ICE-TI: Addressing the Socio-Economic needs of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate with a bachelor's of science in Behavioral Sciences

Sisseton Wahpeton Community College, Agency Village SD

Investigators

Abstract

A goal of the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) is to increase the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instructional and research capacities of specific institutions of higher education that serve the Nation's indigenous students. Expanding the STEM curricular offerings at these institutions expands the opportunities for their students to pursue challenging, rewarding careers in STEM fields, provides for research studies in areas that may be culturally significant, and encourages a community and generational appreciation for science and mathematics education. This project aligns directly with that goal, and moreover may serve as a model and impetus for similar institutions of higher education to develop degree programs in the behavioral sciences. The connection of faculty to the development of novel opportunities for programs of study that ensure successful transfer to local employment, particularly tribal employment, or to post-baccalaureate studies at nearby universities will demonstrate the essentiality of engaging full-time, credentialed STEM faculty devoted to a specific strand of study and preparation. Moreover, for those students entering the workforce directly from a tribal college it is crucially important that they have a well-defined skill set in mathematics, science, and technology for entry into the STEM workforce. This project provides an accredited STEM bachelor's of science (BS) degree option in the behavioral sciences at Sisseton Wahpeton College (SWC) for students who may then transfer to a local university for graduate studies or be prepared for employment at local, particularly tribal, service organizations. The BS project builds on a well established associate degree (AS) in behavioral sciences, which has been a popular degree choice for SWC students. The increase in specialized STEM faculty ensures the curricular offerings have relevance to related programs of study, ensuring the option for students to minor as well as major in the behavioral sciences, and provides sufficient breadth in the degree coursework to prepare students for a broad range of employment positions available on the Lake Traverse Reservation. Strengthening the mathematics and language arts assists student success in many programs of study, not only those in STEM. This project also increases the number of the Nation’s tribal colleges that offer accredited BS degrees. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.