Tohono O'Odham Community College: A Primer

[MEarlBITW]

Good morning, everyone!

So, after a discussion with our wonderful modmin team, I have taken it upon myself to create a primer for anyone who might be interested in attending TOCC. Before I dive in, I just want to make a couple of points:

1. TOCC is extremely old school. I'm talking paper and and pen/snail mail old school. Everything is done in house, including transcripts, and they only mail hard copies of officials. TOCC is the pride of a Native tribe that has the third largest reservation (by size) in the United States, but a tribal population of less than 20k. The staff is warm, helpful, and sincere in their desire to help students, but it's a small operation. Bear this in mind when working with them. Phone calls get you further than emails.

2. The culture, traditions, and standards in a tribal college environment are a little different. There is a greater focus on the collective, and collaborative learning is an honored tradition. A little respect, and mindfulness, go a long way. I'm providing this as a guide for others who might be interested in joining the TOCC community. Please be polite, respectful, and do not overwhelm them.

Now, to the good stuff:


I found TOCC during the COVID shutdown era. In fact, I managed to stumble across them when they were offering tuition for free. Most tribes were extremely proactive during COVID, and went online sooner (and stayed longer) than most institutions. However, online learning had been a small part of their offering until that point, so it took a lot of coordination and effort to move everything online en masse. They did a wonderful job! A lot of their courses remain online, but they are often scheduled with meeting times via Zoom, if I remember correctly. There are some asynchronous offerings. Unless you're doing a studio practicum, its easy to find their courses online.

I have two degrees from TOCC: An AA in Liberal Arts and an AA in Social Work. I earned both of these in two semesters, as I transferred in a boatload of credits. I have linked my transcript HERE, which redirects to my website and shows all of my degree work. In short, I waked in needing only 15 credits to finish the AALA. The degree plan for the AALA can be found HERE. The 15 credits, however, is a little bit of a misnomer, as everyone is require to take both the three-credit HIS 122 Tohono O’odham History and Culture course and a full four-credit Tohono O’odham Language course (THO 101 or THO 106). Funny point, all full-time employees are required to take those courses as well! The language course is the biggie here. Since everyone has to take it, and two-credit courses are not common, everyone usually ends up with 16 credits, and not 15. Keep in mind, though, that it's the same number of classes (5). 

As far as the language course itself is concerned, be ready for a bit of a challenge, especially as a non-Native speaker. I've taken two Native language courses, and they are a fair challenge even for linguists. While the TOL borrows a little from Spanish, it, like most Native languages, does not have a real root in Germanic, Slavic, or Romance languages. Therefore, most were translated phonetically, and there's a bit of a disconnect. The good news is that the staff teaching TOL is EXTREMELY understanding of the difficulty of the language, especially for non-Native speakers. THO 101 was my only B at TOCC, but they helped me earn it, and they'll help you too. 

In regards to HIS 122: this is where your mindfulness will come into play. Let me start by saying that everyone at TOCC is extremely understanding of the cultural disconnect between the O'odham people and the outside world. They're not there to shame or ridicule you, and this isn't a non-Native guilt thing. Yet, just like every culture, religion, and nationality in the world, there are some unique aspects of culture that can be easy to stumble over. For example, there was an assignment discussing landmarks, and I was assigned a particular mountain to discuss. However, the tribe fell silent during a certain part of the year when discussing the mountain. When the time came for me to present in class, I followed custom and fell silent. Our professor was grateful that I honored custom, and I simply emailed my presentation to him and received full credit. And while I should point out that nobody would have been angry at me, and I would have not been penalized, a little respect and understanding went a long way. Side note: if you get to take this course with Dwayne Pierce, do so! He is incredible.

The rest of my AALA courses were standard, boilerplate offerings you would find anywhere else. That's not to say that the quality of the courses was bad. Like most institutions, TOCC employs adjuncts to teach a large portion of their catalog, and I'm sure a lot of the courses offered at TOCC are the same courses you'd find at many Arizona community colleges. Just stay on top of your work and you'll be fine.  

Some key points to remember:

1. You're paying $36 per credit hour for regionally-accredited college credits. There's not a better deal anywhere. You're also gonna get much more 1 on 1 interaction with faculty than you would at, say, a UofPeople. 

2. 45 credits can be transferred in, HOWEVER, only 30 of those can come from CLEP, AP, testing out, etc. That being said, With the 7 free credits at Pima, the 3 at Jax State, and the 1 at Clackamas, it shouldn't be too hard to find a cheap pathway. Worst case scenario, you pay less than $200 for 5 extra credits.

