The board of trustees of Oglala Lakota College (OLC) has announced that longtime college president Thomas Shortbull will retire. He will turn over the leadership of the college on July 9, 2022.

“On behalf of the OLC board of trustees, we want to express our appreciation to President Shortbull for all he has done for our college, and especially his importance to our students, faculty, staff, and the Lakota people of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Rapid City, and the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation,” stated board president Dennis Brewer.

The Oglala Sioux Tribe chartered OLC on March 4, 1971, and a celebration of its 50^th Anniversary occurred in 2021. The college is appreciative of the support it has received from the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. 

President Shortbull, 75, has been the college’s president on two occasions from 1975-1979 and 1995-2022. In total, he has been president for 31 of the college’s 50-year history. During his first presidency, Shortbull played a significant role in Congress, helping with the passage the Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act (TCCCA), which provides operational funding to tribal colleges. In 1978, because of a request from President Shortbull, the Oglala Sioux Tribe transferred the use of a new tribal council building to the college. For the last 43 years, this building, named Piya Wiconi (New Life), has been OLC’s administrative headquarters.

On January 4, 1995, Shortbull returned to the college for his second presidency. Over the last 27 years, there have been major improvements in the college’s infrastructure. From 1995-1999, the new Woksape Tipi (library building) and new college centers at Pine Ridge, Porcupine, Oglala, Allen, Wanblee, Manderson, Martin, and Rapid City were completed. 

Other improvements during his tenure included a veteran’s monument; OLC historical center; student dormitories at Pine Ridge and Kyle; new Head Start centers at Wanblee, Kyle, Manderson, Martin; the renovation of the Pine Ridge Head Start center; a multi-purpose building housing a collegiate gym and faculty offices; a bookstore; a math and science building; an automotive classroom building; five faculty/staff housing units; and two new Kyle College Center buildings.

In 1995, the college’s operational budget was $6.8 million. Excluding CARES Act funding over the last two years, the college’s budget has averaged nearly $35 million over the past seven years. The college has also experienced growth in its endowment funds during President Shortbull’s tenure. In 1995, the college’s endowments were at $1.1 million. Today, OLC has a $1.3 million maintenance endowment, $37.5 million in faculty endowments, and $37.2 million in student scholarship endowments. 

In the early 1980s, OLC began a direct mail effort to raise funds from donors who were interested in helping the college offer higher education for the people on the Pine Ridge reservation. OLC is indebted to the friends of the college, including individuals, foundations, corporations, and federal programs who have maintained their confidence in the college through thick and thin. OLC’s current goal is to eventually raise funds so that every student attending OLC will have their financial needs met. This goal will likely take another 50 years. With OLC serving the second and third poorest counties in the United States, this is what necessitates the goal of having scholarships for unmet OLC students’ financial needs.

In 2005, Shortbull oversaw OLC’s management of the Pine Ridge reservation’s Head Start Program and has successfully provided early childhood education for children from birth to age five. In 2006, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe requested OLC to come onto their reservation to establish the Cheyenne River College Center, which has provided higher education services to students for 15 years.

Since 2010, the Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine has ranked all colleges and universities that produce the best results in graduating ethnic students. OLC has consistently ranked among the highest in graduating Native American students. In 2020, OLC was among the top 20 colleges to produce Native American graduates in Lakota studies, tribal law, general business, general construction, elementary and early childhood education, automotive technology, business administration, nursing, social work, and natural science.