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The Department of Alaska Native
and Rural Development (DANRD) came about as a result of
the 1996 merger between the University of Alaska Fairbanks,
College of Rural Alaska's Alaska Native Human Resource
Development Program (ANHRDP) and the Department of Rural Development.
Previously, ANHRDP was a service program of CRA providing
nontraditional education and programs through specialized
workshops and seminars and Alaska Native leadership programs.
The Department of Rural Development was the academic arm
of CRA providing a baccalaureate degree in rural development.
The merger created an entity that provides both academic
and nonacademic education and training.
The Alaska Native Human Resource
Development Program was established in 1973 as a component
of the University of Alaska system. It was created as
a collaborative effort between the university and the Alaska
Native community in response to the need of the development
of leadership and management skills for implementation of the Alaska
Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. ANHRDP was originally
funded by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and
had several other grants from Kellogg, primarily for leadership
development. ANHRDP evolved over the years to include
technical assistance to Alaska Native villages, local
education systems, and over a decade of Alaska Native
Leadership Programs. In 1994, 25 participants graduated from
the Alaska Native Leadership Project, bringing to 140 the total
number of graduates from eight leadership training programs
over 14 years.
During the 1980s and early
1990s, ANHRDP was instrumental in pioneering the spirit camp
model of personal development retreats. ANHRDP sponsored
numerous workshops and seminars on a wide range of topics including several
on cultural preservation issues, grantwriting and other fundraising techniques,
and computer training. The program also sponsored three
students for international internship experiences.
The Department of Rural Development
was created in 1984 with a focus on providing a degree
opportunity for rural Alaskans. Over the past two decades,
148 students have graduated with Bachelors Degrees in Rural
Development. The department's Applied Field-Based Program
makes the RD degree available to students living in remote rural
Alaska. The students work with a faculty advisor to develop
a program concentration in one of five areas: Community Business
& Economic Development, Tribal & Local Government
Administration, Rural Health & Human Services Management,
Community Research & Indigenous Knowledge, Land Resources &
Environmental Management. The BA degree in Rural Development
provides a broad understanding of development processes in
Alaska and the global community.
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Copyright © 2003 University of Alaska Fairbanks,
Department of Alaska Native & Rural Development.
