Diné College 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 use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...

land-grant college based in Tsaile, Arizona, serving the Navajo Nation. It offers

associate degree An associate degree or associate's degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of academic qualification above a high school diploma and below a bachelor's degree ...

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

s, academic certificates, and one

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

History

Diné College opened in 1968 as the Navajo Community College, the first college established by Native Americans for Native Americans.College Opens for Navajo Tribe
. ''United Press International''. The Ogden Standard-Examiner. January 20, 1969. p. 8A. The college was chartered by the Navajo Nation in 1968. The Navajo Tribal Council appointed Guy Gorman, Yazzie Begay, Chester Yellowhair, Carl Todacheene, Wilson Skeet, Howard Gorman, Allen Yazzie, and Dillon Platero to be the first to serve on the college's Board of Regents. Robert Roessel served as the college's first president. The college was originally located at the site of the Rough Rock Community School in Rough Rock on a temporary basis until a permanent site could be chosen and constructed. The Board of Regents selected three possible sites for the college, namely the Tsaile– Wheatfields area, Many Farms, and Ganado.Wheatfields Is Recommended
. ''The Gallup Independent''. September 14, 1968. p. 1. After a Board-commissioned survey of possible sites for the college, the Tsaile–Wheatfields area was recommended because it had plenty of water available and has scenic forests and lakes. After the Board was guaranteed 1,000 acres for the campus, a residential area, and a shopping area, the Board officially chose the Tsaile–Wheatfields area in October 1968. The Board asked people to send in designs for the college's seal, and it chose the William Morgan's design of an arrowhead encircled by a rainbow god. On January 20, 1968, the college officially opened with 40 faculty members. There were 340 students enrolled during its first semester, which was the limit of its capacity.First Reservation College Established By Navajos
. ''El Paso Times''. July 19, 1969. More than 3,000 other applicants were turned away due to a lack of space. The college added 23 evening classes because there was a higher demand for evening classes than daytime classes. By 1973, 3,421 students had enrolled at Navaho Community College, but only 46 had graduated with associate degrees during that time.First College for Indians Undergoing Growing Pains
. ''The Los Angeles Times''. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. April 6, 1973. p. 3D. There was little for the students to do outside of classes, and excessive drinking became a problem for some. In October 1973, following construction delays, students began taking classes at the college's permanent campus in Tsaile.Navajo School Dedicated
. ''Associated Press''. Carlsbad Current-Argus. May 15, 1974. p. 4. The campus was officially dedicated on May 14, 1974. Most campus buildings were built in octagonal shapes, similar to the eight-sided traditional Navajo hogan. The campus cost $12million to build. Some classes were taught in Shiprock and Fort Defiance. In August 1992, Tommy Lewis became president. During his tenure, the college's funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs increased to almost $7.3million in 2000. The Navajo Language and Culture Curriculum became widely popular at the Tsaile campus after the program saw increases in class enrollment, thus allowing the Board of Regents to implement the program throughout the institution. In 1994, the college was designated a land-grant college alongside 31 other tribal colleges. During the Summer of 1997, the administration changed the name of the college from Navajo Community College to Diné College in order to better to represent the school's function as an institution of learning for the Diné/Navajo people. In 1998, Diné College bestowed its first

s under the Diné Teacher Education Program, accredited through a partnership with

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...

. In 1998, the Diné College Library was rededicated as the Kinyaa'áanii Charlie Benally Memorial Library. On May 21, 2011, the women's archery team made history by winning the United States college national championship in compound bow. This is believed to be the first time a tribal college team has won a top-tier intercollegiate national championship event in any sport. In 2019, the Chicago-based Higher Learning Commission (HLC) approved Diné College’s four-year institution status and two additional emphasis options within the BA of Fine Arts degree: silversmithing and weaving.

Academics

Diné College offers

s, certificate programs, and one

.Diné College Catalog 2022-2023
. ''Diné College''. 2022. The college's Center for Diné Studies "applies Navajo principles to advance quality student learning through (Thinking), (Planning), (Living) and (Assurance) in study of the Navajo language, history, and culture in preparation for further studies and employment in a multi-cultural and technological world." The college also hosts the Uranium Education Program on its Shiprock campus. It is an empowerment program for the Navajo centering on the study of radiation and environmental health issues arising from the aftermath of

uranium Uranium is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Ura ...

mining/milling operations on the Navajo Nation, as well as other serious environmental issues.

Campuses

The main campus of Diné College is in Tsaile, a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

in unincorporated Apache County,

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

. There are also five branches of Diné College: two in Apache County, Arizona ( Chinle and Window Rock), one in Coconino County, Arizona ( Tuba City), one in McKinley County,

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

( Crownpoint) and one in San Juan County, New Mexico ( Shiprock). Diné College also has two micro-sites in Aneth, Utah, and Newcomb, New Mexico. The main Tsaile campus includes eight fifteen-room dormitories housing about 150 students: each octagonally 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 Navajo ''hogan'' dwelling. Hogan Faculty Housing is also on campus. Residents of family housing and faculty housing are zoned to the Chinle Unified School District. Tsaile Elementary School is in proximity to the university. All Chinle USD residents are assigned to Chinle High School.

Governance

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."

Alumni

* Carmelita Little Turtle, Apache/ Rarámuri photographer * Nicco Montaño, professional Mixed Martial Artist, inaugural UFC Women's Flyweight Champion, first UFC Champion of Navajo descent * Moli Yeski Yusef, Chadian Olympic runner

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dine College Universities and colleges in Arizona Education on the Navajo Nation American Indian Higher Education Consortium Education in San Juan County, New Mexico Universities and colleges established in 1968 Education in Apache County, Arizona Education in Navajo County, Arizona Education in Coconino County, Arizona USCAA member institutions 1968 establishments in Arizona Community colleges in New Mexico Two-year colleges in the United States