University Communications and Marketing

Florence Garcia named Native American Student Success Services Coordinator at MSU Billings

Position created in order to oversee recruitment and retention of Native American students

University Communications and Marketing, 657-2266

MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES — Montana State University Billings announces that Florence M. Garcia will assume duties as a Coordinator for Native American Student Services, a first for City College. 

Garcia’s responsibilities in the new position will involve the recruitment and retention of Native American students and collaboration with tribal colleges and reservations.

Garcia’s duties include inviting faculty to visit and collaborate with tribal colleges in eastern Montana; collaborating with the “Indian Education for All” program in the Billings School District; developing and offering Native American education professional development for faculty, staff and K-12 teachers.  She will also help develop a major in Native American studies and work with Native American resources in the greater Billings community.

Garcia currently serves as the associate dean of City College. She will continue to fill this role in addition to her new duties.

An alumna of Eastern Montana College and Montana State University in Bozeman, Mont., Garcia received a bachelor’s and master’s degree from what is today known as MSU Billings; she received her education doctorate degree from MSU Bozeman. She previously served in several positions at Fort Peck Community College in Poplar, Mont., including two years as the college’s president. Garcia was also previously the director of TRiO Student Support Services at MSU Bozeman and has also been a faculty member at Fort Peck Community College, MSU Bozeman and MSU Billings.

Garcia was recently awarded a Title II grant from OCHE to cover all costs of “A Theoretical Framework for Applying Native American Culture in Education” (EDU 494/EDCI 594) for K-12 teachers, faculty and staff. The course was offered in the summer of 2018.

She began her new role on August 9.