Comanche Nation College (CNC) was created to serve the educational needs of our Comanche people by preparing them for a lifetime of success in their chosen field of work.  Our associate degree programs (two year programs) give them a head start to a bachelors and graduate degree at a four year college or the completion of a certificate program by tribal members. Many of our Comanche students say that they like the small classes and individual attention they get at the College.  They have the opportunity to learn the Comanche language and culture, both of which can only be taught at a tribal school like CNC.
Recent articles in The Lawton Constitution and television coverage have misrepresented CNC.  We, the Board of Trustees, would like to address these inaccuracies.


The Comanche Nation College has been in existence for eleven years. A major task in the development of new colleges is to work toward accreditation. On August 12, 2009, the process to request participation with the North Central Association – Higher Learning Commission (NCA-HLC) accrediting body began.  On November 2, 2012,   the NCA-HLC announced to the College that initial candidacy for accreditation, the first stage, had been achieved.  The accreditation process is a long demanding one that can take a significant number of years to accomplish. Full accreditation for the College is expected to be received in 2016.  Comanche Nation College is the first tribal college in Oklahoma and the first to have achieved initial candidacy for accreditation. A significant result of candidacy for accreditation is that all student credit hours can be transferred to any four year institution. 


As of the 2012 academic year, 13 students graduated with associate degrees, 33 students completed the GED program, and nine completed certificates in the nursing program.  Since 2005, 4173 students have been academically served by the College.  We are proud of these initial successes.


Education is a critical need for Comanche people and is a path to overcome unemployment and poverty. Programs at CNC prepare students to move on to four-year institutions and provide them opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills needed to be competitive in our complex world.  


CNC is a significant change from the boarding school model of Fort Sill Indian School, where students were punished for speaking their language and practicing their culture. At CNC, they are rewarded for speaking their language, learning and practicing traditional cultural ways.  


Recently, Commander John Herrington, the first Native American astronaut, spoke to nearly 200 Indian students about the importance of education, setting goals and working hard to achieve those goals.  CNC was recognized in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Diversity in Academe: “Comanche Nation College Tries to Rescue a Lost Tribal Language,” June 14, 2013. CNC also held our eleventh Film Festival and storytelling session with our elder, Videll Yackeschi, leading the way.
Our tribal leadership and elders had the foresight and knowledge to create CNC. It is an investment for our people that is paying dividends today and will pay even more in the future as the College grows.  Comanche Nation College strives to remember the seventh generation of students who will be educated at their own College.


--Submitted by Lotsee Patterson, Ph.D.
for the Comanche Nation College
Board of Trustees