The California Indian Nations College is one step closer to becoming the first stand-alone, fully accredited tribal college in the state, thanks to $10 million in funding from the state of California.
The funding boost was announced during a media event, as CINC administrators welcomed legislators, local tribal members and leaders, students and guests to witness Native ceremonial rites and a presentation of the check. The site of the announcement—the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, itself a cultural touchstone of Native history—was a befitting backdrop for a day of looking forward.
The press conference and speeches were recorded and are posted on YouTube.
Erica Muñoz, student government president at CINC, said it was important to let decision-makers know that many Native students are the first in their families to go to college.
“I met with leaders, and I asked them to see us, and to hear what tribal higher education really means for our community,” Muñoz said. “That effort was never just about policy; it was about presence and about being heard.”
Munoz thanked CINC’s founder Theresa Mike, who drafted the college’s original charter in 2017 with local educators and tribal leaders. “Without her, none of us would’ve been here. She believed in something bigger, and because of that, we get to be here learning, leading and building something to be proud of—something for our ancestors to be proud of. … This funding is more than just a dollar. It’s dignity; it’s belonging; and it’s hope for all.”
Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino) was recognized for his role in advocating for CINC funding in the state budget. He is the first and only Native American serving in the state Legislature. Ramos said a tribal college is long overdue in California.
“Other states (with smaller) Native American populations have as many as three tribal colleges,” Ramos said. “Here in the state of California, we have the most population; we don’t even have one. But with the state’s involvement and with the tribal communities, and your tenacity and the resiliency of our people, we’re going to see it become reality.”
There are more than 30 accredited tribal colleges with about 80 campuses in 13 states across the Southwest, Northwest and the Great Plains.
Ramos gave credit to CINC’s students and administrators for their perseverance in enduring the accreditation process. “Congratulations to each and every one of (you) for continuing to move forward, and to the board and those who have believed in the college and making it reality all these years,” he said at the ceremony.
Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez, a Republican who represents portions of the eastern Coachella Valley and Imperial County, talked about the teamwork it took to secure the $10 million.
“Many people said this couldn’t be done,” Gonzalez said. “But it’s because of the leadership of James Ramos; it’s because of the leadership of Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh. It’s because of the teamwork of not only CINC, but the tribes, from Torres Martinez (Desert Cahuilla Indians) and everyone in between, (that) we were able to make this possible. But let’s be clear: This is only the first step.”
Gonzalez said the work CINC does to preserve Native cultures and languages is important for all Californians.
“The fight for our culture is near and dear to my heart, because, unfortunately, our language is dying; our culture is dying,” Gonzalez said. “We must continue to secure funding, ongoing funding for California Indian Nations College, and we must continue to spread the word about what this institution can do for not only this community, but for all of California, and Californians for generations to come.”
Earning full accreditation is a lengthy process, with myriad tasks, benchmarks and quality controls that an institution must implement to achieve the designation. Students, staff and faculty participate in the various tasks, and outside consultants can be hired to make the process move seamlessly. Without accreditation, a school is not eligible for federal student financial aid loans or grants; student credits may not transfer to other institutions; and employment opportunities for students after graduation can be hampered.
Shawn Ragan, CINC’s executive vice president and chief operations officer, spoke to the Independent after the ceremony and explained how CINC is navigating the final steps in the process. CINC, which is based in Palm Desert, was awarded eligibility for accreditation, the first stage of a three-part process, in May 2023.
Staff submitted an Institutional Self-Evaluation Report to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) last summer. The ICER—a self-study that details what an institution is doing now, and what it plans to do once it is awarded candidacy—is available online.
A peer-review team from the ACCJC made a site visit to CINC in October 2024 and met with staff to review the ICER plan, before submitting its recommendations to the commission.
“They left very, very happy,” said Ragan. “The commission reviewed our ICER, reviewed the peer-review team report and awarded us candidacy for accreditation. At candidacy, you basically function as an accredited institution.”
With candidacy, the college is eligible to access several important benefits while working toward the next phase—the awarding of full accreditation.
“The federal Department of Education recognizes candidate institutions as accredited institutions. So all of our degrees are transferable; all our credits are now transferable. … We are eligible to apply for all the types of grants that any other institution would be able to apply for.”
Shawn Ragan, CINC’s executive vice president and chief operations officer
“The federal Department of Education recognizes candidate institutions as accredited institutions,” Ragan said. “So all of our degrees are transferable; all our credits are now transferable. We’re eligible to start the process of applying for Title IV funding, Pell Grants, and then with that, Cal Grants. We are eligible to apply for all the types of grants that any other institution would be able to apply for.”
Ragan said commission members found two things they wanted CINC to implement to be awarded full institutional accreditation. Both are related to CINC’s Board of Trustees.
“One, the board needed to conduct an annual evaluation of our president,” Celeste Townsend, Ragan said. “We’d had more of an informal process, but our policies call for a formal annual evaluation, and we hadn’t done that. The other finding was that our board needed to conduct their self-evaluation according to our policy. So, we did both of those things. The board did their self-evaluation in January of this year, and they finished the annual evaluation of the president in April.”
The peer-review team will return to CINC in September to interview the board about the evaluation process and discuss measures needed to keep ongoing evaluations happening. They will submit that report to the commission for review.
The Accrediting Commission holds review meetings in January and June, said Ragan. “So the next meeting that we could have is a January meeting, and at that point in time, unless something happens between now and then, we’ll have met all the requirements of the commission to have full institutional accreditation.”
Separate from ACCJC accreditation, CINC is also seeking federal recognition as a tribal college. “You can’t apply for that until after you get candidacy,” Ragan said.
Tribal colleges must be accredited in order to become a member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC). Once a member, tribal colleges can receive federal funding. The Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians, which holds the original charter for CINC, began that process earlier this year.
As CINC awaits the final review process, the increased funding from the state will allow the campus to focus on growing programs and hiring more full-time teaching staff. CINC is also holding its third annual Fire Gala on Friday, Sept. 19, to raise funds.
“A typical tribal college of our size has around 10 to 11 full-time faculty,” Ragan said. “We have one full-time faculty member, so we are not operating at the level that we need to be operating at. This funding enables us to expand our faculty and increase our student-service programs.”
Ragan said CINC will help fill a big gap in California’s higher-education offerings.
“California has one-fifth of all federally recognized tribes and 1.4 million people who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native, and so far, we’re the only college that is functionally accredited and operating independently as a tribal college,” he said. “There’s a huge demand there, so I think our student population is going to grow, and this funding enables us to support those students.”
The third annual Fire Gala, benefiting the California Indian Nations College, takes place at 6 p.m., Friday, Sept. 19, in the Cahuilla Ballroom at Agua Caliente Rancho Mirage. Tickets start at $161.90. For more information, visit cincollege.org/firegala.
Congratulations on this great accomplishment.