One-year program with 25 elective credit certificate to open on Verde Campus

A one-year film, media and arts program is scheduled to open sometime next year on the Verde Campus, according to a story in the Verde Independent. (The newspaper story can be accessed by clicking here.) 

The program will offer screenwriting, video editing, YouTube storytelling and monetization, production, editing and writing for film.  Students will receive a certificate after completing the one-year program. The certificate is equivalent to 25 elective college credits. The College says that it is “trying to get the film culture going around here.”  

In the newspaper story, the College justified closing the nationally recognized Film School at the Sedona Center  because Sedona “didn’t have a lot of students.”  This explanation is  political tripe generated by the College to provide a smoke screen over its real intentions.  After all, the Center didn’t have a lot of students because the College announced a year before closing the program it wasn’t accepting any new students.  

Also in the newspaper  account, the College uses as an excuse to not put the program in Sedona, where it belongs,  that if it did so, the “OLLI program  . . .  would have to be cut to make way for the film program if it stayed at the Sedona Center.”  This is more political tripe.  For those who have paid any attention at all to the Sedona Center, they know as a fact that  both OLLI and the Film School co-existed in the Center for several years before the College decided to close out the Film school over a year ago.  The College never used as a political excuse when it announced the closing that space at the Center was an issue. Rather, it claimed low enrollment (that it created) and a huge subsidy (which, when requested to provide in detail, it could not).  The reason the College was so anxious to get rid of the Film School  was to make way for the possible sale of the Center and its land to supply large amounts of cash to finance the College’s ever-hungry multi-million dollar renovation and expansion projects on the West side of the County.

Dean Ralston explains Music, Theatre, and  Dance Performing Arts Track to Governing Board

Dean Craig Ralston made a four minute presentation to the Governing Board February meeting about the College plans for its Performing Arts track. He said it will include music, theatre and dance. Ralston indicated that Mingus Union High School students and Prescott High School students had shown an enthusiastic interest in these courses. Although he had not contacted Sedona Red Rock High School, he promised to do so.

He anticipates four concerts in the spring on the East side of the County. He also noted that the College had purchased a Steinway piano from the Verde Valley Concert Association; that there was a music appreciation class on the East side of the County; and some private lessons were now possible.

He did not mention the fact that more than 100 music courses are offered on the Prescott campus. A video record of his remarks to the Board of about four minutes can be accessed by clicking here.