Topics will include election of officers and a “refresher workshop” with two consultants intended to impress upon members their extremely narrow window of responsibility, as seen by the Administration and consultants
The Yavapai Community College District Governing Board will hold a workshop meeting on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at the Rock House on the Prescott Campus. The meeting will start at 9 a.m. and is expected to conclude by 4 p.m. A live stream will be available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/YavapaiCollege.
The workshop agenda includes the selection of District Governing Board officers and a “refresher workshop.” These workshops typically focus on emphasizing the Board members’ limited authority as defined by the Community College administration and the Association of Community College Trustees association consultants. Discussions often include strict guidelines on whom Board members may communicate with, what information they may disclose to their constituents, and warnings against interfering with the College President’s management of the institution. These restrictions are usually framed within an extremely narrow interpretation of Board policy, as presented by a consultant or consultants selected by the Board Chair, often someone with prior ties to the Community College administration.
For the first time, and in the Blog’s view, out of an abundance of concern that the three newest trustees may stray from past policy, without consulting the Governing Board as a whole, two consultants have been selected by the Chair to present their views on the limitations of Board members’ authority. The consultants are:
- Ken Burke: Affiliated with the Association of Community College Trustees, he recently served as a consultant to trustees at North Idaho College. North Idaho College is a public community college in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Reports indicate he emphasized that individual trustees have no independent authority and only exercise power collectively during official meetings. He also underscored that the Board’s sole employee is the college president. It is anticipated that he will express these same views at Tuesday’s workshop.
- Dr. David Borofsky: Executive Director of the Arizona Association of Community College Trustees (AACCT) and now the Arizona Community College Coordinating Council (ACCCC), an organization listing Yavapai College President Dr. Lisa Rhine as a member. Borofsky has apparently worked closely with Board Chair Deb McCasland and Dr. Rhine in various capacities.
Notably, Dr. Borofsky drafted the controversial resolution enacting Board policy 301, which passed 4-1 by the outgoing Board in November. Board policy 310 included a prohibition stating, “Under no circumstances should an individual Board member direct or contact by any means, a staff member concerning a college or community issue.”
The prohibition, at least in the Blog’s view, undermines the role of Board members, who are elected officials entrusted with representing the taxpayers of Yavapai County. Also, in the Blog’s opinion, it reflects a profound distrust of the integrity of Board members and potentially seeks to impose an inappropriate chilling prior restraint on free speech.
Dr. Borofsky’s tenure as a college leader appears at times to have been controversial. For example, at Dakota State University, he resigned abruptly amid student petitions questioning his leadership and alleging pressure on administrators to step down. According to news reports, Jack Warner, Executive Director of the Board of Regents, confirmed that Borofsky’s resignation was a quick decision prompted by the backlash against his management decisions.
It is noteworthy that the the workshop will feature a presentation by the Board’s attorney at the outset of the workshop on the “Legality of College Operations.”