Universities are supposed to be the bastions of integrity, driven by the search for truth, so when University of Utah officials say they are committed to the successful graduation of Native American teachers, it's something you can take to the bank.

However, some members with ties to the American Indian Teacher Training Program questioned that commitment. In early April 2008, the U. turned back a $2 million federal grant to train much-needed Native American teachers; U. Vice President David Pershing said that the university "can't accept it if it's going to end up costing us a lot of our own money (to continue the program)." It made the university's commitment ring hollow.

On April 11, after the issue became public, the university quickly moved to publicly reaffirm its commitment to American Indians by rededicating the Indian Resource Center that had been dedicated 12 years earlier. In a press release, U. President Michael K. Young said, "The rededication of the American Indian Resource Center represents the University of Utah's continuing commitment to enhance the success of American Indian students, faculty and staff." Later on, Michael Hardman, dean of the College of Education, in committing to renew the program, set the bar.

"Ultimately, the true test of our commitment will be the success of American Indian students as graduates of this college." One year later, how well did the U. meet that standard?

During the six years of the federally funded AITTP program, 40 American Indian students graduated, including 14 in 2007 and nine last year when the U. turned down the $2 million federal grant, saying it did not want to spend its "own money" to keep it going. However, after it became public the U. was turning back the federal grant, Hardman said the U. was "proud of the success of the AITTP program," and it was essential to invest the necessary resources to maintain trusts with the American Indian community. He planned to appoint a new program director who would work with the American Indian community, coordinate the U.'s resources, recruit, retain and support the education of Native American students, and furthermore seek private funds for scholarships, stipends and federal funds.