Local News

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 Tribal students can earn a degree on Tulalip land Through a partnership with Evergreen, students can take classes for a bachelor's degree. By Krista J. Kapralos Herald Writer TULALIP -- American Indians can now earn a bachelor's degree through a program tailored for them, without leaving the Tulalip Indian Reservation. Through a partnership with The Evergreen State College, students can take nine credits per quarter in classrooms on the reservation. Another three credits are offered through intensive weekend classes one Saturday per month at a longhouse built for educational purposes on the Evergreen State College campus in Olympia. "It's not a native-studies program, but it's looking at things with a native perspective," said instructor Renee Swan-Waite, a Lummi tribal member. The program isn't limited to tribal members, but it is intended for those who have social, cultural or economic ties to tribes, said Christine Kerlin, executive director of The University Center of North Puget Sound. Graduates will earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal studies. The students take a prescribed series of classes including American Indians and Social policy, Tribal Management, Comparing Indigenous Societies and others. Classes meet twice each week at Tulalip, and on one full Saturday each month in Olympia. Applicants must hold an associate's degree or have earned at least 90 college credits to qualify for the program, Kerlin said. Evergreen State College's reservation-based bachelor's degree program is already in place in the Makah, Muckleshoot, Nisqually, Port Gamble S'Klallam, Skokomish and Quinault communities. The University Center of North Puget Sound is funded by the state to help bring higher education opportunities to the region, Kerlin said. The Evergreen State College program coordinators connected with Tulalip tribal leaders late last year, and the program was in place at Tulalip in January. Three students are currently working toward degrees. The University Center of North Puget Sound gave Evergreen State college about $48,000 to start the program, Kerlin said. The Tulalip Tribes pays tuition and offers a fixed stipend for books and living expenses for tribal members who enroll in college classes, Tulalip Tribes Chairman Mel Sheldon said. For now, the program is housed in the Tulalip campus of the Bellingham-based Northwest Indian College, which offers associate degrees. Sheldon said he expects the Evergreen program to attract more students when it moves into permanent facilities, but it's not clear when that will happen. Reporter Krista J. Kapralos: 425-339-3422 or kkapralos@heraldnet.com.

1. Good grief! 2. Swine flu lingers, making traditional flu season unpredictable 3. Two vie to serve as Snohomish County prosecutor 4. Last hurrah for Huskies’ Locker? 5. Koster for Congress? He’s still undecided 6. Here’s how home foreclosure sales really work 7. A store credit card can save you cash, but is it worth it? 8. New site sought for Snohomish pool project 9. Families get an early gift: free Christmas trees 10. Prep Roundup: Lake Stevens wins two wrestling meets 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Wildcats fall to familar foe in semis • ‘Nutcracker' times three • Road warrior • Mavericks reloading • Holiday Lightings & Santa Sightings • Cities prepare for winter blast repeat • Wolfpack duo takes last shot at state tourney • This Weekend in Your Town • Tips for the stormy season • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million