Has also resurrected legislation designed to allow community colleges to offer some four-year degrees

Most recent reports from Arizona’s legislature is that a bill is moving forward that will set aside $10 million for scholarships designed to assist struggling community college students.  The Senate Education Committee on Tuesday agreed to the scholarship assistance  without dissent.   If approved in the House, it will provide aid to about 3,000 students.

As written, to be eligible, someone would have to qualify for a federal Pell Grant. These are available to anyone with family income less than $50,000 but are generally reserved for those below $20,000. 

As to offering some four-year degrees, the House Education Committee, without dissent, resurrected legislation last week designed to allow community colleges to offer some four-year degrees. Reporter  Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services, reported that the newest version of the bill  had cleared the House last month on a 57-3 vote. However, it had  not gotten a hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee where it is assigned.

According to Mr. Fischer, “[t]he new version seeks to get around that by taking the language and stripping it on to an unrelated measure on school expenditures that already had cleared the Senate. That means if the now-revised SB 1453 is approved by the full House — and there’s no reason to expect that won’t happen, given the prior vote — it then goes back to the full Senate for up-or-down review, bypassing the ability of any committee or chairman to kill it.”

Camp Verde Town Council Member Cris McPhail

Town  liaison to Community College Cris McPhail tells Governing Board that Camp Verde’s people are hungry for higher education and that the Town can offer land, buildings, students and had a possible $1 million dollar Community College donor

The Town of Camp Verde’s liaison to Yavapai Community College, Town Councilmember Cris McPahil,  urged the Governing Board and administration to  “not be left behind” in developing the Camp Verde area.  “Camp Verde is on the cusp of growth and innovation,” she said.  She noted the absence of any Community College facilities in the town of Camp Verde and observed that the College market for students in the Prescott area has been  saturated. 

She urged the Community College to view Camp Verde as the College’s next client base.  She said that with a typical income in Camp Verde of around $45,000, students cannot afford to drive to the Prescott Campus or to Northern Arizona University, which is located in Flagstaff.  Moreover,  it takes at least an hour to drive to either location.

She said that “our people are hungry for education” and Camp Verde is “low hanging fruit” for the Community College.  The town “can offer whatever” the College needs, “to make it happen,” she said.  “We have land, buildings, and students.  We had a donor who was willing to put in $1 million dollars,” she also said.

In her view,  Camp Verde’s location was ideal for a number of reasons including its  vineyards, “agriculture and an equestrian arena for your student athletes.” Moreover, Camp Verde is “on the cusp of growth and innovation.”

Finally, she told the Governing Board that   “[i]t is the town goal to have a brick and mortar higher education facility within five to ten years.”  Currently, there is a collaborative program with the ASU planning department and it is  developing a business internship program with NAU.  “Don’t be left behind,” said Ms. McPhail.

The Blog notes that there was a small Community College leased facility in the town of Camp Verde until about 2010.  At that time, without any public outcry from Camp Verde residents, the College  withdrew from its Camp Verde leased facility. In an interview with the Blog about the reason for the closing, the Blog recalls the reason given was lack of student enrollment.

The Blog also notes that the Community College has partnered with Camp Verde High School in a small culinary program.  However, Sedona became the center for the Community College’s culinary training program in the County.  

You may listen to Ms. McPhail’s speech to the Governing Board made at the March 9 Governing Board meeting below.

A bill that would allow community colleges to offer some four-year degree programs recently passed in the Arizona House with a 57-3 vote; agreement struck with Arizona Board of Regents not to oppose it

A bill is winding its way through the Arizona Legislature that if finally approved will allow Community Colleges in the State to offer some 4-year degree programs.  It recently passed  in the Arizona House by a 57-3 vote.

This year proponents of the bill, which is sponsored by conservative Republican Representative  Becky Nutt,  met with representatives from the Arizona Board of Regents, which oversees the state’s public universities.  Compromises were  made on the proposal  so  the Board  of Regents would  stay neutral on the bill, rather than oppose it.

If this bill passes, it is possible that Yavapai Community College  could create four-year programs in areas with high workforce demand such as health care, applied technology and education. It is  estimated that  the cost to convert some of the two-year degree programs would be minimal since faculty and other infrastructure is already in place.

