MEMORANDUM
October 7, 2010
To:
Dr. John Rebers, Chair of the Graduate Programs Committee
Members of the Graduate Programs Committee
Fr:
Ms. April Lindala, Director - Center for Native American Studies (CNAS)
Re:
NAS 486: American Indian Educational Law and Leadership
The Center for Native American Studies (CNAS) is pleased to submit the following new course
proposal to the Graduate Programs Committee (GPC).
The Faculty Affairs Committee (FAC) of the Center for Native American Studies (NAS)
Advisory Board recommends co-listing NAS 486 as a graduate-level course to meet specific
needs and educational objectives of professional educators in K-12 schools who work with
American Indian programs. The FAC determined that the undergraduate and graduate work
expected of undergraduate and graduate students conforms to the mission of the Center for
Native American Studies. Attached is the FAC memo of support.
I submit this packet of information to the GPC for careful review. Feel free to contact me with
any questions at x1397.
Chi miigwech (great thanks)!
cc:
Mr. Mike Letts, Co-chair CNAS – Faculty Affairs Committee
Dr. Judy Puncochar, Co-chair CNAS – Faculty Affairs Committee
Enc:
NAS 486: American Indian Educational Law and Leadership syllabus
Faculty Affairs Committee memo
GPC proposal for a new course, NAS 486: American Indian Educational Law and
Leadership
New Courses. The following information must be included in new courses proposals that the
GPC will review:
a. Bulletin Description, including course number, course title, credits hours (lecture,
discussion, and lab as appropriate), prerequisites, and how the course will be graded.
Note that no credit will be given for “U” grades.
Bulletin Description: Unique legal educational leadership relationships
between American Indian tribes, U.S. federal, and state governments and k12 schools are explored. Content includes aboriginal and treaty rights to
education, U.S. federal and state Indian education laws, and contemporary
tribal laws regarding American Indian Education.
b. Rationale – state:
i.
why the course is needed.
The American Indian population is projected to be the third fastest-growing
population in all regions but the South during 1995 to 2025 and is expected to
increase by 50% to a population of three million by 2020
(http://www.census.gov/population/www/pop-profile/stproj.html). In our current
changing economy, a need exists for education, re-education, and training of K-12
professional educators in K-12 educational settings and people who work in
American Indian communities with American Indian Education programs and with
the growing number of K-12 American Indian students and American Indian
educational programming in K-12 schools.
CNAS Mission Statement: The mission of the Center for Native American Studies is
to enrich the knowledge and understanding of the Aboriginal Indigenous people of
North America from a Native American perspective.
The proposed course supports the Center for Native American Studies mission and
minor. Students would develop competencies and professional skills through the
study of American Indian leadership and laws related to American Indian
Education from a Native American perspective.
ii.
if the course will be required or an elective.
NAS 486 would be a required cognate in the Masters of Arts in Education:
Educational Administration program. The course would be an elective for
the NAS minor and may be used as partial fulfillment of the 4-credit
requirement of NAS courses at the 300-400 level.
iii.
which track the course will be in, if appropriate.
NAS 486 would be in the proposed track for the Masters of Arts in Education
in Educational Administration: Administration and Supervision in American
Indian Education. The course would be an elective for the NAS minor and
may be used as partial fulfillment of the 4-credit requirement of NAS courses
at the 300-400 level.
c. Course Outline (1-2 pages in length). If the course content appears close to that of
another course currently offered at the graduate level, include documentation for the need
for the new course. A syllabus is not an acceptable alternative for a course outline since
approval of a particular syllabus would mean that all faculty who taught that class would
have to teach the course using the pre-approved syllabus. The outline defines the content
of the course without focusing information such as the specific textbook.
Course Goals: The primary goal for this course is to familiarize educators with the
current laws and leadership responsibilities regarding administration and supervision
of tribal, U.S. federal, and state-level American Indian Education programs.
Objective 1: Discuss the importance of aboriginal rights to education.
Objective 2: Understand how Indian education is linked to the US Constitution and treaty
rights.
Objective 3: Investigate the effects of major court cases and policy decisions on tribal schools,
boarding schools, and Bureau of Indian Education programs on reservations and
in urban K-12 settings.
Objective 4: Develop a statistical abstract of Indian education on a statewide basis.
