“I am an immigrant, and I didn’t come here to do anything bad,” Mejias said. “They think that anybody who comes here, that is not from the U.S., has bad intentions. People don’t immigrate just because they want to leave their country. They immigrate because they want to change their future. They want to work and have a different life.”
Mejias’ goal is to transfer to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo following the completion of the required computer science transfer courses at Saddleback College. Then Mejias wants to find remote work and return home to Venezuela.
“I really miss my country, my people,” Mejias said. “I will see if I come back,” he added, because the changing social climate and attitude toward immigration in the U.S. has contributed to Mejias’ hesitation about a future visit to the states.
He also feels more comfortable in California. “I’ve been to different states, and there you see people (who are possessive of) their territory. They carry guns and everything. I’m like, ‘Oh, I am going back to California,’” Mejias said. “I think because I am here in California, I feel way way more safe than being in any part of the U.S.”
Trump hates Harvard. It refuses to follow his orders. Harvard’s President Alan Garber flatly refused to let the Trump goons take control of the university. Trump wants to show Harvard who is in charge. He said Harvard should lose its tax-exempt status. This is an unprecedented show of force. The president is not allowed to interfere with IRS decisions. But he appointed a new IRS leader. Nobody says no to Trump. But Harvard said no.
When Harvard’s President, Alan Garber, resolutely refused to accept the Trump administration’s demand to oversee its curriculum, its admissions, and its hiring practices, Trump was furious. He lashed out and threatened to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status. By law, the President is not allowed to direct the IRS to investigate anyone. But lo and behold, the IRS commissioner absurdly claimed that it was already investigating Harvard, the nation’s most prestigious university. Sure.
Academic freedom hangs in the balance. Big government wants to control what universities teach, who they admit, and who they hire.
This is the worst attack on the independence of universities since the McCarthy era. it is actually more dangerous than McCarthy, who picked out individual professors. This is the President of the United States declaring war on America’s universities.
The Internal Revenue Service is weighing whether to revoke Harvard’s tax exemption, according to three people familiar with the matter, which would be a significant escalation of the Trump administration’s attempts to choke off federal money and support for the leading research university.
President Trump on Tuesday publicly called for Harvard to pay taxes, continuing a standoff in which the administration has demanded the university revamp its hiring and admissions practices and its curriculum.
Some I.R.S. officials have told colleagues that the Treasury Department on Wednesday asked the agency to consider revoking Harvard’s tax-exempt status, according to two of the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal conversations.
An I.R.S. spokeswoman declined to comment. The Treasury Department did not respond to a request for comment.
Federal law bars the president from either directly or indirectly requesting the I.R.S. to investigate or audit specific targets. The I.R.S. does at times revoke tax exemptions from organizations for conducting too many political or commercial activities, but those groups can appeal the agency’s decision in court. Any attempt to take away Harvard’s tax exemption would be likely to face a legal challenge, which tax experts expect would be successful.
Harrison Fields, a White House spokesman, said the I.R.S.’s scrutiny of Harvard began before the president’s social media post.
“Any forthcoming actions by the I.R.S. are conducted independently of the President, and investigations into any institution’s violations of their tax status were initiated prior to the President’s TRUTH,” Fields said in a statement, referring to Mr. Trump’s website Truth Social.
In a statement, Harvard said there is no legal basis for rescinding its tax status.
“Such an unprecedented action would endanger our ability to carry out our educational mission,” the university said. “It would result in diminished financial aid for students, abandonment of critical medical research programs, and lost opportunities for innovation. The unlawful use of this instrument more broadly would have grave consequences for the future of higher education in America.”
Even an attempt at changing Harvard’s tax status would signify a drastic breach in the independence of the I.R.S. and its historic insulation from political pressure.
The Trump administration has cleared out much of the agency’s senior leadership in the last few months, installing allies to temporarily serve as the commissioner and its top lawyer. Its newest acting commissioner, Gary Shapley, was an I.R.S. agent who has said that the investigation into the taxes of Hunter Biden, former President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s son, was not aggressive enough.
