handbook for facilitators - western washington university · stillaguamish nation, the u.s....

Handbook for Facilitators

Principles and Adaptation of the Tribal

Environmental And Natural Resources

Management (TENRM) Model for Tribal Colleges

By Gigi Berardi, Dan Burns, Phil Duran, Roberto Gonzalez-Plaza, Sharon Kinley,

Lynn Robbins, Ted Williams, and Wayne Woods

i

Handbook for Facilitators

Principles and Adaptation of the Tribal Environmental And Natural Resources Management (TENRM) Model

for Tribal Colleges

By Gigi Berardi, Dan Burns, Phil Duran, Roberto Gonzalez-Plaza, Sharon Kinley,

Lynn Robbins, Ted Williams, and Wayne Woods

November 30, 2001

TENRM Is a NSF-Funded Project of the

Science and Mathematics Division Northwest Indian College

2522 Kwina Road Bellingham, WA 98225

Northwest Indian College Xwlemi Elh>Tal>Nexw Squl

http://www.nwic.edu/tenrm

NSF Grant No. DUE-9752076

The protective plastic cover used for this publication is recyclable.

ii

For additional copies of this

Handbook for Facilitators,

write to:

Tribal Environmental and Natural Resources Management Program

Division of Science and Mathematics

Northwest Indian College

2522 Kwina Road

Bellingham, WA 98226

phone: (360) 392-4309

The full, updated text of this Handbook

is available on the TENRM website:


iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS v CREDITS vii

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION 1 WELCOME 1 BACKGROUND TO TENRM 3 Profile of TENRM 6

SECTION II. FOUNDATIONS OF THE TENRM PROGRAM 11 MISSION OF THE PROGRAM 11 GOALS AND PROGRAM FEATURES 12 FOUNDATION PRINCIPLES 13

First Principle: Integration of Tribal and Western Knowledge 13

Second Principle: Non-Abandonment Policy 14

Third Principle: Developmental Education 15 THEORETICAL ASSUMPTIONS, AND OTHER GUIDING PRINCIPLES 17

TENRM Theory of Change 17

Integrative Multi-Disciplinary Curriculum 19

Community of Learners 20

Indian Values and Learning Styles 26

Institutional Partnership 29

SECTION III. STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM 31 CURRICULUM AND THEMES 31 Courses 36 EXPECTED COMPETENCIES 38 EXTERNAL EVALUATION 43

SECTION IV. LESSONS LEARNED 45 STUDENT ASSESSMENT 45 PROGRAM LEADERSHIP 49 BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH ADDRESSING CONFLICT 50 RETENTION 52 BEST PRACTICES 53

iv

SECTION V. ADAPTING THE TENRM MODEL FOR YOUR SITE 55 GETTING STARTED 55 ADAPTING THE MODEL 56 REVISITING THE CONTINUUM OF POSSIBILITIES 59

CLOSING WORDS 61

SUGGESTED READINGS AND RESOURCES 63

APPENDICES 67

APPENDIX 1 PARTICIPANTS IN TENRM 67

TENRM Core Faculty Learning Community 67

TENRM Student Learning Communities 69

TENRM External Evaluator 71

TENRM Advisory Board 71

APPENDIX 2 LEVELS OF INTEGRATION: A CONTINUUM 73

APPENDIX 3 SAMPLE EXERCISE: REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS 77

APPENDIX 4 INVITED GUEST SPEAKERS (2000-2001) 81

APPENDIX 5 SAMPLE INTEGRATIVE QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES 83

APPENDIX 6 TRAITS OF AN EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY 87

APPENDIX 7 TRIBAL COLLEGE MANIFESTO 89

APPENDIX 8 ACADEMIC SUBJECTS AND CREDITS 91

APPENDIX 9 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS AND TEXTBOOKS BY QUARTER 93

APPENDIX 10 FACULTY CAPABILITIES LIST FOR PLANNING 97

APPENDIX 11 DOUBLE COHORTS 99

GLOSSARY AND ACRONYMS 101

v

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The TENRM program acknowledges the generosity of the following: Lummi Nation for use of its territorial Coast Salish homelands, the National Science Foundation for major project funding, and agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for additional funding; as well as the collaboration of our many educational partners: Western Washington University, Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education at The Evergreen State College, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Institute of Indigenous Government, National Park Service, Washington State University, Montana State University, the Stillaguamish Nation, the U.S. National Aeronautic and Space Agency, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, Native American Fish & Wildlife Society, University of Washington, Washington State Department of Ecology, Lummi Nation Indian Business Council, Lummi Nation Natural Resources, Seattle City Light, Washington State Department of Ecology, and Northwest Indian College’s Oksale Native Teacher Preparation Program; many of these institutions provided our students with internships as well as core faculty members (Western Washington University’s Huxley College and the Northwest Indian College), for which we are grateful.

vi

The many guest scholars who participated in TENRM, including most recently Greg Cajete, Peter Kareiva, Robin Kimmerer, Simon Levin, Leroy Little Bear, Bob Paine, Ray Pierotti, Daniel Wildcat, and Sue Williams also are acknowledged. We also credit our part-time faculty with their full-time devotion, including Alan Parker, Terri Plake, Donna Rushing, Wendy Borgeson, James Allaway, Joe Rich, Barbara Perry, and Valerie Bob; advisory board members Robert Barker, Leroy Deardorff, Marie Eaton, Juanita Jefferson, Gillies Malnarich, Joseph Mitchell, Alan Moomaw, Linda Moon-Stumpff, and Bradley Smith; an early board member who was enormously helpful, Janine Elliott; our external evaluator, Joan LaFrance; and especially the students of TENRM who give the program its meaning and purpose and the Northwest Indian College for providing it a home.

TENRM has been supported primarily by National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant No. DUE-9752076.

vii

CREDITS

Candy Solomon

Writing and production of this Handbook for Facilitators was led by Gigi Berardi, who compiled materials, wrote text, edited drafts, and supervised the design and layout. Karen Hoelscher provided curricular expertise and support, editing, and preparation of initial drafts. Jim Allaway assisted with writing, revision, and editing, as well as design of the final draft. Gillies Malnarich and Ted Williams provided curricular expertise and editing assistance. Cindi Pree completed the graphic layout and design. Roberto Gonzalez-Plaza, Barbara Perry, Tiffany Campbell, and Scott Brennan provided editing or design assistance. Loretta Kline assisted with administrative and clerical support. Candy Solomon produced all of the original art and Hillary Stewart designed the TENRM canoe logo.

1

SECTION I.

INTRODUCTION

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION

WELCOME

We, the faculty of the Tribal Environmental and Natural Resources Management (TENRM) program at Northwest Indian College on the Lummi Reservation in northwest Washington State, welcome readers to this Handbook for Facilitators.1 In this Handbook, we attempt to explain the principles underpinning TENRM, and the process of implementing those principles that we have developed in our first three years of the program. Our intention is that this Handbook can assist faculty at tribal colleges and others in developing similar programs to also provide critically needed, integrated environmental education and training for American Indians and Alaska Natives.

1 See Appendix 1 (Participants in TENRM) for a listing of the individuals who comprise TENRM.

This Handbook is not like many teaching guides or other educational program resources you may have seen, in that it does not suggest lesson plans or other specific blueprints for presenting materials or managing the program. Rather, we believe the most useful and valid contribution is to explain the underlying philosophy and principles of TENRM and relate our experiences and the lessons we have learned in developing the program. This basic information can then help inform others in developing what inevitably must be programs adapted to the specific conditions, circumstances, and institutional settings within which they operate.

TENRM Handbook for Facilitators

2

TENRM is a work in

progress. Our journey with TENRM has spawned rich and meaningful learning for students and program faculty alike. Such a journey includes cultural redefinitions and reconsiderations of power and privilege in both the learning and the larger community. We offer this Handbook as part of our continuing quest for meaningful and authentic teaching and learning. We invite you to embark on the same quest.

There are no failures, just different kinds of successes.

Roy Huhndorf, Alaska Native leader

Introduction

3

BACKGROUND TO TENRM

Tribal leaders say they need employees who not only possess a solid foundation in natural science but who also deeply understand socio-economic-political issues in Indian country, and who are effective communicators. Yet, the available pool of tribal members with paper qualifications is negligible compared to the need, since few Indians and Alaska Natives have college degrees in environmental science and natural resources management.

The TENRM program has grown out of our belief that tribal colleges must lead the way in providing an education in environmental science that is grounded in the Indian and Alaska Native perspectives crucial to tribal survival. Indian students must learn to live in two worlds, learning “White man’s way,” as Tatanka Iotanka (Sitting Bull) urged his people, but also maintaining or returning to the indigenous principles and understandings that recognize the intimate relationship of all things. Thus, they must learn to apply an inclusive healing approach to solving environmental problems. The idea of two parallel systems of knowledge at work -- tribal science and western science -- is at the heart of the program. Integrated learning of these two worlds is one of the foundations of TENRM (see Section II).

In the old days, our ancestors managed the land well. I want to be one of those people managing resources for the (Lummi) Nation.

Tamala Noland, TENRM Student


4

Teaching tribal science and western science simultaneously may be a daunting enterprise, but it is not impossible. A cornerstone of TENRM is the incorporation of Indian and Alaska Native scholars and community elders into the program. This community participation gives the program added strength.

Merely providing an educational opportunity does not generally work for students from Indian reservations, however. The challenges of “walking in two worlds” – both

tribal and western science and cultures -- are significant in the best of circumstances, and people who have suffered historically from tragic socioeconomic conditions will need more than recruitment, good facilities, and strong academic programs to succeed. Our experience in a small tribal college indicates that the majority of entering students lack communications and mathematics proficiency. They also endure external conditions that are unrelated to their intellectual capacities. For most students, as well, attendance at a tribal college is simply not possible without scholarships and other financial support.

One of our essential roles is to help the students discover their full potential by instructing and supporting them in all possible ways. This essential wide-ranging support for students is reflected in the second founding principle of TENRM, our “non-abandonment” policy (see Section II).

Introduction

5

Foundations of TENRM Program

First Principle

Integration of Tribal & Western Knowledge

Second Principle

Non-Abandonment Policy

Third Principle

Developmental Education

To accomplish these educational objectives, it is essential that the program be conducted as developmental education: the starting point must be what the students know. The curriculum must be designed -- and, if necessary, adapted -- to start at the level of the incoming students’ skills and knowledge and build from there. This principle of starting from what the students know is the third element of the foundation of the TENRM program (see Section II).


6

Profile of TENRM

The TENRM program prepares tribal students from throughout the United States to work with their tribes in natural resources management. Students earn an Associate of Arts and Sciences (A.A.S.) or an Associate of Technical Arts (A.T.A.) degree, which prepares them for further baccalaureate work in environmental and natural resources management or in a related field, or for immediate technical employment in tribal resource management.

The program was established in 1997 at the Northwest Indian College with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) as a national model of tribal and regional college partnering. It was designed to meet the needs expressed by leaders from 26 Pacific Northwest tribes to train future leaders who understand tribal resource management issues in the context of community and culture. Our educational strategy for natural resources and environmental management employs high academic standards while also aiming to strengthen each student's cultural identity.

The A.A.S. degree in Tribal Resource Management is tailored to meet the requirements for direct transfer into the Huxley College of Environmental Studies or Fairhaven College at Western Washington University (WWU) in Bellingham, Washington, or into The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. A.A.S. recipients also potentially may qualify for transfer directly, as a junior, to other Washington State colleges and universities. Students receiving the A.T.A. degree are prepared for work in policy, planning, para-legal, or other dimensions of tribal resource management.

Introduction

7

The TENRM curriculum encompasses two pathways of understanding: (1) mastering academic knowledge and skills, and (2) strengthening each student's cultural identity. Courses in science, humanities, and art are taught -- and students learn to think -- in an integrated manner, compatible with indigenous learning styles. A “learning community,” or a core of courses that engage a cohort of students with a faculty team,2 works together throughout the two-year program to provide support for all members and a respectful educational environment. This environment is critical to the successful retention and education of Indian and Alaska Native students.

2This is one type of learning community. The Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education of The Evergreen State College lists three basic types of learning community models: (1) student cohorts in larger classes such as "first-year interest groups" (cohorts of students enroll in larger classes that faculty do not coordinate; intellectual connections and community-building take place in an additional integrative seminar); (2) paired or clustered classes (programs of two or more classes linked thematically or by content, which a cohort of students takes together; the faculty do not plan the program collaboratively); and, (3) team-taught-programs or "coordinated studies" (programs of course work that faculty members team-teach; the course work is embedded in an integrated program of study). The Washington Center notes that there are hundreds of adaptations of these types at both two-and four-year institutions. Most are characterized by collaborative/cooperative learning, peer teaching, discussion groups and seminars, problem-centered learning, writing and speaking across-the-curriculum, and ongoing reflection.

