DAVIS, Calif.
On a remote stretch of land where stray chickens outnumber students, California’s only tribal college is clinging to life against seemingly insurmountable odds.
D-Q University has had a turbulent history, which includes land disputes with the neighboring University of California, low enrollment and a loss of federal accreditation.
But even its most ardent supporters acknowledge that the school has hit an all-time low.
In June, the board dismissed the university’s interim president, Art Apodaca, accusing him of squandering the school’s few remaining assets. It also rejected his proposal to boost enrollment by dividing D-Q into an Indian-only “D” school and a separate, non-Indian “Q” school.