Objective 5: Demonstrate a working knowledge of tribal, U.S. federal, and state agencies and
laws regarding American Indian education.
Objective 6: Develop a community education project regarding American Indian education
laws and Title VII programs.
Objective 7: Graduate students must develop an evaluation plan and timeline of the project and
share outcomes with U.S. federal, state, tribal, and local leadership.
Grading System Undergraduate
Points Received
Activity
40%
Quiz Scores
40%
Research Paper
20%
Class Participation
100%
Total
Grading System Graduate
Points Received
Activity
30%
Evaluation Plan & Timeline
20%
Quiz Scores
30%
Research Paper
20%
Class Participation
100%
Total
A = 94-100
A- = 90-93
B+ = 86-89
B = 83-85
B- = 80-82
C+ = 76-79
C = 73-75
C- = 70-72
Module 1: Aboriginal Rights
Graduate students will complete assignment in Module 1 and read the Introduction of
the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) “The 2002 User-Friendly Handbook for
Project Evaluation”.
Module 2: The US Constitution, Treaty Educational Provisions, and Court Cases
Graduate students will complete assignment in Module 2 and read Section 1 of the
NSF Handbook for Project Evaluation.
Module 3: Boarding Schools, Reservations, and Urbanization
Graduate students will complete assignment in Module 3 and read Section 2 of the
NSF Handbook for Project Evaluation.
Module 4: Federal Indian Education Laws and Agencies
Graduate students will complete assignment in Module 4 and read Section 3 of the
NSF Handbook for Project Evaluation.
Module 5: State Indian Education Laws and Agencies
Graduate students will complete assignment in Module 5 and read Section 4 of the
NSF Handbook for Project Evaluation and will read two previous evaluations of the
agency, if available.
Module 6: Tribal Education Laws and Agencies
Graduate students will complete assignment in Module 6, include applicable Module
6 information to their evaluation plans, and research previous evaluations of the tribal
agencies, where applicable.
Module 7: Designing a community education activity based on your research paper
Graduate students will complete assignment in Module 7, read Section 5 (“Strategies
that address culturally responsive evaluations”) of the NSF Handbook for Project
Evaluation, include feedback from appropriate American Indian leaders regarding the
plan.
Module 8: Wrap-up: Graduate students will submit their research paper online and
one paper copy to the appropriate U.S. federal, state, local, and tribal representatives,
along with a cover letter. They will also submit their evaluation plan to the instructor.
d. Course Objectives. If the course is 400 in level, include both graduate and
undergraduate objectives. Include a description of the additional work that will be
required of graduate students, and the means of assessment of that work.
See attached syllabus for NAS 486.
e. Staffing. Indicate if present staff or new staff members will teach the class. If new staff
will be needed to teach the class, include evidence of administrative support for the new
staff position.
Dr. Reinhardt has taught similar content at other institutions. He has completed
the first year of Law School beyond his doctorate. He is a member of several
professional organizations in American Indian Education and American Indian
Law, assuring that his competencies remain current. His vita is attached.
f. Equipment and Supplies. List new budgetary needs, both to initiate the course and to
sustain it. Include administrative support for needed monetary commitment.
Budget and equipment currently available would be sufficient to deliver the
program. No additional specialized equipment is needed.
g. Library Holdings. Indicate if current library resources are adequate for the course or if
new library acquisitions will be required to support the class. Include administrative
support for needed monetary commitment.
The current library holdings in Olson Library, the resources in the library of the
Center for Native American Studies, and on-line resources should be more than
adequate for the program. Electronic library resources would be used heavily,
but current resources should be sufficient.
h. Costs. Summarize projected additional costs to support the class.
No additional cost or staff, equipment, supplies, library holdings or personnel, or
space is expected for NMU, School of Education, or Center for Native American
Studies. Dr. Reinhardt is a new faculty member who has room in his course load
to teach NAS 486. The new course content is in his area of expertise.
i. Effects on Other Departments. The effect of the new course on other departments must
be included. The proposing department must initiate discussions with other departments
that might be affected by the new course and must include statements of support or
conflict from those departments.
This course could be beneficial to students within the School of Education, and
students who work with education programming and American Indian youth.
No NMU department has a course focused entirely on K-12 American Indian
Education, Law, and Leadership.
j. Implementation Date. Indicate when the new course will be first taught.
Fall Semester 2011