INTRODUCTION

NINLHE is a 501(c)(3) corporation headquartered at the University of New Mexico, under the office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. NINLHE's Governing Council is comprised predominantly of Native higher education professionals from public and private colleges and universities.

We know that for every 100 Native students entering high school, sixty will finish, about twenty will enter college but only three will graduate with a bachelor's degree. We also know that at least 60 percent of Native students are enrolled at predominantly mainstream (white) institutions and that the traditional methods of teaching, student services, and retention do not work with many Native American college students. Culturally relevant support services programs are critical to Native student success; yet, on most campuses these programs don't exist or are under-funded and usually staffed by only one or two entry-level or mid-level administrators, many of whom have little or no experience with Native students or have little student services training. These individuals typically serve not just as mentors, counselors and advocates for Native students, but also as institutional change agents, long-range planners and fundraisers for their programs.

NINLHE has developed the expertise to demonstrate proven best practices for raising Native American college graduation rates.

At present, neither universities nor other national higher education associations provide sufficient job skills training for these critical positions. The combination of inadequate training and high performance expectations leads to exceedingly high turnover rates among these professionals. Simply stated, colleges cannot retain and graduate more Native students until they can do a better job of developing and retaining exemplary providers of Native American student support services.

NINLHE is the only organization in the United States and Canada that specifically addresses this critical need.