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Diné College

Diné College is a two-year, tribally controlled community college, serving the people of the 27,000 square-mile (about 70,000 sq-km) Navajo Nation, which spans the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. Its main campus is in Tsaile, Arizona. It also has seven other campuses on the reservation in Arizona (Chinle, Ganado, Kayenta, Tuba City, and Window Rock) and New Mexico (Shiprock and Crownpoint). 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."

Current enrollment is 1,830 students, of which 210 are degree-seeking transfer students for four-year institutions. The main Tsaile campus includes a eight 15-room dormitories housing about 150 students: each octagonal-shaped unit has a fireplace in the center, and is described by the college as a "hooghan away from hogan" -- a reference to the traditional circular Navajo hogan dwelling.

Special programs include the:

  • Center for Diné Studies, whose goal is to apply Navajo Sa'ah Naagháí Bik'eh Hózhóón principles to advance quality student learning through Nitsáhákees (Thinking), Nahatá (Planning, Iiná (Living) and Sihasin (Assurance) in study of the Diné language, history, and culture in preparation for further studies and employment in a multi-cultural and technological world.
  • The Uranium Education Program at the Shiprock campus, an empowerment program for Navajo concerning radiation and environmental health issues arising from the legacy of former uranium mining/milling operations and other serious environmental impacts on the Navajo reservation.

The college was first opened in 1968 as the Navajo Community College, the first college established by Native Americans for Native Americans. In 1998, Diné College bestowed its first baccalaureate degrees under the Diné Teacher Education Program, accredited under a partnership with Arizona State University.

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Last updated: 08-03-2005 19:14:32
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