Ways of aligning instruction in resource management with traditional values and knowledge have been a central concern in developing the TENRM program. We have chosen to fully integrate course material, but other approaches are possible, as described in Appendix 2 (Levels of Integration: A Continuum).


8

The program offers students a holistic approach to knowledge, together with skills in computation and analysis for solving increasingly complex environmental problems. For example, biology and chemistry are introduced together, and mathematical concepts and skills are applied directly to resource management fields -- exponential functions, for instance, are applied to biological population dynamics and to functions in economics. Practical, real-world experience is provided through numerous field visits as well as 250 hours of internship work with an outside sponsor.

What we have settled on as the structure and implementation methods for the TENRM program is the result of innumerable hours of planning and discussion, followed by testing in the classroom and subsequent adaptation to that experience. There is, in fact, no substitute for such work in devising a successful program. We hope this Handbook helps you in your endeavors, and we invite you to customize the structure we have designed in order to provide what you need.

Introduction

9

How to Use This Handbook

In attempting to adapt the TENRM model described in this Handbook to your own situation, keep in mind:

• your specific teaching and learning goals;

• the similarities and differences between your college and the institutions represented in TENRM;

• the current knowledge, skills, and attitudes of your students, teachers, staff, elders, and other community experts;

• the time and energy required to create and sustain a team capable of delivering a culturally-appropriate course or program; and,

• the strength of commitment by all participants to working as a team.

11

SECTION II.

FOUNDATIONS

OF THE TENRM PROGRAM

SECTION II. FOUNDATIONS OF THE TENRM PROGRAM

MISSION OF THE PROGRAM

Preparing a mission statement is an essential early part of the planning process. The mission statement explains what your ultimate purpose is. Our mission statement for the TENRM program is relatively simple:

We recommend that your mission statement be posted in your classrooms so that it is visible at all times and a constant reminder for all participants.

TENRM prepares students ultimately for tribal environmental and natural resource management grounded in cultural identity.


12

GOALS AND PROGRAM FEATURES

Concurrent with devising the mission statement, you also will be articulating more specific goals and developing features of the program that will help achieve those goals. Our goals and matching program features are identified below, ranked in order of importance. More information on how these features are put into effect is given in the following section (Structure of the Program) of this Handbook.

Goal Program Features

1. To be a people.

• Student cohort learning

• Peer assistance and friendship

• Close ties among faculty and students

• Emphasis on persistence and high standards

• Policy of non-abandonment

2. To facilitate the development of reading, writing, analytical, and computational skills in order to manage and preserve cultural and natural resources.

• Emphasize challenges of the two worlds

• Highlight differences and similarities between tribal and western world views

• Provide Lummi and other Indian faculty members as consultants and teachers as well as role models

• Focus on recruitment and retention

Foundations of the TENRM Program

13

3. To develop critical and integrative abilities.

• Six multi-credit blocks of at least ten credits of integrated theme-based courses

• Holistic, systemic approach

• Visits and discussion by Indian scholars

• Hands-on learning experiences

• Internship practica

FOUNDATION PRINCIPLES

The entire TENRM program -- all aspects of its structure, curriculum, and operations -- is built on a foundation of three fundamental principles. These principles have guided every stage of the design of the program and the changes made to adapt it to the experience we have gained.

First Principle: Integration of Tribal and

Western Knowledge

The program aims to assist students to integrate the knowledge and the perspectives of both tribal and standard "western" science. The validity of each is respected, and the differences and similarities between them are recognized. Both realms of knowledge and science are needed by tribal natural resources managers and environmental specialists, and the TENRM program is designed to provide the necessary knowledge of western science, within the context of tribal culture and knowledge, and to broaden students' tribal cultural knowledge with speakers and academic materials in Indian and Alaska Native science and resources management fields.


14

Second Principle: Non-Abandonment Policy

From the beginning, a basic TENRM working policy and philosophy has been that all students enrolled in the program are strongly supported to continue with the program. However, through the first program academic year, the faculty struggled with attendance and varying performance levels of students (familiar issues at other academic institutions, as well), and how to deal with students who were struggling academically while still being fair to students doing well. Late in the first year, the faculty met in retreat at the Washington’s Center Curriculum Workshop at Rainbow Lodge, and adopted an explicit policy -- and underlying philosophy -- of non-abandonment.

The policy means, basically, that the faculty and administration will do everything they reasonably can to support students to complete the program. The faculty and administration will not abandon students. The policy does not mean that standards will be lowered for students who are struggling. It means, rather, that the program will not take any formal action to remove them from the program if the

The hardest part of teaching part-time in the program is that it’s never over when it’s over. The non-abandonment policy means that there are many students who do not finish their work during the term yet we must continue to support and work with them. Of course, this also is one of the great joys, too – to remain part of their lives, and of the learning community, forever.

Terri Plake, TENRM instructor


15

students fail to attend class or complete their course credits on schedule. They will be welcomed back to class and assisted to complete missed work. The non-abandonment policy is consistent with an overall philosophy of non-coercion, and internal- and community-based loci of motivation.

As external evaluator Joan LaFrance has written, “[the policy] emerged from the recognition that students at NWIC lead complicated lives. This was not news to the faculty based at NWIC. However, the cohort approach had allowed the faculty to form a sense of community with students in ways that had not happened when teaching regular courses. This contact contributed to developing a fuller understanding of the barriers to learning in the lives of many students. Through the depth of contact created in the learning community, faculty became more aware of the barriers and challenges reservation students encounter navigating everyday life. Perhaps this awareness influenced the decision to reject more bureaucratic approaches to attendance policies in favor of the ‘non-abandonment’ philosophy.” (LaFrance, 1999, p. 24).

Third Principle: Developmental Education

To succeed with its basic mission of preparing Indian and Alaska Native students for tribal natural resources management and environmental work, the program must build from the starting point of the level of knowledge and preparation that incoming students have. Academic skills

among beginning students are generally weak, and we have found that much of the first quarter must be devoted to strengthening computational and writing skills.

…the program must build from the starting point of the level of knowledge and preparation that incoming students have.


16

However, students also often bring personal experience of natural resource work environments, which helps provide a base on which to build and develop a higher level of education. Students may be weak in standard academic skills, but their practical experience can become a strength in their learning. Their experience also supports the program's overall purpose of integrating tribal and western knowledge.

Foundations of TENRM Program

First Principle

Integration of Tribal & Western Knowledge

Second Principle

Non-Abandonment Policy

Third Principle

Developmental Education


17

THEORETICAL ASSUMPTIONS, AND OTHER

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Educational programs generally assume that as a result of providing the teaching, something will change. To be able to assess TENRM, it is useful to articulate the underlying assumptions or theory of change guiding the program design. This theory is illustrated in the following diagram, followed by examples of how the program corresponded to the theory.

TENRM Theory of Change

Environmental management by its very nature is multi-disciplinary -- an integrated program combining natural sciences, political science, public policy, and management is preferable to independent courses in order to achieve mastery of the field.

Curricula integration is achieved in a learning community -- a core of courses that engage a cohort of students with a faculty team.

A cohort, integrated curriculum model is responsive to Indian values and learning styles.

Centering the curriculum in Indian culture, history, politics, and policy enhances the self-determination of students and tribes.

Partnership with four year institutions will strengthen the program’s curricula and contribute to the transferability of the degree to a four year college.

Indian students will enroll and complete the program, and they will be well prepared for continuation of their academic careers or for employment in the field of environmental management.


18

Building on this theory, several additional guiding principles also contribute to the foundation of the TENRM program. These include: integrative multi-disciplinary curriculum, community of learners, Indian values and learning styles, and institutional partnership. These principles, and how they are reflected in the day-to-day activities of students and faculty, are described briefly below.

The kind of learning we are trying to facilitate takes place in a circle. Our small circle of learning can merge with others springing up to form bigger ones. Because the schools have taught us to be linear thinkers, it may take a special effort to discover our other powers. The libraries and the internet are full of resources we can search on our own at any time -- and in TENRM you are required to use them -- but the way of the circle is holistic, compassionate, spiritual, ecological, communal, experiential, practical, and oral. This kind of learning is active; it hones your critical thinking skills; it can only be experienced together. It works only if there is someone to listen when someone speaks, if there is someone who will speak when someone needs to hear it. This is an important part of the TENRM journey.

Phil Duran, TENRM director


19

Integrative Multi-Disciplinary Curriculum

Typical undergraduate general education courses expose students to a wide variety of modes of knowing, thinking, and experiencing prior to starting the required core courses in a college major. The six-quarter TENRM program is based on the premise that environmental management itself is multi-disciplinary and, therefore, an integrated program of core courses can best prepare students by combining natural sciences, political science, public policy, and management

together with cultural experience and support.

For example, in addition to learning about biology, TENRM students learn how life sciences relate to Indian culture and to mathematics, physical science, and the

environment. Likewise, study of earth-system science combines the analytical power of geology, ecology, oceanography, and other disciplines, in order to offer a more comprehensive understanding of the environment. Such study and understanding was critical to the successful completion of a large project that students carried out in groups (see Appendix 3 (Sample Exercise: Request for Proposals), for a description of the parameters of the project).

In addition to classroom instruction, students participate in field trips and host visits and seminars by Indian and Alaska Native scholars and other guests familiar with tribal issues, industry, and government (see Appendix 4 (Invited Guest Speakers), for a partial listing). Classes each quarter also

…Likewise, study of earth-system science combines the analytical power of geology, ecology, oceanography, and other disciplines, in order to offer a more comprehensive understanding of the environment.


20

emphasize direct practice with speaking and writing skills, group projects, case studies, multidisciplinary assignments, and practicum experience. A good example of such multi-disciplinary study is the integrative questions and exercises that students complete at various times throughout the quarter (see Appendix 5 (Sample Integrative Questions and Exercises)). Faculty members’ use of integrative approaches in their own thinking, as well as in their teaching, likewise engenders integrated thinking by students.

Community of Learners

In Indian and Alaska Native communities, individuals strive to honor the group and those who have gone before them. TENRM is framed within Indian values -- emphasizing culture, traditions, and community -- and highlights the interdependence of individuals within a community of

TENRM Student Evaluations of the Program, 1999

• Students rated highly all aspects of the program: course content, working with a cohort, and multidisciplinary curriculum, and the quality of the instruction.

• Students noted that understanding and learning through a multidisciplinary process became easier each quarter.

Joan LaFrance, External Evaluator


21

learners. Students enter the program as a cohort, working closely together to support each other as learners throughout their two year program of studies. Essentially, the faculty and students also form a larger cohort, and thus faculty modeling of community, including good communication and coping practices, is critical for the health of the entire community.

The community-of-learners model is a key component in the success of TENRM. Faculty and students form a community of learners together; faculty members learn along with the students. This develops the students' confidence in approaching the faculty at any time, with questions on

pedagogy as well as content. This expands their sense of owning and investing in the learning process.

Any true community of learners must develop adequate communication skills (e.g., reflective

listening, perspective-taking, and conflict resolution) to deepen and strengthen their sense of community and to deal with the inevitable conflicts that will arise as the community matures. Learning communities engender far greater interaction between students than do typical course formats; students and faculty must have the skills to function well in such a rich learning environment.

We are more than a program, we know our strengths and weaknesses. We are not anonymous.

TENRM student


22

TENRM faculty presented ten critical traits of a successful community at a conference in June, 2000, disseminating the findings of the first two years of the TENRM program to faculty from other tribal colleges.3 These traits were based on features identified by experts in community building (Johnson et al, 1990; Gabelnick et al., 1992) as common to a successful community, regardless of that community’s size, purpose, and scope. These traits include developing and maintaining:

� capacity;

� interdependency;

� informality;

� traditions;

� celebration;

� coming together after tragedy;

� spirituality;

� modeling and teaching character education and moral education;

� taking responsibility; and,

� identifying group members who can act as guides or problem solvers.

The TENRM curriculum is built on the premise that students take courses as a single cohort. This cohort approach further provides a built-in support system for students. It strives to build trust between students and faculty, honesty about the program’s challenges, and a close faculty team. Interdependency is key, for it is critical that the students do

3 For more information, see Appendix 6 (Traits of an Effective Community).


23

not feel alone. When students feel connected, they feel a responsibility to support their cohort members, and expect to be supported themselves. Connected to family (members who are living and those who have passed on), the student is grounded in community and feels more of a responsibility in setting and meeting goals.

[The] hardest lesson to learn as a people is how to be a group, not chemistry or biology. Tribal people have paid the cost of 200 years of having to learn how to be individuals and not how to be a people. The cohort concept is an old value, which should be incorporated into more programs at the college. The cohort is traditional, part of a value of working together – a process of refining adult behavior and creating ability to make decisions as a group. Lummi [people] struggle with this -- learning how to finish things, and to trust others and ourselves -- how to relate to each other in different communication styles.

