Leech Lake Tribal College facts for kids
 |
|
| Motto | Be Different, Be Unique |
|---|---|
| Type | Public tribal land-grant community college |
| Established | 1990 |
|
Academic affiliations
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Space-grant |
|
Administrative staff
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70 |
| Location |
Cass Lake
,
,
United States
47°23′45″N 94°39′05″W / 47.39583°N 94.65139°W |
| Campus | Rural |
Leech Lake Tribal College (LLTC) is a special college in Cass Lake, Minnesota. It is a public college for Native American students. It is also a "land-grant" college. This means it gets support to teach about important subjects like farming and science. LLTC started in 1990. About 250 students attend the college. Most students are from the Leech Lake and Red Lake Reservations.
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History of Leech Lake Tribal College
The Leech Lake Tribal Council created LLTC in July 1990. For the first two years, students took classes from other universities. These included the University of Minnesota Duluth and Bemidji State University.
In 1992, LLTC began offering its own courses. Students could earn degrees like the Associate of Arts. In 1994, LLTC became a land-grant college. This happened alongside 31 other tribal colleges. That same year, 17 students graduated. By 1995, 24 students had earned their degrees. The college had its largest graduating class in 2008.
Campus Life and Location
LLTC is located on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation. This is in north central Minnesota. The college is about three miles northwest of the town of Cass Lake.
The campus has two main buildings for classes. There is also a library with a computer lab. Students can use three buildings for technical training. The campus even has a community garden! The college covers about 22 acres of land.
LLTC did not always have its current campus. It first held classes in different buildings around Cass Lake. These included an old church and houses. In 1994, the college moved to the former Cass Lake High School building. In 2005, LLTC moved to its current location. In 2015, the college opened a new library. It is called Bezhigoogahbow Library. It is named after Larry P. Aitken, who founded the college.
College Partnerships and Accreditation
LLTC was approved as a vocational school in 1993. In 2006, it received full accreditation. This means it meets high standards for education. The Higher Learning Commission gave LLTC this approval.
LLTC is part of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium. This group helps tribal colleges work together. LLTC also gets funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. This helps the college provide education.
The college works with many other universities. These include Bemidji State University and the University of Minnesota Duluth. These partnerships help students continue their education.
How Leech Lake Tribal College is Managed
The Leech Lake Tribal Council created the first LLTC Charter in 1999. This set up an independent board of trustees. In 2003, Leech Lake Tribal College became separate from the Tribal Council. It began managing its own money and staff.
LLTC is a non-profit educational organization. It still has a strong connection with the tribal government. The Tribal Council provides about 11% of its yearly funding.
College Athletics
LLTC has sports teams called the Lakers. They compete in the Northern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Notable People from LLTC
- Elaine Fleming, who teaches in the Arts and Humanities Department, was once the Mayor of Cass Lake, Minnesota.
