Archive for accreditation
Front page October 26 article claims Rhine “did not return any calls or numerous emails asking for comments.” VP Jenkins confirms refusal of President to answer newspaper’s questions
Mr. Christoper Graham
Community College President Dr. Lisa Rhine
A front page article in the Cottonwood Journal Extra newspaper of October 26, 2022, stated that Yavapai Community College President Dr. Lisa Rhine refused to answer any questions put to her by the paper about the Verde Campus losing its accreditation designation, the future of the campus, or the $10 million proposed teaching Brewery.
The article, authored by Mr. Christoper Fox Graham, listed eleven questions put to Dr. Rhine who has refused to answer any of them. Moreover, Dr. Rhine “did not return any calls or numerous emails” from the newspaper “asking for comment.”
Vice President Rodney Jenkins wrote to a member of the newspaper staff saying that as a “follow-up to my voicemail last week, I am informing you that Yavapai Community College President Dr. Lisa Rhine will not be responding to any of your staff’s requests.” Aside from Jenkins’ confirming Dr. Rhine’s refusal to talk to the press, the newspaper reported it could find no record of a voicemail from him.
A few of the 11 questions asked of Dean Rhine that received no response included the following: “How and why did the college lose that [accreditation] status?” “How does this [losing accreditation status] affect the educational status of students who take classes at the Verde Valley locations?” “How will Yavapai College work to restore the branch’s status?” “Why is Yavapai College planning to build a brewery in the Verde Valley?”
You can read the entire article in the October 26 Cottonwood Journal Extra. It most likely will be posted at the Journal’s website in about a week.
In future accreditation reviews, it will now be referred to as an “additional location” | President says she will continue to call it a “campus” | Is this new designation a loss of prestige?
It will probably come as a surprise to most readers of the Blog that after 50 years the Verde Campus in Clarkdale has lost its designation as a “branch campus” of Yavapai Community College. It will now be referred to as an “additional location” during required accreditation reviews.
This new designation for the Verde Campus, according to the College, will occur after the accreditation inspection scheduled for September of this year. The new designation appears to be a downgrading of its status and a loss of prestige.
According to the College, the shift in designation is a response to a change in the federal Department of Education code of regulations, which made the Verde Valley Campus ineligible to be classified as a branch campus. It must be considered an “additional campus” for accreditation purposes. The College President did not suggest in a note to Third District Representative Paul Chevalier in August what changes could be made on the Verde Campus that would return it to a more prestigious campus designation.
Critics may argue that the change adds a psychological arrow to the quiver of the Prescott based administration in its effort to keep control of the Verde Valley Campus from local residents. Lowering its prestige, goes this argument, may lower the value of the college in the eyes of local residents and consequently reduce their interest in seriously developing it. Critics may also argue that this sends a clear message to everyone in Yavapai County that the Prescott location is the only true campus in the County and, therefore, its most prestigious learning center.
With its new designation, the Verde Campus becomes an “additional location” with the same formal status as centers like Chino Valley, Prescott Valley and Sedona.
Kudos to Third District Representative Paul Chevalier who discovered this change and was willing to share Community College President Lisa Rhine’s note to him about it. The President’s response is reproduced unedited and in full below:
“1. In the past, the Verde Valley location was classified by our accrediting body, the Higher Learning Commission, as a “branch campus” in alignment with an old federal definition. In preparation for our visit and in consultation with our HLC Liaison, we learned that the Verde Valley location is not eligible to be classified as a ‘branch campus’ due to a change in the federal Department of Education code of regulations. At HLC’s advisement, the Verde Valley location’s classification is now accurately categorized as an “additional location” to ensure accurate reporting and accreditation compliance in alignment with the federal definition. We are free to call the location whatever we want and will continue to call it a “campus” and brand it as we would like. This year when HLC visits, they will visit the Verde Valley as part of the review since that is already arranged for September but, in the future, it will be visited on the regular HLC rotation with the other ‘additional location.’”
