Resources
This page collects practical pointers for former students, researchers and anyone interested in NAES College, particularly around its main campus in Chicago.
Former NAES College students in need of transcripts should visit the Eastern Illinois University Office of the Registrar website.
About NAES College
NAES College, the Native American Educational Services College, was a small, Native-led institution with its main campus in Chicago. It was built around the idea that Native students, many of them adults balancing work, family and community obligations, deserved a place of higher learning that took their cultures, histories and priorities seriously.
Because the college no longer operates, most of what people look for today is practical: how to obtain academic records, where the printed and digital materials that document the college's work can be found, and how to place NAES within the wider history of Native higher education.
Academic Records and Transcripts
Former students who need transcripts should contact the Eastern Illinois University Office of the Registrar, where the records are held. Before you begin, it helps to gather the details a registrar's office usually asks for:
- The full name you used while enrolled, including any earlier or maiden names.
- Your approximate dates of attendance and the program or degree you pursued.
- A student identification number, if you still have it, though it is often possible to proceed without one.
- The name and address of the institution, employer or agency that should receive the transcript.
- A valid form of identification, since registrars must confirm who is requesting a record.
Processing times and any fees are set by the registrar, so check their website directly for current requirements instead of relying on this page. naes.info does not hold any student records.
Library and Archival Materials
The Library page describes the college library and the collections connected with NAES College, and it is the best starting point for publications, documents and other items related to the college's history and curriculum.
Collections documenting a college like NAES typically include:
- Course syllabi, reading lists and handouts from classes.
- Newsletters, program announcements and event flyers.
- Photographs of campus life, gatherings and graduations.
- Student papers and field projects.
- Recollections and written reflections about teaching and learning at the college.
Original materials of this kind are best entrusted to an established archive or library, where they can be described, preserved and made available with care.
Community Resources Around the Chicago Campus
The college's main campus was located in Chicago, a city with a long and living Native community. Many of the people who attended NAES College were part of that community, and many continue to rely on local organizations, cultural centers and social service providers for education, health, employment and cultural gathering.
When looking for such services, it is worth checking that a listing is current: organizations move, merge and change programs, and an up-to-date official page is always more reliable than an old directory.
Why the Record Matters
The most important resource the college left behind is its people. Former students and staff carry stories, skills and memories that no archive can fully replace, and the documents that survive help others understand how a community-based Native college worked in practice. The History, Mission and Academics pages offer a closer look at that record.