TENRM faculty member


24

Students study as part of a group rooted in similar traditional cultural values, and they draw support from this. “Everyone does better when everyone does better" is one of the TENRM mottos. The cohort model closely mirrors Indian community values and ideals, particularly in terms of sharing wealth (in this case, educational), for in Indian and Alaska Native communities, the individual works to honor those who have gone before her or him.

For all of the cohorts, community building has happened continually, in small as well as major ways -- for example, when students take the initiative to provide lecture materials and notes for students who are absent. Another mode of community building has been participating in talking circles, initiated by the students or by Indian faculty. We also set aside time each week for students to develop an ongoing sense of community through shared projects such as becoming a chapter of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), fundraising, and attending the national AISES conference together.

A by-product of TENRM is the self-esteem, pride, and identity among students. They use terms like "my people." They know what it means to have a voice. They have their own ideas. They see people at eye level rather than viewing themselves as inferior.

Phil Duran, TENRM Director


25

Substantive community building happened for the first TENRM cohort with the sudden death of a class member. With the second cohort, from its beginning in the fall of 2000, Phil Duran, as the new TENRM director, used Indian ceremony and philosophy to help instill a sense of connectedness and responsibility to build a strong community of learners.

We tested the strength of our cohort band and experienced the beauty of the Native culture through the life of our classmate. We have grown and gained in knowledge and wisdom. This growth will spread and we will pass it on to our children. In this there is hope. Someday the children of the future will look back and know that something great started here and that they carry forward these principles, to place the earth back into its own homeostasis.

TENRM student


26

Indian Values and Learning Styles

In the TENRM core courses, we try to recognize and challenge the cultural lenses we use to filter information. We believe that hidden assumptions about culture are embedded in a curriculum -- even at a tribal college. Such assumptions are like lenses: they shape how we perceive social reality. As teachers who are trying to understand the natural environment, it is important to make these lenses visible, that is, to look at cultural lenses rather than just through them, to acknowledge, understand, and question the assumptions we have about our cultural milieu.

TENRM students, together with our guests and core Indian faculty, have constantly helped the entire faculty to see such connections. The presence of visiting and resident Indian and Alaska Native scholars and leaders in the classroom has been critical in keeping this perspective in clear view. Connections are made, for example, when students began to link an exercise requiring computation of poplar tree growth rates on leased land with Indian land policy (see sample integrative exercises in Appendix 5); narrative writing, following rules of grammar and syntax, with oral traditions

Underlying the program is the belief that an interdisciplinary approach to learning is congruent and consistent with an Indian and Alaska Native world view. Rather than presenting material as separate disciplines, TENRM faculty present curriculum with a relational core that corresponds to indigenous philosophies and that focuses on connections within the natural world.


27

of creation stories; major geologic events with stories of land subsidence in oral narratives; or, economic and business structures with Indian history and politics.

In fact, attempts at cultural integration without the careful planning and on-going discussions which characterize the TENRM program run the risk of becoming little more than a "cultural veneer" -- Indian on the outside but little different from standard education on the inside (or, perhaps worse, having little of substance on the inside). One example might be the cosmetic incorporation of isolated Indian songs, narrative, and images into lesson plans -- with little context. In TENRM, we reject this approach. Rather, we have come to believe that the most authentic way to incorporate cultural content is to allow culture bearers to do it in their own way. TENRM students and faculty thus were honored to host many Indian scholars as guest teachers (see Appendix 4).

In addition, the hiring of an Indian director (Phil Duran) strengthened the program’s culturally appropriate approach to these concepts. The talking circle, initiated by Indian faculty and students who grew up in the tradition, was used to encourage open expression of feelings. Smudging with smoke from burning sage was done to set the tone and purify or cleanse students and faculty to prepare for course work. As the year progressed, students themselves requested short ceremony when they felt they needed it, particularly during times of crisis felt by the entire group. The net result of these and perhaps other influences has been that the new cohort has more cohesion and maturity, in the view of the external evaluator, Joan LaFrance.


28

How Can…

Part-Time Faculty Be Part of the Faculty Cohort?

Part-time faculty need training that includes some kind of cultural immersion. They also need to be included in weekly planning sessions and encouraged to attend TENRM-like classes before and during their contract period. Special orientations are needed so that the part-time faculty understand the philosophical underpinnings of the program.

Non-Indian Faculty Teach in a Tribal College Setting?

Participation of non-Indian faculty is accomplished by recognizing the cultural lenses they wear, by understanding that knowledge is a cultural construction, and by understanding the power and privilege, as well as the responsibility that goes with it. Non-Indian faculty can help to build community among Indian students and faculty once they deal with their own culture (as George Freeman of The Evergreen State College advises) and question their own perceptions and expectations of Indian students, using lenses other than those typically adopted by Euro-American culture (Huhndorf, 2000).4

All Faculty Adapt to this Model of Education?

All the faculty in a program like TENRM soon understand they are participating in a model of learning that most have never experienced before. Some are comfortable, especially those familiar with the tribal community model, while others may not be. It has taken TENRM faculty a long time to understand the challenges of teaching at tribal colleges -- and to be grateful of the many rewards. Sooner or later, to facilitate successful learning, we should consider adopting guidelines like the “Tribal College Manifesto”( Appendix 7).

4 The draft, “Tribal College Manifesto,” in Appendix 7, also describes principles that all faculty at tribal colleges should consider adopting to help guide their teaching and participation in a learning community with students. The TENRM faculty has adopted its tenets to support our students in developing the necessary tools, perspectives, and personal qualities to become wise and skilled natural resource managers.


29

Institutional Partnership

The TENRM program is the result of a unique working relationship among three academic institutions -- Northwest Indian College, Western Washington University, and The Evergreen State College, together with many non-academic institutions. The two-year sequence of integrated general education and core courses is taught at the NWIC main campus located on the Lummi Indian Reservation near Bellingham, Washington. Four faculty from NWIC and two from WWU's Huxley College of Environmental Studies form the core teaching faculty, supplemented with additional teaching faculty on specialty subjects. Academic leadership from each of the three colleges joins the core faculty to constitute the curriculum development team. The Advisory Committee, likewise, is drawn from the three colleges as well as other institutions. These links strengthen the partnership between the tribal college and four-year state institutions.

The program’s A.A.S. degree is tailored to meet all the requirements for a direct transfer into Huxley College at WWU. The close participation of Huxley faculty in all planning, teaching, and mentoring phases of the program provides support for students after as well as during their work at NWIC. University faculty who have grown and learned with the cohort can provide early orientation assistance for students (e.g., hosting tours, study days, and receptions on the university campus) and serve as knowledgeable mentors after the students arrive on the university campus. WWU faculty actively participate in a support network for the students who have successfully transferred to the institution.

31

SECTION III.

STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM

SECTION III. STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAMThis section describes the structure of TENRM in terms of its curriculum and themes, the academic competencies expected of graduating students, and external evaluation. This section is of particular interest to those designing an academic program; for facilitators interested in using learning-community models for tribal education, the community-building aspects of our curriculum are discussed in other sections of this Handbook.

CURRICULUM AND THEMES

As noted earlier, the A.A.S./A.T.A. in Tribal Environmental and Natural Resources Management spans, at a minimum, two years. Course work consists of 94 credits, approximately two-thirds of which are presented in six quarterly core courses integrating biology, chemistry, physics, political science, economics, mathematics, and environmental science, as well as English, Indian studies, humanities, and history (see Appendix 8 (Academic Subjects and Credits), for the distribution of credits by quarter). The remaining one-third of the credits comprises traditional stand-alone courses in humanities, mathematics, computer applications, environmental science, public speaking, and basic study skills.

In successive iterations (the second and third cohort) of TENRM, the program was refined in several ways. First, the fall quarter of the first year was changed into a “developmental” quarter with a gradual introduction to


32

thinking in an integrative manner, resulting in better retention of students in the program. Second, a more experiential teaching model was developed, allowing students to experience science very early, through examples and applications appropriate to the program’s context. Third, some course credits were redistributed to the following year so as to allow other NWIC students to join the TENRM class, a change that facilitates program sustainability. We also believe that a by-product of the program has been increased self-esteem and less fear of science and mathematics on the part of the students.

Because NWIC students tend to be stronger in oral than written communication -- not surprising for people from historically oral cultures, speech and English courses were moved from the second year into the first year and a journaling session was added in the first quarter. These changes have strengthened writing skills, resulting in, again, an increase in the students’ self-esteem.

What do the TENRM students like best about the program?

► Self-confidence gained with the understanding of the inter-relationship of biology, chemistry, and Native issues.

► There was more one-on-one help, which made it easier to understand the material.

► These courses did well to connect local issues and the sciences we learned in the first two quarters – to the whole picture. We are now talking about more global issues, we are becoming ‘global thinkers.’

TENRM Student Evaluation, 1999

Structure of the Program

33

The multidisciplinary core courses are taught in four-to-five hour blocks, four days a week (see Appendix 9 (Course Descriptions and Textbooks by Quarter)). Each core course is organized with a unifying theme, as follows:

To Be the Eagles’ View

Introduces the perspective of examining tribal and western science for their similarities and differences. Taught from an Indian and Alaska Native point of view (i.e., using a cultural lens grounded in traditional ideas and practices), students develop an awareness of the relationship of scientific concepts and basic terminology of environmental sciences to tribal issues. Includes basic skills of reading comprehension, writing, speech, and computation as well as experiential learning, with exploration of the local physical environment as an important part of the curriculum.

Water

Examines the cultural and economic importance of water. Topics include how water is conceived in the origin of the cosmos and living beings, the connections between freshwater and ocean systems, the hydrological cycle, aquatic systems (e.g., lakes, rivers, wetlands), and water quality. Introduces Indian treaties and the United States government, environmental laws and regulations, and tribal, federal, state, county, and municipal jurisdictions and water rights.

Land and Land Use

Explores the cultural and economic importance of land, the role and application of treaties and Indian sovereignty in land rights and land use, and the effects of land use on soils, landforms, terrestrial life forms, and human settlements. Students study and apply aspects of forestry, agriculture, and microeconomics, geology, mapping, remote sensing, global positioning systems (GPS), and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to the circumstances of the Pacific Northwest Indian tribes.


34

Oceans

Examines the role of the ocean waters in aboriginal and contemporary Indian life, laws, treaties, and Indian histories, focusing on understanding the oceans' biological, chemical, and shoreline processes, human impact on global natural processes, and ocean resources in tribal communities in the Pacific Northwest.

Making Connections, Finding a Balance

Explores the complex connections among cultural values, economic development, and environmental protection faced by tribal resource managers and leaders entrusted with sustaining community development in Indian nations. Provides formal exercises in identifying cultural needs, interpreting regulations, locating and analyzing information, learning how to prepare and defend a project proposal; and learning how to work in teams. Students are required to write an actual Request for Proposal (RFP) following very specific guidelines (see Appendix 3 (Sample Exercise: Request for Proposals)). Students are taught technical and grant writing, argumentation, economic and watershed analysis, budgeting, interpreting and using environmental impact statements, and the use of statistics.

Bringing It All Together (Project)

Requires the design, implementation, analysis, and presentation of a culminating group project focusing on an environmental issue proposed during the previous quarter. Showcases students' ability to propose and conduct a public meeting, present and defend their findings, and make recommendations to reduce adverse environmental and social effects of proposed and existing actions. Projects completed by the first student cohort using this approach included: studies of the Portage Island marine ecosystem, with an analysis of the distribution of sediments of the shellfish beds on Portage Island in Lummi Nation; a study of fish waste recovery and stream loading; a cultural resources protection education plan; and, an Eagle’s View analysis of watershed and coastal management.


35

…internships in the summer following the first year of the program provide opportunities for students to actively practice natural resource management techniques with community experts.

Many of the six multidisciplinary core courses have field and laboratory components. In its first iteration, each course had two faculty coordinators who attended all class meetings, as well as taught in the program,5 with additional faculty members and technical experts participating in teaching and in

field and laboratory activities. The faculty structure has since been altered in shifting from a single cohort model to the current double cohort design (see Appendix 11 (Double Cohorts)), which has one NWIC faculty coordinating the first year cohort for the entire year and another NWIC faculty coordinating the other cohort for the entire year.

Paid summer internships in the summer following the first year of the program provide opportunities for students to actively practice natural resources management techniques with community experts. Sponsoring agencies or nations for TENRM students have included: Montana State University, the Stillaguamish Nation, the U.S. National Aeronautic and Space Agency, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, Native American Fish & Wildlife Society, University of Washington, Washington State Department of Ecology, Lummi Nation Indian Business Council, and Lummi Nation Natural Resources.

The following charts list the courses forming the interdisciplinary core as well as supplemental courses for TENRM, and a sample weekly schedule. Appendix 8 provides a credit analysis by subject and quarter.

