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NAU professor asks Indigenous Commission to advise student projects on accessibility and representation
Summary
Northern Arizona University professor Taylor Thompson outlined a fall-spring course that will have students research local representation and accessibility issues and asked the commission to be a possible community partner for spring project proposals and presentations.
Taylor Thompson, an English professor at Northern Arizona University, presented the university’s "Rhetoric of Space" curriculum and asked the Flagstaff Indigenous Commission to consider serving as a community partner for student projects in spring 2026.
Thompson described a two-semester sequence: in fall students research representation and accessibility issues on the NAU campus; in spring the work expands to the Flagstaff community with students conducting field observations, stakeholder analysis and proposals. "My goal is for them to become more connected to the university around them," Thompson said, explaining that students will develop proposals that include cost estimates, stakeholder maps and public-facing deliverables.
Why it matters: Thompson’s class is a required composition course (ENGL 105) with many first-year students. Commission engagement could give students real-world review, point them to city processes, and help proposals move from classroom projects to community-supported pilots.
Course and partnership details
- Scope: three sections, about 60 students total; fall work focused on the NAU campus, spring work to include Flagstaff and surrounding county.
- Timeline: January–February (course budgeting and foundations), March (student analyses), April–May (student proposals and public presentations). Thompson asked commission members to be available between March and May as guest speakers or for brief consultations on student proposals.
- Funding and outputs: Thompson has a small grant (a Lovett grant) of roughly $1,500 to support end-of-year events and small project seed costs; students’ deliverables could include digital maps, signage proposals, short videos or murals.
- Commission role suggested: Thompson said the commission could (a) provide brief email Q&A or short meetings for student groups whose projects touch Indigenous representation or access; (b) invite student presentations to a commission meeting; or (c) suggest stakeholders and local grants (for example, beautification funding) students might pursue to implement projects.
Next steps
Thompson will follow up with commission staff to provide specific dates and to share the class schedule and grant details; commissioners suggested that student teams bringing city-relevant proposals appear at a future commission meeting so members and staff can offer guidance or referrals to city departments such as parks, facilities, or the beautification program.
Ending
Commissioners welcomed the classroom-to-community model and asked Thompson to share contact information and precise windows for spring consultations so commission members can volunteer time on a case-by-case basis.
