January 10, 2023

Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that we have successfully completed the search for our first Assistant Vice President for Indigenous and Native American Affairs. Patrese Atine is currently Director of Congressional and Federal Relations for the American Indian Higher Education Consortium in Washington DC and brings more than a decade of exceptional experience as a Tribal higher education advocate. She will join us at CSU March 1 as our new AVP, reporting directly to the president.

This is a significant and powerful step forward for CSU in its commitment to Indigenous and Native American people and communities. I particularly want to recognize the leadership of our CSU Native American Advisory Council, which not only envisioned and advocated for the position but helped lead the search to its successful conclusion. Their leadership and hard work to make this position a reality deserves our gratitude and recognition. This same group, with my support and that of CSU System Chancellor Frank, also persuaded the Board of Governors of the CSU System to transfer authority for up to $500,000 of annual revenues from properties CSU still retains from its original land grant – traditionally Tribal lands seized from Tribes in the 19th century to fund the creation of state universities – to support the work of this position and outreach to Tribal and Indigenous populations.

Land-grant universities were originally funded with the seizure and sale of Native lands by federal and state governments. This new leadership position and initial funding are a small step toward acknowledging that CSU’s creation came at an enormous and devastating cost to the Indigenous people of this country.

Thank you again to the Native American Advisory Council and the full search committee for bringing the search to a great result. I hope you will join me in welcoming Patrese Atine to CSU this spring.

-Rick

Dr. Rick Miranda

Interim President
Professor of Mathematics