Abstract
American-Indian and Alaska Native students attending Midwestern Regional University(MRU) are experiencing graduation rates lower than the national average. This
dissertation in practice attempts to solve this real-world problem by providing a voice for
the indigenous students at MRU so that services and policies can be adjusted to increase
the rate of degree attainment by American-Indian and Alaska Native students. In this
qualitative descriptive study, a literature review is used to examine the emergence of
higher education in the United States and its impact on tribal citizens, popular retention
theories, widely used academic and non-academic support services as well as programs
designed to affect specific populations. Literature reveals that services that are desired by
indigenous students often differ from the services provided by higher education
institutions. Data is collected by conducting eight interviews from MRU students
classified as juniors and who self-identify as a member of a federally recognized tribal
nation, observations of the researcher, document review and an environmental scan. By
seeking to understand the needs of others in order to best serve them, the data is analyzed
to provide recommendations of desired academic and non-academic support services that
are desired by American-Indian and Alaska Native students attending MRU. Finally,
implications and additional research contributing to the scientific body of knowledge are
identified.
Keywords: American-Indian and Alaska Native student support, graduation rates,
desired services, Indigenous voices