Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College (KBOCC) is a public

tribal The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior se ...

Baraga, Michigan Baraga ( ) is a village in Baraga County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,883 at the 2020 census. The village is named after Bishop Frederic Baraga. The village is located in Baraga Township on the Keweenaw Bay on Lake Supe ...

History

KBOCC was chartered by the

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community The L'Anse Indian Reservation is the land base of the federally recognized Keweenaw Bay Indian Community ( oj, Gakiiwe’onaning) of the historic Lake Superior Band of Chippewa Indians. (The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community was defined in 1934 by ...

on July 12, 1975. The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community founded the college with the understanding that American Indian students, as members of sovereign nations, deserved an educational system responsive to their needs and concerns. On November 1, 2017, KBOCC purchased the former Pelkie Elementary School for $1 for use as an education center for the community. On January 26, 2018,

Debra Parrish Debra J. Parrish is an American academic administrator. She was a president of Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College for almost 30 years. Education Parrish completed a B.A. from Northern Michigan University. Career Parrish began working for t ...

retired after serving nearly 30 years as president. She was succeeded by

Lori Ann Sherman Lori may refer to: *Lori (given name) *Lori Province, Armenia *Lori Fortress, a fortress in Armenia *Lori Berd, a village in Armenia *Kingdom of Tashir-Dzoraget, a historical Armenian kingdom from c. 980 to 1240, sometimes known as the Kingdom of L ...

Traditions

Traditional leaders provide direction to faculty and staff for incorporating the

Ojibwa language Ojibwe , also known as Ojibwa , Ojibway, Otchipwe,R. R. Bishop Baraga, 1878''A Theoretical and Practical Grammar of the Otchipwe Language''/ref> Ojibwemowin, or Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of North America of the Algonquian la ...

and culture into each of the KBOCC programs. The student services program offers opportunities for students to engage in traditional ceremonies and events.

Academics

The college is accredited by the

Higher Learning Commission The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...

. KBOCC offers Associate of Arts, Science, and Applied Science degrees. The Bureau of Indian Education, Bureau of Indian Affairs, conducted a site visit in April 2010 and recommended the college for approval as a Tribally Controlled Community College/University under the Act. The U.S. Department of Education approved the KBOCC application for Title IV federal student aid programs. KBOCC is a member of the

American Indian Higher Education Consortium The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) was established in 1972 to represent the interests of the newly developed tribal colleges, which are controlled and operated by American Indian nations. The four founders were Gerald One F ...

(AIHEC), which is a community of tribally and federally chartered institutions. KBOCC was created in response to the higher education needs of American Indians. KBOCC generally serves geographically isolated populations that have no other means accessing education beyond the high school level.American Indian Higher Education Consortium

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control American Indian Higher Education Consortium Universities and colleges established in 1975 Community colleges in Michigan 1975 establishments in Michigan Native American history of Michigan Two-year colleges in the United States