ICE-TI: Launching the Baccalaureate Degree in Computer Information Systems at Aaniiih Nakoda College

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 computer and computational 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, demonstrates 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 computer science at Aaniiih Nakoda College (ANC) for students who then are prepared for employment at local, particularly tribal, organizations. The BS project builds on a well-established associate degree (AS) in computer information systems, which has been a popular degree choice for ANC students. The project contributes to the achievement of identified planning priorities of the Fort Belknap Indian Community to build a local technology workforce that can meet the operational needs of tribal governments and other tribal entities. The project addresses the underrepresentation of American Indians in STEM fields, while also providing program graduates for excellent opportunities in high-demand and high-wage computer and information technology professions. 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.