Mission and Goals

The mission of the Native American Council (NAC) is to promote and improve the quality of life of Native American faculty, staff, and students at the University of Iowa.

Native American Council Goals

• Address the diverse needs and concerns of Native Americans on campus.
• Act as a voice for Native faculty, staff, and students.
• Serve as a formalized liaison between Native staff, faculty, students, and the greater University of Iowa communities.
• Support the University of Iowa effort towards recruitment and retention of Native faculty, staff and students.

Four Main Tenets of the Native American Council

The Native American Council’s framework is based upon the Family Education Model (FEM) developed by Iris HeavyRunner and Richard DeCelles.  It is an Indigenous-based model on student persistence in higher education. The FEM is based on principles of education and social work, and promotes action that offers strategies for dealing with Native American student attrition. This intervention-based model suggests that replicating the extended family structure within the college culture enhances an American Indian student’s sense of belonging and consequently leads to higher retention rates among American Indians. Establishing and maintaining a sense of “family,” both at home and at college, fortifies American Indians’ academic persistence and reduces feelings of resentment that family members feel toward students because they spend time away from home. In the NAC framework, the group’s focal areas are support, education, culture and outreach. These four tenets will help guide the group in achieving our mission and goals, as well as keeping us centered as we support each other, our students and university.