Northwestern funds have been reserved to create an Indigenous Research Center, the University announced this month.

The creation of the research center is among many recommendations that the Native American Outreach and Inclusion Task Force submitted to top University officials in November. The Office of the Provost released an update on the recommendations last week.

“Conversations already have taken place with the WCAS Dean’s Office and with Professor Doug Medin to go forward with the planning process for such a center to determine specific areas of research and participants,” officials wrote in the update.

Several of the recommendations will be implemented once the center is created. The center will serve as a place where Native Americans from tribal colleges can visit the University to do research, as well as a location to hold the annual Carlos Montezuma Conference on Ethics and Research, according to the update.

In addition, a database of about 450 Native American alumni has been created that will allow greater outreach. Discussions have begun to commission a Native American artist to create an exhibition at a University gallery.

The admissions office is also “reviewing how to enhance outreach to prospective Native American students.”

A search for a new Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion is underway, and an open forum for students will be held Tuesday. The new provost will be the liaison between the University and the Native American community.

Other proposals that are currently under revision include being able to study an Indigenous language in order to satisfy a language requirement and including American tribes and tribal colleges as destinations in the study abroad program, according to the update.

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    Northwestern begins implementing Native American outreach recommendations