New programs in higher education for Alaska native leaders: University of Alaska and Alaska Pacific University increase specific offerings.

• Author: Swann, Kirsten
• Position: SPECIAL SECTION: Alaska Native Corporations

When it comes to building business in the Land of the Midnight Sun, Alaska Native Corporations are increasingly banking on education.

Through specialized courses of study and higher education programs geared specifically toward Alaska Native students, universities and corporations alike are forging partnerships and finding new ways to prepare future Alaska leaders for business success.

ANELP

Based at Alaska Pacific University (APU), the Alaska Native Executive Leadership Program (ANELP) is one of those partnerships.

According to APU, the course leads to a graduate certificate designed to prepare students for the specific business needs of Alaska Native Corporation. The nine-month course is comprised of nine modules and partnerships with several major Alaska Native Corporations: Afognak Native Corporation, Bristol Bay Native Corporation, Chugach Alaska Corporation, The Aleut Corporation, and CIRI.

It's geared towards students with established managerial roles and corporate endorsements. According to APU, program participants are paired with a corporate mentor who helps the student identify career goals and future professional development opportunities. The threshold for acceptance into ANELP is high: The university says applicants must either have a bachelor's degree or extensive work experience, strong oral and written presentation skills, and an "identified potential to meaningfully contribute to the Alaska Native community."

For those who make it into the prestigious certificate program, there's a valuable payoff. Not only can the program count toward APU's Executive MBA program--the university says students can earn up to a third of their credits through ANELP--it offers specialized instruction that the executive leadership program's sponsors see as a valuable investment.

"The benefits from the ANELP program are almost immediate and will grow over time," says Sophie Minich, CIRI's president and CEO.

Minich says her corporation believes an Alaska Native-focused graduate program provides valuable education to up-and-coming leaders from every Alaska business and non-profit--not just Alaska Native Corporations. And education, she says, is an investment with long-term business rewards.

"We share the commitment with other Alaska Native corporations that our future success depends on preparing and educating the next generation of corporate leaders to guide our company to greater prosperity," Minich writes in an email. "We believe the Alaska Native Executive Leadership Program will provide an excellent opportunity to grow that next generation of leaders to be prepared for the specific challenges facing Alaska Native corporations."

In order to prepare students for the particular challenges facing Alaska Native corporations, the graduate certificate program's nine modules cover a variety of topics specific to the corporations' business.

According to the university, students learn strategies and planning for corporate diversification, regulatory and fiscal requirements for success in federal government contract work, employment law, and talent management strategies. The modules cover the history of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and the unique roles and responsibilities of Alaska Native corporations in communities across the state, financial...