Winds of Change - College 2017 - 57

COURTESY OF PATRICIA BANCROFT, NAU AISES CHAPTER PRESIDENT

There is also a Native American
presence in academic programs: the
school offers several courses with a focus
in Native American culture, and Cherokee
education is a major. Courses offered in
the Cherokee language are also available.
Every November the Tahlequah
campus celebrates Native American
Heritage Month with a variety of activities
and events, and there is a traditional
campus powwow every April. Native
students can also join a number of
organizations just for them, including an
AISES College Chapter.
In addition to the 200-acre historic
main campus in Tahlequah, NSU has two
other campuses in Muscogee and Broken
Arrow that serve upper-level undergrads
and graduate students, many of whom are
working adults completing a degree in the
school's state-of-the-art facilities.
With a total enrollment of about
8,300 - 7,000 of whom are undergraduates - the school offers 54 undergraduate
and 24 graduate programs, with biology/
biological sciences among the most
popular. Most undergraduate classes have
fewer than 30 students, and half have
fewer than 20. In other important
statistics: the student-faculty ratio is 17:1,
the freshman retention rate is 64 percent,
and the four-year graduate rate is 9
percent. Sixty-seven percent of full-time
undergraduates receive need-based
financial aid to help pay the $6,207
in-state tuition and fees and $6,650 room
and board (2017-18).
Eighty-two percent of students live off
campus, but everyone can enjoy the new
59,000-square-foot NSU Fitness Center
(the "FIT"), which includes an indoor
track and Olympic-size pool, as well as
cardio, group fitness, and weight rooms.
The facility is also used for intramural
athletic activities in a long list of sports.
The overall university RiverHawks
athletics program is ranked NCAA
Division II. Among the three campuses
there are 80 student organizations,
including sororities and fraternities, that
engage students in a range of activities and
areas of interest.
aises.org

Northern Arizona
University AISES
College Chapter
Finding family in a campus
community
O

ne reason the College Chapter at Northern Arizona University (NAU) has so
many active members is the warm welcome it extends - and the fun
members have. That collective warmth inspired both the chapter president,
Patricia Bancroft, and vice president, Alexandria Joe, to not only join but also
take on leadership roles. "My first semester the officers were very welcoming
and outgoing," says Joe. "I definitely wanted others to have a similar experience,
so I ran for vice president." Says Bancroft, "I wanted to be as involved as I could
be and make any student feel welcomed the way I felt when I first joined."
The welcome went out to the more than 40 current members, at least half of
whom attend any given weekly meeting of this long-standing chapter. Together
they plan myriad activities - from fund-raisers and socials to hearing guest
speakers, volunteering at the school's Native American Cultural Center, offering
a tutoring outreach, and being a presence at campus-wide events like the annual
STEM fair. "There's also quite a bit of mentorship between the upperclassmen
and lowerclassmen, such as helping with homework and giving advice," says
Bancroft. "As a club we're always willing to go the extra mile when presented
with the right opportunity."
Their chapter advisor, Delbert Willie, an assistant professor in the School of
Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, is impressed by how much this
group gets done. "They are a well-organized bunch, committed to each other and
to the AISES mission," says Willie. "They serve as K-12 role models and work
with other student groups and NAU organizations. Several students are currently
excited about getting involved in the First Nations Launch competition. Every
meeting is fun."
And fun is an important part of the chapter experience at NAU. "Although our
futures are very serious, we're very goofy and embrace being 'rez' whenever we
can," says Joe. "We've formed our own community and support system. We keep
each other grounded and remind each other of where we are all headed."
Being able to rely on other members for support is part of the AISES
advantage, according to Bancroft. "The NAU College Chapter is like one big
family on campus," she explains. "We are very involved with each other. AISES
has offered me a family away from home and a feeling of belonging. AISES has
been valuable to me because I have learned that we may not come from the
same place or have the same background, but we all have a drive in us to go
beyond what is expected and go back to help our families and communities."

2017-2018 SPECIAL COLLEGE ISSUE * WINDS OF CHANGE 57
http://www.aises.org
Winds of Change - College 2017

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