Do you remember your last epiphany? That moment when—whether walking or driving—everything suddenly clicks and the world makes perfect sense?
Well, yesterday I had one of those moments, and I can’t wait to share it with you.
Are you ready?
Canva + Google Sites = AWESOME!
Let me back up a second.
For the last 13+ years, I’ve been a HUGE fan of Google Sites. I use them for everything—running professional development sessions, organizing classroom lesson plans, and showing teachers and coaches how they perfectly complement Google Classroom to create a unified teaching experience.
But let’s face it, they have a drawback.
3 Unfortunate Issues with Google Sites that Need to be Fixed
I often have said “Google is WONDERFUL, until it needs to be.” (am I right?)
Sure Google Sites are great, but often I have a hard time getting the best results out of them.
One of the biggest feature annoyances is the header section. Many people (including my students) want to create nice looking graphics and add them in the header area, only to find that the header images natively is responsive. This means that when you look at your Google Site in tablet mode or mobile mode the header graphic gets cut off so you can’t see any words on the image you just spent a ton of time creating.
NOT GOOD!
My solution to this is often to create a generic header image, toss it in the image area up top and then use Google Site’s text area to overlap so that when it retracts on mobile, the words don’t get cut off.
But this takes time, planning, and most people won’t think of this.
Strike 1
Problem #2: You are locked in to a clunky website layout
Don’t get me wrong here, one of the blessings of Google Sites is that it IS simple to make a website out of. I have my students each year using Google Sites to create a simple one-page website that acts as a digital poster all the time. But getting them to think about layout in terms of what it looks like on mobile devices is impossible.
For this reason, I teach students about creating posters rather than creating websites.
Strike 2
Problem #3: You are extremely limited in what you can do with images.
Website images. How I loath the process of finding images for websites.
Build a site layout
Figure out what you want on the page
Go search for the image
Stick the image on the website
Realize that it’s not looking good
Import the image into a graphic editor
Export again
Repeat the process.
Who has time for this?
Strike 3
There has to be a better way of creating a nice looking website, especially with your students, quickly and efficiently.
This is where I mind was blown when I realized that Canva can do … this!
Enter Canva Docs: My New BFF
The other day, I was searching for a way to build a course workbook for some upcoming presentations. I tried designing something in Google Sites but it really wasn’t looking the way I wanted it to look.
I went on to Canva and tried creating something using one of the premade templates but I’m not the greatest designed on the planet and it wasn’t doing much for me.
That’s when I started looking into Canva Docs.
MIND BLOWN!
Did you know that Canva Docs is the PERFECT solution and PERFECT partner for creating amazing looking Google Sites?
How to Merge Canva Docs and Google Sites to Create a Great Looking Website
To merge Canva Docs and Google Sites, the process is pretty simple. I’m not sure why I didn’t think about this earlier.
To add a Canva Doc into a Google Site there are two simple steps.
Add a New Page to a Google Site
Step 1: Add a New Page
On the right side of Google Sites, make sure you are on the Pages tab
At the bottom, click on the PLUS circle and then select “Full Page Embed”
Name your page and select “Done”
This will then create a new blank page where Google Sites will ask you to provide either a URL to embed on the page, or you can select something directly from Google Drive.
Pro Tip: This is a great way of building a clean Google Sites page from a Google Doc, Spreadsheet, or Google Slides file. (Forms also works great!)
Find the Embed Link from a Canva Doc
Step 2: Create a Canva Doc and copy it’s embed code into Google Sites
In Canva, create a new Canva Doc and design it how you wish it to look.
On the top right, click on the SHARE button
Click on EMBED
Click and copy the “Smart Embed Link”
Paste this link into Google Sites where it says “Add embed”
Choose the option on the left to embed the full page Canva Doc into Google Sites
Sit back and wait to be AMAZED
Again… Mind blown!
Canva Docs & Google Sites … Perfect Together!
Ever since I realized that you can marry Canva Docs and Google Sites, I have been a busy busy creator. There are so many reasons why you should give this a try today!
