WILLS, MC CARVER, SIGAFOOS FIGHT CONSULTANT SUGGESTIONS FOR CLARITY IN BOARD POLICY PROVISIONS

By R. Oliphant
Wednesday, December 13th, 2017

McCasland consistently outvoted during workshop as she sought greater transparency and better understanding for citizens of the Governing Board process

The workshop held by the four Yavapai Community College Governing Board members on Monday, December 11 on the Prescott campus (Irwin was not present) was remarkable in the determination by President  Penelope Wills and Governing Board members Pat McCarver and Ray Sigafoos to keep Governing Board reporting standards as vague and abstract as possible. Deb McCasland fought a losing battle as she argued that the reporting provisions should be more transparent and provide greater detail so citizens and Board members could better understand and apply them.

The consultant hired by the Community College had rewritten many board policy statements associated with the goals that applied to President Wills. If adopted, the consultant’s suggestions would have provided greater clarity and understanding to Board members and the public. Consistently, McCarver, Sigafoos, and Wills vigorously opposed providing greater clarity. Third District representative Connie Harris joined with the West County representatives in opposing most of the clarifying statements. She showed little willingness to support McCasland’s effort to bring greater transparency and understanding to the Governing Board process.

The following is an example of a kind of clarity McCasland wanted. The suggestion came from the consultant and the discussion about it involved  the limitations on President Wills treatment of employees. The free speech provision read:

The statement was rejected as a provision to insert into the Governing Board governing process by Wills, McCarver, Sigafoos and Connie Harris. They claimed it was contained in summary fashion in a long, vague overarching statement made earlier during their discussion.

Categories : Yavapai Community College

COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP AWARENESS NIGHT ON VERDE CAMPUS A SUCCESS

By R. Oliphant
Wednesday, December 13th, 2017

Prospective Yavapai Community College students vie for more than 100 scholarships

The third annual Cash for College Scholarship Awareness Night was held on the Verde Campus Tuesday, December 5. It  was a great success. The event was hosted by the Arizona Community Foundation of Yavapai County and the Arizona Community Foundation of Sedona in partnership with Yavapai Community College. There were at least 100 scholarships from 17 different scholarship providers available for student consideration. It is thought that too often many scholarships go unused.

According to a December 13, 2017 story in the Cottonwood Journal Extra written by Zachary Jernigan the event drew a “packed house.” You may read Mr. Jernigan’s story about the event in great detail once it is posted on line by clicking here, which will take you to the Journal Extra website.

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Categories : Scholarships

PEREY TELLS SEDONA COUNCIL BUILDING “L” ON VERDE CAMPUS TO BE RENOVATED AGAIN FOR NURSING/ RELATED ALLIED HEALTH PROGRAMS

By R. Oliphant
Sunday, December 10th, 2017

Confusion reigns as Building “L” possible uses shift over past 17 years from major CTE facility, to agriculture, to nursing, to once again possible CTE and then most recently back to nursing/allied health

The College has been  confused for the past 17 years over how to use Building “L” on the Verde Campus. That confusion appears to continue.

While confusion reigns, taxpayer money continues to be spent on various renovations.  The following is a historical summary you will only find on this Blog. It  details the confusing history of Building “L” on the Verde Campus and an indication of how much revenue taxpayers have paid into it.

[2004] Recall that Building “L”  was constructed and opened in 2004 because of $1.3 million from the 2000 voter approved bond and a $1.2 million federal Commerce Department workforce development center.  It was to offer a wide range of Career and Technical education training needed in Northern Arizona.  Because of government involvement, the College is restricted for another seven or more years on how it may us it.

The vision of the CTE Center that was sold to voters in order to approve the million dollar expenditure on it in the 2000 bond changed dramatically when the Board decided to build the major CTE College facility at the Prescott airport in 2007.  Most of the ambitious plans for Building “L” and Career and Technical Education facilities and training were scrapped on the Verde Campus Center (low enrollment was an excuse used by the administration) and gobbled up by the new College facility at the Prescott airport.

[2007-08] In 2007 and 2008 the College expanded the nursing facilities in Building “L” by spending about $1.4 million on renovation during a two-year fiscal time period (using College expenditure reports). 

[2013 Master Plan]  Quoting the College, its Master Plan announced in December 2013 said the nursing plan was leaving and labs for agricultural classes were going to be installed. Here is what it said:  “Building L currently houses the Nursing program. As the program migrates to the Prescott Valley campus, the master plan recommends renovating this building for use by the agriculture programs relocating from the Chino center. As laboratories already exist in Building L, the addition of the agricultural classes will virtually recreate the Chino Valley Center’s main building.” Page 67 of 2014 Master Plan.  https://masterplan.yc.edu/files/2014/01/Final-Report-RPT-2014-0218-WEB_UPDATED.pdf

