Comanche Nation College facts for kids
| Motto | Kim |
|---|---|
|
Motto in English
|
Come Study With Us |
| Type | Native American tribal college and land grant institution |
| Active | August 8, 2002–July 31, 2017 |
| President | Consuelo Lopez, PhD |
| Undergraduates | over 500 |
| Location |
,
,
United States
|
| Campus | Urban |
| Colors | royal blue, golden yellow, and red |
| Affiliations | American Indian Higher Education Consortium |
| Website | www.cnc.cc.ok.us |
Comanche Nation College was a special two-year college for Native American students. It was a place where anyone could apply to learn. The college was located in Lawton, Oklahoma, which is the main city for the Comanche Nation. The Comanche Nation started the school in 2002. Comanche Nation College helped over 500 students before it closed on July 31, 2017.
Contents
A Look Back: College History
Comanche Nation College began in 2002. It was the very first tribal college ever started in the state of Oklahoma. A tribal college is a school created by a Native American tribe to serve its community. The college closed in 2017 because it lost its official recognition and did not have enough money to keep going.
Why the College Closed
To be a recognized college, schools need something called accreditation. This is like an official stamp of approval. Comanche Nation College tried to get this approval from the Higher Learning Commission in 2012. However, they stopped the process in 2016. Without this important approval, the college could not get enough money, so it had to close in 2017.
Who Ran the College?
The Comanche Nation is a Native American tribe recognized by the United States government. They set up a special group of education leaders to guide Comanche Nation College. The Comanche Nation has over 13,000 members. About 6,000 of them live near Lawton, Oklahoma, where the college was.
Working with Other Schools
Comanche Nation College was part of two big groups: the American Indian Higher Education Consortium and the American Association of Community Colleges. It was the 36th tribal college to join these groups and the first one from Oklahoma.
The college also worked closely with Cameron University in Lawton. This partnership meant students could take classes at both schools. It also made it easier for students to transfer to Cameron University if they wanted to earn a four-year degree.
Comanche Nation College was also approved to offer a two-year nursing program. This was a big deal because it was the first approved nursing program at a tribal college in Oklahoma.
Where the College Was Located
The college was set up in a building that used to be an elementary school.