When creating a Canva Doc, you have the option of adding a banner graphic to the very top and having it be seen full width. When you look at your Canva Doc acting as a website in Google Sites, these headers are amazing, clean and yes… RESPONSIVE! This means that they show up in all their full glory no matter what the screen size is.
Reason #2: Extremely Clean Layout Options
One of the advantages I found using Canva Docs as my website builder is the fact that I can now add my content just about anywhere on the page with few limitations. (Limitations that actually make me rethink what are usually poor layout decisions).
True, you need to start thinking more vertically with your content choices, but thats actually a feature (rather than a bug) that helps you think like your students or website readers. This simple yet flexible layout allows you to focus on your content rather than your page design.
Reason #3: Unlimited Graphical Resources
Let’s face it, you now have the ability to do anything you can in Canva, directly in Canva. This means you can bring in images, remove their backgrounds and make quick decisions without spending a ton of time on Google Image Search.
You also have all of the features found in Canva AI allowing you to create, manipulate, and reevaluate everything quickly and far simpler than when working natively in Google Sites or any other website editor.
Another great feature of working in Canva Docs is the ability to bring in all of your Canva projecs, images, presentations, and logos without the need for switching between multiple applications.
Get Your Canva and Google Sites Game On Today!
Is your mind blown about the possibilities that a Canva and Google Sites marriage have for your projects, lesson plans, and presentations? I know that I am!
Ready to take your website game to the next level?
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This interactive map shows kindergartners’ vaccination rates at more than 6,000 public and private schools across California. According to the state health department, at least 95% of students need the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine to maintain herd immunity and prevent outbreaks. Yet in many parts of the state — including areas around Sacramento, Oakland, the Central Valley, and Los Angeles — vaccination rates fall short of that threshold, raising concerns about community vulnerability.
Data source: California Department of Public Health and EdSource Analysis
Trump is turning all his dogs loose on Harvard. He can’t believe Harvard is standing up to his threats, and he is determined to crush the nation’s most prestigious research university.
Whatever happened to small government? Republicans used to believe that the federal government should leave the private sector alone. Trump believes in big government, big enough to interfere in every institution, even into private medical decisions. He wants to be the emperor.
Clearly, he never read the U.S. Constitution. He knows nothing about checks and balances. Nor did he read Dr. Seuss’s Yertle the Turtle; Yertle wanted to be the master of all he could see. Read it to see what happened to him.
CNN reports:
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is threatening to strip Harvard University of its ability to enroll international students if it doesn’t turn over records on international students’ “illegal and violent activities,” the agency said Wednesday.
Noem “wrote a scathing letter demanding detailed records on Harvard’s foreign student visa holders’ illegal and violent activities by April 30, 2025, or face immediate loss of Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification,” DHS said in a news release.
The certification allows universities to issue forms to admitted international students that they can then use to apply for visas to enter the United States, according to DHS.
CNN has reached out to DHS for additional information.
A Harvard spokesperson said in a statement that the university is aware of the letter, but they stand by their previous statement that they “will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”
Sixteen California counties have fallen below the herd immunity marker against measles, one of the world’s most contagious diseases, amid a sprawling outbreak.
A rise in vaccine skepticism stemming from pandemic discord, experts warn, may be driving the decline.
School nurses and doctors are often on the front lines of battle to explain the need to immunize against once-controlled diseases.
Before the pandemic, Lillian Lopez never questioned the safety of vaccines. That’s why all her children are up to date on their immunizations. The Bakersfield mother of three used to be religious about getting her flu shot. She never missed a year.
No more. Lopez, 45, took offense at how Covid-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions were enforced. The experience gave her pause about the integrity of the entire public health apparatus. Now, she questions every shot.
“I do have doubts, I don’t have the trust that I did in the past,” said Lopez, who also feels safer from infectious diseases in Kern County than in a more populous area. “I think it put fear in a lot of people. All this time, we’ve been trusting the CDC, the health organizations, but can we really trust them?”
