The Board of Regents of the California Tribal College (CTC) recently began its search for the college’s first president. Still in the formative search stages, CTC has issued a formal announcement and is now accepting applications.

According to CTC’s announcement, the ideal candidate will be “an experienced, high energy visionary with the skills and commitment to address the opportunities and challenges that await the college.” More specifically, CTC outlined a number of areas, requirements, and preferences that will play an important role in the hiring process, including experience with or knowledge of California’s higher education laws and the state’s main accrediting body, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The initial review of qualified candidates will occur between September and October. From there, the regents and other CTC constituents will interview a select group of finalists.

CTC is working to become an accredited associate degree-granting institution. The regents hope to offer degrees in business and health administration initially, and then branch out to offer baccalaureate programs. Currently the college has support from more than 55 tribes in the State of California, which has the largest American Indian population in the United States. There are 110 federally recognized tribes in the state with a total combined population of more than 723,000. With the demise of D-Q University, there currently is no tribal post-secondary institution of higher learning in California. Like 36 tribal colleges that are members of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, CTC will require an enrollment that is at least 51% Native.

Heretofore, CTC has completed a comprehensive, two-phase feasibility study to assess the need for a tribal college in California; it has incorporated as a 501(c)(3); devised and adopted bylaws; elected officers and a board of regents; and developed and implemented a certificate program in tribal leadership and governance. The presidential search underscores the commitment of the regents to seeing their dream of creating a tribal college come to fruition.