September 21, 1998
Microsoft’s gift to tribal colleges will increase technological access
In an effort to narrow the digital divide that separates many American Indians from the technological resources available to the rest of the population, the University of Washington announced Microsoft has donated $75,000 cash plus more than $500,000 in software and training to The American Indian Science Technology Education Consortium (AISTEC) to increase technological access at three tribal colleges.
AISTEC brings the U.S. government and higher education institutions together to enhance the mathematics and science education opportunities for Native Americans by partnering tribal colleges with larger universities to pool know-how and resources. The National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) created AISTEC in 1994 with an eye on increasing the numbers of American Indian students who pursue and complete university degrees in math and science. George Reese, NASA’s Associate Administer for Equal Opportunity Programs, categorized the relationship with Microsoft as “a prime example of the private sector investments NASA hopes to encourage by providing base funding for programs such as AISTEC.”
The three tribal colleges funded by the Microsoft grant are teamed with the University of Washington. Tom Colonnese, assistant vice president for minority affairs at the University of Washington and project director for this grant, will implement funding for site hardware, software and technical training at Haskell Indian Nations University, Lawrence, Kan.; Northwest Indian College, Bellingham, Wash.; and Salish-Kootenai Tribal College, Pablo, Mont.
“This connection between business, higher education and the government brings us the resources to begin this important project,” says Tom Colonnese, project director at the University of Washington. “We are confident this program, which is a first for this community, will help connect American Indian higher education to the computer age.”
American Indian people are widely considered the ethnic group least prepared to join the computer age in the United States. Besides being the poorest of the U.S.’s minorities, many Indians are also geographically isolated. A 1997 Carnegie Foundation Report on Native American Colleges: Progress and Prospects reports that tribal colleges are not only essential providers of higher education for members of the Indian population, but they serve as an important community resource. The Carnegie Foundation report recommends increased use of distance learning technology to meet the unique demands of this community. This plan builds innovative uses of distance learning technology into the program.
The Microsoft and AISTEC Project has three areas of focus:
1) Local area network development
2) Support for distance learning
3) Tribal college infrastructure, program and curriculum enhancement
“Creating access to technology, especially in disadvantaged communities, is very important to Microsoft,” says Barbara Dingfield, director of community affairs at Microsoft Corp. “This is a terrific program that will add greatly to both the educational environment and the tribal community-at large. We look forward to seeing all the results.”
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The Office of Minority Affairs at the University of Washington ensures access of underrepresented students of color and economically/educationally disadvantaged students to the University by providing successful academic and personal experiences for students, including preparation for graduate and professional programs. This office also enhances cultural diversity within the University of Washington student body.
