{{short description|Tribal college on the Navajo Nation}} {{Use American English|date=September 2025}} {{Infobox university | name = Diné College | native_name = | image = Dine-College-logo.png | latin_name = | former_name = Navajo Community College (1968–1997) | motto = The Higher Education Institution of the Navajo | established = {{start date and age|1968}}<br/>(opened January 20, 1969)<ref name= opened/> | type = Public tribal land-grant college | endowment = | rector = | chancellor = | provost = | vice_chancellor = | principal = | dean = | students = 2,000 | undergrad = | postgrad = | doctoral = | address = | city = Tsaile | state = Arizona | country = United States | coor = | campus = | free_label = | free = | mascot = Warriors | academic_affiliations = Space-grant | website = {{URL|http://www.dinecollege.edu}} | logo = | footnotes = | staff = | faculty = | colors = {{colorbox|#0b55a5}} {{colorbox|#ffcc11}} blue and gold }} {{advert|date=July 2014}} thumb|Kayenta Campus '''Diné College''' is a public tribal land-grant college based in Tsaile, Arizona, serving the {{Convert|27,000|sqmi|adj=on}} Navajo Nation. It offers associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, academic certificates, and one master's degree.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-14 |title=MS Biology - Diné College |url=https://www.dinecollege.edu/academics/ms-biology/ |access-date=2024-10-12 |language=en-US}}</ref>
== History == Diné College opened in 1968 as the '''Navajo Community College''', the first college established by Native Americans for Native Americans.<ref name= opened>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/597288945/ College Opens for Navajo Tribe]". ''United Press International''. The Ogden Standard-Examiner. January 20, 1969. p. 8A.</ref><ref>Pollard, Marvin E. (Spring 1984). "Naaltsoos Ba' Hoogan: The Navajo Community College Library". ''Community & Junior College Libraries''. 2: 15-19.</ref> The college was chartered by the Navajo Nation in 1968. The Navajo Tribal Council appointed Guy Gorman, Yazzie Begay, Chester Yellowhair, Carl Todacheene, Wilson Skeet, Howard Gorman, Allen Yazzie, and Dillon Platero to be the first to serve on the college's Board of Regents.<ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/20240776/ All-Indian Regents Selected for Navajos' First College]". ''Associated Press''. The Arizona Republic. July 27, 1968. p. 10.</ref><ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/158462917/ Navajo Council Backs College Regents Board]". ''United Press International''. Albuquerque Journal. July 21, 1968. p. B11.</ref> Robert Roessel served as the college's first president.<ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/117532653/ Open Door Policy Set By New Navajo College]". ''Arizona Republic''. September 6, 1968. p. 31.</ref>
The college was originally located at the site of the Rough Rock Community School in Rough Rock on a temporary basis until a permanent site could be chosen and constructed.<ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/516112981/ Council Endorses College]". ''Associated Press''. Arizona Daily Sun. July 19, 1968. p. 2.</ref> The Board of Regents selected three possible sites for the college, namely the Tsaile–Wheatfields area, Many Farms, and Ganado.<ref name= recommended>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/35384225/ Wheatfields Is Recommended]". ''The Gallup Independent''. September 14, 1968. p. 1.</ref> After a Board-commissioned survey of possible sites for the college, the Tsaile–Wheatfields area was recommended because it had plenty of water available and has scenic forests and lakes.<ref name= recommended/> After the Board was guaranteed 1,000 acres for the campus, a residential area, and a shopping area, the Board officially chose the Tsaile–Wheatfields area in October 1968.<ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/516056391/ Site Selected]". ''Associated Press''. Arizona Daily Sun. October 8, 1968. p. 1.</ref> The Board asked people to send in designs for the college's seal, and it chose the William Morgan's design of an arrowhead encircled by a rainbow god.<ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/16721871/ Regents Pick Winning Seal for College]". ''Arizona Republic''. January 15, 1969. p. 8.</ref>
On January 20, 1968, the college officially opened with 40 faculty members.<ref name= opened/><ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/16726415/ Higher Education Comes to Navajoland]". ''Arizona Republic''. January 19, 1969.</ref> There were 340 students enrolled during its first semester, which was the limit of its capacity.<ref name= capacity>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/429710380/ First Reservation College Established By Navajos]". ''El Paso Times''. July 19, 1969.</ref> More than 3,000 other applicants were turned away due to a lack of space.<ref name= capacity/> The college added 23 evening classes because there was a higher demand for evening classes than daytime classes.<ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/7967849/ Navajo College Adds 23 Night Courses]". ''Arizona Republic''. February 7, 1969. p. A8.</ref><ref name="capacity"/>
By 1973, 3,421 students had enrolled at Navaho Community College, but only 46 had graduated with associate degrees during that time.<ref name= growing>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/633149561/ First College for Indians Undergoing Growing Pains]". ''The Los Angeles Times''. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. April 6, 1973. p. 3D.</ref> There was little for the students to do outside of classes, and excessive drinking became a problem for some.<ref name= growing/>