Quoting the College:  “Following construction of the new center (sic), the existing Prescott Valley programs and the Nursing and Allied Health programs from Prescott and Verde Valley would migrate to the new location. This, in turn, would free up space on the Prescott campus or NARTA/AJS to move to the second floor of Building 2 and for agriculture to move from Chino to Verde Valley.”   Page 89 of 2014 Master Plan. https://masterplan.yc.edu/files/2014/01/Final-Report-RPT-2014-0218-WEB_UPDATED.pdf

[March 2, 2017]  On March 2, 2017 the Board received an updated Master Plan report from Vice President Clint Ewell stating that Building “L” would undergo another renovation for Career and Technical Education facilities somewhat similar to some of those at the Prescott airport.  That report read:

Quoting the College:  “Verde Valley: Building L has now been scheduled for a major renovation to enhance its ability to offer Career Technical Education (CTE) programming. We plan to do this work in FY19, giving VACTE a year to conduct their planning and to provide input to YC. Verde Valley Campus will continue to offer Nursing, as well as other CTE programming such as Viticulture, Enology, and Film & Media Arts. This represents an increase of roughly $3.8M.”  https://www.yc.edu/v5content/district-governing-board/sub/2017/03/agenda_full.pdf

[November 2017] Now, at the November 28, 2017 Sedona City Council meeting Verde Campus Excutive Dean says Building L will be renovated for nursing/allied health facilities. You may view a video of his statement about Building L to the Sedona City Council below. 

You may view the entire Sedona City Council meeting by clicking here.   http://sedonaaz.swagit.com/play/11282017-832

Categories : Allied Health Campus, Verde Campus

“MANSPLAINING” DIRECTED AT MCCASLAND CONTINUES DESPITE APOLOGY; LAWYER INTERVENES

By R. Oliphant
Sunday, December 10th, 2017

Lawyer recognizes need to step in and  “firmly” explain to Sigafoos precisely what McCasland was seeking

Despite the statement at the beginning of the November meeting where Yavapai Community College District Governing Board Chair Ray Sigafoos apologized for what Deb McCasland alleged  was a verbal attack on her at the October meeting, Sigafoos seemed to continue with his “mansplaining” later in the meeting.  Regarding the October incident,  Sigafoos said at the beginning of the November meeting that “sometimes I’m not very diplomatic and I apologize if that was taken in the wrong way.” He also said that “I don’t remember the discussion at all. I’m sorry.”  McCasland reminded him that “It was lengthy—look at the video.”

However, the “mansplaining” by Sigafoos appeared to continue later in the November meeting and reached a point  where the Governing Board lawyer, Lynne Adams, recognized the need to  intervene.  She then “firmly” explained to Sigafoos, who appeared somewhat reluctant or surprised, precisely what McCasland was asking of the Board.  

Because of time considerations, the Blog has limited the edits on this issue in the video below to a little under six minutes.  The video  contains McCasland’s questions about where and how the College was spending its revenue and her request that it be appropriately reviewed. The video also contains a portion of what the Blog considers to be  Sigafoos’  “mansplaining”  and the entire intervention and explanation to Sigafoos by the Board lawyer when she stepped in.

“Mansplaining” is a blend of the word man and the informal form splaining of the verb explaining and means “to explain something to someone, characteristically by a man to woman, in a manner regarded as condescending or patronizing”.  Source: Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansplaining.

You may also view a video of the entire meeting by clicking here and then clicking on “Meeting Videos.” 

Categories : McCASLAND, Politics

WICKS ADDRESSES BOARD ON MC CARVER’S THINGS WILL “NEVER, EVER BE EQUAL” ON EAST AND WEST SIDES OF COUNTY STATEMENT

By R. Oliphant
Friday, December 8th, 2017

Urges Board to consider Maricopa Model to reduce post-secondary educational inequity between east and west County; says 70,000 citizens now on east side to support new college compared to less than 40,000 in entire County when College began in late 1960s

Ruth Wicks addressed the Governing Board at its November 2017 meeting regarding a statement made by West-County Voting Bloc member Pat McCasland at the October meeting that things will “never, ever be equal” in terms of learning opportunities between the east and west sides of Yavapai County.  Wicks urged the Board to examine the Maricopa model to reduce the enormous inequality between the two sides of the County.

She pointed out that an administrative college is completely sustainable on the east side of the County with more than 70,000 citizens now living on that side of the County.  When the College was begun in the late 1960s, she reminded the Board there were less than 40,000 citizens in the entire County.

You may view Wicks addressing the Board on this subject in the video below.

 

Categories : Administrative College

VERDE CAMPUS WINE CENTER STUDENTS CAPTURE JEFFERSON CUP AWARD

By R. Oliphant
Tuesday, December 5th, 2017

Mourvedre wine earns top honors in its category; Viognier wine wins bronze medal in the same competition — Second major wine award this year

Students enrolled in the enology program at the Yavapai Community College Southwest Wine Center in Clarkdale were awarded the Jefferson Cup during invitational competition in Kansas City, Missouri on November 16 and 17 for their 2016 Mourvedre wine. They also received a bronze medal for their Viognier wine in the same competition.

