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CMN Hosts Muscogee (Creek) Nation Legislative Day
The College of the Muscogee Nation (CMN) hosted members of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation (MCN) Council on campus for Legislative Day on May 12, 2023. The College developed the MCN Legislative Day event to provide an opportunity to showcase student success stories, faculty expertise, student support services, and strategic leadership. Council Members in attendance were Second Speaker Robert Hufft, Sergeant-At-Arms Thomasene Yahola-Osborn, Representative Anna Marshall, Representative Galen Cloud, Representative Randall Hicks, Representative Mary Crawford, Representative Joyce Deere, and Representative Joseph Hicks.
“The Tribal College developed the idea for the Legislative Day after years of attending the Tribal College and University Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C.,” stated CMN President Dr. Monte Randall. “Oklahoma Legislators invite state colleges and universities, which CMN is not, to the State Capitol each year, and we decided to hold our own here at the CMN Campus,” Randall stated. The event allowed Council Members to hear first-hand the impact of their financial investment in higher education and see the progress and future of the Tribal College.
Legislative Day began with an invocation provided by Native American Studies Instructor Norma Marshall and an opening reception and data walk. The data walk is a higher education practice displaying essential data sets such as enrollment, retention, graduation, and degree programs on posters for participants to view. Council Members met with students/alums, faculty, and student support staff members in separate closed one-on-one sessions to share success stories and give program updates. The CMN Leadership Team provided an open session for the Council Members and the campus community to discuss the five-year strategic plan and provide an overview of the direction for continued growth. The Legislative Day concluded with a debrief in the open session and positive comments from each Council Representative and CMN Board of Regents Member, Sharon Mouss.
“I enjoyed meeting the National Council members that came and talking about how CMN has impacted the students and community,” stated CMN Academic Resource Specialist Candis Hake. Students and graduates are CMN’s greatest resource and provide context to the term success. Faculty leadership in professional development and student learning assessment is crucial to any institution, and CMN demonstrated that capability on campus. Student support services often play a background role, but at CMN, these services are essential for retention and graduation.
The College of the Muscogee Nation would like to thank the MCN National Council for its continued support. As the institution of higher education for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, we must continue to teach the legacy of our ancestors, culture, values, and language to maintain self-determination.
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The College of the Muscogee Nation is Oklahoma’s premier tribal college offering exemplary academic degree programs and student services preparing leaders in tribal and non-tribal sectors.