I have been following the issue of the University of Utah turning back funding to support the education of American Indian undergraduate and graduate students. The momentum for recruiting and educating these teachers has come to a halt. My question is "why did the U quietly stop the recruitment and education of potential American Indian undergraduates and graduate students?" In my community of Kayenta, Arizona many potential teacher aides and high school students were never formally informed of the U's decision to cut the funding. Our community benefited from the Four Corners Math and Science Program. This program is essential in educating the high school students which Mrs. Lodge is referring to. We now have several qualified American Indians who wanted to partake of all the great services offered by the American Indian Teacher Training Program Fellowship now stand here with their dreams crushed. After talking with several of these individuals from my community, we have lost faith in the U. The momentum of recruiting and educating teachers has come to a complete stop. Will the momentum ever be as great as the former AITTP? Our community of Kayenta, Arizona has yet to here from the U or Mrs. Lodge.

I know of one Ute Mountain Ute American Indian student who was recruited by the University of Utah for the now disbanded AITT Program. This individual came to Salt Lake City as a result of full support of her Tribal Council, Education Department, and most importantly her family. This individual was fully prepared to leave home and set on using the AITTP's complete support system as many of the former AITTP students have used so successfully. According to various reliable sources, several University of Utah administrator's halted the recruitment of qualified American Indian students for this program prior to any official meetings with many of the Tribal Governments and Education Departments regarding the possible closing of this program. This student has yet to receive an official letter regarding the closing of the AITTP. I am asking the University of Utah adminstrator's get their act together and inform this student as to why there was no notification prior to this student enrolling at the U. I am sure this student would have opted to go to another University which would have fully honored their claim to "committed to American Indian education."

If the University knew that Nola Lodge had these so called "connections" with the various American Indian tribes in the State of Utah (i.e., Shoshone, Navajo, Northern Ute, Ute Mountain Ute, Southern Ute, etc...) - "Prior to cutting the American Indian Teacher Training Program, why didn't the University put Nola in the AITTP directorship position or rename her the Principal Investigator?" Nola Lodge could have started "negotiations" with the various tribes affected by AITTP in January 2007! Another question - If Nola knew the University was not going to support the AITTP grant with $90,000 - Would Nola have fought and argued to keep the funding? Could Nola have fully completed the "Scope of Work" as outlined in the original grant? Did Nola even know the grant was going to be turned down for the 2008-2009 school year? Where is the $90,000 of "Utes" funding now directed? There are SO many questions with how the University of Utah administrator's have made decisions about this Federal grant. It was such a model program. I do not think the U could ever have enough of its own funding to exceed the sucess of the American Indian Teacher Training Program.

As a community member of Cove, New Mexico (Navajo Nation), i was looking into this program offered at the university of utah and felt this program was a great fit for my family and i. But i'm happy to know that i did not make the move to Salt Lake because i would have wasted about $ 2,000.00. This money would have been used for my moving expenses. My wife and i would have had to enroll our children in school and find a home or apartment near campus. In addition, my wife would have quit her job in our hometown then would have made the effort to find a suitable job in the Salt Lake. The University of Utah needs to inform the various tribes that the University is no longer offering the American Indian Teacher Training Program and to IMMEDIATELY change their webpage! There is an application you can still download, print and submit. I suggest the University of Utah put a full page ad notification in all the major American Indian newspapers throughout our country. Newspapers with specific focus on American Indians can be found on the "Native American Journal Association" webpage.

As a recent graduate of Northern Arizona University, i have been looking into completing course work towards fulfilling my requirements for a graduate degree in the education field (specifically Special Education). Upon hearing about the closing of the American Indian Teacher Education Program at the University of Utah, my family and i are greatly disappointed with the loss of this program. I have read in various Native American Education journals about the work from these American Indians students and how satisfied they were with the services offered. It was my hope to apply for the AITTP but i have yet to hear what the new "American Indian Teacher Program" has to offer compared to what was offered by the former AITTP. Please post information on the U's College of Education webpage so i may be able to make a decision soon about furthering my education at the University of Utah.

Since Mrs. Lodge is familiar with the AITTP's scope of work, will she be replicating the same recruitment goals (i.e. number of students to be accepted & approved) and services? How can i get a copy of the University of Utah's new "American Indian Teacher Program" mission statement, objectives, goals, undergraduate required course of study as related to the College of Education's AITP? How about the course of study for graduate students?

If the U only needed $90,000 as matching funds for the former AITTP, how are the managing to get $2,090,000 for the new AITP they now have in place at the college of ed? After hearing about how the University of Utah has treated the American Indian staff of AITTP, i am very upset that they are still allowed to use the "ute" name for their athletic teams! As American Indians we need to have a meeting at the Indian Walk-in Center to unite as a force in demanding the University of Utah honor the "UTES" in their scholarship promises. I propose we start weekly meetings to begin the process of appealing to the NCAA and prove how the U has failed the American Indians in general. If you want to be part of this movement, let's meet next week to begin organizing ourselves. NO MORE broken promises, pay or find another "athletic team name."

