Cal State Northridge Appoints Its 1st-Ever 'Tribal Liaison Officer'

NORTHRIDGE, CA -- Jeffrey Tadór Reeder, the dean of California State Northridge’s College of Humanities, has been appointed the campus’ first Senior Tribal Liaison Officer, the university announced Nov. 1.

In his new role, Reeder will serve as CSUN’s ambassador to all Native nations and Indigenous people with whom the university has engaged, plus help establish and guide campus strategy and practices to ensure an inclusive climate that supports a thriving community of Native American/Indian American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students, staff and faculty.

“It’s truly an honor to be named the campus’ first Senior Tribal Liaison Officer,” Reeder said in a statement. “(A)mong my first step will be to establish an advisory council of internal and external folks, with a particular emphasis on external members, to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard and that we can accurately assess what we’re doing right and what we need to improve."

"Historically, the university’s work with tribal communities has been sporadic and scattered across the campus. We will finally have a central point of organization, and at a high, administrative level that demonstrates that CSUN is committed to making sure this effort is successful and long term,” he continued.

Reeder, who was appointed to his new role last month, will work with CSUN President Erika D. Beck, Provost Meera Komarraju and Beck’s cabinet, which includes the university’s other vice presidents, in his new role.

Reeder, whose college includes the American Indian Studies Program, said one of his first tasks will be to initiate a comprehensive listening tour to find out what services students, staff and faculty need. Additionally, he hopes to learn more about little-known services or programs that already exist.

“Hopefully, we’ll eventually be able to establish a formal office with a staff that can support our projects and initiatives on and off campus,” he said.

He said he will be looking at ways to streamline how the campus and local tribal communities work together and explore possible future collaborations after establishing the advisory council.