[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 22 (Thursday, February 6, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S2048]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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       30th ANNIVERSARY OF THE TURTLE MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

 Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate the 
Turtle Mountain Community College located on the Turtle Mountain Indian 
Reservation in my State of North Dakota on its 30th anniversary.
  Turtle Mountain Community College was one of the six original tribal 
colleges formed to meet the higher education needs of American Indians. 
Without the college, the dream of a college education would have been 
out of reach for so many on the reservation.
  It is quite exciting to see how this college has evolved over the 
past 30 years. The college started from very humble beginnings. On the 
third floor of an abandoned Catholic convent, with fewer than 60 
students and only 3 full-time faculty members, the college offered its 
first course to those on the reservation. Today, the college has grown 
to serve over 650 students, with more than 150 courses and 65 full- and 
part-time faculty members. Additionally, the college serves more than 
250 adults who are working to earn their general equivalency degree.
  Turtle Mountain Community College was the first tribal college to be 
granted 10-year accreditation by the North Central Association of 
Colleges and Schools and was the one of the first to fully integrate 
traditional culture throughout the curriculum.
  By far one of the largest accomplishments for the college was the 
opening of its new campus building in 1999. The college worked for 
years to raise the needed funds to construct this facility. Located on 
a 234-acre site, the 105,000-square-foot facility includes state-of-the 
art technology, general classroom space, science and engineering labs, 
a library, learning resource center, and a gymnasium.
  Over 2,000 tribal members have graduated from the college since its 
creation, a truly commendable accomplishment. Nearly half of the 
graduates have gone on to other institutions to earn a 4-year degree. 
Last spring, the college graduated the first group of students to earn 
a bachelor of science degree in elementary education.
  For the past 30 years, the college has also played a critical role in 
reservation life, supporting tribal business development, worker 
training to meet the needs of local industries, and year-round 
activities for elementary, middle, and high school students.
  I congratulate the college, its faculty, and students on this 
momentous occasion and wish them much success in the next 30 
years.

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