Навахо ұлттық колледжінің тарихы мен дамуы

Tribal college on the Navajo Nation

Diné College is a public tribal land grant college based in Tsaile, Arizona, serving the 27,000 square miles (69,930 km2) Navajo Nation. It offers associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, and academic certificates.

Diné College opened in 1968 as the Navajo Community College, the first college established by Native Americans for Native Americans. The college was chartered by the Navajo Nation in 1968. The Navajo Tribal Council appointed Guy Gorman, Yazzie Begay, Chester Yellowhair, Carl Todacheene, Wilson Skeet, Howard Gorman, Allen Yazzie, and Dillon Platero to be the first to serve on the college's Board of Regents. Robert Roessel served as the college's first president. The college was originally located on the site of the Rough Rock Community School in Rough Rock on a temporary basis until a permanent site could be chosen and constructed. The Board of Regents selected three possible sites for the college, namely the Tsaile–Wheatfields area, Many Farms, and Ganado. After a Board commissioned survey of possible sites for the college, the Tsaile–Wheatfields area was recommended because it had plenty of water available and has scenic forests and lakes. The Board asked people to send in designs for the college's seal, and it chose the William Morgan's design of an arrowhead encircled by a rainbow god. The college officially opened on January 20, 1968, with 40 members of the faculty. There were 340 students enrolled during its first semester, which was the limit of its capacity. More than 3,000 other applicants had to be turned away because of the lack of space. There was little for the students to do outside of classes, and excessive drinking became a problem for some. The campus was officially dedicated on May 14, 1974. Tommy Lewis became president in August 1992. During his tenure, the college's funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs increased to almost $7.3million in 2000. The Navajo Language and Culture Curriculum became widely popular at the Tsaile campus after the program saw increases in class enrollment, thus allowing the Board of Regents to implement the program throughout the institution. In 1994, the college was designated a land grant college alongside 31 other tribal colleges. During the Summer of 1997, the administration changed the name of the college from Navajo Community College to Diné College in order to better to represent the school's function as an institution of learning for the Diné/Navajo people. In 1998, Diné College bestowed its first bachelor's degrees under the Diné Teacher Education Program, accredited through a partnership with Arizona State University. In 1998, the Diné College Library was rededicated as the Kinyaa'áanii Charlie Benally Memorial Library. On May 21, 2011, the women's archery team made history by winning the United States college national championship in compound bow. This is believed to be the first time a tribal college team has won a top tier intercollegiate national championship event in any sport.

Diné College offers bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and certificate programs. The college's Center for Diné Studies "applies Navajo principles to advance quality student learning through (Thinking), (Planning), (Living) and (Assurance) in study of the Navajo language, history, and culture in preparation for further studies and employment in a multi cultural and technological world." The college also hosts the Uranium Education Program on its Shiprock campus. It is an empowerment program for the Navajo centering on the study of radiation and environmental health issues arising from the aftermath of uranium mining/milling operations on the Navajo Nation, as well as other serious environmental issues.

The college is directed by an eight member Board of Regents confirmed by the Government Services committee of the Navajo Nation Council. The name Diné comes from the traditional name for the Navajo, meaning "the people."