A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

   FOR RELEASE                                        Contact: Ivette Rodriguez    October 21, 1996                                            (202) 401-1576

President Clinton Establishes Advisory Board on Tribal Colleges and Universities

The Education Department will house and provide staff support for the new White House Initiative on Tribal College and Universities, as well as house the advisory board, which will consist of 15 presidentially appointed board members.

"These institutions provide an invaluable service," said U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley, "and it's time that we look for ways to increase their contribution. This initiative is another concrete example of our determination to assure every American with access to education beyond high school."

Among the board's goals are to help:

• ensure that tribal colleges and universities are better recognized as accredited institutions;

• establish mechanisms to increase accessibility to federal resources;

• promote access to high quality education;

• promote the preservation and revitalization of American Native and Alaska Native languages and cultural traditions;

• explore innovative approaches to better link tribal colleges with early childhood, elementary, and secondary education programs; and

• recommend ways in which tribal colleges and universities can strengthen their institutional capacity in support of the National Education goals.

The board will also report on the progress made by federal agencies in addressing these goals and will provide recommendations at least annually to the president and the secretary on ways to improve and promote quality postsecondary education for Native Americans and Alaska Natives.

Members of the board will include representatives of tribal colleges and may also include representatives of the higher, early childhood, elementary and secondary educators; tribal officials; health, business and financial institutions; and private foundations. Board members will serve two year terms.

According to executive order, the initiative will be authorized to:

• assist the secretary in the role of liaison between the executive branch and tribal colleges;

• serve the secretary in carrying out his responsibilities under this order; and

• promote better use of the services, personnel, information, and facilities of other agencies in meeting the objectives of the order.

Twenty nine tribal colleges and universities across the country serving 25,000 students from more than 250 tribes are covered under the order. Native American graduates from these primarily two year institutions are four times more likely to complete bachelor's degrees than those Native American students who enter as freshmen.

Through the White House Initiative Office, the advisory board, executive departments, and federal agencies will collaborate with the tribal colleges to develop and document a five year plan of goals and objectives. The initiative also will encourage the private sector to provide assistance to tribal colleges to strengthen institutional effectiveness and capability.

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