Fort Peck Community College

Fort Peck Community College

Type	Native American tribal community college and land grant institution
Established	1969
President	James E. Shanley, Ed.D
Students	430
Location	PO Box 398 Poplar , Montana , United States 59255
Campus	Rural
Affiliations	American Indian Higher Education Consortium; American Association of Community Colleges
Website	http://www.fpcc.edu
Assiniboine and Sioux tribal affiliation

Fort Peck Community College is one of seven tribal community colleges in the state of Montana. The college is located on the Fort Peck Assiniboine & Sioux Reservation in the northeast corner of Montana, which encompasses over two million acres. The main FPCC main campus is in Poplar. The FPCC satellite campus is in Wolf Point.

History

FPCC was chartered by the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes in 1978. The decision to found FPCC was based on the reservation's need to provide opportunity for post secondary education and community service in their home communities. FPCC was granted accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, in December 1991. This accreditation was reaffirmed following an Interim Report and site visit in 2001.

Programs

FPCC offers 25 associate degree and vocational programs for local residents and businesses. FPCC is a two-year degree-granting community college that offers programs to meet the career goals of its students and the training needs of the reservation:

• Associate of Arts,
• Associate of Science, and
• Associate of Applied Science degrees, and
• one-year vocational training certificates.

FPCC offers associate degrees and certificates in over 30 fields of study:

• automotive technology,
• building trades,
• hazardous materials waste technology,
• business administration,
• teacher education,
• American Indian studies, and
• biomedical science.

Partnerships

FPCC holds accreditation by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Colleges. The institution is a member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) and American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). The college is a member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) and American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).

FPCC's articulation agreements with four-year institutions Rocky Mountain College, Montana State University - Northern, and the University of Montana, allow students to earn bachelor’s degrees in

• elementary education,
• business, technology,
• information technology and
• psychology.

Focus and mission

The college's stated focus area is service to the local indigenous community, in part by making higher education accessible on the reservation itself, stating:

FPCC is committed to preserving Indian culture, history, and beliefs, and to perpetuating them among the Indian people of all ages. FPCC promotes self-awareness through education necessary to build a career, a lifestyle, and to achieve a true sense of self-pride. Although FPCC does not deny anyone the opportunity for higher education, the institution’s primary purpose is to serve the American Indian population of the Fort Peck Reservation.

This mission also includes providing occupational training that is customized to the kinds of employment available regionally, in view of the college's experience that many living on the reservation choose to remain in the area.

See also

• Janine Pease

External links

• Fort Peck Community College
• Bureau of Indian Education National Directory