Against the backdrop of this rise in vaccine skepticism, California reported a drop in the rate of kindergartnersimmunized against measles last year, fueling fears that there may be a resurgence of the once-vanquished disease amid the deadly outbreak in West Texas. One of the world’s most infectious diseases, measles can be spread by breathing in air exhaled by someone else. While there have only been nine cases reported in California thus far, Texas is now the epicenter of a spiraling outbreak with 712 cases,including the first deaths linked to the disease in a decade.
“It’s tragic,” said Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease expert at UCSF. “This is not a disease you want your child or you to get. This can be very dangerous. So, it is terribly important for us to combat vaccine skepticism right now.”
While California’s childhood immunization rates are still high compared with the rest of the nation, 16 counties have fallen below the threshold for herd immunity against measles, according to the California Department of Public Health. Last year, 96.2% of California kindergartners and transitional kindergartners were vaccinated against measles in the 2023-24 school year, down from 96.5% the year before. Only 93.7% of kindergarten students were up to date on all their immunizations, down from 94.1% the year before.
Holding the line on herd immunity is key to preventing the disease from sweeping through a community, experts say. This widespread protection also shields those who may not be able to get vaccinated for health reasons. This is key because while measles is most commonly associated with fever and rash, severe cases have been known to cause pneumonia and encephalitis. The disease can be lethal, killing about one to three people for every 1,000 infected.
Amid that context, nearly two-thirds of counties reported immunization rates for all childhood diseases below 95%, the rule of thumb for herd immunity, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Working with parents who deeply mistrust the safety of routine immunizations has become one of the most challenging parts of running a school vaccination clinic.
“Within this political landscape, there are some people who are hesitant,” said Susan Sivils, lead nurse for the Sacramento City Unified vaccination clinic. “Some worry that the vaccines are not safe. They don’t trust what’s in it, or they don’t trust where it was manufactured.”
Many of the lowest immunization rates can be found in Northern California, largely clustered around the Sacramento area, but Southern California has hot spots as well. Less than 81% of kindergarten and transitional kindergarten (TK) students were inoculated against measles in El Dorado and Glenn counties. Sutter County posted the lowest vaccination rate for measles, at 75.8%.
Another key trend is that charter schools had lower vaccination rates than traditional public schools, 76.41% compared with 92.07%, for measles last year. While they require routine childhood shots, experts say charter schools operate under strict admission and disenrollment laws that can make it hard to enforce the rules.
“These prohibitions make it very difficult for charter school staff to administer the vaccination mandate,” said Eric Premack, founder and CEO of the Charter Schools Development Center in Sacramento.
The bottom line is that consensus about vaccinations can no longer be taken for granted. To calm any fears, Sivils always hears parents out. While most are still comfortable with vaccines, one mother felt terrified that the shots would poison her child.
“I try to meet parents where they are,” said Sivils. “They are fearful, they are worried, they are upset, but, at the heart of it, they are trying to protect their family and do what’s best for their child.”
Declining trust in public health institutions has emerged as a watershed issue, experts say, as Covid-era controversies have sown seeds of doubt about the validity of science in general and vaccines in particular.
“The public health establishment during the pandemic said many things that didn’t turn out to be true,” as newly sworn-in National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, a professor of medicine at Stanford, has put it. “A much larger set of people who never previously thought twice about vaccinating their children are now in a position where they say, ‘Look, I don’t trust you guys anymore.’”
The cost of that inconsistency may be credibility now, Gandhi says, explaining why the anti-vaccine movement seems to be accelerating just as one of the nation’s most prominent vaccine skeptics, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., takes the helm of the Department of Health and Human Services. Families who learned to distrust guidance around the need for prolonged school closures and shuttered playgrounds, for instance, may now avoid vaccines altogether, often preferring home remedies.
“We had the most political response of any country, and that kind of political decision-making, as opposed to scientific decision-making, was noticed by the public,” said Gandhi, an expert in epidemics. “And then suddenly you don’t trust your public health official when they say the measles vaccine works, which by the way, it does.”
Indeed, some measles patients in Texas have shown signs of vitamin A toxicity. Notably, Kennedy had championed vitamin A to prevent measles, before reversing course to endorse the MMR vaccine, but overuse of the vitamin may have health consequences, such as abnormal liver function, and experts say there is no evidence it can protect against measles.