Unusual campaign tactics used as candidates vie for  Board positions

The Maricopa Community College District Governing Board race has become heated for at least two of the four candidates seeking office this year.  In a story written by Anne Ryman in the Arizona Republic on Sunday, October 18, the campaigns of  candidate Shelli Boggs and incumbent Laurin Hendrix appear to have become involved in unusual stormy political tactics for these nonpartisan positions.  

Ryman reported  in her story that those opposing Shelli Boggs mailed flyers showing Boggs holding an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and alleging she was “forced out” of her job as a cosmetology instructor over complaints she belittled and bullied students. Boggs  has denied  the allegations. The mailer reads: “Shelli Boggs couldn’t be trusted with children in a classroom. We can’t trust her on the Maricopa Community Colleges Board!”

Incumbent Linda Thor is opposing Shelli Boggs in the election. Thor claims that the current governing board, “is the most partisan board I have ever seen, and it’s not good for us to operate this way.”

 When the internet domain name used by Governing Board incumbent Laurin Hendrix expired, the web site  was taken over by his challenger, Jacqueline Smith.  Smith then started  posting messages using the web site  urging people to vote Hendrix out of office.

Smith said she was curious about Hendrix’s platform so she looked up the internet domain name www.lowertuitionnow. com advertised on his campaign signs. She found the domain name was available so she took ownership and began posting information about Hendrix. “It seemed like an opportunity to promote my campaign, and it seemed to really make my point that he’s not giving the attention to detail and focus to our community colleges,” she said.

You may read much more about the election squabbles among the Maricopa District Governing Board in Ms. Ryman’s article in the Arizona Republic, although you may have to be a subscriber. 

Search stopped in August; will start over because of actions attributed to Governing Board member Kathleen Winn

The search for a new chancellor at Maricopa Community College was allegedly disrupted and stopped in August because of  the actions of a single Governing Board member on the search committee, Kathleen Winn.  In an article in Inside High Ed, reporter Madeline St. Amour wrote that an investigation found that Winn, who was a member of the search committee for a new chancellor,  tainted the process “by violating a confidentiality agreement and attempting to persuade a candidate to not apply for the position.”

Winn is  an at-large member of the board and her  term expires in 2022.  She was previously accused of violating campaign finance law along with Tom Horne, former attorney general for Arizona, during his run in the state’s 2010 election, according to the Phoenix News Times.

A  statement published by Inside Higher Ed from  Maricopa District Governing Board president Marie Sullivan on behalf of the Board read as follows:

 “As the process began, different individuals started relaying uncomfortable and possibly inappropriate conversations with Ms. Winn concerning her preferences for the chancellor position. It is important to note that everyone on the search committee had been advised to only discuss the candidates with a select few individuals who were authorized for those conversations. Ms. Winn also signed a confidentiality agreement which clearly stated the appropriate way to conduct the search for the next chancellor and also clearly stated many actions not to take. Unfortunately, it now appears Ms. Winn violated numerous provisions within her signed confidentiality agreement. Based on the findings of the investigation, I am deeply disappointed. As a governing board, we owe our students, faculty and those who elect us with the highest fidelity of conduct. Unfortunately, it now appears that Ms. Winn did not comport herself accordingly.”

You may read the entire article by Inside Higher Ed reporter Madeline St. Amour by clicking here. 

Search for replacement beginning this fall

Dr. Rita Cheng

The Arizona Republic reported on September 8, 2020 in a story by Rachel Leingang that Northern Arizona University President Rita Cheng will be stepping down as the president of Northern Arizona University. 

Dr. Cheng is  the 16th president of NAU and began in that position  in 2014. She will serve as president until a replacement is named by the regents.

According to the report, the NAU Board plans to start a national search for a replacement this fall. Dr. Cheng’s  contract was last extended in 2019 and expires in June 2022. However, depending on the length of the search, she could leave the position before her contract expires or she could finish it out.

Source:  Arizona Republic, September 8, 2020 story by Rachel Leingang. You may view the entire story online by clicking here.