GIS instruments and software will be utilized by instructors in various courses and ongoing research projects. On March 31, 2011, the Project Director, Dan Kinsey and two Natural Resource students, attended a renewable energy conference at Montana State University-Bozeman, titled "Empowering Native Lands; Renewable Energy and Efficiency for Economic Development Workshop". Also, the Project Director is planning to attend a conference titled "Building TCU-EPA Partnerships" in Albuquerque, NM on June 28-30, 2011. PRODUCTS: A proposed Integrated Environmental Science Associate of Science Degree was produced during the current reporting period 9/01/2011 thru 8/31/2011. The proposed Environmental Science Associate of Science Degree was presented to the Fort Belknap College Curriculum Committee on May 20, 2011 for approval, however the Curriculum Committee recommended waiting until the Curriculum Committee meets again in the 2011-2012 Academic Year to approve the new proposed program. OUTCOMES: Several outcomes have resulted as the key personnel have worked on the development of the new Integrated Environmental Science Associate Degree curriculum plan. One has been the addition of the course titled Environmental Science as a General Education course. The course was previously offered as a Natural Resources requirement, however it will now be accepted as a General Education course. Also, a course called Environmental Sampling Techniques will be discontinued and the material that was covered will now be integrated in the various courses that cover the specific subject matter such as in the water quality courses, Environmental Science, Soil Science, ect. Also, there is more interaction between the Allied Health Program and the Natural Resources and soon to be Integrated Environmental Science Program with the addition of proposed courses such as a new Environmental Health course. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: The newly developed Integrated Environmental Science Associate of Science Degree curriculum plan was presented for approval to the Fort Belknap Curriculum Committee on May 20, 2011. FUTURE INITIATIVES: The Key Personnel will continue the development of the new Integrated Environmental Science Associate of Science Degree and will resubmit the newly developed curriculum to the Fort Belknap College Curriculum Committee. Following their approval, the newly developed curriculum will be presented to the Fort Belknap College Board of Directors and if approved by them, it will be presented to the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities for approval. After approval by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, the newly developed Integrated Environmental Science Associate of Science Degree will be offered to the students of Fort Belknap College.
Impacts
The project directly addresses Goals 1-3 of Fort Belknap College's current strategic plan. For example, the project will further the goal of 'providing high quality postsecondary education opportunities' by: (1)improving the quality of classroom instruction and (2)improving transfer success. At the same time, the project supports the development and implementation of an academic program that 'responds to the educational, environmental, technological, and economic needs of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation and surrounding communities,' and is 'based on the cultural heritage and traditions of the A'aniinin and Nakoda tribes.' In addition to aligning with institutional goals and objectives established in FBC's most recent strategic plan, the project also advances the goals of the college's Science Department. In 2009, the department received funding from the National Science Foundation to establish the A'aniinin-Nakoda Environmental Excellence Center. The center seeks to promote connectivity and synergy among FBC's environmental research and education projects by building intellectual capital and research capacity and by providing students with a fully integrated learning experience in which research and education are embedded in a cultural and land-based context that fosters student engagement and promotes student success. The proposed project will support the integration of student learning within the IES degree program, while providing students with learning experiences that address relevant, real-world issues in a geographically and culturally meaningful context.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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