Navajo Technical University (NTU) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

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 ...

land-grant university A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890. Signed by Abraha ...

Crownpoint, New Mexico Crownpoint ( nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) on the Navajo Nation in McKinley County, New Mexico. The population was 2,500 at the time of the 2010 census. It is located along the Trails of the Ancients Byway, one of the designated New ...

, with sites in the towns of

Chinle, Arizona Chinle ( nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Apache County, Arizona, United States. The name in Navajo means "flowing out" and is a reference to the location where the water flows out of the Canyon de Chelly. The population was 4,518 a ...

and Teec Nos Pos, Arizona. NTU is the largest tribal college in the country and is a 1994 land grant university. It has been 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, Io ...

since 2005 and is home to the first accredited veterinary technician program on an Indian reservation.

History

Jill Biden walks with the procession of graduates of the Navajo Technical College Class of 2013

Navajo Technical University was chartered by the

Navajo Nation The Navajo Nation ( nv, Naabeehó Bináhásdzo), also known as Navajoland, is a Native Americans in the United States, Native American Indian reservation, reservation in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwe ...

in 1979 as the Navajo Skill Center and sought to meet the needs of its unemployed population. After expanding the school's mission, the Center was renamed Crownpoint Institute of Technology in 1985. The institution was designated a

land-grant college A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890. Signed by Abraha ...

in 1994 alongside 31 other tribal colleges. In 2006, the

Navajo Nation Council The Navajo Nation Council ( nv, Béésh bąąh dah siʼání) is the legislative branch of the Navajo Nation government. The council meets four times per year, with additional special sessions, at the Navajo Nation Council Chamber, which is in Wi ...

approved changing its name to Navajo Technical College. The institution's name was changed once more in 2013 to its current name, Navajo Technical University.

Services

NTU provides support services including: * student and faculty housing (Crownpoint site only) * a childcare center * computer technologies * comprehensive library services

Academics

NTU offers a variety of academic programs, including certificates, associate degrees, bachelor's degree, and a Master of Arts degree in Diné Studies. As of 2011, it is one of seven tribal colleges in the U.S. to offer a degree related to tribal administration.

Partnerships

NTU 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), a community of tribally- and federally-chartered institutions. NTU was created in response to the higher education needs of American Indians. It generally serves geographically isolated populations that have no other means of accessing education beyond the high school level.

References

External links

Official website
Public universities and colleges in New Mexico Education in Albuquerque, New Mexico Buildings and structures in Albuquerque, New Mexico American Indian Higher Education Consortium Technical schools USCAA member institutions Educational institutions established in 1979 1979 establishments in New Mexico Education on the Navajo Nation {{NewMexico-university-stub