5 See Appendix 10 (Faculty Capabilities List for Planning), for an example of how to determine the best use of core faculty.

36

Fall Winter Spring

First year: Eagles’ View

• Chem 111 (1 cr)

• Biol 101 (1 cr)

• Spch 120 (2 cr)

• Engl 188 (2 cr)

• Hist 209 (3 cr)

• Cmps 101 (2 cr)

• Hmts 109 (2 cr)

• Hmdv 110 (2 cr)

Total = 15 cr

Water

• Engl 101 (3 cr)

• Math 102 (2 cr)

• Chem 111 ( 2 cr)

• Biol 101 (3 cr)

• Pols 225 (3 cr)

• Cmps 101 (1 cr)

• Hmdv 110 (1 cr)

Total = 15 cr

Land

• Engl 101 (2 cr)

• Math 102 (2 cr)

• Geol 211 (5 cr)

• Biol 215 (5 cr)

• Spch 120 ( 2 cr)

• Hmdv 110 ( 1cr)

Total = 17 cr

Second year: Ocean

• Engl 201 (5 cr)

• Math 102/103 (2 cr)

• Math 107 (1 cr)

• Chem 111 (2 cr)

• Biol 101 (1 cr)

• Hmts 109 (1 cr)

• Hist 209 (2 cr)

Total = 14 cr

Finding a Balance

• Math 103 ( 2 cr)

• Math 107 (2 cr)

• Pols 225 (2 cr)

• Hmts 109 (1 cr)

• Econ (5 cr)

Total = 12 cr

Project

• Math 103 (2 cr)

• Envs 289 (2 cr)

• Hmts 109 (1 cr)

Total = 5 cr

Courses

37

Sample Weekly Schedule

WEEK 1 TENRM SPRING 2001 - LANDMonday 4/2 Tuesday 4/3 W ednesday 4/4 Thursday 4/5

12:00 Club TimeHMDV 110

Wayne Woods

Physical GeologyGEOL 211Terri Plake

SpeechSPCH 120

Wayne Woods12:30 noon - 1:00 pm noon - 5 pm

Field Tripnoon - 1 pm Guest Presenters:

Dept. of Ecology

1:00 College AlgebraMath 102

Ted Williams

Topic: Whatcom County Overview

1:30 1:00 - 2:00 pm noon - 5 pm

2:00 Composition English 101 (2 cr)

Coservation BiologyENVS 215

2:30 Wayne Woods and Barbara Perry2:00 - 4:00 pm

Jphn Rombold and Roberto Gonzalez-Plaza

1:00 - 5:00 pm3:00

3:30 Topic: Ecosystems, Communities,

Populations, Diversity4:00 Integration

Gigi Berardi and Wayne Woods

4:30 4:00 - 5:00 pm

5:00


38 38

EXPECTED COMPETENCIES

It is relatively easy to identify the measurable program outcomes – the skills, the integrative abilities, and the foundational pieces of knowledge -- that we want students to have. It is much more difficult to assess whether students have achieved competency in those areas, especially using standard academic means of assessment. A student who may have failed a standardized written test may have excelled in community-building and communication skills. We summarize below some of the competencies in particular fields that, at this stage in the program’s development, we expect students to gain in the subjects comprising the TENRM program. As with other topics, our views on how best to measure these continue to evolve.

Biology The student shall understand complexity as an emergent property of self-organizing systems; understand that living systems and their environments form a web of interacting complex systems which in turn generate more complexity; understand the taxonomy of living systems, and know the possible reasons for extant biological diversity; and, understand the theory of evolution and principles of populations.

It’s an exciting time to be a student at NWIC. We’re not limited to textbooks and classrooms, we can go out in the field with professionals and observe, too.

Lenny Dixon, TENRM Student


39

Chemistry The student shall understand the cosmological origin of elements; know current theories of atomic structure; understand chemical bonds, molecular structure, and the chemistry of water; understand that chemistry and biology are different sides of the same reality; know the major macromolecules common to all living systems; understand the specific chemistry of DNA molecules; and, know the chemistry of oceans, soils, and air.

Computer Applications The student shall be comfortable using computers and learning new computer skills; develop proficiency in using software for word processing and creating spreadsheets and be able to apply these skills to natural resources and other academic areas; and, develop proficiency in using the Internet for communications and research.

Economics The student shall gain knowledge of the principles of macroeconomics including pricing, demand, and private and public economic decision-making as a tool for understanding free-market dynamics and the inherent contradictions with tribal economic principles, and a basis for exploring natural capitalism and other alternative economic frameworks.

English The student shall be able to research and write different styles of environmentally-oriented papers. These papers should be grammatically correct, focused, and readable. The styles should include the following: observation, exposition, comparison, persuasion, argumentation, and research.


40 40

Humanities The student shall demonstrate an understanding of the role of the environment and Indian and Alaska Native perspectives in the disciplines defined as “humanities.” These include, but are not limited to art, drama, music, philosophy, literature, and dance.

Mathematics The student shall be proficient in basic algebraic computation and manipulation skills; understand the language of functions and be able to use functions (linear, exponential, and polynomial) as they apply to natural resources (e.g., plant and animal populations, economics, biology, and chemistry applications); be proficient in using technology (computer software and graphing calculators) as an aid to mathematical computation, modeling, and graphing; understand how mathematics can be used to model complex systems and be able to perform simple modeling of environmental systems.

Indian History and Culture The students shall understand the character of Indian and Alaska Native cultures and know the major historical events, motivations, and power relations between the U.S. government and states and tribes, and understand their own place within that history.


41

Physical Geography or Geology The student shall be able to name and describe the four spheres of the Earth, understanding their connectedness and providing examples of processes that operate at global, regional, and local scale; know basic map reading and interpretation skills; describe electromagnetic radiation and describe its relationship to other phenomena such as temperature; describe the types of plate boundaries and the relative motion associated with each; name the three major classes of rocks and describe the origin of each; and, discuss the impacts of mass wasting on natural resources.

Political Science The student shall understand the structure and function of the U. S. government and the nature of Federal treaties with Indian tribes.

Speech The student shall demonstrate knowledge of the oral communication process through in-class activities and discussions. The student shall be able to prepare and deliver informative and persuasive speeches as they relate to natural resources and issues of concern to Indian and Alaska Native people.


42 42

Spiritual/Cultural Study The student shall be able to explicate environmental science from Indian and Alaska Native perspectives and demonstrate how to apply it to natural resources management in the context of tribal community culture; demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental differences in ideology and practice between mainstream environmental science (and science education) and traditional Indian and Alaska Native science (and science education); demonstrate an understanding of how indigenous science, which recognizes the intimate relationship of all things, applies a holistic healing approach to solving environmental problems; demonstrate how an indigenous understanding of the natural world influences virtually all areas of community and individual life, such as philosophy, customs, culture, language, health, mind, body, spirit; and, recognize and respect the value of traditional Indian cultures, including the importance of sacred sites and the role of ceremony, and demonstrate self-esteem, pride, and identity as a result of being connected to those things that elders ultimately care about.

Statistics. The student shall understand and be proficient in using the fundamentals of descriptive and inferential statistics, including measures of central tendency and dispersion; be proficient in using technology (computer software and graphing calculators) as an aid to statistical computation, modeling, and graphing; understand and have basic proficiency in using statistics to describe natural systems, such as plant and animal populations; and, understand the limitations of statistics as a tool for natural resources management.


43

EXTERNAL EVALUATION

The National Science Foundation required that the program be evaluated by an external evaluator. TENRM has utilized Dr. Joan LaFrance of Mekinak Consulting. Dr. LaFrance worked closely with the TENRM director to develop the key questions guiding the evaluation. These included:

► How is the project meeting its major goals to develop curriculum, recruit students, teach them in a two year program, and prepare them for transfer to the job market and/or a four year institution?

► What are the critical factors that enable the project to achieve its goals, and, what adjustments, if any were made to facilitate project implementation?

► How satisfied with the project are the consumers of the curriculum (students and partner institutions)?

► Which elements of the project are transferable to other settings and which ones are unique to the NWIC setting?

Mekinak Consulting views external evaluation as an important “value added” contribution to program development and implementation. Dr. LaFrance interviewed all staff regularly and attended many of our staff meetings and workshops. She interviewed students and designed the student evaluation forms for each of the courses. As a “participant” evaluator, she has documented our progress and developed ways to measure our accomplishments. The annual evaluation reports are useful for planning and for interpreting the program to various audiences (Advisory


44 44

Committee, National Science Foundation, etc.). Such external evaluation is helpful, in part for its objectivity, but also for the insights that “seeing from a distance” provides.

Findings on Student Enrollment, Retention,

and Performance, 1999

► Two-thirds of the students who initially enrolled were still active in the program at the end of the first instructional year.

► Of the active students, 90% had completed more than half of the required credits in the first year.

► The credit completion rate was 73% for the cohort. Given that the credit completion rate for single courses in the science department over the past two years was 74%, the TENRM completion rate is considered quite good since the course of study is much more intense than taking single courses each quarter.

► GED students performed as well as those who had graduated with a high school diploma. On average, women did not perform as well as men, but this statistic was influenced by the untimely death of a female student who had been the best performer in the program.

► The average GPA at the completion of the first year is 2.6. Those who have completed the most credits have GPAs over 3.0.


45

SECTION IV.

LESSONS LEARNED

SECTION IV. LESSONS LEARNED

The TENRM national pilot project provided an incubator for experimenting, adjusting, and re-adjusting as part of a learning community. This section of the Handbook for Facilitators outlines suggestions from the TENRM team for other faculty groups interested in designing, implementing, and sustaining similar efforts on other college and university campuses. These lessons learned and, we hope, the wisdom earned, are direct results of the entire process used by the TENRM learning community, described throughout this Handbook.

STUDENT ASSESSMENT

In a learning environment such as TENRM, it is difficult to use traditional means of assessment since students may be absent for extended periods of time due to personal or family needs, cultural traditions, or school service functions.


46 46

Students may, in fact, only complete partial credit for course work. Further, it may take them substantially more than two years to finish the program. For these reasons, we have:

• eliminated punitive measures for low attendance and late work (i.e., lowering the grade);

and, instead

• encouraged community support for completion of competencies and coherence within the community.

This is more in line with the primary goal of the program, “to be a people.”

To put this approach into operation, two changes in student assessment are required:

• first, giving up the usual obsession with seat time (attendance) in favor of assessing proficiencies gained by completing work within and outside the classroom; and,

• second, being more creative in our measuring of the student’s performance -- for example, calculating a student’s grade point average (GPA) on the basis of credits completed rather than credits attempted, as suggested by our external evaluator, Joan LaFrance.

How is such proficiency to be measured and assessed? What the students have learned can be (and was) measured by

• conventional testing -- in written and oral formats, specific and comprehensive, and on a regular basis, as well as

• observing how the students work together, and how they teach each other complex material.

Lessons Learned

47

This emphasis on practical learning and proficiency and less on precisely measurable outcomes is one difference between TENRM and many Euro-American models of education. We need to emphasize practical competency – real understanding, and an ability to synthesize and to solve complex real-world problems. Important measures of success in our program included whether or not the student:

• stayed grounded in cultural values;

• maintained self-respect and a healthy sense of self within the context of community throughout the program;

• was able to use critical and integrative abilities to problem solve and imagine creative solutions; and,

• made substantial improvement in writing, reading comprehension, speaking, and computational abilities.

Finally, because students differ greatly in their backgrounds and interests, it also is necessary to individualize the yardstick of measurement for each student.


48 48

On the first day of the 4th quarter, one instructor devised a test to assess student learning in three of the major areas covered in the first year curriculum. He took 117 questions from three of the textbooks used in the integrated program. These included the texts for biology, chemistry, and environmental science. The students were not told of the test, so they had no opportunity to prepare. It was administered at the beginning of the quarter, after a summer break. Students also did not have to sign their names to the test. Fourteen students took the exam. All students knew at least half of the questions. Also, one half of the students correctly answered 65% to 86% of the questions. Given that the scores represent a spot check of knowledge learned in the first year and retained over the summer, these scores were viewed as an indication of satisfactory to good mastery of the material.

Joan LaFrance, TENRM External Evaluator

Lessons Learned

49

PROGRAM LEADERSHIP

After experimenting with a variety of leadership models, the team determined that the director plays an additional spiritual as well as administrative leadership role in the program. This is accomplished through his/her direct participation: teaching, visiting classrooms, addressing challenges in a timely and supportive style, maintaining morale, and taking responsibility for guiding students toward aligning themselves with universal laws and self-evident truths of behavior and morals, compatible with their cultural values.

Other complex roles for the program director include: • working and staying in touch with a diverse

faculty group; • building faculty consensus; • allowing free expression by faculty (and in

more than words); • listening to the students; • assisting in areas of retention and program

administration; • linking with other campus programs; • relating to local tribal community; • building collaborative relationships with

external agencies; • interpreting TENRM concepts to others; • fighting for faculty needs -- the program

depends on its people; and, • facilitating self-assessment and prayer.