However, there is a grain of truth to the vitamin A advice, Gandhi notes. In the past, vitamin A deficiency did lead to more severe cases of measles, but today most people get a sufficient dose in their diet.
“You have to address that kernel of truth,” said Gandhi. “You have to say what happened with vitamin A historically, but now there’s no way we’re going to vitamin A our way out of this measles outbreak in West Texas.”
Sarginoor Kaur, 7, gets the COVID-19 vaccine from nurse Chelsea Meyer at Arleta High School in November 2021. Credit: Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times / Polaris
Sivils agrees that hearing people out is key. Citing evidence rarely seems to work at her clinic, but building a sense of trust often does.
“You have to respect people as parents, respect them as individuals,” said Sivils. “I make sure they know that I wouldn’t be doing this job if I didn’t believe I was helping people, but, at the end of the day, I allow parents to make their choice.”
Some families don’t approve of vaccines but get them anyway, so that their children can attend school, she says. Some spread the shots out over extra visits for fear of overloading their child’s immune system. Some research the ingredients in a vaccine before agreeing to it. Others decide to forgo vaccinations entirely and homeschool their children instead.
“You can’t railroad people,” she said. “I don’t try to persuade them. I just lay out all the options and let them make a decision.”
In Kern County, the measles immunization rate among kindergartners was almost 91%, below the herd immunity marker.
Lopez, for one, has no qualms about long-established vaccines such as measles, but she believes that people should always have the right to choose. She feels that right was trampled during the pandemic, and the affront still stings.
“When the vaccines were really being forced and people’s livelihoods were being threatened, I don’t agree with that,” said Lopez. “To me, that’s unethical, it’s an abuse of power.”
Given the ease of transmission with measles, which lingers in the air, some education experts worry what may happen to classrooms, where children often huddle together in tight spaces, should vaccination rates continue to fall. Whooping cough cases are also spiking now. Two infants in Louisiana are among the recent deaths caused by the resurgence of that disease.
“Our top job is to keep children safe,” said Scott Moore, head of Kidango, a nonprofit that runs many Bay Area child care centers. “The disruptions to child care, which would need to close temporarily every time a measles case occurred, would cause chaos for families and their employers.”
Deep partisan divides, experts warn, are leading families to extreme responses that may have extreme consequences.
“Our politics have become so divisive,” said Moore, “that what was once largely accepted as common sense — vaccination against deadly, infectious diseases — is now used to divide and conquer, with little children, once again, being the biggest losers.”
Small colleges have long played a significant role in shaping American higher education. They may not make national headlines every day, but their impact on students, communities, and the broader landscape of learning is undeniable. That’s why Kent Barnds and I, Dean Hoke, created Small College America. Its mission is to present critical discussions at the forefront by interviewing small college higher education leaders, policy experts, and innovators. The podcast delves into the evolving role of small colleges, their economic impact, innovative strategies for sustainability, and how they can continue to provide a highly personalized educational experience.
Each episode explores the distinctiveness of small colleges—through conversations with presidents, provosts, foundation leaders, and changemakers who are deeply engaged in the work of shaping the future. We focus on the real issues small colleges face—from enrollment shifts and financial pressures to mission clarity, leadership, and collaborative innovation.
Why is now the perfect time for this podcast? Higher education faces unprecedented challenges, and small colleges, with their adaptability and personalized approaches, offer valuable lessons and innovative solutions critical to the broader education landscape.
Our most recent episodes include:
Wendy Sherman Heckler and Chet Haskell – From Otterbein University and Antioch University, respectively these two leaders discuss their groundbreaking collaboration known as the Coalition for the Common Good. It’s a bold new model for partnership between mission-driven institutions focused on shared values and long-term sustainability.
Eric Lindberg—Executive Director of the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation in Cincinnati, Ohio, shares insights into the Foundation’s commitment to supporting small colleges, reflects on his own liberal arts experience, and outlines how strategic philanthropy can strengthen institutional resilience.
