Indigenous Student Retention in Arctic Higher Education

215 Pages·2017·8.64 MB·English

Governors State University
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Spring 2017
Indigenous Student Retention in Arctic Higher
Education
Evan Brown
Governors State University
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Brown, Evan, "Indigenous Student Retention in Arctic Higher Education" (2017).All Capstone Projects. 336.
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INDIGENOUS STUDENT RETENTION IN ARCTIC HIGHER EDUCATION
By
Evan S. Brown
B.S., Illinois State University
M.S., Illinois State University
Capstone Project
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements
For the Degree of Doctorate of Education,
In Interdisciplinary Leadership,
Higher Education Concentration
Governors State University
University Park, IL 60484
2017
ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank my capstone committee; Dr. Andrae Marak, Dr. Jose Perez,
and Dr. Kerri Morris, for their diligent guidance throughout this research project and for
the significant dedication to reviewing and critiquing the manuscript. I would also like to
thank the administrators that sacrificed their time to be interviewed for this project.
Lastly, I would like to thank my parents, my wife, and my daughter for their support and
patience.
E.S.B.
"We are tired of anthropologists, environmentalists, church-related organizations,
and other specialists speaking for us and using us for their self-interest. Please respect
our self-determination to make our own decisions."
- Tashka Yawanawa, Chief of the Yawanawa (2012)
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
111
LIST OF TABLES v
LIST OF FIGURES vi
LIST OF APPENDICES vii
ABSTRACT viii
CHAPTER
I. INTRODUCTION 1
II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 4
Ill. METHODS 51
IV. RESULTS 60
V. ANALYSIS 173
VI. CONCLUSION 184
REFERENCES 191
iv
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 1: ARCTIC HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS 207
v
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1: CULTURAL VALUE MODEL OF STUDENT RETENTION 182
vi
LIST OF APPENDICES
APPENDIX A: CITI CERTIFICATE 208
APPENDIXB: CONSENT LETTER/EMAIL 210
APPENDIXC INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD RESEARCH
APPROVAL 211
APPENDIXD INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD APPROVED
INFORMED CONSENT 212
vii
ABSTRACT
The primary focus of this capstone research is to identify the process of
indigenous student retention policy in Arctic higher education institutions and compare
these practices to existing retention and social theory. Much of the dominant literature on
student retention addresses Euro-centric models, not fully addressing persistence issues
with subjugated groups. There is a gap in the research with regard to indigenous Arctic
student retention. By conducting a case study, data was gathered via the utilization of a
variety of tools including archival records, interviews, direct observations, and document
reviews. By adding to the body of work regarding student retention, institutions of higher
learning may have greater opportunity to apply strategies to aid in their student
persistence plan, particularly for subordinate groups. Most notably, the recognition that
the culture from which a student derives may not be well aligned with the expectations of
the culture of the institution. Many indigenous groups value group dependence and
cohesion, often in direct opposition to frequently espoused higher education goals of
economic and social success. A different retention strategy is needed to address the goals
of indigenous students, framed around their cultural ideals and community attachments.
KEYWORDS: Arctic, Indigenous, Student Retention, Higher Education, Self-Rule
viii
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
The issue of student retention in higher education has been an increasing focus of
study for several dec~des. As a swelling economic demand for an educated and skilled
workforce is developed, as well as an effort toward improved institutional accountability,
greater pressure is placed on higher education institutions to ensure that student
educational experiences are aligned to social and economic expectations (Winslow,
2015). Additionally, as tighter budgetary constraints ~hape the collegiate landscape,
leadership at higher education institutions are seeking new ways to ensure financial
stability in an era of decreased governmental support. Student retention is one of the
areas in which many institutions seek to improve to facilitate economic strength. There
have been numerous studies on the process of effective student retention strategies
(Seidman, 2005; Sidle an McReynolds, 1999; Tinto, 1993), focused primarily upon the
ability for institutions to provide services that aid in students adjusting to collegiate
culture. Many colleges face difficult struggles with retaining students in their programs.
As Yorke and Longden (2004) describe, student retention and attrition are important
issues concerning higher education institutions worldwide.
There is a gap in the research that focuses on student retention with indigenous
students at Arctic colleges and universities. These institutions are frequently rather small
and geographically remote, often only accessible by boat or plane. While there are some
studies regarding these institutions as a whole (Gaviria, 2013; Richardson and Blanchet
Cohen, 2000; Langgaard, 1990; Grydelwj et al., 2012; Hovelsrud et al., 2011; McDonald,
1996), and of international and rural retention strategies (Thomas, 2002; Yorke and
1
Longden, 2004; Young, 1998; Vineyard, 1979) there are no studies that specifically
review the retention strategies at Arctic colleges and institutions. Part of this gap in the
research may be due to the relatively recent establishment of many of these institutions
and reflective of the limited research on indigenous student populations as a whole.
The following case study has identified that retention policy in Arctic institutions
is developed as a reflection of many factors, including long standing deficiency in
meeting indigenous student needs, ongoing barriers to indigenous student success,
institutional and accreditation pressure to focus on student retention, negotiation of Euro
centric models in favor of self-rule models of education, increasing economic and
environmental awareness in the Arctic region, and a lack of prevailing standards in
indigenous student retention. There are overlaying and intersecting influences on these
retention strategies, similar to what Thompson ( 197 5), Thompson, et. al (2013 ), and
Willeto (1997) identify with the struggles of cultural conflict in educational provision.
There is some variation between Arctic higher education institutions, primarily
regarding details surrounding accrediting and governmental regulation. As to be
expected, different nations have different attitudes and expectations for these institutions.
There are some similarities, however. Many of the institutions are geographically
remote, tend to serve a high percentage of indigenous students, offer a variety of
indigenous cultural courses or trainings, and have, or in the process of, adapting to
varying degrees of self-rule governance structures. For a list of prominent Arctic higher
education institutions, please refer to Table 1. There is a sharp distinction between North
American, European, and Russian institutions. North American Arctic institutions
exhibit a high degree of self-rule ability, clearly setting forth a priority of Inupiat and
2