Butte College
News Announcement

Butte College Awarded $1.5 Million to Support Native American Student Success

Butte College has been selected as one of the 20 California Community Colleges to receive the Native American Student Support and Success Program Grant (NASSSP). This grant, administered by the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, aims to strengthen educational pathways, ensure success, develop leaders and increase mentorship opportunities for Native American students.

Under the five-year grant, Butte College will receive a one-time allocation of $1.5 million, disbursed from July 2023 to July 2028. Funding will be provided in two phases. Phase one, scheduled for distribution in June 2023, will allocate $600,000 per college. Phase two, with a distribution target of July 2025, will provide $900,000 per college.

The Native American Student Support and Success Program Grant aims to support Native American students through a range of services. Butte College plans to integrate peer mentorship with other student success initiatives, establish course-specific cohorts, enhance counseling and wraparound student services, provide faculty and staff professional development training, and create a full-time program coordinator and tribal liaison position. This coordinator will facilitate collaboration between the college and local Native American tribes to develop and implement the program.

To receive phase one funding, Butte College will develop a program plan outlining its commitment to meeting the legislative requirements and advancing success outcomes for its Native American Students by fall 2023 and an annual report by July 1, 2024. The funding decision for phase two will be finalized before July 2025. 

Butte College is a leader among California Community Colleges in supporting the success and achievement of Native Students. Last year, they were among the first colleges to create a Native American Center on campus and employ a Native American retention specialist. Under the Center's leadership, the college re-wrote its land acknowledgment with guidance from local tribes and hosted the first Big Time celebration on campus. The Native American Student Support and Success Program Grant will allow the college to build upon its programs to support the needs of its Native American Students. 

"We are honored to receive the Native American Student Support and Success Program Grant," said Virginia Guleff, superintendent/president of Butte College. "This funding will allow us to enhance our support services and empower Native American students to achieve their educational goals. We look forward to collaborating with local tribes and implementing a comprehensive program that promotes success and leadership among Native American students."

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About Native American Student Support and Success Program:

Assembly Bill 183 Article 11 allocates one-time, $30 million funding to the Chancellor's Office to establish the Native American Student Support and Success Program (NASSSP) in no more than 20 community colleges to develop local Native American student support and success programs and deliver the services described in Section 78212 of California's Education Code.  

About Butte College:

Butte College is an accredited community college that serves approximately 15,000 students a year. Butte College is a student-ready, rural community college that provides high-quality, accessible education and support. Our career and transfer pathways cultivate curiosity and critical thinking through instruction, workforce training, and the achievement of associate degrees and certificates. Butte College is a Hispanic-Serving Institution that affirms its commitment to equity for the diverse, intersectional communities we serve.