Dr. Paaige Turner, Provost and Executive Vice President at Aurora University discusses her transition into the role after serving as Dean at Ball State University. She brings a fresh perspective on leadership, regional relevance, and the evolving communication needs of today’s students.
Upcoming Guests:
We’re excited to welcome several new voices to the podcast in upcoming episodes:
Charles Kim, retired Managing Director at Kaufman Hall and former head of its Higher Education division, now serves on the boards of Augustana College and Westminster College.
Scott Wiegandt, Director of Athletics at Bellarmine University, who helped lead the university’s move from NCAA Division II to Division I.
Karin Fischer, senior writer for The Chronicle of Higher Education and author of the Latitudes newsletter, brings deep insight into the global and domestic challenges facing small colleges.
Steve Bahls, President Emeritus of Augustana College and national expert on shared governance, discusses how collaboration can lead to institutional agility and long-term success.
Matthew Ward, Vice President of Enrollment Management at California Lutheran University.
Liz Nino, Executive Director of International Enrollment at Augustana College.
Dr. Marco Clark, President of Holy Cross College at Notre Dame, Indiana.
Whether you’re a small college president, a prospective student, an alum, or simply someone passionate about the future of higher education, we invite you to join us. Each episode of Small College America is a chance to learn, reflect, and engage with the people who are shaping this vital sector.
Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform or listen directly at https://www.podpage.com/small-college-america/. We hope you’ll tune in. If there’s a story or college you think we should feature, let us know.
Small colleges are changing higher education—be part of the conversation.
Dean Hoke is Managing Partner of Edu Alliance Group, a higher education consultancy, and a Senior Fellow with the Sagamore Institute. He formerly served as President/CEO of the American Association of University Administrators (AAUA). With decades of experience in higher education leadership, consulting, and institutional strategy, he brings a wealth of knowledge on small colleges’ challenges and opportunities. Dean, along with Kent Barnds, is a co-host for the podcast series Small College America.
We are happy to introduce you to one of our Superuser Teachers from Santa Fe, NM, Katherine Bueler. She started her career as a mechanical engineer but changed occupations to become a math & science teacher. She loves math and knew that with a career teaching science and mathematics she could make a difference in the lives of the students in her community.
Katherine earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering, Magna Cum Laude, California State University-Chico in 1983.
She also acquired a teaching license in secondary math & science-bilingual and is currently a Nationally Board Certified Mathematics Instructor in Santa Fe, NM where she has been a science and math teacher for 20+ years. She is very dedicated to making sure that her students understand math and knows that it requires her to personalize learning for her diverse group of students. She has been using the Wowzers personalized math program in her classroom for a few years and recently “connected the dots” with a revelation. “As a child, I attended 12 schools between kindergarten and 12th grade. In 6th grade, we moved to Minnesota and the school said I was at a 3rd-grade math level. All students in the class were on individualized math programs: we’d do a paper lesson, wait two weeks while our bubble sheets were sent to a computer in Iowa for scanning (my first interaction with a computer!), and move on to the next. I went through three years of math that year, and have gotten high-percentage A’s in all math since, including magna cum laude in mechanical engineering. So, my revelation was that one factor in my advocacy for the Wowzers program is that it reminds me of something that worked extremely well for me. “
Katherine has developed routines for her classroom that are set up to best benefit her students using the Wowzers program. She is able to hold students accountable through monitoring student progress on the Wowzers Teacher Dashboard. Her room is enveloped with quiet concentration and students are on target during Wowzers time. She asked one of her once challenged & unmotivated students, who are seeing growth in his understanding of math concepts, why he used the Wowzers program beyond the required class time. He responded, “ Wowzers is helpful and fun!”. She thought, “that should be the goal for all teachers– provide instruction and materials that are helpful and fun! She also says, “I believe in this Wowzers program and I’ve developed a workflow that fits nicely into my grading. In terms of the program itself, there is no other instructive math program that truly teaches & uses effective pedagogy like Wowzers. I’ve waited for a program like this for years!”
A California Indian Nations College flag inside the college’s classroom at College of the Desert’s Palm Springs campus.
