Students and administrative staff are working together to engage the growing number of Native American students at Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix campus, according to representatives.
American Indian Student Support Services Downtown Student Support Coordinator Vickie Baldwin said there were less than 200 Native American students at the downtown campus when she began working at the AISSS downtown office during the 2009-2010 academic year, but the Native American student population downtown has since doubled to at least 450 students.
Native Americans for Academics, Success and Unity club President Ryan Bia said the organization works in conjunction with university support services and other student clubs to increase opportunities for Native American students downtown.
NAASU Vice President Gilbert Cordova said Native American students comprise a small portion of the ASU student body and are scattered across all four ASU campuses. He said NAASU tries to bring Native American students from the downtown campus together.
“We give students an opportunity to volunteer, or just get involved with ASU downtown,” Cordova said. “We’re trying to build a community.”
Cordova noted that clubs like American Indian Social Work Student Association and grant organizations like American Indian Students United for Nursing serve Native American students from specific majors, but NAASU connects students from all of the programs at the downtown campus.
Cordova said meeting people different majors is especially important to students in programs with smaller Native American populations. He said the Cronkite School has fewer Native American students than the nursing or public policy programs, making it harder for journalism students such as himself to meet other Native Americans.
Cordova, who transferred to ASU from the University of Arizona, said simple interactions like recognizing a friendly face on campus can make a huge difference for new students.
“Our goal is to help empower Native American students, simple as that,” he said.
Bia said the club collaborates with other student organizations, such as the social work club and the Barrett Indigenous Culture Association on the Tempe campus, to host volunteer activities and network.
Bia said NAASU also hosts social events for Native American students. He said almost 200 students attended a NAASU social during Native American Heritage Month last fall that was later nominated for a Pitchfork Award.
Majerle Lister, an ASU student who lives in central Phoenix, said AISSS also provides a social outlet to students.
“A lot of the time, I go (to AISSS) just to see friends,” Lister said.
Lister is a research intern at the Diné Policy Institute, which melds Western research practices with Navajo values. He said Native American students at ASU come from a wide variety of tribes and reservations from across the United States. He said Native American student organizations allow these individuals to connect.
Bia and Cordova said their club works closely with Vickie Baldwin, downtown student support coordinator with American Indian Student Support Services.
Baldwin said AISSS supports students at the downtown campus in a variety of ways, such as showing students how to navigate their MyASU page and understanding financial aid and scholarships. She said AISSS strives to produce students who succeed academically and can give back to their communities.
Baldwin said she works with academic advisors and professors, and strives to increase student engagement downtown through involvement in organizations like NAASU.
“I serve as a mentor, as coach, and as a friend,” Baldwin said.
Baldwin said Native American students and AISSS staff downtown also face several unique challenges. She said that many workshops and student organizations for Native American students are based at the Tempe campus, which can be inconvenient for downtown students.
Baldwin said she and other staff at AISSS have worked to increase student engagement at the downtown campus by hosting their own workshops when possible. She said students from the West campus are also invited to participate.
Bia and Cordova said NAASU currently has 31 members, but it hopes to expand in the upcoming year through increased involvement on campus with other student organizations. Students who are interested in joining NAASU can find more information through the club’s Facebook or OrgSync pages.
Contact the reporter at Connor.Murphy@asu.edu.