3. I'll leave it to someone else to do the Sophia research. I've been pestering them for transcripts lately, and I don't want to be an annoyance. This may be a pathway. I'm not sure.

4. I have linked my graduation application HERE. It breaks down what I took, and how my transfer credits worked. The registrar is open to conversations to help your transfer credit fit into your degree. Don't be afraid to ask. 

I'm sure I've left some stuff out, but, if you pay for the entire degree out of pocket, with no transfers, its $2196 plus some small fees. If you transfer in the max credits, its $540 for a regionally-accredited degree that has a transfer agreement with every public 4-year college in Arizona (including ASU, which could make for some fascinatingly cheap 4-year options). 

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask!

Ske:g Taṣ!

- Martin

[FireMedic_Philosopher]

Good morning, everyone!

So, after a discussion with our wonderful modmin team, I have taken it upon myself to create a primer for anyone who might be interested in attending TOCC. Before I dive in, I just want to make a couple of points:

1. TOCC is extremely old school. I'm talking paper and and pen/snail mail old school. Everything is done in house, including transcripts, and they only mail hard copies of officials. TOCC is the pride of a Native tribe that has the third largest reservation (by size) in the United States, but a tribal population of less than 20k. The staff is warm, helpful, and sincere in their desire to help students, but it's a small operation. Bear this in mind when working with them. Phone calls get you further than emails.

2. The culture, traditions, and standards in a tribal college environment are a little different. There is a greater focus on the collective, and collaborative learning is an honored tradition. A little respect, and mindfulness, go a long way. I'm providing this as a guide for others who might be interested in joining the TOCC community. Please be polite, respectful, and do not overwhelm them.

Now, to the good stuff:


I found TOCC during the COVID shutdown era. In fact, I managed to stumble across them when they were offering tuition for free. Most tribes were extremely proactive during COVID, and went online sooner (and stayed longer) than most institutions. However, online learning had been a small part of their offering until that point, so it took a lot of coordination and effort to move everything online en masse. They did a wonderful job! A lot of their courses remain online, but they are often scheduled with meeting times via Zoom, if I remember correctly. There are some asynchronous offerings. Unless you're doing a studio practicum, its easy to find their courses online.

I have two degrees from TOCC: An AA in Liberal Arts and an AA in Social Work. I earned both of these in two semesters, as I transferred in a boatload of credits. I have linked my transcript HERE, which redirects to my website and shows all of my degree work. In short, I waked in needing only 15 credits to finish the AALA. The degree plan for the AALA can be found HERE. The 15 credits, however, is a little bit of a misnomer, as everyone is require to take both the three-credit HIS 122 Tohono O’odham History and Culture course and a full four-credit Tohono O’odham Language course (THO 101 or THO 106). Funny point, all full-time employees are required to take those courses as well! The language course is the biggie here. Since everyone has to take it, and two-credit courses are not common, everyone usually ends up with 16 credits, and not 15. Keep in mind, though, that it's the same number of classes (5). 

As far as the language course itself is concerned, be ready for a bit of a challenge, especially as a non-Native speaker. I've taken two Native language courses, and they are a fair challenge even for linguists. While the TOL borrows a little from Spanish, it, like most Native languages, does not have a real root in Germanic, Slavic, or Romance languages. Therefore, most were translated phonetically, and there's a bit of a disconnect. The good news is that the staff teaching TOL is EXTREMELY understanding of the difficulty of the language, especially for non-Native speakers. THO 101 was my only B at TOCC, but they helped me earn it, and they'll help you too. 

In regards to HIS 122: this is where your mindfulness will come into play. Let me start by saying that everyone at TOCC is extremely understanding of the cultural disconnect between the O'odham people and the outside world. They're not there to shame or ridicule you, and this isn't a non-Native guilt thing. Yet, just like every culture, religion, and nationality in the world, there are some unique aspects of culture that can be easy to stumble over. For example, there was an assignment discussing landmarks, and I was assigned a particular mountain to discuss. However, the tribe fell silent during a certain part of the year when discussing the mountain. When the time came for me to present in class, I followed custom and fell silent. Our professor was grateful that I honored custom, and I simply emailed my presentation to him and received full credit. And while I should point out that nobody would have been angry at me, and I would have not been penalized, a little respect and understanding went a long way. Side note: if you get to take this course with Dwayne Pierce, do so! He is incredible.