Michael Burke/EdSource
After operating for the last six years as an affiliate of a nearby community college, California Indian Nations College(CINC) appears likelyto become the state’s only standalone, fully accredited tribal college. It’s something education experts say would be a boon for Native American students who now start and complete college at lower rates than other ethnic groups.
But first, money has to be found to ensure the college can survive, let alone expand and build its own campus.
A two-year and mostly online institution based in the Coachella Valley in Riverside County, the college achieved a big step forward toward its goals recently. It got preliminary approval for accreditation, allowing it to independently offer classes and transferable credits and distribute financial aid. The college expects to have full accreditation within the next year.
The college opened its doors in fall 2018 as an extension of UC Riverside for one semester. Since 2019, its degrees have been awarded via a partnership with College of the Desert. Students dually enroll at both campuses, though starting next semester students will be able to enroll solely at CINC and still get an accredited degree.
College of the Desert also provides classroom space for the tribal college at its temporary Palm Springs campus, made up of a set of trailers. Inside the tribal college’s classroom trailer, visitors can find Native crafts such as dream catchers, fliers with information about transferring to four-year colleges and even a makeshift basic needs center — a filing cabinet with dry food.
College of the Desert’s temporary Palm Springs campus, where California Indian Nations College has a classroom.Michael Burke/EdSource
CINC enrolls about 150 students and is planning for many more, but it faces an uncertain future even if it achieves full accreditation.It is running low on money and is asking the state for a $60 million infusion in this year’s budget: $50 million to build its own campus and another $10 million in annual funding for operational costs.
Officials say the money is necessary for the college to growlong term and offer a culturally relevant education to Native students who often distrust the U.S. education system. That distrust dates back to the 19th century, when the government began to forcibly send Native children to boarding schools intended to assimilate them, a practice that didn’t end until the late 1960s.
“There’s so many of us here who feel a void and think, ‘Who are we?’ So having an institution that’s empowering and teaching us the truth about who we are is really important,” said Mayra Grajeda Nelson, who graduated last year from CINC with an associate degree in sociology and another in social and behavioral sciences. Originally from Banning, Grajeda Nelson now works as a health educator for the Indian Health Council in northern San Diego County.
The college is not a typical community college governed by the state’s board of governors; instead, even with state funding, it would remain chartered by the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians, a federally recognized tribe in Southern California.
It would be the only accredited tribal college in the state but not the first. D-Q University operated in Davis from the early 1970s until closing in 2005 after losing accreditation and eligibility for $1 million in federal funding. Across the country, there are more than 30 accredited tribal colleges and universities, spread out across the Southwest, Midwest and other regions. The first tribally controlled college, Diné College in Arizona, was established in 1968 and still operates.
California has the largest Native population of any state, with a concentration of tribes in the desert regions of Riverside County. Yet, American Indian or Alaska Native individuals have the lowest college-going rate of any racial or ethnic group in the state, according to a report published in December by the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center at Cal State San Marcos.
“But if you look at American Indian students who go to tribal colleges or universities, they’re four times more likely to earn their bachelor’s degree,” said Shawn Ragan, CINC’s chief operations officer.
In a recent report following a campus visit, the accrediting commission praised the tribal college for providing “culturally sensitive, academically rigorous” courses and degrees that incorporate Native American culture and for “fostering an environment where both Indigenous and non-Native students can thrive.”The report found that CINC has “solid financial planning in place for the short-range” and noted that the college is still figuring out its long-term funding planning. Otherwise, the commission found only minor problems that college leaders say will be easy to address, such as requiring the college’s board of trustees to undergo a self-evaluation.
California lawmakers, though, have not committed to providing funding this year for CINC, and no funding was included in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s January budget proposal.
Assemblymember David Alvarez, chair of the state Assembly’s budget subcommittee on education, said in an interview that he’s supportive of the tribal college and that there is “room for conversation” about funding. But he acknowledged that the timing is not ideal: California’s public universities are facing budget cuts, and it could be difficult to find money for new spending.
