The American Indian Higher Education Consortium: The Effects of Assessment on Tribal Colleges

The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) was founded in by a group of presidents from the United State’s first six tribal colleges in 1972.  The purpose of the AIHEC was to bring together the tribal colleges to form a common unit that would support the ideals and vision of its members. The AIHEC currently represents 36 U.S. institutions and one Canadian college and is considered to be “lifeline” of the tribal colleges (AIHEC, 2011).

On July 22, 2011, Anne Marie Karlberg published the report entitled “Assessment Essentials for Tribal Colleges”, which was to provide a source information for tribal colleges to be able to assess the development and learning of current students and alumni of those colleges. The report shows of the importance for tribal colleges to provide an adequate education to its students. Per the report, to have effective tribal college assessment program, three types of information must be used in order to assess the students’ progress. Karlberg describes these as direct indicators, indirect indicators, and institutional data – all of which to be assessed on the college, program and course levels (Karlberg, 2011).

The primary purpose of an assessment, as described by Karberg, is to improve student learning in higher education, while the secondary purpose is to “demonstrate accountability” (Karlberg, 2011). Assessment can affect a college financially in that if there are some discrepancies discovered, public funding can be reduced (Karlberg, 2011). Assessment affects accreditation, and if the assessment shows that the accreditation should be revoked, then federal funding may be affected. The tribal colleges must adhere to the accreditation boards and other organizations that financially support the tribal colleges (Karlberg, 2011).

As previously stated, there are three types of information necessary to complete an assessment, and the information is broken down, per types, into different levels:

• Direct Indicators – “the systemic process of gathering, interpreting, and using information regarding student academic performance to improve student learning and the quality of academic programs.”
• College Outcomes – Describes all of the skills that the college would like for its students to have once they have graduated from its institution.
• Program Outcomes – Going beyond what is outlined by the college outcomes, describes what the tribal colleges would like for the students to do by the end of the students’ programs or majors.
• Course Outcomes – The skills that the students should possess by the end of the course.
• Indirect Indicators – Information that is taken from surveys, focus groups, and interviews, which usually provides information about “the students’ own perception of their learning experience.”
• Examples – course evaluations, student satisfaction surveys, graduate surveys, alumni surveys, student self-evaluations, and/or evaluations of programs and services provided by the institution.
• Institutional Data – Usually quantitative data, measures the internal activities and how effective what the colleges provide to the students.
• Course Level Data – Completion rates and enrollment numbers by course; grades distribution analysis; success level of students in other courses.
• Program/Degree Level Data – GPA’s; retention rates; graduation rates and numbers; cost per program.
• College Level Data – Enrollment patters; student/faculty ratio; participation in extracurricular activities.

All of these indicators, after an assessment, can determine whether or not a tribal college can maintain its accreditation and receive federal funding or funding provided by other financial supporters.

The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (2011). http://www.aihec.org/.  

Karlberk, A.M. (2011) Assessment Essentials for Tribal Colleges. American Indian Higher Education Consortium. Retrieved October 23, 2011, from http://www.aihec.org/resources/documents/AssessmentEssentialsForTribalColleges.pdf.