The director also must deal with long-term program management, which includes issues of sustainability, funding, reporting, personnel, and institutional support. In short, the role of program director is crucial to the health and sustainability of the community.


50 50

Without deliberate team building mechanisms in place, even the most well-intentioned group of teachers can lose sight of the goals of the group.

BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH ADDRESSING

CONFLICT

The process of creating and sustaining a team of teachers and a cohort of students in a demanding instructional program presents considerable challenge. Without deliberate team building mechanisms in place, even the most well-

intentioned group of teachers can lose sight of the goals of the group (see Appendix 6).

Learning communities demand a higher level of

communication skill from their members than do stand-alone classes, because of the increased degree of interaction at all levels of the community: among students, among faculty, and between students and faculty. TENRM was fortunate to be able to devote a year to developing curriculum and building a sense of community within the faculty cohort before the first student cohort began classes. The resulting sense of community within the faculty and the modeling for students of communication skills among the faculty were critical in developing a healthy student community. One of the skills faculty promote by example is respect for diversity. TENRM faculty members are extremely varied in terms of teaching strengths, weaknesses, and perspectives, and have learned to acknowledge those differences and build on mutual strengths. It is important that faculty find healthy ways to respect and challenge each other and to model this for students.

Lessons Learned

51

It also is important that students learn specific communication and conflict resolution skills. While there are many approaches to teaching interpersonal communications, our approach was to teach students the Interpersonal Gap Model (Wallen, 2000), the Awareness Wheel for interpersonal communication (Miller & Miller, 1997),6 and the Pinch (Sherwood & Glidewell, 1973)7 and VOMP (Crosby & Short, 2000)8 models for conflict resolution. For example, the Interpersonal Gap Model focuses on the fact that the impact on the person receiving a communication may be quite different from the intention of the person sending the communication. This model helps students recognize the difference between intention and impact and helps them bridge interpersonal and intercultural gaps.

Faculty must reinforce these concepts and students must practice these skills so that they can comfortably draw on them when needed.

6 The Awareness Wheel helps students recognize the internal processes (sensing, thinking, feeling, expressing wants, and taking action) they go through and teaches them to complete that process so healthy communication can occur. 7 The Pinch model shows students the conditions that lead to conflict (a “pinch”), the various choices they can follow when conflict does arise and how to deal with conflict while it is still small. 8 The VOMP model (Vent your concerns, Own your perspective, Move in the Other’s Shoes, Plan together) gives students a process to move through a conflict.


52 52

RETENTION

Retention is critical to the success of the program. Admittedly, being present in class greatly helps the building of cohesion in the student community of learners, yet we balance the value of attendance with our non-abandonment policy, and endeavor to make reentry into the program an easy and realistic option to increase retention rates. The following are several important ideas we have developed in trying to increase retention of students in the program.

• Retention of students in the program is most

improved when the students feel they are part of a cohesive learning community and understand that “everyone does better when everyone does better.”

• This cohesion is achieved in part by using appropriate and supportive measures of success, for example expressing grade point averages in terms of the credits actually completed.

• Importantly, the students’ fundamental needs – financial aid and housing – also must be met.

• In addition, the faculty and director have to model good behavior for the students – in terms of attendance, attention, honoring boundaries with the students, and showing respect.

• Retention can require a lot of effort, and it is important to employ a trustworthy and credible retention specialist to assist faculty. If funds are not available for hiring a recruitment specialist, then peer-mentoring by former and current cohort members plus retention efforts by each faculty member are especially critical.

• Self-respect and connection to the community must be maintained and supported at all times.

Lessons Learned

53

BEST PRACTICES

TENRM faculty members developed a series of "best practice" ideas related to developing and sustaining a successful teaching and learning community. Highlights from this list included:

• developing personal connections to each student;

• connecting students with their community, their tribes, and their elders;

• accepting students for who and what they are;

• never giving up on students;

• remaining flexible; and,

• understanding about challenges facing students in meeting deadlines.

We also must be completely honest with ourselves. We know that approaching cultural integration without careful planning and open, honest discussion tends to produce cosmetic cultural integration. In addition, faculty must model behaviors that we expect the students to have (indeed, often times the students lead the way) -- respect and regard for all, regular attendance, persistence, and generosity of spirit. Further, part-time faculty in such sustained, challenging environments require orienting and support, including: training sessions related to cultural immersion; encouragement to attend TENRM-like classes before and after their contract period; inclusion in weekly planning sessions; and special orientation sessions to understand the philosophical basis of the program.

55

SECTION V.

ADAPTING THE TENRM

MODEL FOR YOUR SITE

SECTION V. ADAPTING THE TENRM MODEL FOR YOUR SITE

GETTING STARTED

Planning is critical to the success of any program such as TENRM. Planning sets the stage for the real, practical, on-going work of team-building and establishing the learning community, and it highlights the important role of communication. For TENRM, recognition of this resulted in support for one full year of planning before beginning operation of the program.

We recognize that planning funds may not be readily available for similar programs. Other institutions, with less external funding, may not have this opportunity. At the very least, a short period of funded, concerted planning is needed. For example, experience at The Evergreen State College has shown success with three days of training for temporary faculty.

56 56

Planning for the program must begin early on, and it is very much an iterative process -- fluid and flexible. The program will remain a work in progress. The faculty must be willing to change course, in some cases in mid-stream, while still fulfilling the requirements of articulation agreements with colleges and universities to which the students may want to transfer, and keeping true to the program’s mission and goals.

ADAPTING THE MODEL

The steps summarized in the following box encompass what must be done to design, establish, and maintain a program like TENRM. It is vital to understand that these steps can be accomplished only with the continuous presence and support of cultural experts and tribal elders throughout the entire program. Regardless of the level of integration of material, the program must be grounded in the spiritual and cultural values of your tribe and your tribal college.

“The TENRM Program carried with it a more demanding workload than we had anticipated.

Especially challenging – but also rewarding – was the work it took to build a community cohort.”

TENRM faculty member

57

Steps in Program Planning and Implementation

1. Identify interested faculty for teaching and directing the program.

2.

Solicit the support of your host institution(s). This includes the hosting Indian college, the four-year institutions, and tribes. Ideally, this includes having tribal elders and college administrators involved in planning sessions, inviting their ongoing participation as advisory board members, and perhaps having them serve as part of the student and faculty cohort.

3. Decide on the desired level of integration or learning community, given funding and resources (see Appendix 2 (Levels of Integration: A Continuum)).

4. Decide on a mission statement, fundamental goals and values, and roles of the cultural experts and faculty.

5. Build assessment into the program at all levels and stages. Fundamental goals and values should drive assessment.

6. Ensure adequate resources for recruitment and student selection.

7. Ensure adequate resources for retention (i.e., student support services at the Indian college and partnering institutions).

8.

Decide on a planning schedule, dependent on funding (i.e., support can range from one year's support for weekly meetings and two months of support for planning in the summer to regular meetings and three days of support for concerted planning in the summer).

9. Contact four-year institutions and tribes for requirements for transfer or employment, respectively, with the institution, and identify the requirements or courses needed.

58 58

10. Look for partners, and seek them out for funding and for internships.

11. Devise articulation agreements or Memoranda of Understanding with partner institutions.

12. Decide on desired competencies for either transfer to a four-year institution or for work with the tribes.

13. Identify faculty areas of teaching expertise and develop correlations to specific competencies (see Appendix 10 (Faculty Capabilities List for Planning)).

14.

Negotiate Indian Student Credit-hour issues (how federal dollars allocated per tribal student in your program will be distributed in your college), teaching workload, cost of the program, outside funding, college contributions, and college support such as tutoring.

15. Begin discussing class syllabi, integrative seminars, cultural content, and materials.

16. Write syllabi, and relate objectives and activities to specific competencies.

17. Produce promotional materials, including a short video if possible.

18. Begin recruitment of students by the director and faculty cohort.

19. Decide on orientation activities.

20. Continue weekly meetings throughout the program.

21. Recruit students.





59

REVISITING THE CONTINUUM OF

POSSIBILITIES

TENRM -- and other similar programs -- can exist in a range of configurations (see Appendix 2), including the use of double cohorts (see Appendix 11). There are always ways to economize at your site and adapt to your needs, given your unique goals and resources.

One example of program flexibility involved allowing other students at NWIC to share some classes with TENRM cohorts. Instead of teaching partial credits each quarter, all five credits for the English and economics courses were taught in a single quarter. These courses were taught inside the TENRM block but were open to all NWIC students. This change allowed the use of instructors from the College without having to pay them through the TENRM grant, a step that moved the program closer to fiscal sustainability.

A second example is the use of double cohorts. After operating under a single cohort model in the beginning of the pilot program, the TENRM team developed a plan for working with two cohorts during an academic year (see Appendix 11). The plan allowed first year and second year cohorts to share instructional time, with some students in the second year cohort serving as mentors to first year students. Such peer support is invaluable.

60 60

After three years of program planning and implementation, the TENRM faculty are just now beginning to understand the challenges of teaching at a tribal college (see Appendix 7 (Tribal College Manifesto)).

TENRM Faculty Experience in the Program, 1999

► All faculty expressed enthusiasm for their own growth and development by working in the TENRM program.

► The faculty forged a strong bond with each other and developed a significant level of trust in each other.

► Faculty considered one of the major benefits of the integration of the curriculum to be the development of critical thinking skills.

► The original course design did not anticipate that many students would be performing without basic skills in reading and writing. The curriculum had to be modified to adjust to the learning needs of the students.

► Faculty believed that working in a learning community model was more demanding, but also, more satisfying since they were able to observe how students developed and learned.


61

CLOSING WORDS

CLOSING WORDS

This Handbook for Facilitators has described features of the TENRM national pilot program that may be helpful to other teachers and college administrators seeking to start or strengthen similar programs. We hope that the points we have discussed about TENRM, and the suggestions we have shared for adapting our experience to your own situation, can be of assistance to you in your endeavors.

The development of TENRM has been a journey and it remains an on-going experiment in grounding this much-needed educational program in tribal spiritual and cultural values. Your efforts, too, will take you on a journey, and we would like to continue to share our evolving experience with you -- and, in turn, learn from your own experience.

Contact us, at our website

to post your questions, give us feedback on this Handbook, or share your experiences. Alternatively, TENRM faculty are ready and willing to visit campuses to facilitate planning for TENRM-like programs. Better yet, a TENRM student or two may be available to visit your campus. They are certainly no less eloquent in talking about the program, as evidenced by the words that follow, written by TENRM graduate and Gates Millennium Scholar, Jeff Elisoff.



62 62

Life in the TENRM Class

My name is Jeffrey J. Elisoff. I am a Tlingit Indian from Southeast Alaska. I belong to the Wushketon Tribe on the Eagle side. Wushketon is the Tlingit word for Shark people…

We are learning together in a group called a cohort. As a cohort group all of our classes are together with the exception of electives. In the first year we covered basic course work in biology, chemistry, computers, English, economics, geography, math, political science, speech, and Native American history. Along with this, I took elective courses in Humanities Practice: Northwest Carving and Theory, and The Problems in Native American History. A rigorous pace took place at the start and stayed consistent to the end of the year. Our knowledge grew in all aspects related to environmental science and tribal issues. The success of our first year lies in the atmosphere of the integration and support we received from the instructors and our peers. The first year proved to each of us that getting back into college requires self-discipline and the will to succeed. In every quarter we faced obstacles, personally, and as a class. At the end the entire class became cohesive and protective of the Tribal Environmental and Natural Resources Management program.

Along with environmental issues, we covered areas of concern in tribal affairs, this meant understanding the dynamics of Tribes and the problems associated with tribal affairs. We also discovered the diversity of ourselves and the similarity of traditional values between us. The most important aspect of these discoveries laid in our unity about concerns of the environmental issues on our various reservations and Indian lands. We discovered that most Tribes face similar problems that affect all Native Tribes. The topics of geography, economics, and Native history brought these problems to the forefront for us… Since most of us will work for our Tribes, then our input into tribal affairs will be based on the holistic education we receive from this program.

The most significant part of this program that makes it successful is the support we receive. This support is fundamental to our own values system. In each personal instance the willingness of each classmate to support one another strengthened the outcome in our education. Each of our faculty members put in considerable effort to design a program that could adapt to all of our situations. In the sense that we learned from them, they also learned from us. This mutual agreement between the students and the faculty members for our advance in environmental science will lead us to success in our future education. Our sense of loss will be at graduation...

63

SUGGESTED READINGS AND

RESOURCES

SUGGESTED READINGS AND RESOURCES

Allaway, J. (1995). Ecotourism planning guide for Alaska Native landowners. Second edition. Anchorage, AK: The Nature Conservancy of Alaska.9

Barr, R.B. & Tagg, J. (1995). From teaching to learning: A paradigm for undergraduate education. Change, November/December.

