Indigenous Strategic Plan
March 1, 2023 - Community-wide Survey Opened!
A key part of the Native American and Indigenous Strategic Planning process is gathering feedback from community both across the University and with our external partners. Our hope is to better understand your perspectives regarding the ways in which the University has engaged with Indigenous initiatives to gain an understanding of our strengths and needs to inform our future strategic directions. This is an opportunity to influence and impact the future of Native American and Indigenous Initiatives at Northwestern. The Committee is deeply committed to this process and to learning from you and other members of the NU community.
Please complete the following survey, which takes approximately 15 minutes to finish. You will be asked questions about your perceptions of the strengths, needs, and direction of Native American and Indigenous Initiatives on campus. People who complete the survey prior to March 22, 2023 will be entered into a drawing to win one of fifteen $20 Visa gift cards. You are only eligible to win once, and winners will be contacted via their email provided at the end of the survey. Your feedback is deeply appreciated!
December 2022 & January 2023- Native American & Indigenous Focus Groups
Focus groups were held with undergraduate students, graduate and professional students, faculty, CNAIR affiliates, and staff during the months of December and January. Thank you to everyone who participated.
Native American and Indigenous Strategic Plan 2024
It's been almost nine years since the Native American Outreach and Inclusion Task Force Report was published in 2014 and Native American and Indigenous initiatives continue to grow and evolve at Northwestern. In Fall of 2022, Northwestern launched the Native American and Indigenous Strategic Planning process and appointed a Strategic Planning Committee of faculty, staff, and students across the University.
The process is expected to take place over the course of the 2022-2024 academic years and will begin with a series of information gathering and conversations that will provide opportunities for engagement and input of community stakeholders. The process will culminate with the development of a set of institutional priorities and a framework for guiding our direction through the end of the 2027 academic year.
Jasmine Gurneau, Director of Native American and Indigenous Affairs, will serve as Chair of the Native American and Indigenous Strategic Planning Committee. The full Committee membership is listed below:
- Jasmine Gurneau (Chair), (Oneida/Menominee) Director for Native American and Indigenous Affairs, Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion
- Megan Bang, PhD (Ojibwe/Italian descent), Professor, School of Education and Social Policy; Director, Center for Native American and Indigenous Research
- Kayla Giger (Ojibwe), Medical Student, Feinberg School of Medicine
- Athena GoingSnake (Cherokee), Undergraduate Student, WCAS '25
- Aaron Golding, (Seneca) Associate Director, Multicultural Students Affairs
- Niyo Moraza-Keeswood (Diné/ Chichimeca), Senior Assistant Director, Undergraduate Admission
- Linda Tuhiwai Smith (Māori), Indigenous Education Scholar
- Isabella Twocrow (Oglala Lakota/Ho-Chunk Nation), Undergraduate Student, SESP '23
The steps that the Committee will take include the following:
- ASSESS: Where is the University now? We will be gathering data and engaging in conversations with stakeholders within and across the University.
- DEVELOP: Where does the University want to be? We will create our goals, develop a framework, and draft our plan. The process will include socializing the plan with community to collect feedback to finalize the plan.
- EXECUTE: How will the University get there? We will establish deliverables and initiate action steps. This will include a formal launch event and activities.
- MEASURE: How will the University know we are successful? We will develop a plan to monitor progress and measure success regularly. This will include a communication plan to share progress widely.