The Jefferson Cup was bestowed on 16 of 750 participating wines in the invitational. The competitors came from 27 different states. In January the students won a gold medal for Best Sauvignon Blanc at the Arizona Republic’s Arizona Grand Wine Festival in January.

Michael Pierce, director of YC’s enology program, said the Jefferson Cup awards are a great honor for YC enology students and for the Southwest Wine Center. Both the winning Mourvedre and the Viognier also “are getting good response from our customers in the SWC tasting room.”

You may read more about the awards in the December 6, 2017  Cottonwood Journal Extra by Zachary Jernigan (it will appear later online).  You may  read the College’s announcement of the awards  by clicking here. You may read Mr. Jernigan’s January 2017 article about the gold medal by clicking here. 

Categories : Southwest Wine Center

SOCCER TEAM FINISHES IN THIRD PLACE IN NATIONAL FINALS

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, December 2nd, 2017

Community College athletic programs serving the West County emphasizes recruiting outside Yavapai County; Only two athletes from County on soccer team

The Yavapai Community College soccer team finished in third place at the National Junior College Athletic Association tournament held in Prescott Valley the second week in November. If the current roster is any indication, Yavapai coaches must believe their  success will come only if they recruit most of their athletes from outside Yavapai County .

President Wills commented at the November 2017 District Governing Board meeting that she sat beside a team member from Chino Valley. This comment suggested to some who knew little or nothing about the team that it was composed of local athletes. However, the team roster shows that only two of the 26 athletes are from Yavapai County.

The program ignores the east side of Yavapai County with no sporting events held there.  It also  fails to provide Yavapai County high school graduates with serious organized athletic opportunities at the Community College level because of its emphasis on outside-the-county recruiting.

The College boasts that in 29 years, it’s has compiled a 615-57-30 all-time record while capturing seventy-seven (77) conference, region, district and national titles. In 2017 Roughriders set a single season national scoring record with 145 goals shattering the old mark (134) that stood for 24 years.

The following is the 2017 roster. It shows where the student athletes recruited by the College came from.

 

Categories : Soccer team

RICHARD HERNANDEZ NEW DIRECTOR OF PRESCOTT BASED REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CENTER

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, December 2nd, 2017

Moves up from working at Small Business Development Center

Yavapai College has appointed Richard Hernandez as the new director of the Regional Economic Development Center (REDC).  Hernandez enters the position following his role working at Yavapai College’s Small Business Development Center as a business analyst and counselor.

The Regional Economic Development Center is located on the Yavapai Community College’s Prescott campus, 1100 E. Sheldon St. The College says it provides various analytic and economic services to promote economic development in areas such as corporate and industry skills training; workforce analysis; internships and apprenticeships; and business attraction, expansion, and retention.

To learn more about what the REDC  does, visit www.yc.edu/redc.

Categories : STAFF

DECEMBER REGULAR BOARD MEETING NOT TO BE HELD

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, December 2nd, 2017

Workshop replacing Board meeting on  December 11 to be run by Carver Policy Governance consultant 

The Yavapai Community College District Governing Board will not hold a regular Board meeting in December. However, it has scheduled a workshop for Monday, December 11, 2017 to begin at 9 AM. The workshop will be held at the Rock House on the Prescott Campus, 1100 E. Sheldon St., Prescott.

It is expected that the session will be run by another Carver Governing Board Policy Process consultant.  The Board Chair appears enamored with the Carver model of policy governance and consistently brings outside consultants to workshops and retreats in his effort to propagandize members about the model.    

From the Blog’s perspective Board member time would be better spent thoroughly examining, discussing and then listing  the top priorities for using College property tax revenue. For example, should the College have its first priority as education and its faculty?   (What does that mean?)  Why does it continue to spend millions every year on building/renovating structures and new parking lots rather than invest in more educational programs?  What is the ethical (legal) responsibility of a Board member to County taxpayers when it comes to providing the City of Prescott with amenities like the indoor therapy pool, the professional tennis complex, and the dinner theater — amenities the College has already built for that city using revenue paid by all taxpayers in the County? 

 

 

Categories : Meeting Notice

ABSENCE OF PROPER SIGNAGE ON VERDE CAMPUS SHOWING LOCATION OF SOUTHWEST WINERY TASTING ROOM DISGRACEFUL

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, November 25th, 2017

College boasts new signage everywhere but seems to have ignored the Winery Tasting Room– but not its revenue goal of $100,000

The College’s signage program appears to have forgotten about the Southwest Wine Center’s Tasting Room.  The Tasting Room is budgeted by the College for the fiscal year 2017-18 to generate sales revenue of at least $100,000 from customers.  It would make sense to construct  a decent sign at the entrance to the Winery  so potential customers could easily locate it when traveling down Black Hills Drive.

The College has paid a lot more attention to placing new signs on the CTEC building at the Prescott airport or other signs throughout the District. Why not the Winery, which is supposed to produce revenue by attracting customers?

Oh well, as District Governing Board member Pat McCarver has said:  “Things will never be equal” on the East and West sides of the County when it comes to investment by the Community College.

 

 

Categories : Southwest Wine Center
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