Berardi, G. (2001). Uncovering the Lenses of Culture. Unpublished Paper. Bellingham: Huxley College of the Environment, Department of Environmental Studies, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington.

Berardi, G., Burns, D., Gonzalez-Plaza, R., Duran, P., Robbins, L., Williams, T., & Woods, W. (2000). Environmental studies: Tribal Environmental and Natural Resources Management degree program. In Mahoney, J.R. & Barnett, L. (Eds.). The learning edge. Washington, D.C.: American Association of University Colleges.

Berger, T. (1999). A long and terrible shadow: White values and Native rights in the Americas since 1492. Second edition. Seattle: University of Washington Press.

Bopp, J., Bopp, M., Brown, L., & Lane, P. (1985). The sacred tree. Second edition. Lotus Press.

9 This text was used as a model for the design and layout of the TENRM Handbook for Facilitators.

64

Crosby, R. & Short, R. (2000). Selected readings in communications skills. Leadership Institute of Seattle.

Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. Thinking together: Collaborative learning and science. VIDEO. Cambridge, MA: Derek Bok Center, Harvard University.

Doyle, K. & Montero, J. (2001). Environmental careers on tribal lands and beyond. Winds of change, 16 (3).

Fixico, D.L. (1998). The invasion of Indian Country in the Twentieth Century: American capitalism and tribal natural resources. Niwot, CO: University Press of Colorado.

Gabelnick, F., MacGregor, J., Matthews, R., & Smith, B.L. (1992). Learning communities and general education. Perspectives, 22 (1).

Hill, P. (1985). The rationale for learning communities. Olympia, Washington: Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education, The Evergreen State College.

Huhndorf, S. (2001). Going Native: Indians in the American cultural imagination. Cornell University Press.

Johnson, D., Johnson, R., & Holubec, E. (1990). Circles of learning: Cooperation in the classroom. Edina, MN: Interaction Book Company.

LaFrance, J. (1998a). Quarterly evaluation report: NSF/Environmental studies project. Seattle: Mekinak Consulting.

65

LaFrance, J. (1998b). First year evaluation report: NSF/Environmental studies project. Seattle: Mekinak Consulting.

LaFrance, J. (1999). Final evaluation report, 1998-99 program year. Seattle: Mekinak Consulting.

LaFrance, J. (2000). Final evaluation report, 1998-99 program year. Seattle: Mekinak Consulting.

LaFrance, J. (2001). Interim evaluation report, 2000-01 program year. Seattle: Mekinak Consulting.

MacGregor, J. (1991). What differences do learning communities make? Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education News, Olympia, Washington: Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education, The Evergreen State College, 6 (1).

Miller, S. & Miller, P. (1997). Core communication: Skills and processes. Littleton, CO: Interpersonal Communication Programs, Inc.

Palmer, P.J. (1997). The courage to teach: Exploring the inner landscape of a teacher’s life. First edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Russo, P. (1993). Struggles for Knowledge: Students, Collaborative Learning and Community. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Syracuse University.

Sherwood, J. & Glidewell, J. (1973). Planned re-negotiation: A norm-setting OD intervention. In Jones, J. & Pfeiffier, L. (Eds.). Annual handbook for group facilitators. University Associates.

66

Smilkstein, R. (1999). How the brain learns: Research, theory, and classroom application. Paper presented at the "Transforming Campuses Through Learning Communities" conference of the Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education, Sea Tac, Washington, May 20-23, 1999.

Smith, B.L. (1993). Creating learning communities. Liberal Education, 79 (4).

Smith, B.L. & Hunter, R. (1988). Learning communities: A paradigm for educational revitalization. Community college review, 15 (4).

Smith, B.L. & Jones, R. (1984). Against the current: Reform and experimentation in higher education. Cambridge, MA: Schrenkman.

Tinto, V., & Russo, P. (1993). Constructing community in different places. Community college review.

Wallen, J. (2000). Selected readings in communications skills. Leadership Institute of Seattle.

Williams, M. (1998). Tribal program targets environmental fields. The western front. Bellingham: Western Washington University.

67

APPENDICES

APPENDICES

APPENDIX 1

PARTICIPANTS IN TENRM

APPENDIX 1 PARTICIPANTS IN TENRM

TENRM Core Faculty Learning Community

Gigi Berardi, Ph.D., M.S., Resources, Policy, and Planning, Cornell University. Associate Professor, Huxley College, Western Washington University. Policy and planning, geography, research and writing, project, and integrative seminars.

Dan Burns, First TENRM Director, M.S., Environmental Science, Huxley College, Western Washington University. TENRM Faculty Emeritus. Biology and chemistry.

Phil Duran, TENRM Director, M.S., Physics, University of Texas at El Paso, M.S., Computer Science, Washington State University. Faculty, Northwest Indian College. Mathematics. Ysleta del Sur Pueblo heritage.

Roberto Gonzalez-Plaza, Ph.D., Cell and Molecular Biology, Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. Faculty, Northwest Indian College. Adjunct Faculty, Huxley College. Chemistry, biology, and marine and environmental studies. Chilean citizen.

Sharon Kinley, M.A., Anthropology, Western Washington University. Faculty, Northwest Indian College. Indian history and Native studies consultant. Ethnohistoric research. Member, Lummi Nation.

Lynn Robbins, Ph.D., Anthropology, University of Oregon. Professor, Huxley College, Western Washington University. Political science and Native treaty law.

Ted Williams, M.S., Astronomy, University of Arizona, M.A., Applied Behavioral Science, Systems Counseling, Bastyr University. Faculty, Northwest Indian College. Mathematics, computer applications, statistics, integrative seminars and communications.

68

Wayne Woods, M.A.T., Speech and Theatre, Lewis and Clark College. Faculty, Northwest Indian College. Career development, developmental studies, speech, and leadership. Academic Advisor. Muskogee (Creek) heritage.

69

TENRM Student Learning Communities

FIRST COHORT (fall 1998 start) Carl Armey - Alaska Native

Geneva Ballew - Lummi

Valerie Bob - Cowichan

Alicia Cayen * - Mohawk

Josh Corona - Nooksack

Lenny Dixon * - Lummi

Julie Edwards + - Lummi

Jeff Elisoff * - Alaska Native (Tlingit)

Delanae Estes - Lummi

David Foster -Lummi

Don Francis Mgeso - Penobscot

Tyler Green - Lummi Community

Bernie Hayward - Lummi

Raymond Hunter - Jamul/Rincon

Jewell James + - Lummi

Nate Johnson *

Micah McCarty - Makah

Terra Morris-Solomon - Lummi

Thomas Morris - Lummi

Tamala Noland * - Lummi

Todd Polasky- Alaska Native (Athapaskan)

Lily Roberts - Nooksack

Savoy Sanchez - Nisqually

Jerry Torres - Lummi

* graduated + deceased

70

SECOND COHORT (fall 2000 start) Jennifer Beach - Lummi

Sam Bearcub - Sioux/Colville

Jenny Crismann - Yakima

Julia Duffey - Alaska Native (Aleut)

James Green - Nez Perce

Sandy Hensley - Caddo/Kiowa/N. Arapaho

Raymond Hunter - Jamul/Rincon

Lisa Phair - Lummi

Todd Polasky - Alaska Native (Athapaskan)

Ward Simmons - Lummi

Mark Smith - African American

Dewey Solomon - Lummi

Annette Wilbur - Nez Perce/Choctaw

Michael Williams - Lummi

Wanbli Williams - Lakota/Flandreau Santee

THIRD COHORT (fall 2001 start) Lewis Armey - Alaska Native (Tlingit)

Debi Carter-Solomon - Lummi

Tony George - Lummi

Claudine Goldtooth - Navajo

Cheyenne Garcia - Mojave

Dan Kennedy - Alaska Native

Paul Roberts - Lummi

Mike Solomon - Lummi community

71

TENRM External Evaluator

Joan LaFrance (enrolled, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa), Ed.D., Mekinak Consulting (Seattle, WA)

TENRM Advisory Board

Robert Barker, professor and provost emeritus, Cornell University

Leroy Deardorff, environmental director, Lummi Indian Business Council

Marie Eaton, professor and former dean, Fairhaven College, Western Washington University

Janine Elliott, former director, The Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education, The Evergreen State College

Juanita Jefferson, archivist, Lummi Indian Business Council

Gillies Malnarich, interim co-director, The Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education, The Evergreen State College

Joseph Mitchell, natural resources manager, U.S. Forest Service

Alan Moomaw, Indian Program Coordinator and AIEO lead regional representative, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10

Linda Moon-Stumpff, faculty in natural resources policy, The Evergreen State College

Bradley Smith, professor and dean, Huxley College of Environmental Studies, Western Washington University

73

APPENDIX 2

LEVELS OF INTEGRATION:

A CONTINUUM

APPENDIX 2 LEVELS OF INTEGRATION: A CONTINUUM

TENRM represents a fully integrated, team-taught program. Other less resource-intensive learning community models exist – for example, student cohorts in larger classes (cohorts of students enroll in larger classes that faculty do not coordinate; intellectual connections and community-building take place in an additional integrative seminar), paired or clustered classes (programs of two or more classes linked thematically or by content, which a cohort of students takes together; the faculty do not plan the program collaboratively), as well as the team-taught-program or “coordinated studies” (programs of course work that faculty members team-teach; the course work is embedded in an integrated program of study), with many variations on each; a few are presented below. For more information, see any of the publications of the Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education at The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA.

Level of Program Features/Characteristics of Program

(with distinguishing characteristics of each level in boldface)

1 Fully Integrated • Both co-instructors (known as co-coordinators) in all block classes including lab/seminar (with exception of human development (HMDV) and computer courses)

• Co-instructors, director, and retention specialist meet weekly (2 hours)

• Math and computers taught by another instructor who also attends labs (6 hours)

• Consultants brought in to teach real world aspects of areas not covered by faculty (technical writing, geology, speech, economics)

74



2 Semi Integrated • Co-instructors attend only part of block classes (only 1 in class at a time) and not HMDV and computers - both attend labs, seminar


• Math and computers taught by another instructor who also attends labs (6 hours)


3 Semi Integrated: Single Instructor

• Co-instructors attend only part of block classes (only 1 in class at a time) and not HMDV and computers - only one attends labs, seminar


• Math and computers taught by another instructor who does not attend labs


4 Semi Integrated Courses: Single Instructor, Separate Lab

• Co-instructors attend only part of block classes (only 1 in class at a time) and not HMDV and computers

• Labs run by lab technician who coordinates guest lecturers and field trips

• Co-instructors, director, lab technician, and retention specialist meet weekly (3 hours)

• Math and computers taught by another instructor who does not attend labs


75



5 Separate TENRM Classes With Instructor-Run Integrating Course

• Separate classes (not integrated block) with only TENRM students and instructor attending most classes as well as leading seminar-type integrating class

• Instructor attends most classes

6 Separate TENRM Classes With Integrating Course

• Separate classes (not integrated block) with only TENRM students, with an instructor leading seminar-type integrating class

7 Open Cluster With TENRM Seminar

• Students take a cluster of non-TENRM classes (10-12 credits) with other students AND have separate seminar-type integrating class

8 Linked Courses • Two separate classes AND assignments link the two

9 Virtual Courses • One or more courses delivered via distance technology

• Students master course material with computer-mediated guidance from instructor

77

APPENDIX 3

SAMPLE EXERCISE:

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

APPENDIX 3 SAMPLE EXERCISE: REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Request for Proposals (RFP)

Environmental and Cultural Contract Services10

General Scope of Work

Winter 2000 Student Research Proposal

1. Introduction

This document is a request for proposals (RFP) for the development of an environmental and cultural resources protection plan for one of the following areas:

• Xwe’chi’exen, the Cherry Point area;

• Portage Island;

• Madrona Point; or,

• Arlecho Creek.

The proposed plan would become part of an overall Lummi management plan for the area, dealing with other environmental issues and natural resources as well, including: fisheries, water, hazardous waste, etc.; and other sectors such as economic development, employment, law and order, etc.

2. Background

Major developments or land use changes have been proposed on land or in the tidal and marine areas of Xwe’chi’exen, the Cherry Point area, Portage Island, Madrona Point, and Arlecho Creek. The Lummi Nation must respond to these proposed developments because, among other reasons, there are many tribal cultural

10 Written by part-time faculty member, Dr. James Allaway.

78

resources in the area. Adequate response concerning cultural resources is exceedingly complicated and sensitive. Proper consideration of the values and appropriate actions to be taken on the whole range of cultural resources present requires excellent communication among the branches of Lummi Indian Business Council (LIBC) and among the entire Lummi Nation community. In addition, information on cultural resources sometimes does not easily fit into the structured formats of the various government agencies and permitting processes involved in such development. For one thing, culturally-relevant methods of information gathering and validation must be used, in addition to -- or sometimes instead of -- standard empirical or scientific methods.

