The five North Dakota Tribal College Presidents met U.S. Senator-elect Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) in Bismarck, N.D., to discuss Tribal College issues. (left to right: Russell Mason, Fort Berthold Community College; James Davis, Turtle Mountain Community College; David Gipp, United Tribes Technical College; Senator-elect Heidi Heitkamp; Cynthia Lindquist, Cankdeska Cikana Community College (Chair, AIHEC Board of Directors); and Laurel Vermillion, Sitting Bull College.) Photo Courtesy American Indian Higher Education Consortium
A college on the move: Fort Berthold Community College moving up
By Karin Eagle
Native Sun News Staff Writer NEW TOWN, N.D.- The mission of the Fort Berthold Community College (FBCC), located in New Town, N.D. is to provide quality cultural, academic, and vocational education and services for the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation. The college is tribally chartered by the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation. FBCC is tribally controlled by a Board of Directors, which consist of seven-members. The College was founded May 2, 1973, as the agency responsible for higher education on the Fort Berthold Reservation. The Three Affiliated Tribes endorsed the concept that a locally based higher education institution was needed to train Tribal members and to act as a positive influence in retaining the Tribal cultures. A steering committee was appointed to oversee the initial operations of the College. This committee was replaced by the selection of a Board of Directors in 1974. Fort Berthold Community College was granted accreditation on February 12, 1988, through the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges. On July 12, 2006, Fort Berthold Community College was granted continued 10 year accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission of Schools and Colleges (HLC). The college is also one of thirty-two tribal colleges granted 1994 Land Grant Institution status. Fort Berthold Community College is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The Fort Berthold Community College is also a member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC). On February 25, 2011, HLC’s Institutional Actions Council (IAC) voted to extend the College’s Accreditation to include Bachelor of Science Degrees in Elementary Education and Environmental Science, and the Bachelor of Arts in Native American Studies. By this action of the IAS, FBCC became a Four-Year Institution. “The faculty, staff and administration at Fort Berthold Community College would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to our family. We are proud of the services and curriculum that we provide to our students and we hope that your educational experience here will last a lifetime. We urge you to participate in the campus life at FBCC,” said college President Russell D. Mason Jr. “Become involved in student organizations like the Student Senate, AISES, Athletics and other Native American Clubs. College students who become actively involved in activities and participate fully in college events are more likely to be motivated and successful students. Please take advantage of our open door policy for students. All of our departments are available to answer any questions about our various divisions,” Mason said. “Please seek us out if you have any concerns or need assistance with you college experience. The heart of your college career is your coursework. Realize that to be successful in college you have to attend class, complete assignments on time and study diligently. We are proud of our faculty and advisors at FBCC. They are ready to answer any questions and assist you towards your goals. Lastly, we offer many other services to our community and enrolled members of the Three Affiliated Tribes. Seek out those services and take advantage of your local college.” To learn more about FBCC, visit their website at www.fortbertholdcc.edu (Contact Karin Eagle at staffwriter@nsweekly.com) Copyright permission by Native Sun News
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