Proposed Minor
Title
School
Native American and Indigenous Studies
School of Liberal Arts
Projected Implementation Date
Fall 2014
APPC Review
May 2014
Brief Description
The minor in Native American & Indigenous Studies will provide students with an intermediate
level of knowledge of Native American & Indigenous issues including the culture, history,
economic, and political development as well as issues of identity and sovereignty. Students will
be able to connect this knowledge with other disciplines and develop an appreciation for other
cultures that will help equip them for success in a globalized world.
1.
Does the Program Description clearly describe the new minor?
Yes. The minor is comprised of 15 credits. Two courses are required and students
select three other courses from a list of ten options. All courses are three credits.
Required Native American & Indigenous Studies Courses (6 credits):
NAIS N101 Introduction to Native American & Indigenous Studies
NAIS N396 Seminar of Native American & Indigenous Studies
Approved Interdisciplinary Courses (9 credits; choose 3 courses):
NAIS N207/HIST A207 Introduction to Native American History
NAIS N209/COMM C209 Native American Culture & Communication
NAIS N320/ANTH E320 Indians of North America
NAIS N367/REL R367 Native American Religions
NAIS N398/REL R398 Native American & Indigenous Women
NAIS N356/PHIL P356 American Indian Philosophies
NAIS N364/ENG L364 Native American Literature
NAIS N480/HIST H480 Comparative Native American History
NAIS N397 Independent Study in Native American & Indigenous Studies
NAIS N399 Topics in Native American & Indigenous Studies
Where identified, courses will be cross- listed to allow students the option of selecting
the desired subject code to appear on the transcript.
The program requires several new courses, one of which has completed the
remonstrance process and the others will be submitted soon. With the presumption
that students pursuing the minor may prefer to have courses identified with a Native
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American and Indigenous Studies subject code, the program is pursuing creation of NAIS
as a subject code and cross-listing the courses to provide the student the desired option.
All courses listed for the minor are available to any IUPUI student depending on space
availability.
2.
Does the statement of the program’s goals and objectives clearly differentiate this
minor from others at IUPUI?
Yes. The minor will familiarize students with a broad understanding of history, culture,
identity and related issues regarding Native American and Indigenous peoples.
The curricular design requires students to engage in pertinent work on American Indian
issues in government, education, and health and welfare. Completing this program will
prepare students to:
 Understand the theoretical approaches to Native American & Indigenous
Studies
 Develop the ability to relate Native American & Indigenous Studies to other
disciplines
 Increase confidence in their ability to function within Native American and
indigenous communities around the world, where appropriate
 Develop knowledge of and respect for other cultures
 Be more competitive in a globalized job market that demands a broad skill set
The outcomes are mapped to the Principles of Undergraduate Learning (PULs). The
program supports the RISE initiative. See section 8 of the proposal
See also sections 11 and 12 of the proposal.
3.
Are the minor’s requirements consistent with other IUPUI programs?
Yes. The minor has a 15 credit requirement, consistent with IUPUI’s standard of 15-18
credits for minors. As an interdisciplinary program, the minor also draws on courses and
faculty expertise in other Liberal Arts disciplines.
Students must earn a grade of C or better in each course and have an overall minimum
cumulative GPA of 2.0 for the program.
4.
Does the curriculum have potential positive or negative impact on the enrollment in
the courses or programs in other academic units? Is it likely that this minor will
compete with existing programs for students?
While the curriculum draws upon courses offered by other Liberal Arts departments,
there are no perceived overlaps that will have a negative impact on other programs.
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5.
Does the unit have the faculty and other resources (financial, learning, library
holdings, equipment, etc.) required to offer the minor?
Yes. The revenues associated with the projected new student enrollment in the minor
will be used for .5 FTE faculty, travel, supplies and expense. No additional resources,
including library resources, are required.
6.
Does the program rationale support the institutional need for the minor?
Yes. As exemplified by the partnership agreement Chancellor Bantz signed with the
Pokagon band of Potawatomi Indians at IUPUI on November 16, 2010, IUPUI has
committed to developing educational and cultural preservation programs not only for
the Potawatomi, but for the Native American community in general.
The minor in Native American & Indigenous Studies also supports the mission of the
School of Liberal Arts to “develop international programs and relationships for faculty
and students and foster greater international awareness in university and community.”
Students will be encouraged to pursue service-learning projects connected with Native
American & Indigenous cultures in the IU and IUPUI programs throughout the United
States as well as with other indigenous cultures throughout the world. Faculty within
Native American & Indigenous Studies will work in close contact with the Center for
Service and Learning to be advised on the theoretical and practical aspects of civic
engagement projects.
In addition to attracting students with a Native American heritage and those interested
in the study of Native American & Indigenous culture and history, the school believes
the minor will attract students interested in more than one discipline or program,
particularly in the areas of Anthropology, American Studies, Communication Studies,
Geography, Health, History, International Studies, Museum Studies, Philanthropic
Studies, Political Science, Public and Environmental Affairs, Social Work and Sociology.
7.
Is the program evaluation plan consistent with the learning outcome assessment
strategies used by other IUPUI programs?
Yes. The proposal identifies five programmatic outcomes (see #2 above). In addition to
mapping these to the PULs, the proposal includes details on the methods and settings
through which they will be assessed.
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Student learning will be assessed in courses and in an exit essay as part of their
required capstone course N396.
An alumni survey will be carried out to document the effects of the minor on
students’ careers.
Working with the program’s advisory committee, the program director will review
assessment data on an annual basis to ensure continuous improvement of the
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minor.
Student enrollment numbers will be carefully documented by the program director
to monitor the growth of the minor.
After five years, an outside reviewer will be invited to examine the enrollment data
and a summary of students’ exit essays, and then to give an evaluation of the minor.
Information gathered through the assessment process will be used to help
determine the summative effectiveness of the program in meeting its intended
learning outcomes and to inform any adjustments that are determined to be
needed to help with continuous programmatic improvement.
The APPC review document presents a summary of the information within the proposal and,
therefore, represents the perspective of the proposing unit. It is not meant to serve as an
endorsement of the proposal but is intended to help guide our discussion at the meeting.
Enrollment Services
4/4/2014
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