Below is an overview of some campus activities: 

• Revision of the entire general education requirements for all degrees that a) align with the Arizona General Education Curriculum, b) incorporate our College’s O’odham Ñiokĭ (O’odham language) course, and O’odham history course into the aligned curriculum with the state (allowing these courses to now be accepted as meeting the state’s general education curriculum for the first time in our college’s history), and c) reduce the number of required credits to facilitate student completion and transfer. This work promotes the free expression of the Native language and culture, and preservation of our Tohono O’odham culture. 

• Student Art Exhibit displayed at Tucson Art Museum – these students’ art exhibits (including video and audio representations of Tohono O’odham elders) explore the importance of the history and culture of the Tohono O’odham. The work of our students promotes not only our students’ free expression of their understanding of what it means to be O’odham, but this also develops their understanding of their role and responsibility to revitalize and pass on our Himdag, the O’odham way of life. 

• Borderlands Summit – this event explores the intricacies of being a Sovereign Nation with a millennia-old history of our native lands extending in both the more recent colonialism boundaries imposed by the USA and Mexico. How do we navigate the legal impositions of borders on sacred lands? How do we work with all governments involved to protect our borders from criminal activity and violence against Tohono O’odham and our property, animals, and plants? Experts in these matters provide our college community to explore and understand our civic role as both a Sovereign Nation and citizens of the USA, as well as our familial bonds in Mexico.

• Student participation in Legislative Advocacy in Washington DC – This past February, three (3) of our students attended a Legislative Summit for Tribal Colleges and Universities, advocating with our Congressional delegation for funding and a level playing field for TCUs with other institutions of higher education. During this week-long trip to Washington, these students also learned more about how to develop their own civic engagement.

Highlights:

Tohono O’odham Community College recently celebrated its 25th anniversary since being founded. In the past five years, we have tripled our enrollment. We now serve students from over 175 different federally recognized tribes residing in virtually every state in the USA. We were recognized by the Carnegie Foundation a year ago as an Opportunity College, with greater access for our students to an education and higher wage earnings for our students than our peer institutions. We primarily serve students from our reservation, which is larger than the state of Connecticut, creating significant challenges for student engagement and interaction outside the classroom. Yet, we continue to attract First American students in opening pathways for education, career success, and nation-building. For two out of three years (2024-2025, 2025-2026, and 2026-2027), a TOCC student has been elected by all Tribal College and University students to the presidency of their Student Congress, promoting student leadership and civic engagement.