Furthermore, the LIBC response concerning cultural resources on this specific project will have major implications for innumerable future situations. Many other parts of the surrounding region outside of the Reservation and not on Lummi-owned land have similar cultural resources to those in, for example, the Xwe’chi’exen (Cherry Point) area. As other development or land use projects are proposed over the decades to come, the processes used in this case will be looked to for precedent.

Processes and formats for developing and handling such cultural resources information have not been established. The present project can contribute to developing them.

More broadly, a comprehensive Cultural Resources Management Plan (CRMP) would be the logical framework for developing a general approach to deal with cultural resources and information as land use changes or major economic developments are proposed.

3. This Contract

The present contract will provide for assistance with the first step in preparing a response to [insert the project you choose here] development proposals.

Information for the applicant’s work will come from:

• interviews with representatives of relevant tribal programs and others;

• written materials such as tribal policies expressed in LIBC Resolutions 93-90, 92-124, 92-125, 92-126, 92-127, and 92-128, among others, and various documents giving background information on cultural resources planning or the proposed development project; and,

• scientific data collected, analyzed, and interpreted by the contractor.

A CRMP would include statements of policy regarding cultural resources, processes for collecting and handling information and for reaching decisions on resource management and protection, and procedures for particular categories of resources.

79

4. Funding Available

Funds will be awarded on a competitive basis. Up to $250/project is available for the purchase of equipment, travel, etc.

5. The Research Proposal Should Include the Following Categories and Topics

a. Description of the project (see organization and guidelines)

b. Number and names of people involved

c. Deliverables (results to be achieved)

d. Timetable

e. List of resources needed, including faculty and outside consultants that you will be working with

f. Budget

• The proposal should be no more than 7 pages (8½” by 11”) in length and single-sided.

• Use no smaller than 12-point type with an easily readable font (e.g. Helvetica, Times Roman, Geneva) and one-inch margins.

• Number each page sequentially.

• Use clear headings and short paragraphs to make your proposal easy to read.

• The proposal should preferably be submitted on recycled paper, without binders or plastic covers.

6. Proposal Organization and Guidelines

The TENRM faculty recommend that you follow the following outline in preparing your proposal. The exact length of each section will vary by proposal. Do not omit any of the sections. The TENRM faculty will compare the information you submit in your application to the evaluation criteria in order to assess your proposal.

a. Cover Page

1) Project Title: The name of the project

2) Name(s) of principle investigator, mailing address, and e-mail address

b. Project Summary: A concise description of your project (who, what, where, why, and how) in one or two paragraphs. Limit summary to 150 words. The summary must be self-contained and describe the overall goals and relevance of the project. Include the total amount of money you are requesting.

80

c. Project Goals: A narrative describing what the project intends to accomplish.

d. Project Tasks: A clear, concise, complete, and logically organized outline of the steps and methods you intend to take to meet the project goals. This section should show the evaluators that you have thought through and know what you want to do to achieve your goals. Include a timeline for teach task.

e. Project Results: Describe how you will measure the results of your project. How will you demonstrate that your goals have been met? Results can be measured quantitatively (through measurements) or qualitatively (through narrative).

7. Evaluation Criteria

a. Overall technical and cultural quality of the proposal (15 points);

b. Technical and cultural quality of the approach (10 points);

c. Relevance and importance of the proposal to a solution for the areas of concern (30 points);

d. Feasibility of attaining objectives (40 points);

e. Appropriateness of the level of funding and resources requested (5 points).

8. Dates and Additional Information

FINAL PROPOSALS MUST BE RECEIVED ON OR BEFORE MARCH 11, 2000. Oral presentation of final research proposals will begin March 9, 2000. Detailed milestones and supporting documents for various stages of the proposal development process will be presented in class and will be available at the TENRM web site: http://www.nwic.edu/tenrm/winter2000.htm

81

APPENDIX 4

INVITED GUEST SPEAKERS (2000-2001)

APPENDIX 4 INVITED GUEST SPEAKERS (2000-2001)

TENRM visiting scholars included the following:

Gregory Cajete, Ph.D., Santa Clara Pueblo. Dean of Native American Studies, University of New Mexico. Author and consultant in education and curriculum development.

Leroy Little Bear, J.D., Blackfoot Nation, former Dean, Native American Studies, Harvard University.

Daniel Wildcat, Ph.D., Euchee Tribe. Haskell Indian University, co-director of Haskell Environmental Research Studies. Expertise: Traditional ecological knowledge.

Robin Kimmerer, Ph.D., Potawatami Tribe. Cornell University, botanist. Expertise in traditional sustainable harvest practices.

Ray Pierotti, Ph.D., Comanche. University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University. Expertise in traditional knowledge and traditional restoration practices

Simon Levin, Ph.D., Princeton University. Author of Fragile Dominion. Expertise in complexity and scaling in earth systems (and restoration processes).

Peter Kareiva, Ph.D., National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Part of salmon recovery team.

Bob Paine, Ph.D., University of Washington and NMFS. Part of salmon recovery team.

Sue Williams, Lakota. Attorney.

83

APPENDIX 5

SAMPLE INTEGRATIVE QUESTIONS

AND EXERCISES

APPENDIX 5 SAMPLE INTEGRATIVE QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES

A hallmark of our interdisciplinary study is the use of integrative questions and exercises in class. Written responses to integrative questions were used in preparation for interdisciplinary seminars as well as for speech credits.

Sample Integrative Questions

• How do we know that this area was covered by a thick sheet of ice and what difference does this make to the politics and economy of the Lummi people and others who live in the Nooksack River basin?

• What is the relationship between glaciations and the creation of coastal habitat? Include the following concepts in your answer: shoreline processes, sea level changes, rebound, and uplifting.

• Is there evidence that geology and tribal stories describe the same events? Why or why not? Give an example if possible.

• Discuss the relationship between an oil deposit as a “resource,” the geologic requirements for oil to be extracted, the economic requirements for extraction, and the environmental and economic impacts of extraction.

• Use what you know about geology, agronomy (soil science), and concepts of principled negotiation to describe how the Sandy Point dredging issues might be resolved.

84

Sample Integrative Math Exercises

Mathematical Modeling of Hybrid Poplars – Design Questions

In order to design and implement an experiment to measure and determine statistical properties of poplar trees on the Lummi Reservation it is necessary to clearly define the problem statement and procedure for answering that problem. The following questions are presented in order to aid us in designing the experiment. Note that the experiment will be done during class time.

1. What is the question that we are attempting to answer? The question may have several parts.

2. What information do you need in order to answer the question? A combination of measurements and calculations may be required in order to arrive at an answer.

• What procedure will be used in collecting the data?

• What analysis process will be used to analyze the data?

3. What other considerations are there that may hinder completing the project in a timely manner and how can these be minimized?

85

Mathematical Modeling of Hybrid Poplars – Data Collection

Purpose: To answer the following questions.

1. What is the relationship between the diameter and the height of poplar trees?

2. How does the volume of poplar trees relate to their diameters and heights?

3. What are the mean diameter, height, and volume of same-aged trees and what is the variation in these three quantities?

If we have enough data including the ages of the different plots, answer the following question:

4. What is the relationship between the volume of a typical (mean) poplar tree and its age?

Procedure for Collecting Data: For each plot of trees we need to determine diameters and heights for at least ten trees. So that we can combine data from each person make sure to record your data for the same tree in the same location in your table (i.e., everyone’s tree #1 represents the same tree).

How to determine a tree’s diameter: Measure the circumference of the tree approximately an inch above the ground. Record the value in the attached table under “circumference.”

How to determine a tree’s height: If the tree is short enough measure the height directly. If it is too tall then we will use trigonometry to determine the height. We need to use a tape measure to measure distance to the base of the tree (d) and use a compass to measure the angle between horizontal and the top of the tree. Measure both the distance and the angle for each tree. We will talk about how to use trigonometry to determine height in the next section on data analysis.

86

Mathematical Modeling of Hybrid Poplars – Data Analysis

Group Summary Data: The spreadsheet provided will compile each observer’s data for each tree in the two plots and then determine mean and standard deviations for the volume of the two samples (Plots 1 and 2).

How to use mean volume per tree to estimate the volume of wood per acre: We need to estimate the number of trees per acre and then multiply that number times the mean volume per tree.

Estimate of the number of trees per acre: Measurements show that each row of trees was planted 10 feet apart and trees were planted 8 feet apart in each row, as shown below.

Consider the diagram to the right. An acre has 43,560 ft2. This means that a

square acre is ft7.20843560 = on a side. How many trees spaced 10 feet apart can fit in 208.7 ft? The answer is about 21 trees. How many trees spaced 8 feet apart can fit in 208.7 ft? The answer is about 26 trees. Thus, a square acre has about 21 by 26 trees, or about 546 trees/acre. The volume of wood in an acre is about 546 times the mean volume of an individual tree.

. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .

Converting from ft3/acre to board feet/ acre: A board foot (BF) is defined as the volume of wood in a piece of wood 1 foot long, one foot wide, and one inch (1/12 foot) thick. Converting to ft3 we get 1 x 1 x 1/12 or 1/12 ft3 per board feet. Use this conversion factor to convert ft3/acre to BF/acre.

Converting from board feet per acre to dollars per acre: If you know the value of poplar pulp per BF you can estimate the value of each acre of poplar trees if they were cut today. Remember that this is an estimate, which is valid to at best two significant digits.

8 feet

10 feet

87

APPENDIX 6

TRAITS OF AN EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY

APPENDIX 6 TRAITS OF AN EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY

The following are traits of an effective community, as discussed at the TENRM dissemination conference in June 2000.

(1) Capacity. A healthy community focuses on the strengths and abilities of its members. The focus is on what a person can do and on what he/she cannot do. The person's glass is always half full, regardless of individual deficiencies.

(2) Interdependency. A functional community requires cooperative effort. People must work together and support each other.

(3) Informality. People rely on their informal relationships rather than those institutions built to fix deficiencies.

(4) Traditions. Traditions and stories are the glue that bring the community culture alive. Stories allow people to look back into their community history and individual experiences for knowledge about truth and direction for the future. Age is equated with wisdom, for the aged are the repositories of the stories and the wisdom of the community.

(5) Celebration. Community groups that constantly celebrate through parties, social events, and recognition of successes create a style of life that helps people become one. When you hear laughter and happiness, you will find a functional community.

(6) Tragedy. How a community comes together to grieve is one of the surest yardsticks of a functional community. To feel connected, it is important for a community member to become part of both ritual and celebration.

(7) Spirituality. Effective communities embrace the spiritual and allow for both commonness and difference of approaches, beliefs, and rituals. This spirituality is celebrated openly, without judgment from the community.

88

(8) Character. Character education and moral values are modeled, taught, celebrated, and common to the community. Effective communities recognize and accept diversity while embracing shared values. When a community comes together to model shared values it is at its best.

(9) Responsibility. "I" is replaced with "we" in solving problems. This relates to interdependency, and requires people to step forward and volunteer. The community works together to identify and address problems.

(10) Guides. An effective community has members who address problems with solutions. They may or may not be the designated leaders; however, they are the people community members turn to for solutions.

89

APPENDIX 7

TRIBAL COLLEGE MANIFESTO

APPENDIX 7 TRIBAL COLLEGE MANIFESTO

This draft tribal college manifesto, composed by TENRM faculty member Roberto Gonzalez-Plaza, is worth the consideration of any faculty member teaching at a tribal college.

TRIBAL COLLEGE MANIFESTO: Principles of education

♦ Students at tribal colleges rise to any intellectual challenge of merit.

♦ Students learn as a non-linear function of a) non-abandonment and b) absence of bigotry of low expectations (from the teachers and the educational system).

♦ Mainstream science and technology programs fail in tribal colleges because the programs are essentially flawed – not because of Indian students’ supposed learning-impaired or dysfunctional-study behaviors.

♦ The main source of non-functional tribal education derives from the inextricable connection between: (a) the high-tension between dominant society’s education, science and ideologies, and “land-based” Indian knowledge, (b) the survival of tribal societies (which is a function of a), and, (c) the environmental practices and ideologies of dominant science that reflect nothing but the basic tenets of consumer market society.

♦ The “successful” Indian student is not a “product” of mainstream ideologies for mainstream society. The tribal college model of education cannot be solely the re-creation of an “autonomous” individual, who, totally detached from her or his community, can survive upon entering mainstream society, thus becoming a new consumer and a broken individual. Although it would be ridiculous to reject market society as our source of sustenance, it is no less ridiculous to assume that the only objective of education at tribal colleges is to be successful in the mainstream sense, that is, a “successful consumer.”11

11 Bowers, C., Vasquez, M., and Roaf, M. (2000). Native People and the challenge of computers: reservation schools, individualism and consumerism. American Indian Quarterly. Spring 2000. Vol 24. n.2. pp. 182-199.

