Dean's Desk: A Message from Teisha Simmons

As the academic year closes, the College of Indigenous Studies is reflecting with deep gratitude on all that our students, faculty, staff, and partners have accomplished together. From Troth Yeddha' Campus in Fairbanks to our rural campuses, this has been a year of perseverance, creativity, and commitment to Indigenous knowledge and community-centered education.

This spring’s commencement ceremonies were a clear reminder of that commitment. On the Troth Yeddha' Campus, we celebrated hundreds of students receiving their certificates, associates degrees, bachelor’s degrees, and graduate degrees. Many of our graduates reached these milestones while working, raising children, caring for Elders, serving in Tribal and community roles, volunteering, mentoring, and carrying cultural and language responsibilities.

Our rural campus commencements were equally powerful. These celebrations honored students who completed their studies in the unique conditions of rural Alaska, where our beautiful ancestral lands thrive with opportunities and also bring unique challenges. Graduates balanced classes with subsistence, weather disruptions, limited connectivity, and travel uncertainties. Their success reflects both individual determination and the strength of families, Elders, and communities who supported them.

We are especially proud that so many CIS graduates are already serving their communities as educators, language workers, Tribal and city leaders, early childhood professionals, health and wellness staff, and advocates. They are bringing together university learning and Indigenous knowledge in ways that directly benefit their home regions.

Looking ahead, the College of Indigenous Studies remains committed to expanding access to culturally grounded education in rural and urban Alaska, strengthening pathways from endorsements and certificates to advanced degrees, and supporting Indigenous language and community-based work. We will continue to center the whole student and the whole community in all that we do.

To our graduates, current students, partners, and supporters, we offer our heartfelt thanks. The success of this year’s commencements shows that higher education in Alaska can be rigorous, relational, and firmly rooted in place. We look forward to all we will continue to build together in the coming year.

Warmly,

Teisha Simmons