April 13, 2016

 

Diné College Celebrates Tsaile Campus Dedication

TSAILE AZ- Diné College celebrates the 45th anniversary of the dedication of the Tsaile, Arizona campus on April 13,2016.  Also on this anniversary date, College administrators are in Washington, DC to testify in support of the Diné College Act of 2016.  The bill will redefine a significant funding mechanism for the College.

In 1968, Diné College (formerly Navajo Community College) was established in Many Farms, Arizona as a landmark institution with innovative means to meet the long unmet postsecondary educational needs of Native Americans.
The College was the first college established by Native Americans for Native Americans. It set a precedent for later tribally controlled community colleges on or near reservations.

In 1971, a ceremony was conducted which included a ground blessing, dedication and ceremonial seed planting on the grounds the Tsaile, Arizona campus. Later, a permanent corn stalk was erected in the center of campus to symbolize the historic dedication. Classes officially began on the Tsaile campus in 1972 after the initial accreditation by The North Central Association of the Higher Learning Commission a year prior.

Today, Diné College awards 19 associate degrees, six certificates and two bachelor degrees under the direction of an eight-member Board of Regents confirmed by the Health, Education and Human Services Committee of the Navajo Nation Council.  The College has the responsibility to serve residents of the 26,000 square mile Navajo Nation which spans the states of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.  The College maintains accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.