Page 22 - November report 2023

IAIA SITE VISIT
OCTOBER 5, 2023
IAIA Meeting Participants
Mattie Reynolds - Blazer Gallery Director Phillipe Colon - Dean
Melanie Buchleither - Registrar
Dr. Robert Martin - President
JSF Participants
Richard Williams - Indigenous Program Consultant John Glover - Indigenous Program Consultant
Program Progress Reports
Mattie started by sharing an update for the Minority Development Agency (Department of Commerce) that had been funded last year. This 2-year grant focused on a campus-wide business course development initiative and an expansion of the adjunct faculty pool.
Ms. Buchleither announced that IAIA was developing a significant relationship with Nike. It started as a conversation about designs and quickly moved into a comprehensive relationship that will include intern opportunities at Nike. We need to continue to monitor this relationship.
Two students joined us; one was Wiyaka Foster, he is my nephew, and I had no contact with anyone at IAIA about supporting him with a JSF award. I stay away from conflicts of interest and nepotism. I am responsible for reporting any connections that could be a conflict of interest. He has a great product line, and I bought some of his products at the IAIA bookstore. The other student who joined us was Zonnie Miera, who is graduating this semester with her business certificate along with a BFA in museum studies.
Desk audit
I conducted a desk audit and found that one student who had been previously funded did not receive funding for this semester. They explained that the student had received full funding from her Tribe and was no longer eligible.
Follow-Up E-mail with Mattie Reynolds
In a follow-up email, Mattie Reynolds stated:
“Based on a conversation that John and I had during lunch, IAIA would like to request that JSF allow for the removal of the “demonstrates financial need” requirement from the JSF Student Scholarship Application.
As we discussed, award amounts to eligible students have been affected by our inability to award amounts beyond the FAFSA calculation for unmet need. As observed in our most recent awards, an increasing number of students are only eligible for small award amounts, well under the JSF Scholarship award parameters.
Unfortunately, FAFSA does not yet consider the depth and breadth of financial responsibilities that our Indigenous student population commonly experiences, such as childcare, elder care, health care, housing, and food insecurity...
By removing “demonstrates financial need” from the JSF Scholarship requirements, the JSF Scholarship Award Committee can more accurately and holistically consider an eligible student’s financial circumstance and award scholarship amounts that more impactfully support student success in the IAIA Business and Entrepreneurship program.”
Page 20 November Report