Diné College Provost Unveils Academic Plans for 2026-2027 School Year
TSAILE, Ariz., August 10, 2026. Diné College Provost Patrick Blackwater outlined a set of major academic initiatives for the 2026-2027 school year during the college’s 2026 Fall Convocation for Academic Affairs. He shared plans to improve student support, update key policies, and build stronger ties between faculty and staff. Blackwater said the Office of the Provost will lead two great efforts this year. The first is a revision of the college’s Academic Master Plan. The second is a new Strategic Enrollment Master Plan that focuses on student onboarding, wellbeing, and campus safety.
“A lot of these initiatives are faculty-driven, and we need to make sure that the faculty are involved, but also student voices are involved,” Blackwater said.
The Strategic Enrollment Master Plan aims to make it easier for students to enroll and register for classes. Blackwater said the college wants to streamline that process and serve students across all campuses and centers. He added that the plan looks at the whole student, including body, mind, and spirit, along with campus safety.
Blackwater also announced work on faculty policies. He said he wants to create a fair faculty workload policy so that duties are shared equitably across the college. He plans to work with faculty task forces to shape that policy. The college will also update its policy on artificial intelligence. Blackwater said a faculty AI policy already exists but has not been approved. He called for the college to revise the policy and move it through the approval process.
Diné College reported strong course passing rates over the past year. According to the Office of Institutional Reporting and Planning, students posted an 80% passing rate in face-to-face courses and a 79% passing rate in online courses. Blackwater praised faculty and students for these results. Blackwater noted that the college remains a face-to-face institution under its Higher Learning Commission for accreditation. As a result, faculty must teach at least 51% of their classes in person.
The provost also introduced new Canvas portal requirements. He said the goal is to make sure classes are ready for students on the first day. Faculty were asked to post their syllabi in their portals, even for in-person courses. “We’re doing this to ensure that courses and classes are ready for students,” Blackwater said.
He added that the college will centralize General Education assessment materials in Canvas. This step will make artifacts easier for faculty to find and submit.
Blackwater closed his remarks by recognizing faculty for their work on assessment. He praised the School of Business and Social Science for submitting 100% of its artifacts last semester. “Thank you for submitting all your artifacts,” Blackwater said.
About Diné College
Diné College is the first tribally controlled and accredited collegiate institution in the United States. Founded to serve the Navajo Nation, the college integrates Diné values, language, and culture with rigorous academic study, preparing students to thrive in their communities and beyond. Through a commitment to student success, cultural identity, and lifelong learning, Diné College advances educational opportunity grounded in the principles of Sa’ąh Naagháí Bik’eh Hózhóón.
