The Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College, a land-grant, two-year public college founded in 1998, celebrated the completion of renovations and establishment of a new campus location in Mt, Pleasant, Michigan on Friday, March 1, 2024 with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribal Council Sub-Chief, Luke Sprague, and Tribal College President Carla Sineway participted at the ribbon cutting ceremony.
The move allows Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College to extend its unique partnership between the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe and the local community by equipping students with the skills needed to be transformational leaders in their tribal community. Additionally, keeping Covid 19 in mind, the newly renovated building offers increased open space to ensure safe social distancing capabilities.
The new campus building is located at 5805 E. Pickard Street in Mt. Pleasant.
In 1998, the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Council adopted a resolution establishing a tribally-controlled college and forming a governing Board of Regents. While the primary focus was to build a bridge between tribal members and higher education, the college was chartered as a public institution for all people in the community. In passing their resolution to establish the college, the Tribal Council sought to increase access to higher education and to expand educational and career opportunities for the tribal community. The Tribal Council also was taking responsibility to provide for the future of the tribe by investing in its most valuable resource, its members and employees. The establishment of Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College was an important step in an educational empowerment process that seeks to preserve and maintain the Saginaw Chippewa tribal culture.
The college strives to provide a quality learning experience and environment designed to sustain the cultural continuity of the Tribe from past to future generations.