In October 1973, following construction delays, students began taking classes at the college's permanent campus in Tsaile.<ref name= delays>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/505902067/ Navajo School Dedicated]". ''Associated Press''. Carlsbad Current-Argus. May 15, 1974. p. 4.</ref> The campus was officially dedicated on May 14, 1974.<ref name= delays/> Most campus buildings were built in octagonal shapes, similar to the eight-sided traditional Navajo hogan.<ref name= delays/> The campus cost $12{{nbsp}}million to build.<ref name= delays/> Some classes were taught in Shiprock and Fort Defiance.<ref>Penrose, Steve (July 28, 1974). "[https://www.newspapers.com/image/156348495/ Navajo College One of Kind]". ''Albuquerque Journal''. p. C8.</ref>
In August 1992, Tommy Lewis became president. During his tenure, the college's funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs increased to almost $7.3{{nbsp}}million in 2000. The Navajo Language and Culture Curriculum became widely popular at the Tsaile campus after the program saw increases in class enrollment, thus allowing the Board of Regents to implement the program throughout the institution. In 1994, the college was designated a land-grant college alongside 31 other tribal colleges.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/1994%20LGU%20Anniversary%20Pub%20WEB_0.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929162919/http://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/1994%20LGU%20Anniversary%20Pub%20WEB_0.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 29, 2015 |title=NIFA 1994s The First 20 Years of the 1994 Land-Grant Institutions Standing on Tradition, Embracing the Future |publisher=National Institute of Food and Agriculture |date=September 25, 2015 |access-date=December 20, 2020}}</ref>
In 1997, the administration changed the name of the school from Navajo Community College to Diné College in order to better to represent its function as an institution of learning for the Diné/Navajo people.
In 1998, Diné College bestowed its first bachelor's degrees under the Diné Teacher Education Program, accredited through a partnership with Arizona State University.<ref name="aihec1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.aihec.org/colleges/TCUprofiles.cfm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614070512/http://www.aihec.org/colleges/TCUprofiles.cfm|url-status=dead|title=American Indian Higher Education Consortium|archive-date=June 14, 2012}}</ref>
In 1998, the Diné College Library was rededicated as the Kinyaa'áanii Charlie Benally Memorial Library.
On May 21, 2011, the women's archery team made history by winning the United States college national championship in compound bow.<ref>{{cite web| url= https://www.ianseo.net/Details.php?toId=154| date= May 2011 |access-date = July 1, 2011 | title = US Intercollegiate Archery Championships}}</ref> This is believed to be the first time a tribal college team has won a top-tier intercollegiate national championship event in any sport.
In 2019, the Chicago-based Higher Learning Commission (HLC) approved Diné College’s four-year institution status and two additional emphasis options within the BA of Fine Arts degree: silversmithing and weaving.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-08-08 |title=News Release – Diné College Now a 4-year Institution; Students to See Big Improvements in Fall 2019 - Diné College |url=https://www.dinecollege.edu/news-release-dine-college-now-a-4-year-institution-students-to-see-big-improvements-in-fall-2019/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Academics == Diné College offers bachelor's degrees, associate degrees,certificate programs, and one master's degree.<ref name= catalog>"[https://www.dinecollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/22-23-DCCatalogMaster-v2_compressed.pdf Diné College Catalog 2022-2023]". ''Diné College''. 2022.</ref>
The college's Center for Diné Studies "applies Navajo {{spell-nv|Są́ʼąh Naagháí Bikʼeh Hózhóón}} principles to advance quality student learning through {{spell-nv|Nitsáhákees}} (Thinking), {{spell-nv|Nahatʼá}} (Planning), {{spell-nv|Iiná}} (Living) and {{spell-nv|Siihasin}} (Assurance) in study of the Navajo language, history, and culture in preparation for further studies and employment in a multi-cultural and technological world."
The college also hosts the Uranium Education Program on its Shiprock campus. It is an empowerment program for the Navajo centering on the study of radiation and environmental health issues arising from the aftermath of uranium mining/milling operations on the Navajo Nation, as well as other serious environmental issues.
==Campuses== [[File:Ned_A_Hatathli_Cultural_Center.jpeg|thumb|The Ned A. Hataałi Center at Diné College's Tsaile campus]] The main campus of Diné College is in Tsaile, a census-designated place in unincorporated Apache County, Arizona. There are also five branches of Diné College: two in Apache County, Arizona (Chinle and Window Rock), one in Coconino County, Arizona (Tuba City), one in McKinley County, New Mexico (Crownpoint) and one in San Juan County, New Mexico (Shiprock). Diné College also has two micro-sites in Aneth, Utah, and Newcomb, New Mexico.
