2025 TCU Faculty Convening
11th Annual TCU Faculty Convening | May 20-21, 2025
The 2025 TCU Faculty Convening brought together 103 tribal college faculty members and higher education leaders in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Participants shared research and best practices in student success, trauma-informed education, communicating data, STEM, teacher preparation, Native art, connecting with the community, and more.
The agenda included five breakout sessions, giving faculty numerous opportunities to discover new teaching practices, learn new skills, and meet their peers from other tribal colleges. There were two special plenary sessions—one on revitalizing Native languages and another on AI and digital literacy. As part of the convening, participants visited the beautiful Minneapolis campus of the Red Lake Nation College, where leaders of the American Indian College Fund, American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), and the College of Menominee Nation gave updates about the current political climate and budget cuts. They ended the panel discussion with inspiration for getting through uncertain times and strategies for faculty to become involved.
Presentations
The presentations are listed below in alphabetical order by presenter.
Collaborate With Us: Building Communities and Developing Programs in Pre-Service Secondary STEM Education
Heather Bleecker, Salish Kootenai College and Danny Luecke, Turtle Mountain College
Building Ecosystems for Entrepreneurs on Tribal Lands: What TCUs and Faculty Should Know
Jessica Burghart, Haskell Indian Nations University
Navigating Uncertain Times: The Impact of Policy Changes on TCUs
Cheryl Crazy Bull, American Indian College Fund; Christopher Caldwell, College of Menominee Nation; and Ahniwake Rose, AIHEC
The Data Can’t Speak for Itself: Braiding Data, Story, and Teachings into Visuals That Honor Context
Karen Colbert, Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College
If Not Now When? Developing an Educational Framework to Support AI Literacy
Kathryn Dunlap, United Tribes Technical College
Indigenous Art: An Emphasis on Healing and Identity Development
Bobbi L. Frederick, Turtle Mountain College
From the Circle to the Circuit: Honoring Traditional Values in Technological Spaces
Ronald Johnson and Jenny Serpa, Northwest Indian College
Indigenous Math: Place-based and Language-specific
Danny Luecke, Turtle Mountain College
Findings from Three Tribal Colleges: Native Student Internships and the Mentor-Mentee Experience
Crystal LoudHawk-Hedgepeth, American Indian College Fund
Empowering Native American Student Success: Blending Academic Skills, Social-Emotional Learning, and Indigenous Wisdom
MarCia McBride McGee, Northwest Indian College
NICC’s Faculty Reflection Series: Creating Community & Strengthening Our Practice
Megan Miller, Nebraska Indian Community College
Justice for Indian Residential School Injustices: The Perspectives of Tribal Members and Leaders
Ryan O’Leary, Leech Lake Tribal College
Traditional Basketry as a Student Success Model
Betty Pacheco, Northwest Indian College
Grading for Equity In Higher Education: Implications for Tribal Colleges and Universities
Ursula Pawlowski, Navajo Technical University
Civic Engagement Classes: Tapping into the Power of Indigenous Student Advocacy at TCUs
Millicent Pepion, Institute of American Indian Arts
The Power of Digital Literacy to Expand Digital Knowledge-Sharing
Gabriela Salazar and Preston Smith, Northwest Indian College
Diversity, Cultural Competency, and TCU Faculty
Stephen Wall, Institute of American Indian Arts
Let’s All Speak the Language: Making Every Class a Language Class
Ryan Winn, College of Menominee Nation
Weaving Indigenous Languages into the Academic Fabric: A Holistic Framework for Tribal Colleges and Universities
Alisa Smith Woodruff, Northwest Indian College
From Knowledge to Action: Strengthening Indigenous Science in STEM
Aissa Yazzie, Northwest Indian College
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