At least some members of the college's academic community reportedly have welcomed the proposition and have even circulated a proposal calling for a renamed "Shinnecock College."
A group calling itself "Save Southampton's College" has discussed the possibility of establishing a new liberal arts college on the campus, which is less than a mile from the Shinnecock Indian Reservation. A source provided a copy of a proposal circulated among faculty at the college, showing that the group wants to found Shinnecock College as a well-rounded liberal arts program with an eye toward environmental and ecological studies.
The college, according to the group's proposal, would be "dedicated to creating an environmentally sustainable and humane world." The curriculum would emphasize "experience-based learning" and would "take full advantage of the region's cultural, artistic and environmental diversity."
The Shinnecock College prospectus also calls for the college to fashion ties with the neighboring Southampton Village community through partnerships with local businesses and draw students with an emphasis toward personal health and environmental sensitivity.
Scott Carlin, leader of the Save Southampton's College group, would not comment on the prospectus or on any discussions about Shinnecock College.
But his group's proposal is now apparently being meshed with the idea of a Native American college proposed by members of the Shinnecock tribe.
Tribal Trustee Chairman Lance Gumbs said that the three tribal trustees planned to meet on Wednesday to discuss the proposal. Mr. Gumbs said that such an idea is something tribe members have talked about in the past.
"This is something we've long thought about doing," Mr. Gumbs said on Tuesday, "whether we did it ourselves on the reservation or on some part or all of the college."
Mr. Gumbs noted that Native American history and teaching often focuses on Western tribes, and that a Shinnecock College would be able to focus on the history, culture and languages of the Northeastern tribes.
"There is a lot to be learned," Mr. Gumbs said. "There has not been a focus on Eastern native history. Just the languages could fill up a whole year of study—Iroquois, Algonquin, the different dialects."
Mr. Gumbs said that the tribe also hopes that with such a college program as a neighbor, local public schools would include more local Indian tribal studies in their curriculums. "The school systems here don't teach any history about the local tribes at all," he said. "In other areas, it's a major topic."
Mr. Gumbs recently proposed that if the tribe were successful in its bid to develop a casino on the East End, revenues could potentially be used to purchase the college campus. But at this point the tribal leader said that serious talks about the makeup of a Shinnecock College are still being explored.
"It's all very preliminary," Mr. Gumbs said. "But it's an idea. It's a good idea."