Diné College Strategic Design Team to Hear from Local Communities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 18, 2022
TSAILE, Ariz. — Diné College kicked off its Strategic Design process with a webinar last week. The College launched its strategic design process to chart a new path for the future. In an effort for more inclusivity and transparency, the College will host numerous town hall meetings, listening sessions, and stakeholder committee meetings, which will be conducted in person and/or virtually.
During the webinar, the new strategic themes were unveiled that will help guide the college into the next decade. The themes are: Academic Quality and Growth, Accessibility, College Health and Wellness, Holistic Integration, Culture and Environment, and Facilities.
Samantha Begay, a student who attended stated, “I lived in Germany and traveled around different countries, being home and integrating our Diné philosophy into my learning is so crucial for me as a mom, as a Diné woman striving to be a leader, and just knowing one day I will be the matriarch of my own family. I want to make my family and our people proud.” She added, Diné College helps her meet her goals and thanked the college for listening.
As the Nation’s College, there is so much potential to create a vision to include all voices from our communities. President of the college, Charles M. Roessel, stated in his conversation with the public, close to 90% of all TCU graduates stay or return and give back to their communities. “What kind of programs and assistance can Diné College provide, so college graduates are doing more than transactional tasks, but rather, helping to build our Nation,” he asked. “These are the types of answers we are seeking. But more importantly, we have to ensure we are asking the right questions for our college’s future.”
The event included about 90 participants and received nearly 1,000 views on Diné College’s Facebook page. Students, faculty, staff, donors, and community members joined the conversation of how the 6 strategic themes will shape the future of the College. The College acknowledged all feedback and will meet with the Stakeholders Committee to arrange the comments, suggestions, recommendations and feedback based on academic and financial prioritizations in a final strategic design report.
One-half of the Navajo population lives on the reservation. Therefore, one goal of this strategic design process is to hear from Navajos who are residing in metropolitan areas. There will be listening sessions held in Phoenix, AZ, Albuquerque, NM, Washington D.C., as well as other urban areas. These listening sessions will be held from February 2022 to May 2022.
We will be visiting Diné College Window Rock Center on Wednesday, February 23, 2022 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. and Diné College Tuba City Center on Thursday, February 24, 2022 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. These events will be conducted in-person and streamed live on Diné College Facebook page. Leaders, educators, community members are encouraged to join us to voice their ideas and/or questions as to how the College can improve and be more responsive to the needs of our people. More tour dates will be announced.
Diné College is a four-year tribal college located on the Navajo reservation with six campuses and two microsites across Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah and primarily serves Navajo students. The school offers 20 bachelor degrees, 16 associate degrees, and 6 certificate programs. The school is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The College, established in 1968, is the first tribal college and was formerly named Navajo Community College.