91

APPENDIX 8

ACADEMIC SUBJECTS AND CREDITS

APPENDIX 8 ACADEMIC SUBJECTS AND CREDITS

TENRM Credit Analysis by Subject and Quarter

Total Fall yr 1 Winter yr 1 Spring yr 1 Fall yr 2 Winter yr 2 Spring yr 2 Summer yr 1

INTEGRATED CREDITS Needed Eagle Water Land Ocean Balance Project Internship

English 101 (cs) - Composition 5 3 2

English 201 (cs) - Technical Writing 5 5

Math 102 (qs) - College Algebra 5 2 2 1

Math 103 (qs) - Precalculus I 5 1 2 2

Math 107 (qs) - Statistics 3 1 2

Chemistry 111 (nsl) - Intro Chemistry 5 1 2 2

Biology 101 (nsl) - Intro Biology 5 1 3 1

Geology 211 (nsl) - Physical Geology 5 5

Speech 120 (cs) - Public Speaking 4 2 2

Political science 225 (ss/nasd) 5 3 2

History 209 (ss/nasd) - NA History 5 3 2

Economics 240 (ss) - Environ. Econ. 5 5

Computers 101 (e) - Intro to Comp. 3 2 1

Biol 215 (nsl) - Conservation Ecology 5 5

HMDV 110 (e) - Successful Learning 4 2 1 1

English 188 (e) - Journal Writing 2 2

HMTS 109 (ht) - Encounters 5 2 1 1 1

ENVS 289 (e) - Project 2 2

ENVS 290 (e) - Internship 6 6

Integrated Total 84 15 15 17 14 12 5 6

OUTSIDE COURSES

additional humanities 10 2 4 4

Outside Course Total 10 0 0 0 2 4 4 0

TOTAL CREDITS 94 15 15 17 16 16 9 6 cs – communication skills qs – quantitative skills e – elective ss – social science nasd – Native American studies ht – humanities theory nsl – natural science lab

93

APPENDIX 9

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS AND

TEXTBOOKS BY QUARTER

APPENDIX 9 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS AND TEXTBOOKS BY QUARTER

Eagles’ View - Fall 1998

"The Eagles’ View" sets the foundation for all successive quarters by providing a gentle introduction to the TENRM program, teaching students to think in an integrated manner, developing their basic oral and written communication skills, computer skills, and the tools and perspectives necessary for managing oneself in a learning community. Native history and culture are emphasized, including beginning the process of students’ finding their cultural identity and a sense of place. Students learn basic principles of biology, chemistry, and physical geology and are introduced to thinking in an integrated manner. Included are visits to culturally significant places in the local area as well as conventional field trips taken for in-site study and discussion.

Enger, E. & Smith, B. (1998). Environmental Science, 6th ed. WCB McGraw-Hill.

Kruckeberg , A. (1991). The natural history of Puget Sound country. University of Washington Press. (Used as a reference text.)

Levine, J. & Miller, K. (1994). Biology. Discovering life, 2nd ed. D.C. Heath and Co.

Martin, C. (Ed.) (1987). The American Indian and the problem of history. Oxford University Press.

Moran Graphics (1996). Computers simplified, 3rd ed. IDG Books.

Pasewark, W. & Pasewark, Jr., W. (1998). Microsoft Office 97 for Windows 95. South Western Educational Publishing.

Stoker, H. S. (1998). General organic & biological chemistry. Houghton Mifflin Co.

Strahler, A. & Strahler, A. (1998). Introducing physical geography. John Wiley and Sons.

94

Water - Winter 1999

This quarter integrates nine subjects for the study of water, its characteristics, its chemical reactions, its human and other biotic uses, Indian values of water, and the historical, legal, and political aspects of access and uses of water. The interdisciplinary block classes also provide the opportunity to integrate material as diverse as Indian treaties and water rights, Indian subsistence and wage economies, water quality analysis, plant classification, and mathematical functions.

Anson, C. & Schwegler, R. (2000). Longman handbook for writers and readers. Addison-Wesley.

Berger, T. (1999). The long and terrible shadow, 2nd ed. University of Washington Press.

Gregory, H. (1998). Public speaking for college and career. McGraw Hill.

Manning, J. (1996). Applied principles of hydrology. Prentice Hall.

Pevar, S. (1992). Rights of Indians and Tribes, 2nd ed. American Civil Liberties Union.

Shaufele, C. (Ed.) (1998). Earth algebra: College algebra with applications to environmental issues, 2nd ed. Addison-Wesley.

Texas Instruments. (1998). Texas Instrument graphing guide for the TI-83.

Land - Spring 1999

"Land" discusses land management from a tribal and reservation perspective, including treaty rights, allotment, and jurisdiction. Students receive an overview of forestry management, Geographic Information Systems, watershed ecology, surveying and soils analysis, and hands-on exposure through discussions with tribal land-use managers of problems that human development imposes on the limited land bases of reservation communities.

Cornell, S. & Kalt, J. (Eds.) (1992). What can tribes do? Los Angeles: American Indian Studies Center.

95

Mustow, G. (1998). Geology lab manual. Western Washington University.

Siever, R., (2000). Understanding earth, 3rd ed. W.H. Freeman.

Selections from Village Journey (T. Berger), Tundra Times, and Natural Resources Journal.

Ocean – Fall 1999

The oceans, the “outer river that surrounds the Earth,” is the reference frame for the TENRM learning community this quarter. Strictly, there is only one “ocean,” hence, the term “oceans” and each “ocean”-specific proper name, is a western European construct. The quarter consists of a review of basic concepts and information, integration of material in marine biology, treaty law, pre-calculus, statistics, and economics, considerable practice in writing, and visits of distinguished Indian and Alaska Native scholars.

Longhurst, A. (1998). Readings from Ecological geography of the sea. Academic Press.

Mann, K. & Lazier, J. (1996). Readings from Dynamics of marine ecosystems: Biological-Physical interactions in the oceans. Blackwell Science Inc.

Martin, C. (Ed.) (1987). The American Indian and the problem of history. Oxford University Press.

Scientific American quarterly: The oceans. (November 1998).

Stewart, H. (1994). Indian fishing : Early methods on the Northwest Coast. Douglas & McIntyre Ltd.

96

Balance – Winter 2000

This course examines ways of integrating statistics, mathematics, computer science, economics, and political science to find a balance between the needs and beliefs of Indians and Alaska Natives and the sustainable use of resources. Case studies are used to explore these subjects and students prepare research proposals on resource protection.

Case, K. & Fair, R. (1998). Principles of microeconomics. Prentice-Hall.

Rossman, A. & Von Oehsen, J. (1997). Workshop statistics: Discovery with data and the graphing calculator. Springer Verlag.

Project Spring 2000

"Project" builds on the work of the previous quarters in grant writing, proposal writing, technical writing, and statistics. In their final term, students work with faculty on project design, analysis, and presentation.

Behrens, L. & Rosen, L. (1999). Writing and reading across the curriculum, 7th ed. Addison-Wesley.

97

APPENDIX 10

FACULTY CAPABILITIES LIST

FOR PLANNING

APPENDIX 10 FACULTY CAPABILITIES LIST FOR PLANNING

The following is an example of a portion of a checklist that could be used for the initial stages of program planning, to determine faculty members’ interests and skills in teaching various courses in an interdisciplinary block, and to determine if additional faculty need to be recruited.

TOPICS THAT AT LEAST ONE FACULTY MEMBER CAN TEACH

A B C D E F PRECALCULUS 3 3 1 2 3 3 ALGEBRA 3 3 1 1 3 3 BASIC STATISTICS 3 2 1 1 2 2 CHEM 101 CHEMISTRY FOR NON-SCIENCE MAJORS etc. BIOL 101 BIOLOGY FOR NON-SCI MAJORS WITH LAB PHYSICS 101 ENGLISH 101 POLITICAL SCIENCE 101 POLITICAL SCIENCE 250 (AMERICAN POLITICS) INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS SUCCESSFUL LEARNING (STUDENT/STUDY SKILLS) TRIBAL/GOV’T POLITICS, REGULATION AND POL AMERICAN INDIAN CULTURE AND HISTORY PROGRAM MGMT (SUPERVISION, BUDGETING) FISH STOCK ASSESS., FISHING PRACTICES AND ECON AGRIC. LAND USE, CULTIVATION TECH. AND ECON MAPPING HATCHERY SKILLS SOLID AND HAZARDOUS WASTE MGMT SKILLS WATERSHED ANALYSIS SKILLS WATER QUALITY FIELD ANALYSIS FIELD SAMPLING OF SOILS PREPARING ENVIRON. IMPACT STATEMENTS STATE AND FEDERAL ENVIRON. REGULATION HISTORY OF FEDERAL INDIAN POLICY HISTORY OF ENV. POLICY INCLUDING FED/TRIB GOV TRIBAL JURISDICTION, SOVEREIGNTY WATER QUALITY LAB ANALYSIS, INCLUDING AQ/QC

98

TOPICS THAT NO FACULTY MEMBER IS ABLE TO TEACH

A B C D E F GEOLOGY 101 3 3 3 3 3 3 GEOLOGY 211 (PHYSICAL GEOLOGY) etc.

TOPICS THAT AT LEAST ONE FACULTY

IS WILLING TO UPGRADE HIS/HER SKILLS TO TEACH

A B C D E F GEOGRAPHY 203 (PHYSICAL GEOG) 3 3 3 2 3 3 SPEECH 2 2 3 3 3 2 MICRO-ECONOMICS 3 3 3 3 3 2 TIMBER STAND ASSESSMENT, HARVEST PRACTICES etc. GIS/GPS ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION MONITORING SKILLS WATER SUPPLY AND TREATMENT SKILLS

Individual faculty members -- here “A,” “B,” and so on -- are listed across the top, with their levels of expertise indicated by numbers next to each topic, with, for example, a range from 3 = low to 1 = high expertise.

99

APPENDIX 11

DOUBLE COHORTS

APPENDIX 11 DOUBLE COHORTS

The following is a sample schedule showing the courses that students in a double cohort (first and second year students, overlapping) might take.

DRAFT TENRM DOUBLE COHORT 2001-2002 DRAFT

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Developmental Classes for 1st year students 8 - Noon Monday through Friday

classes taught outside of the TENRM block

10:00

10:30 Developmental Work

11:00 Mentoring

11:30 Tutoring Time

12:00

12:30 Club time - HMDV

Club time - HMDV Both Cohorts Together in

BIOL

1:00 noon to 5 pm

1:30 1st year in BIOL 2nd year in

CHEM

1st year in BIOL 2nd year in

CHEM

1st year in BIOL 2nd year in

CHEM

Seminar (Student Led)

2:00 together Mon - Thurs 1 - 4

together Mon - Thurs 1 - 4

together Mon - Thurs 1 - 4

Guest Speakers

2:30 Shared Field Trips

3:00

3:30

4:00

4:30

5:00

101

GLOSSARY AND ACRONYMS

GLOSSARY AND ACRONYMS

Cohort – A group of students who enroll in and attend concurrent classes during the two-year TENRM program. Students who need to leave the program temporarily can reenter the program either by joining their own cohort or a subsequent cohort.

Coordinator – A TENRM faculty member who oversees the functioning of a particular cohort, attends all of the cohort’s classes during a given quarter and integrates the course material through design of integrative questions and dialogue with students and other TENRM faculty.

Co-coordinators – Two TENRM faculty members coordinating a cohort during a particular quarter, as was done during the first iteration of TENRM (1998-2000).

Core faculty – The founding faculty of an integrated program such as TENRM. As used in this Handbook, the term refers to the six founding faculty (Gigi Berardi, Dan Burns, Roberto Gonzalez-Plaza, Sharon Kinley, Lynn Robbins, and Ted Williams) in addition to Wayne Woods and current TENRM director Phil Duran.

Field (cultural) visits – Class trips for the purpose of gaining and deepening cultural understanding by visiting important cultural sites, including traditional lands and burial grounds. Students do not conduct scientific work on visits.

Field trips – Class trips for the purpose of experiential scientific learning, such as in conservation biology or geology.

Learning community or community of learners – A variety of approaches that link or cluster classes during a given term, often around an interdisciplinary theme, that enroll a common cohort of students. This represents an intentional restructuring of students’ time, credit, and learning experiences to foster more explicit intellectual connections between students, faculty, and between disciplines.

NWIC – Northwest Indian College.

102

TENRM – Tribal Environmental and Natural Resources Management. TENRM refers to the program of interdisciplinary study funded by the National Science Foundation, and the community of past and present students, faculty, and staff associated with the program.

WWU – Western Washington University.

handbook for facilitators - western washington university · stillaguamish nation, the u.s....

Documents