The rest of my AALA courses were standard, boilerplate offerings you would find anywhere else. That's not to say that the quality of the courses was bad. Like most institutions, TOCC employs adjuncts to teach a large portion of their catalog, and I'm sure a lot of the courses offered at TOCC are the same courses you'd find at many Arizona community colleges. Just stay on top of your work and you'll be fine.  

Some key points to remember:

1. You're paying $36 per credit hour for regionally-accredited college credits. There's not a better deal anywhere. You're also gonna get much more 1 on 1 interaction with faculty than you would at, say, a UofPeople. 

2. 45 credits can be transferred in, HOWEVER, only 30 of those can come from CLEP, AP, testing out, etc. That being said, With the 7 free credits at Pima, the 3 at Jax State, and the 1 at Clackamas, it shouldn't be too hard to find a cheap pathway. Worst case scenario, you pay less than $200 for 5 extra credits.

3. I'll leave it to someone else to do the Sophia research. I've been pestering them for transcripts lately, and I don't want to be an annoyance. This may be a pathway. I'm not sure.

4. I have linked my graduation application HERE. It breaks down what I took, and how my transfer credits worked. The registrar is open to conversations to help your transfer credit fit into your degree. Don't be afraid to ask. 

I'm sure I've left some stuff out, but, if you pay for the entire degree out of pocket, with no transfers, its $2196 plus some small fees. If you transfer in the max credits, its $540 for a regionally-accredited degree that has a transfer agreement with every public 4-year college in Arizona (including ASU, which could make for some fascinatingly cheap 4-year options). 

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask!

Ske:g Taṣ!

- Martin

Three questions please.

1) As someone who is not Native /First Nations, is the application process any different than other schools?

2)Can you explain the AA in Social Work? I Honestly never knew they existed. What were the classes, Were there required clinical or observation hours? Does the program prepare you for an certification exam or provide any social work license in Arizona?

3)Finally, were most of your classes done "live" via zoom, or were most asynchronous?

Thank you for your time.

[MEarlBITW]

Good morning, everyone!

So, after a discussion with our wonderful modmin team, I have taken it upon myself to create a primer for anyone who might be interested in attending TOCC. Before I dive in, I just want to make a couple of points:

1. TOCC is extremely old school. I'm talking paper and and pen/snail mail old school. Everything is done in house, including transcripts, and they only mail hard copies of officials. TOCC is the pride of a Native tribe that has the third largest reservation (by size) in the United States, but a tribal population of less than 20k. The staff is warm, helpful, and sincere in their desire to help students, but it's a small operation. Bear this in mind when working with them. Phone calls get you further than emails.

2. The culture, traditions, and standards in a tribal college environment are a little different. There is a greater focus on the collective, and collaborative learning is an honored tradition. A little respect, and mindfulness, go a long way. I'm providing this as a guide for others who might be interested in joining the TOCC community. Please be polite, respectful, and do not overwhelm them.

Now, to the good stuff:


I found TOCC during the COVID shutdown era. In fact, I managed to stumble across them when they were offering tuition for free. Most tribes were extremely proactive during COVID, and went online sooner (and stayed longer) than most institutions. However, online learning had been a small part of their offering until that point, so it took a lot of coordination and effort to move everything online en masse. They did a wonderful job! A lot of their courses remain online, but they are often scheduled with meeting times via Zoom, if I remember correctly. There are some asynchronous offerings. Unless you're doing a studio practicum, its easy to find their courses online.

I have two degrees from TOCC: An AA in Liberal Arts and an AA in Social Work. I earned both of these in two semesters, as I transferred in a boatload of credits. I have linked my transcript HERE, which redirects to my website and shows all of my degree work. In short, I waked in needing only 15 credits to finish the AALA. The degree plan for the AALA can be found HERE. The 15 credits, however, is a little bit of a misnomer, as everyone is require to take both the three-credit HIS 122 Tohono O’odham History and Culture course and a full four-credit Tohono O’odham Language course (THO 101 or THO 106). Funny point, all full-time employees are required to take those courses as well! The language course is the biggie here. Since everyone has to take it, and two-credit courses are not common, everyone usually ends up with 16 credits, and not 15. Keep in mind, though, that it's the same number of classes (5). 

As far as the language course itself is concerned, be ready for a bit of a challenge, especially as a non-Native speaker. I've taken two Native language courses, and they are a fair challenge even for linguists. While the TOL borrows a little from Spanish, it, like most Native languages, does not have a real root in Germanic, Slavic, or Romance languages. Therefore, most were translated phonetically, and there's a bit of a disconnect. The good news is that the staff teaching TOL is EXTREMELY understanding of the difficulty of the language, especially for non-Native speakers. THO 101 was my only B at TOCC, but they helped me earn it, and they'll help you too. 

