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| Type | Publictriballand-grantcommunity college |
|---|---|
| Established | 1971 |
Parent institution | Bureau of Indian Affairs |
Academic affiliations | Space-grant |
| President | Tamarah Pfeiffer |
| Undergraduates | 233 (all undergraduate) (2024)[1] |
| Location | Albuquerque postal address ,,United States |
| Campus | urban/suburbanreserve |
| Website | sipi.edu |
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Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) is apublictriballand-grantcommunity college inunincorporatedBernalillo County, New Mexico,[2] with anAlbuquerque postal address.[3] It is federally operated by theBureau of Indian Affairs and funded through theBureau of Indian Education, both agencies within theUnited States Department of the Interior. More than 120 different Indian Tribes are represented in SIPI's student body.[4][5]
The Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute was conceived by theAll Indian Pueblo Council, who envisioned a post-secondary school that could serve the Native American community. Collective efforts with tribal leaders, public officials, and interested citizens resulted in the school's founding in 1971; dedication ceremonies were held on August 21, 1971. September 16, 1971, was the first day of classes. It operated initially on an "open-entry, open-exit system" of individualized training. It was funded by theBureau of Indian Education, within theBureau of Indian Affairs.
In 1974, SIPI was awarded a citation for Excellence of Service. By 1975, SIPI was accredited at the Certificate Level by theNorth Central Association of Colleges and Schools.[6]
In 1994, the college was designated as aland-grant college, together with 31 other tribal colleges.[7]
It lost its accreditation in July 2010 and had been designated a "candidate" by theHigher Learning Commission.[8] On March 12, 2014 SIPI was awarded "Initial Accreditation" by theHigher Learning Commission.[9]
A statement on the college's webpage says the following: "Current accreditation status: SIPI is currently accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). In 2018, the HLC Commission informed SIPI that it was re-accredited upholding its degree and certification programs as a result of the prior year comprehensive evaluation. SIPI successfully demonstrated that it met established standards. In September 2023, SIPI will have a comprehensive review conducted by an on-site review team as part of the regular reaffirmation cycle."[10]
SIPI is inunincorporatedBernalillo County, New Mexico,[2] with anAlbuquerque postal address.[3] It is adjacent to northwest Albuquerque.[11]
SIPI is located on approximately 164 acres (66 ha) of land. SIPI is located in the center of New Mexico’s agricultural and high-tech corridors (Los Alamos andSandia National Laboratories, andIntel Corporation), major universities and the largest technical force within a 500-mile radius. SIPI's state-of the-art Science and Technology Center includes 12 research and teaching laboratories, 10 classrooms, two distance learning rooms, a 500-seat auditorium, faculty offices and conference rooms.[11]
SIPI has agreements with theUniversity of New Mexico,New Mexico State University, andNew Mexico Highlands University to ensure better recruitment, transfer, and retention rates for Native Americans so that students may easily transfer to four-year and graduate programs. The college has also established agreements with regional public institutions outside of New Mexico.[4]
SIPI is a member of theAmerican Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), which is a community of tribally and federally chartered institutions working to strengthen tribal nations. SIPI was created to serve higher education needs of American Indians. SIPI generally serves geographically isolated populations who do not have ready access to higher education.[4]
The institute lost its accreditation from theHigher Learning Commission in July 2010.[12] On March 12, 2014, SIPI was awarded "Initial Accreditation" by theHigher Learning Commission and is once again accredited by the agency.[13]
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Inst- also seen in:"2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Bernalillo County, NM"(PDF).U.S. Census Bureau. p. 26 (PDF p. 27/41). Retrieved2023-11-06.
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35°10′29″N106°39′57″W / 35.1747°N 106.6658°W /35.1747; -106.6658
