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Native American Outreach and Inclusion Task Force

The Native American Outreach and Inclusion Task Force was established in fall 2013 to recommend strategies to strengthen Northwestern’s relationship with Native American communities through recruitment efforts, academic programs, and campus support services. The Task Force was co-chaired by Patricia Telles-Irvin, vice president for student affairs, and Phil Harris, a vice-chair of Northwestern’s Board of Trustees. The Task Force work included:

  • Reviewing the John Evans Study Committee Report and meeting with two of the authors.
  • Discussing Native American studies programs and support services for Native American students with representatives of other universities.
  • Collecting and evaluating benchmarking information concerning peer institutions’ practices in recruiting Native American students.
  • Interviewing members of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Ho-Chunk, and Menominee tribes.
  • Participating in a town hall meeting sponsored by the Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative at the American Indian Center.

As a result of this work, the Task Force has provided the following report to the President: Report of the Native American Outreach and Inclusion Task Force.

Published updates to Task Force Recommendations

Additional information on the Task Force and its work is available at: