What Was Once a Dream is Now a Reality!

Cooperative Extension Building opened Dec. 2

Cooperative Extension Building opened Dec. 2Northwest Indian College added a seventh new building to its Lummi campus on Dec. 2, 2011. The opening was marked with a community celebration that included a blessing of the building and a meal.

NWIC Science Building Now Open!

Construction is now complete and the NWIC Science Lab/Classroom building has been approved for occupancy. A Grand Opening and Blessing of the building took place on September 15, 2010. More photos and information will be posted as details are received.

Center for Student Success Opened June 1, 2010

The Center for Student Success grand opening ceremony included a ribbon cutting and special guest Bernie Thomas from the Lummi Tribal Council and Northwest Indian College Foundation Board, Dave Oreiro, Vice President for Campus Development, President Cheryl Crazy Bull, and Cindy Dood, Dean for Student Life.

From a student perspective, the 10,000-square-foot facility consolidates student services programs to keep adult learners and historically underserved, non-traditional students in college once they have arrived. 

The Center for Student Success facility is a cornerstone for student access and retention. The Center brings together all of the services that students need, from registration and financial aid to critical student counseling on how to effectively use a culturally-based education as a bridge to future career, personal,and  tribal success.

From the College’s perspective, the Center builds institutional capacity to support a four-year university by providing a centralized location for research of student trends and educational best practices as well as delivery of outreach in the areas of pedagogy and professional development.

New Kwina Classroom and Office Building Open

A new classroom and office facility now exists on the NWIC Lummi campus (shown left). This new facility has classrooms, faculty offices, and a conference room. The classrooms are equipped with ITV/Teleconferencing for communication with extended campus sites and access to faculty and staff around the region. With distance learning and telecommunications the NWIC students faculty and staff can connect when travel is too difficult or costly for meetings, advising and training opportunities. The new Kwina building also takes advantage of green technology allowing for more daylight and lighting that comes on when needed and turns off when no one is in the classroom.

Student Housing Open and filling to Capacity

For the first time in the College's history, student housing is offered. Students have moved into the 60+ bed housing facility. While there, students have the luxury of living with other classmates, in a safe, secure learning sanctuary. Students living in student housing are offered meals in the student cafeteria and they have space to sit and hang out in the student lounge, located on the second floor. Each student housing room has high speed internet capabilities and enough space to feel comfortable and ready to succeed in the classroom. The Housing Director, welcomes all who will be living in this historic facility and all those who work there will ensure the student’s safety and to enforce a drug and alcohol free living environment. Student housing is just a short walk to the Early Learning Center, the Center for Student Success, classrooms, and the library.

Early Learning Center Serving NWIC Students and Children

Northwest Indian College is proud to announce that the NWIC Early Learning Center is now open for child care. With our state license for child care now in place, we have the capacity to care for up to 18 infants and toddlers, from one month through 3 1/2 years old

Our primary goal is to serve NWIC students who are parents of young children; we are also happy to provide child care for faculty and staff, as well as community members as space allows. For more information contact: The Early Learning Center at 360-392-4260.

HUD AWARDS NWIC $800,000 to Build New Library/IS Center

Northwest Indian College intends to use the HUD grant to build a new NWIC library/information services (IS) center which will replace the campus’s cramped current structure built in the 1930s. The center will house the college’s technology “brain,” housing the servers and other electronic equipment needed to maintain a modern college campus. It is a part of NWIC’s a multi-year, community-wide master plan. In 2006, NWIC initiated a $40.2 million campaign to build a new campus. More than $30.5 million has been raised and six new buildings have been completed. Construction of five others, including the library/IS center, will begin at varying times within the next six months to three years. While approximately 75 percent of users of the new library will be NWIC students, faculty, and staff, the facility will also serve Lummi Nation community members. This and all other new facilities are being designed and constructed

“These institutions of higher learning are investing in building minds as well as their local communities,” said Donovan. “HUD is working with these colleges and universities to help enhance their learning environments as they devote themselves to shaping the next generation of leaders who will benefit from and build on what we do today.”

“Since its founding almost 30 years on the Lummi Reservation, Northwest Indian College has had very big dreams on how to better serve its students and the larger community,” said HUD Regional Administrator McBride. “HUD is proud to have helped the College make many of those dreams come true and look forward to continuing our vibrant, productive partnership.”

To be eligible to apply for funding, TCUs must meet the definition of a TCU established in Title III of the 1998 Amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965. In addition, all applicants must offer two- or four-year degrees and be fully accredited, or be a candidate for accreditation, by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. HUD's grants will help these institutions undertake a wide variety of activities. These activities include, but are not limited, to the following:

• Building a new facility (for example, classrooms, administrative offices, health and cultural centers, gymnasium, technology centers, and so forth).
• Renovating an existing or acquired facility.
• Expanding an existing or acquired facility.
• Equipping university facilities (laboratory equipment, library books, and furniture)
• Property acquisition.
• Health screening.
• Technical assistance to establish, expand, or stabilize microenterprises.
• Crime, alcohol and/or drug-abuse prevention activities.
• Youth leadership development programs/activities.
• Tutoring/mentoring programs.
• Childcare/development programs.
• Cultural activities/programs.
• Up to 20 percent of the grant may be used for payments of reasonable grant administrative costs related to planning and executing the project.

Other key buildings on the horizon include: Longhouse facility, which will be as basic and traditional as the ancestors of the Coast Salish once enjoyed: this will be a meeting place for the community to enjoy; Library/Technology building, which will enhance the current library that students enjoy but will include more of the modern technology to enhance student’s ability to do research.