In regards to HIS 122: this is where your mindfulness will come into play. Let me start by saying that everyone at TOCC is extremely understanding of the cultural disconnect between the O'odham people and the outside world. They're not there to shame or ridicule you, and this isn't a non-Native guilt thing. Yet, just like every culture, religion, and nationality in the world, there are some unique aspects of culture that can be easy to stumble over. For example, there was an assignment discussing landmarks, and I was assigned a particular mountain to discuss. However, the tribe fell silent during a certain part of the year when discussing the mountain. When the time came for me to present in class, I followed custom and fell silent. Our professor was grateful that I honored custom, and I simply emailed my presentation to him and received full credit. And while I should point out that nobody would have been angry at me, and I would have not been penalized, a little respect and understanding went a long way. Side note: if you get to take this course with Dwayne Pierce, do so! He is incredible.

The rest of my AALA courses were standard, boilerplate offerings you would find anywhere else. That's not to say that the quality of the courses was bad. Like most institutions, TOCC employs adjuncts to teach a large portion of their catalog, and I'm sure a lot of the courses offered at TOCC are the same courses you'd find at many Arizona community colleges. Just stay on top of your work and you'll be fine.  

Some key points to remember:

1. You're paying $36 per credit hour for regionally-accredited college credits. There's not a better deal anywhere. You're also gonna get much more 1 on 1 interaction with faculty than you would at, say, a UofPeople. 

2. 45 credits can be transferred in, HOWEVER, only 30 of those can come from CLEP, AP, testing out, etc. That being said, With the 7 free credits at Pima, the 3 at Jax State, and the 1 at Clackamas, it shouldn't be too hard to find a cheap pathway. Worst case scenario, you pay less than $200 for 5 extra credits.

3. I'll leave it to someone else to do the Sophia research. I've been pestering them for transcripts lately, and I don't want to be an annoyance. This may be a pathway. I'm not sure.

4. I have linked my graduation application HERE. It breaks down what I took, and how my transfer credits worked. The registrar is open to conversations to help your transfer credit fit into your degree. Don't be afraid to ask. 

I'm sure I've left some stuff out, but, if you pay for the entire degree out of pocket, with no transfers, its $2196 plus some small fees. If you transfer in the max credits, its $540 for a regionally-accredited degree that has a transfer agreement with every public 4-year college in Arizona (including ASU, which could make for some fascinatingly cheap 4-year options). 

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask!

Ske:g Taṣ!

- Martin

Three questions please.

1) As someone who is not Native /First Nations, is the application process any different than other schools?

2)Can you explain the AA in Social Work? I Honestly never knew they existed. What were the classes, Were there required clinical or observation hours? Does the program prepare you for an certification exam or provide any social work license in Arizona?

3)Finally, were most of your classes done "live" via zoom, or were most asynchronous?

Thank you for your time.

1. To my knowledge, no. I know the financial aid process is different, as Native Americans get free tuition through the American Indian College Fund, but the application is straightforward, and they're open enrollment, like most CCs.

2. The Social Work AA is tribal-focused, and tends to lend itself more to issues of social work on the reservation. There are additional certificates in social services and substance abuse/addiction studies, but they only require a couple of classes beyond the core. It does not provide you witn any licensure, although it is a prep program for most BA social work programs, where you would gain that. There is a requirement of "40 hours of volunteer/service-learning experience in local tribal and community settings" in SWU 291, but they were pretty flexible on what you could do to meet that. I'm an adjunct, so they let me use my office hours to meet that requirement.

3. It was a hybrid. Some weeks we would meet, and some were non-meeting weeks. 

Glad to help!

[ss20ts]

Looks like they are offering quite a few courses virtually! Including studio art courses. This could be helpful for someone looking to attend UMPI and fulfill a GEC with an actual art course and for someone looking to complete an art degree at TESU.

They have courses listed as Virtual and Online. What's the difference?

ETA: Virtual has set meeting times? Online is asynchronous?

[MEarlBITW]

Looks like they are offering quite a few courses virtually! Including studio art courses. This could be helpful for someone looking to attend UMPI and fulfill a GEC with an actual art course and for someone looking to complete an art degree at TESU.

They have courses listed as Virtual and Online. What's the difference?

ETA: Virtual has set meeting times? Online is asynchronous?

You nailed it right on the head. Although I will say that unless it says that it is asynchronous, go in thinking that there will be at least some scheduled meetings.