Haskell Indian Nations University faces accreditation risk. Here’s what to know

Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence — the only fully federally funded four-year institution for Native Americans in the country — could lose its accreditation if administrative problems aren’t fixed in coming months. The school’s close ties to the University of Kansas and the Lawrence community mean any decline at Haskell would hurt the surrounding region too.

A Kansas senator has taken particular interest in the future of this unique, government-run institution and wants to ensure it is preserved, and thrives.

A review by an independent nonprofit higher education oversight organization that evaluates degree-granting colleges and universities recently brought accreditation concerns to light. The Star has reported on troubles at Haskell for several years.

The latest news is in a blog by Steve Cadue, a Kickapoo elder, posted on Thursday in First Nations Journal, a trusted digital platform for all Indigenous voices. Cadue writes that tribal leaders across Indian country, worry there is an intent by some at the federal level to destroy any semblance of promises made by the U.S. government to Indian nations. They say what’s happening at Haskell is an indication.

“Eliminate Haskell and you create the springboard to dismantle the whole of federal trust responsibility.”

FULL STORY: KU and Haskell are connected: If HINU falls short, Lawrence hurts too | Williams

Here are key takeaways:

• The Higher Learning Commission changed Haskell’s status last summer from accredited to “accredited on notice,” citing concerns over academic advising, program assessment, faculty training and administrative leadership. A follow-up review is set for December.
• Haskell and KU share a deeply intertwined relationship — professors teach across both campuses, students take classes at each institution, and Acting President Alex Red Corn also serves as an associate vice chancellor at KU.
• The university has cycled through eight presidents, including acting and interim leaders, since 2015 and has faced conflicts over free speech and accusations that administrators failed to protect female students from sexual abuse.
• U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran of Hays is leading Republican lawmakers behind the Haskell Indian Nations University Improvement Act, which would remove the Bureau of Indian Education from managing the school and place governance under a Haskell Board of Regents.
• Established in 1884 as an assimilation-era boarding school, Haskell now enrolls about 1,000 tuition-free students per semester from more than 140 tribal nations and Alaska Native communities.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.

This story was originally published June 13, 2026 at 5:08 AM with the headline "Haskell Indian Nations University faces accreditation risk. Here’s what to know."