Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College facts for kids
 |
|
|
Former names
|
Fond du Lac Community College Center (1987-1989) |
|---|---|
| Type | Public tribal land-grant community college |
| Established | 1987 |
|
Parent institution
|
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System |
|
Academic affiliations
|
American Indian Higher Education Consortium World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium Space-grant |
| President | Stephanie Hammitt |
| Students | 1,976 (Fiscal Year 2021) |
| Address |
2101 14th St.
,
,
,
U.S.
46°41′25″N 92°26′57″W / 46.6903°N 92.4492°W |
| Campus | Rural, small city, metropolitan area |
| Colors | Orange & black |
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (FDLTCC) is a special type of college in Cloquet, Minnesota. It is a public college that serves both tribal and non-tribal students. FDLTCC is also a "land-grant" college, which means it gets support to help people learn about useful skills.
This college is located in northeastern Minnesota, near the cities of Duluth and Superior. FDLTCC is part of the Minnesota State system. It is also a member of two important groups: the American Indian Higher Education Consortium and the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium. FDLTCC was the very first tribal college in Minnesota. It is also the only college in the United States that is both a tribal college (set up by federal law) and part of a state-funded education system.
Contents
History of FDLTCC
The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians realized that higher education was very important for their community. This idea began in 1979. In 1985, another college, Mesabi Community College, started teaching classes at the Tribal Ojibwe School. This school was located on the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation.
Leaders from the Fond du Lac Reservation worked hard to get support for a new college. They wanted a college that would help both the Fond du Lac Band and people in the surrounding areas. After studying what people needed for higher education, they decided to create a joint college. This college would be a partnership between the Fond du Lac tribal government and the Arrowhead Community College Region.
Starting the College
In 1987, a special group called the Fond du Lac Higher Education Center Task Force was created. Their efforts led to the Fond du Lac Community College Center. This center was an extension of Mesabi Range Community College. It was located in the Garfield Community Center building in Cloquet, Minnesota.
In 1989, the State of Minnesota provided $6.99 million to officially start FDLTCC. A brand new college campus was built and opened to students in 1992. The college's first president, Jack Briggs, had a vision. He wanted a college that would support tribal cultures, values, and spirituality. But he also wanted it to welcome and serve non-tribal students equally.
Growth and Recognition
In 1994, FDLTCC was named a land-grant college. This designation was also given to 31 other tribal colleges at that time. The next year, the Minnesota Community College Board fully funded FDLTCC. This made the college independent from the Arrowhead Community College Region.
In 1996, Minnesota changed how its higher education institutions were organized. FDLTCC then became a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.
In May 1999, FDLTCC received its first ten-year accreditation. This means it was officially recognized as a stand-alone college by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
In 2012, FDLTCC celebrated its 25th anniversary. As part of the celebration, a special video was shown. It was called Extraordinary: Celebrating 25 Years. This video shared the college's history through the stories of its founders and graduates. The video won an award in 2013.
Accreditation
Accreditation means that a college meets certain quality standards. It shows that the education you get there is good and recognized.
Higher Learning Commission
FDLTCC was first accredited as part of another college system until 1997. In 1995, FDLTCC began the process to become accredited on its own. Since 1997, FDLTCC has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. This is a major organization that checks the quality of colleges and universities.
World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium
In 2017, FDLTCC became a fully accredited member of the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium (WINHEC). WINHEC was created in 2002 in Canada. WINHEC accreditation helps show that a college is trustworthy and effective.
The WINHEC process encourages schools to look at their own goals and achievements. They focus on building partnerships that help bring back and keep indigenous spirituality, cultures, languages, and social systems. It also helps support self-determination for indigenous peoples. It's important to know that WINHEC is not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as an accreditor.
Athletics
FDLTCC used to be a member of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference (MCAC). The college had teams for basketball and volleyball. However, FDLTCC stopped all its sports programs after the 2023 school year. This was due to not enough students joining, low attendance at games, and budget reasons.
