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University of North Dakota

University of North Dakota. Ah’jo’gun Program Program Director: Harmon B. Abrahamson, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry. The Ah’jo’gun Program is: . a Bridges to the Baccalaureate Degree Program (Ah’jo’gun is Ojibwe for Bridge) in North Dakota largely rural area of upper Midwest

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University of North Dakota

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  1. University of North Dakota Ah’jo’gun Program Program Director: Harmon B. Abrahamson, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry

  2. The Ah’jo’gun Program is: • a Bridges to the Baccalaureate Degree Program • (Ah’jo’gun is Ojibwe for Bridge) • in North Dakota • largely rural area of upper Midwest • principal minority: Native American

  3. Objectives—First 5 years: • Increase scientific career awareness, interest and motivation in TCC students • Strengthen science and math course offerings and faculty at the TCCs, • Increase cooperation among TCCs in offering shared courses, • Identify and recruit students into the science disciplines, • Produce young scientists serving as role models for future generations.

  4. Additional future objectives: • To provide academic enrichment and reinforcement • by providing supportive services to assist in attaining education goals, • To prepare students for completing a baccalaureate degree in the sciences while maintaining cultural values and ties.

  5. Structure • Coordination: • University of North Dakota (UND) • Original Tribal College Partners (1993–): • Fort Berthold Community College, New Town, ND • Turtle Mountain Community College, Belcourt, ND • Little Hoop Community College, Fort Totten, ND • Additional Tribal College Partners (1995–): • Sitting Bull College, Fort Yates, ND • United Tribes Technical College, Bismarck, ND

  6. Coordination • UND’s Programs: • Native American Programs, MARC Program, Howard Hughes (Biology). • Communication and cooperation between UND and TCCs. • Transfer articulation already in place • Common Course Numbering coming • Extension of CCN effort in state higher education system—harmonization of lower division courses

  7. Site Coordinators • assist in motivating TCC students • gather information for their students regarding enrolling at the 4-year institution. • are in close contact with students and research • are mostly science or math faculty (4 of the 5).

  8. Problems encountered: • Weakness in basic science and mathematics courses at TCCs • Lack of previous research experience and culture • Distance between institutions • TCCs are 90–300 miles from UND • Makes routine travel for research or coursework difficult

  9. Early instructional improvement effort • Traveling faculty • UND staff based at TCCs • One physics, one mathematics • Taught additional math and science courses for 3 years • Improved climate for research • Better student skills base • “questioning” more acceptable

  10. Later instructional improvement effort • IVN (interactive video network) • 11 state higher education institutions • Other funding (including HHMI) allowed TCCs to join • Some courses from UND (biology) • Transition to TCC course sharing • More local control • Spirit of cooperation

  11. Research at UND • First nine months of program: • appointed 10 UND students who had attended TCC in past • Placed students in research laboratories at UND basic science and Medical School departments • Phased out due to funding restrictions

  12. Summer Program beginnings • 1994 22 students from TCCs to participate in summer research program • At UND, 9 students from TCCs; • At the colleges, 2 LHCC; 10 FBCC; 1 TMCC. • 1995 UND hosted 3 TCC students • At Fort Berthold 12 additional

  13. Research Presentations 1996–1998 • At the end of the summer, students presented their research results. • Venue: ND EPSCoR summer poster session at UND or NDSU • 1996: FBCC - 4, UTTC - 1 • 1997: FBCC - 4, TMCC - 2 • 1998: FBCC - 4, TMCC - 4

  14. Research at the TCCs • Some TCCs have been more successful than others: • FBCC has listed research sites other than the college itself. • IHS, Diabetes Project, Dialysis Unit, Natural Resource Department, and Circle of Life. • Interest heightens when research will have a positive effect on the community, i.e., diabetes research.

  15. Keeping In Touch • Annual Retreats (summer) • Program staff, site coordinators, interested faculty and administrators • Teleconferencing (Meeting by IVN) • Personal visits to the TCCs by program staff • Tribal college faculty and staff visit UND

  16. Results: • Increased student research at TCCs. • TCC’s have appointed a total of 69 students at their colleges: • 45 at FBCC, 2 at SBC, 13 at LHCC, and 10 at TMCC (zero research before Ah’jo’gun) • Communications between TCCs and UND have increased

  17. More Results • More Assoc. Sci. degrees • 5/yr before Ah’jo’gun • 13/yr after Ah’jo’gun • More than 1/2 of A.S. students transfer to baccalaureate • Rate steady • Science course enrollment increase

  18. Summary • Distance becoming an annoyance instead of a major hindrance • Reasons • IVN augmenting instruction • Improved communications • TCCs doing research

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