Faculty Development
Supporting Tribal College and University Faculty
We support tribal college and university (TCU) faculty through fellowships, professional development, and scholarly research opportunities.
Faculty play a critical role in creating a thriving academic environment at tribal colleges and universities (TCUs). They teach, develop culturally relevant curricula and programs, support students, serve on committees, conduct place-based research, participate in community service, and serve as leaders at their institutions.
The College Fund, in partnership with TCUs, recognizes that faculty development is essential to the success of students and the future growth and sustainability of TCUs. To that end, we have offered faculty development programming since 2004. Our work is guided by a five-member Faculty Advisory Council.
We currently support faculty in numerous ways: fellowships to earn a graduate degree, professional development grants, support for conducting and disseminating research, and networking opportunities.
Through these activities, we help them earn advanced degrees and add to the intellectual capital of tribal colleges and Native communities. You can read more in our 2024-27 Faculty Development Strategic Plan.
Fellowship Opportunities
The College Fund offers two fellowships for master’s degree completion and three fellowships for those completing a doctoral degree. In addition to funding, fellowship recipients receive mentorship from scholars and College Fund staff, as well as the opportunity to network with other fellows.
Professional Development Opportunities
The College Fund supports faculty professional development activities that enhance teaching; student learning; integration of culture, language, and curriculum; scholarly research; and more. We offer webinars and workshops on relevant and timely topics and writing retreats. These opportunities are announced in emails to faculty and academic deans. We also keep an updated event calendar on our Prof2Prof.com page.
We also offer grants to faculty and adjunct instructors to attend or present at a conference or to participate in a workshop or training. Click on the button below to be taken to our professional development grant application.
Scholarly Research Support
The College Fund provides support and mentorship to help faculty conduct and disseminate research, thereby expanding Indigenous scholarship at TCUs.
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- We publish the Tribal College and University Research Journal, a peer-reviewed publication dedicated exclusively to TCU faculty-led research.
- We post the dissertations of doctoral faculty fellows in our Resource Center.
- We host the TCU Faculty Convening, which features presentations by TCU faculty researchers.
- We host Manuscript Writing Retreats for TCU faculty to develop manuscripts for publication.