To date, the state has given CINC $5 million — a one-time funding allocation in 2022 to help the college apply for accreditation.
Now that the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges has awarded the college candidacy status, CINC can also apply for federal funding, but that too is an uncertainty under the Trump administration. President Donald Trump recently rescinded a White House initiative aimed at strengthening tribal colleges. His proposed federal funding freeze, currently blocked by the courts, would also prevent the colleges from getting federal grants and contracts.The Trump administration’s hostility to any programs promoting racial diversity could also have a chilling effect and make it harder for those colleges to secure funding.
CINC previously received $9 million in seed money from the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians. Most of that has been spent, and the college is now surviving off its reserves, which should last for at least the next year.
Open to both Native and non-Native students, the college mostly uses part-time faculty and offers associate degrees in sociology and liberal arts. Students in the liberal arts program can pick one of three concentrations: arts and humanities, business and technology or social and behavioral sciences.
Students at California Indian Nations College’s 2024 graduation ceremonyCourtesy of California Indian Nations College
In addition to courses specific to their major, students are required to take general education classes as well as six units for a Native American breadth requirement. For that requirement, they choose between courses such as Native American literature, Native performing arts and Native languages.
Most classes are online, but the college often holds in-person events, including cultural workshops like basket weaving. There are also talking circles, an Indigenous practice similar to group therapy. Many of the events are led by Kim Marcus, the college’s Elder in Residence and an enrolled Tribal Elder with the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians.
Grajeda Nelson, the recent graduate, enrolled at CINC in 2023, more than a decade after first enrolling in college atCrafton Hills College in Yucaipa. She also attended Mount San Jacinto College, but didn’t receive a degree from either institution.
With some credits carrying over from her previous stops, she was able to finish two associate degrees within one year at CINC. During that time, she found the talking circles especially helpful to share her past challenges and get support from people with similar experiences.
“That’s how the Native community is. There’s that closeness and support because we’re all kind of dealing with very similar challenges, especially with intergenerational trauma, substance usage, depression, poverty,” she said. “So having that space gives us time to process those emotions so we don’t have to walk away and feel that grief.”
Kristina Glass, whose family is part of the Cherokee Nation, did make it to and through a non-tribal college, having graduated from Cal State Long Beach in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
In debt and laid off from her job as a graphic designer, Glass last year decided to return to college. She’s pursuing an associate degree in Spanish language from College of the Desert and has been taking general education classes at CINC, including Native American literature.
As a student at Cal State Long Beach, Glass said she felt isolated because she didn’t meet any other Native students. Her experience at CINC has been much better. Just hearing Native American blessings, performed before events on campus, regularly brings her to tears. “It’s special, because you feel that connection to this land and these people,” she said.
Faculty try to incorporate elements of Native culture into the curriculum, even in courses that aren’t part of the Native breadth requirement. Roseanne Rosenthal, an anthropology professor, instructs students to learn about the history of their tribes from elders in their communities.
“Having students going back and bringing that knowledge into the classroom, I think is great,” said Rosenthal, the college’s only full-time faculty member.
If the college can secure more funding, officials plan to add additional full-time faculty and new associate degrees including in business, engineering and food sovereignty.
At the top of their wish list, though, is their own campus, which would take a few years to build. In the meantime, the college will continue to use the College of the Desert facility and UC Riverside’s Palm Desert campus, where CINC’s administration is housed.
Ragan said the college is still looking at potential sites for a permanent campus but expects to stay in Riverside County. He said having a campus would “enable students to come together and build community” by having more in-person events and classes and would allow the college to offer more vocational training.
He added that the college is looking into additional funding possibilities, such as from other tribes, but said the state “is the best option right now.”
“What we’re asking for, it’s not a large amount. So ideally we’ll have some wiggle room and can get us added to the budget,” he said. “California has a tremendous need for tribal colleges. What we’re doing is historic and is going to change lives.”
Fe, NM, Katherine Bueler. She started her career as a mechanical engineer but changed occupations to become a math & science teacher. She loves math and knew that with a career teaching science and mathematics she could make a difference in the lives of the students in her community. 