“Above from the President.”
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing on site Feb. 22-25; public invited to make comments online February 24
Yavapai Community College will host a site visit for continuing accreditation of its Nursing Program by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing Feb. 22-25. This is a regular visit that is required of all programs that are operating a Nursing program.
The Community College has invited members of the public to meet with the site team and share their comments about the program in person at an online meeting scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday, February 24.
The link for the public meeting as provided by the Community College is: https://www.gotomeet.me/acen014/yavapai-college-room-1.
Written comments are also welcome, and should be submitted directly to:
Dr. Marsal Stoll, Chief Executive Officer
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
3343 Peachtree Road Northeast, Suite 850
Atlanta, GA 30326
Or email mstoll@acenursing.org.
All written comments should be received by the ACEN by Tuesday, Feb. 9.
Voluntary, peer-review process helps ensure that the practices and procedures taught at the college are of the highest professional standards
In a news release, Yavapai College reported that its associate degree nursing program has received continuing accreditation from the responsible granting body, the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
While the college itself is accredited through the Higher Learning Commission, accreditation through ACEN is specific to the nursing program and is a voluntary, peer-review process that helps to ensure that the practices and procedures taught at the college are of the highest professional standards and are maintained through continuous self-assessment, planning and improvement. According to ACEN’s website (www.acenuring.org), “Accreditation indicates to the general public and to the educational community that a nursing program has clear and appropriate educational objectives and is working to achieve these objectives.”
The College said that a three-member team from ACEN conducted a three-day site visit to the Clarkdale and Prescott campuses to evaluate the nursing program. Elements of the program assessment included a review of the program and college resources, program mission and the qualifications and experience held by nursing program director, Mary Brown, and all full and part-time faculty and staff.
Since 1980, Yavapai College has graduated 2,161 nursing students from its associate degree program.
Highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting
The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting has been Awarded to Yavapai County Community College District by Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR). The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting. Its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.
The CAFR has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standard s of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive ”spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.
Claims they wanted to look just at the Sedona Center and CTEC—is there something odd going on here?
President Penelope Wills exhibited surprise to the District Governing Board at a visit by the North Central Higher Learning Commission to the College on November 9, 2015. According to Wills, they came back “because they wanted to look at our centers. They selected, which is their right to do, both Sedona and CTEC.” (You may click here to view Wills’ statement to the Governing Board.)
Wills said that“they had no recommendations for us, and in fact commendations for the planning that went into CTEC and the planning that is being planned starting tomorrow, um, in Sedona. And they very much appreciated that. So here’s a third party saying we’re doing this right.”
An odd visit, to say the least? Or, one set up for political purposes?
There are a few issues regarding the Wills’ report that are odd: First, visits to Colleges are normally arranged with an Administration before the evaluators arrive on campus. Wills’ suggested to the Governing Board that the visit was a surprise to her. That is odd.
Second, checking the on-line accreditation records from the Higher Learning Commission (shown above) do not indicated that any accreditation visits to Yavapai Community were planned or anticipated in 2015. In fact, the next accreditation visit of any kind to the Campus is scheduled for 2017. So this visit is odd. (You may also view the Higher Learning Web site showing dates for accreditation of Yavapai College by clicking here.)
Third, the lack of access by East County residents and high school students is a fact and under scrutiny in many quarters at present. It seems odd the evaluators would select CTEC and fail to see the obvious inequity in how the County Community College is treating about one-third of its residents.
Fourth, the Sedona Center is likewise under intense scrutiny in many quarters at the present time. Yet, it was also selected by this mystery evaluation team. Wills’ did not explain what she meant by the “planning that is being planned” for the Sedona Center so the public is left in the dark about what she meant. So is the Governing Board.
Was this a political effort by the Wills’ administration to gain outside support for its paltry efforts to serve the East side of the County? Or what was it? The Blog will continue to try and find out. But according to the commission online dates for accrditation, the visit must have been for something else. Ummm?