Letter: Diné College is on track to greater achievement

Posted by Navajo Times | Jun 18, 2015 | Letters |

Diné College is the first tribal college in the United States. For decades, the college and the Nation stood behind the mission of the college and to this day it remains the Nation’s institution serving individuals, families, communities, and Navajo Nation. At the last meeting the Board passed a resolution requesting the Education Committee, the Council and the new Begay Administration to support the college for the sake of our people.

Lately, Diné College has been portrayed by opinions rather than facts by reporting the negatives and none of the positives made in the last four years by the current leadership of the President and the Board. Negative publicity only hurts the college, the Nation and mostly the students and their parents who look to the college for opportunities for a better future. However, our readers are smart as they judge the negativity as opinions by outsiders and those who were persuaded by them.

The Board did not deny hearing the allegations. The Board allowed a gentleman who voiced allegations after the faculty association report. However, the Board has not received a formal written presentation of the allegations but when it does the Board requires that protocol be complied with. Rather than go straight to the press they need to go through the faculty association and the petitioners need to print their names with signatures. This allows the Board to address the issue through a fair deliberation and, if warranted, initiate a formal investigation. The Board has to separate those issues handled by the Administration and those by the Board to avoid spending time and money every time someone cries wolf.

Board members whose terms expired continue to serve because no replacements have been confirmed by tribal government. If they resigned, the meetings will lack the required quorum that would prevent the college from doing important businesses that require board approval. A letter was previously sent to the tribal government notifying it of the expired terms. That’s all the Board can do. It has no control over Board members selection.

The fact remains that under the present leadership team, the graduation rates increased, student services across the six campuses improved, technology and bandwidth capabilities improved, and a large number of capital improvements have been completed and many are still on-going and there are plans underway to take the college to the next level. Why are these improvements not reported?
The college is on track to greater achievements and the Nation cannot let negativity bring down the college, the administration and the Navajo people.

The college is not about me or us or any one individual. It is about our students and their parents, grand parents and, not least, the great leaders of the 1950’s who envisioned bringing our young people home for an education. I trust we will all keep that in mind. Thank you.

Laurence Gishey
Diné College Board of Regents President