Justin Ries
Staff Writer
The University of La Verne and the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians have created a partnership to expand higher education access to Native American students.
This partnership was signed by ULV Vice President of Enrollment Management Alaina Dunn and Soboba Band Chairman Isaiah Vivanco on July 26 during the Soboba Band’s annual Academic Achievement Awards.
“A partnership like this is very much part of our value set,” Dunn said.
The Soboba Band has a current enrollment of over 1,600 tribal members that are governed by the tribal council.
The Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians are primarily based in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
The members live both on and off the San Jacinto-based reservation. Their ancestry is from indigenous Cahuilla and Luiseño who were here before Mexican and American settlers in the area. The Soboba has a five-member tribal council that governs the tribe, where they serve staggered two-year terms.
This partnership will help focus on the Soboba commitment to education for their tribe by creating pathways to college for Native American students.
“Having this opportunity for our students is key, because we want to promote the higher education component,” Vivanco said.
He added however that “a lot of times our students are geared up and ready to go to these universities, but when they get there, having left the reservation for the first time to attend a major university, it can be a culture shock.
La Verne will help with the transition with support systems for students and their families, including tours and opportunities to have questions answered, information sessions and more for parents to understand what their students will be gaining in the classroom and the University community. Incoming students will also learn about safety, mental health and academic support available on campus.
“I think it just gives the students a little more of a warm welcome,” Geneva Mojado, vice-chair of the Soboba Tribal Council said.
“I think the goal is for each of us, each of these organizations to benefit mutually,” Dunn said.
“For us, it is really about two things. One is getting students enrolled. A partnership like this is very much part of our value set.”
The Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians have similar partnerships with Cal State San Marcos, Cal State San Bernardino, University of Redlands and Mt. San Jacinto College.
The La Verne partnership is split up into two parts.
Students attending the Noli Indian School in San Jacinto, and other graduating high school students who are enrolled members of the Soboba Band will be guaranteed admission if they meet certain criteria. Admitted students will be guaranteed scholarships of around $19,000 which can change year to year due to tuition cost.
They will also receive guaranteed support from ULV for admissions events and outreach for Soboba Tribal students and families.
Housing is not part of the partnership if they choose to live on campus instead of commuting from the reservation in San Jacinto, which is about 60 miles southeast of the University.
The second part of the agreement is for the employees and spouses of the Soboba Band Luiseño Indians, including non-traditional age students.
“The University serves multiple learning groups,” said Alison Rodriguez, director of enrollment partnerships at La Verne. “We have traditional daytime programming, our traditional undergraduate programs that we offer, and we have a pipeline we work with.
“We also serve adult learners and the University has served adult learners for 60-plus years, in various capacities,” Rodriguez said.
This part of the agreement involves up to a 30% discount for the Soboba adult and non-traditional learners.
“Seeing where there could be synergies and how we can support incoming students, I think that was a number one priority,” Rodriguez said.
Justin Ries can be reached at justin.ries@laverne.edu.
Justin Ries is a junior journalism major with a concentration in broadcast journalism, and is a staff writer for the Campus Times.
