A Student's Journey( ASJ) is actively addressing the academic transfer barriers that exist for Tribal College students enrolling at 4-year universities. In partnership with Tohono O’odham Community College (TOCC) and San Carlos Apache College (SCAC), the goals of the ASJ program are to increase the transfer rate from Tribal Colleges to 4-year universities, increase student sense of belonging at a 4-year university,and increase bachelor’s degree attainment for Tribal College students.
The program started with the 2019 Haury Award support, and has now entered its 4th year and grown substantially. Its efforts are beginning to yield visible outcomes.
Prior to the initiation of this program, on average fewer than 3 students per year transferred fromTOCC toUArizona over the previous decade. In the 2021 ASJ cohort, 8 students out of 11 have transferred to a 4-year university with 6 enrolled at UArizona and 1 enrolled at a Tribal University. 1 student will be enrolling at UArizona in Fall 2023. The 2022 cohort had 10 students. Out of these ten students, 2 students have successfully transferred to UArizona, 1 to Northern Arizona University. 7 are still working on their associates with intent to transfer to an in-state university.In the 2023 cohort, there are 13 students that intend on transferring to a 4-year university, with 9 of them indicating they’d like to enroll at UA within the next year.
ASJ is a year-round programming rooted in Tohono O’odham culture that uses an environmental and social justice lens to serve students. Students participate in spring onboarding workshops that introduce them to concepts such as environmental health, environmental justice, research, and Tribal Ecological Knowledge,as well as learning about transfer resources, career development, and internship opportunities. After the spring workshops, students have an immersive summer internship experience at UArizona for 5-weeks to gain new knowledge, new skills, and new connections on campus before they transition from TOCC orSCAC. The 5-week summer experience pairs students with UA Faculty/Staff mentors based on the student's academic or career interests to gain real-world knowledge about university projects. At the end ofthe summer, students provide a formal presentation about their UArizona experience and internship accomplishments during a showcase event. During the fall semester, students return to their home communities and apply the knowledge and skills from their UArizona experience to a community practicum with a Tribal department or community organization that aligns with their interests.