The main Tsaile campus includes eight fifteen-room dormitories housing about 150 students: each octagonally shaped unit has a fireplace in the center, and is described by the college as a "hooghan away from hogan"{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}—a reference to the traditional Navajo ''hogan'' dwelling.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hogan Navajo Dwelling |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/hogan |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=16 June 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
Hogan Faculty Housing is also on campus.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dinecollege.edu/about_dc/tsaile/|title=Tsaile Campus|publisher=Diné College|access-date=2020-04-10}} – See map</ref> Residents of family housing and faculty housing are zoned to the Chinle Unified School District. Tsaile Elementary School is in proximity to the university.<ref>"[http://www.dinecollege.edu//about/tsaile-campus-map.pdf Tsaile Campus Area Map] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513090833/http://www.dinecollege.edu/about/tsaile-campus-map.pdf |date=2015-05-13 }}" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20150513090833/http://www.dinecollege.edu/about/tsaile-campus-map.pdf Archive]). Diné College. Retrieved on June 16, 2015.</ref> All Chinle USD residents are assigned to Chinle High School.
==Governance== The college is directed by an eight-member Board of Regents confirmed by the Government Services committee of the Navajo Nation Council. The name Diné comes from the traditional name for the Navajo, meaning "the people."
==Student life== {| class="wikitable floatright sortable collapsible"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;" |+ style="font-size:90%" |Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2023<ref>{{cite web |title= College Scorecard: Dine College |url=https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?105297-Dine-College|website=College Scorecard |publisher=United States Department of Education |access-date=June 20, 2025 }}</ref> |- ! Race and ethnicity ! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total |- | American Indian/Alaska Native |align=right| {{bartable|99|%|2||background:yellow}} |- | Other |align=right| {{bartable|1|%|2||background:grey}} |- ! colspan="4" data-sort-type=number |Economic diversity |- | Low-income{{efn|The percentage of students who received an income-based federal Pell grant intended for low-income students.}} |align=right| {{bartable|46|%|2||background:red}} |- | Affluent{{efn|The percentage of students who are a part of the American middle class at the bare minimum.}} |align=right| {{bartable|54|%|2||background:black}} |}
==Alumni== * Carmelita Little Turtle, Apache/Rarámuri photographer * Nicco Montaño,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.niccomontano.net/ |title=Official Website of Nicco Montaño |access-date=2018-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722055305/http://www.niccomontano.net/ |archive-date=2018-07-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref> professional Mixed Martial Artist, inaugural UFC Women's Flyweight Champion,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ufc.com/athlete/nicco-montano|title=Nicco Montano | UFC|website=www.ufc.com|date=14 September 2018 }}</ref> first UFC Champion of Navajo descent<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nhonews.com/news/2018/jan/30/navajo-nation-honors-ufc-champion-nicco-montano/|title=Navajo Nation honors UFC champion Nicco Montano|first=Navajo-Hopi|last=Observer|website=Navajo-Hopi Observer News}}</ref> * Moli Yeski Yusef, Chadian Olympic runner<ref>{{cite web |title=Runner or Dreamer? Chad 3-Time Olympian Yusef an Enigma, at Least |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/albuquerque-journal-runner-or-dreamer-c/166581426/ |publisher=Albuquerque Journal |access-date=24 February 2025 |page=44 |date=20 Dec 1996}}</ref>
==See also== * Diné College Press
==Notes== {{noteslist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{official website|http://www.dinecollege.edu/}} {{Navboxes |list = {{Navajo Nation}} {{Education in Apache County, Arizona}} {{Education in Coconino County, Arizona}} {{Education in McKinley County, New Mexico}} {{Education in San Juan County, New Mexico}} {{Colleges and Universities in Arizona}} {{Colleges and universities in New Mexico}} {{North American Tribal Colleges and Universities}} {{Tuba City, Arizona}} {{Window Rock, Arizona}} }} {{authority control}} {{coord|36.32038|N|109.23088|W|source:placeopedia|display=title}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dine College}} Category:Universities and colleges in Arizona Category:Education on the Navajo Nation Category:American Indian Higher Education Consortium Category:Education in San Juan County, New Mexico Category:Universities and colleges established in 1968 Category:Education in Apache County, Arizona Category:Education in Navajo County, Arizona Category:Education in Coconino County, Arizona Category:USCAA member institutions Category:1968 establishments in Arizona Category:Community colleges in New Mexico Category:Two-year colleges in the United States Category:Diné College