I'm so sick of these foreigners terrorizing our people in the 21st century! These people of european descent are still committing murder. The education murder of the Native Americans! I am certain there are many, many Utahns that would vote to use our "Utah State Education Funds" to educate these qualified Native American undergraduates and graduate students. There is no honor in causing the Native people of this great land to seek an education elsewhere. If we do not have any Native Americans studying at the "U", why do we want to even chant "Go Utes" at our football and basketball games?! It's terrible!

when do we expect lodge to submit her first grant to the Office of Indian Education?

Would it have been great if the University of Utah could have continued this "long term support" of American Indians for six years? I believe that is the longest length of time the U has specifically supported American Indians. Why does Mike Hardman think that there has been "long term support" for American Indians by this University?

Hardman that does not include wearing a t-shirt that says "Ute Athletics" or shouting "Go Utes" from the Suites at the football stadium! Come on Hardman. Reality bites.

So how would you describe the University of Utah's actions by not notifying the Tribal governments of their potential action of sending back funding?

Does Lodge stand behind the tactics of the University administrators'?

I do believe the actions of the University of Utah's President and Associate Dean-VP Dean, College of Education Dean calls for "denigrating" their actions. American Indian tribes everywhere are "denigrating" the U!

It's totally justifiable.

Keeping their decision secret is not a professional way of conducting business especially when children are involved.

As many Native Americans say "our children are our future." Wake up Lodge...this is what happened...the future has been sent to the dogs.

How do you propose this healing? How do you gain this trust? How do plan on mending the already broken fences? There are millions of miles of fence line broken and need repairs. Are you capable of such a feat?

It took two staff and several part-time staff to work in AITTP. Mrs. Lodge has a one ton gorilla on her back.

The former student is correct in stating that the University of Utah's commitment to American Indians will be proved by the amount of support (funds) required by Mrs. Lodge in her individual attempts to recruit and maintain the enrollment of a significant number of American Indians within the newly formed American Indian Teacher Program in the College of Education. To translate recruitment and support in a dollar amount is what i would like to know. How much money has the University committed for the 20080-2009 school year?

Lena Judee was hired after Tony Shirley left this post as the American Indian Program Coordinator within CESA. Has the funding amount for this program increased for this year? Is that not how we measure "commitment" these days? Sounds like the University increased their "commitment" to American Indians in this program by 10%. How much more money is the AIP at CESA receiving for the 2008-2009 school year? How many students must she recruit and maintain for this coming year?

Bev Fenton was hired as the American Indian Resource Center director. Eleven years after having no director, what are her recruitment goals for the 2008-2009? Where did the $2mill come from?

I've lost trust in mrs. lodge and other faculty at the U. Why were they afraid to tell us the truth. We had so many questions. But they would look like deer in headlights when asked the tough questions. Or avoid talking with students this last semester. It was very weird to have these adults acting like teenagers!

I wanted to apply for this program. I am from the community of Dennehotso. It is a shame i cannot apply for the teacher training program.

lodge's statement about the U being viewed as an "uncaring university" is yet to be seen. there are many examples out there that the U doesn't give a shoe about American Indians. if you look hard enough and ask the right people, they can be seen in plain sight! proven guilty in one month.

I believe Villanpanda told students at the American Indian Resource Center that the University did not want to rely on "grants" for funding.

In villanpans own words "they dry up." These were the words he spoke while explaining to students why AITTP was no longer a program offered at the U.

Now Nola has said she will be looking for grants?! What?! Very contradictory administration at the university.

Sounds like Nola has the "go" to write for competitive grants despite what Villanpandi told students this past semester.

The University administrator's might want to brief nola on the new rules on applying for grants...if it requires State of Utah Higher education funds, do not apply or the grant will be sent back!

Many Native American students were at this meeting. Just ask and they will tell you what was said at this meeting.

Sounds like another GRAMA request is due for the "plans, budget and scope of work" for the newly created "American Indian Teacher Program" at the University of Utah.

These documents would provide proof of the university's "long-term" commitment to American Indian Teacher education.

I'm sure the program's plans include recruitment policies, practices and community colleges to target, how to recruit american indian students, type of american indian students to recruit, which high schools to recruit from, how many students are to be recruited on a semester basis and expected recruitment number, etc...

I made the effort to search for information regarding the new American Indian Teacher Program at the University of Utah and did not find any information.

I was able to find the former American Indian Teacher Training Program along with an application.

Seems like the University of Utah administrators are throwing stuff together to make it appear as thought they have put a year's worth of effort into developing a new program.

Why continually lie about your efforts for American Indians?

Please admit your decision to turn the grant money away was a quickie.

...those were the words octavio used when describing the university's decision to give federal money back. so does that mean the federal government never gave the "U" any money thus leading to the conclusion of "it dried up"?

Young, Hardman, Vialpando, Pershing are united in a campaign against minorities. Now they are using Nola as a scapegoat for their mistakes. Nola, don't let them do it to you. The decision to send $2 million back cannot be justified no matter how you spin it. Whoever had the idea to return that money should be fired for lack of vision. Minorities at the U are mistreated at every level and Nola you know it. For years you have had the respect of all minorities. You are losing our respect and trust. Take a stand now. What legacy do you want to have? How do you want to be remembered? Pay attention to what has been written in the comments. This is how you will be remembered. Certainly you do not want to be thought of in the same category as Young, Pershing, Hardman and Vialpando are in the community. You know people who don't fit their narrow program are excluded. Watch out Nola, you could be next.