MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE JTED HEALTH PROGRAMS MOVED TO YC PRESCOTT VALLEY CENTER

By R. Oliphant
Friday, August 18th, 2017

Allied Health/EMS/JTED  consolidated and moved to Prescott Valley Center—a real advantage for JTED training and additional tuition for the Community College

The Community College Facilities Management reported to the District Governing Board at the August 8, 2017 meeting that the Allied Health/EMS/JTED Health Occupation Programs were moving (or had been moved) to the Prescott Valley Center.  Management also reported that the Prescott Valley Center Parking Expansion  was complete and the Prescott Valley Center addition was substantial Complete. Facilities management indicated the Prescott Valley Center Addition second floor was almost complete with programming starting August 30.

The Joint Technical Education District, Mountain Institute, has fully partnered up with College. It has its administrative headquarters at the Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) and its Health Occupation programs are now housed at the College’s Prescott Valley Center. 

The Community College’s close, supporting partnership on the West side of the County with the Mountain Institute has been developing over a ten-year period.  During that same period, it is the Blog’s view that the College and District Governing Board have essentially written off the JTED on the East side of the County.  The result of writing off the East side of the County has been devastating to East side CTE training opportunities, especially East County high school students who are not able to consider enrolling in several of the sophisticated job training opportunities offered at CTEC (or taking similar courses on the East side of the County).  Those opportunities are only available to students who are a part of the West Mountain Institute JTED.  From the Blog’s view, this is simply not educationally fair as the College is supposed to serve “all the County” equitably.

 

 

Categories : Prescott Campus

NEW VP RODNEY JENKINS INTRODUCED TO DISTRICT GOVERNING BOARD

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, August 12th, 2017

Will focus on marketing, fundraising, and new strategy for alumni development

Yavapai Community College formally introduced  its newest addition to the Administration, Mr. Rodney Jenkins, to the District Governing Board at its August 8, 2017 meeting. Mr. Jenkins will assume the duties of Vice President of Community Relations.  This follows the retirement of Steve Walker in December 2016. Jenkins will be responsible for managing Yavapai College’s marketing, communications, public relations, advancement, economic and workforce development, and legislative relations.

Unlike Mr. Walker, Mr. Jenkins will not simultaneously hold the positions of Executive Director of the Yavapai Community College Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) organization, and  Vice President of Community Relations at the College.

Vice President Jenkins has over 15 years of experience leading marketing and communications departments, political and issues-based campaigns, and strengthening community relations. He served as Lock Haven University’s Vice President of University Relations in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania from June 2012 to the present. His responsibilities there included managing the offices of communications, marketing, special events, athletics, alumni relations and development.

Before moving to Lock Haven, he was the Director of Communications and Marketing for the Dekalb County school system in Georgia, Director of Communications and Marketing at the Georgia Department of Administrative Services, Director of Corporate Marketing for Cleveland Public Power, and Chief Public Affairs Officer for the City of Cleveland.

Mr. Jenkins emphasized marketing, fundraising, and developing an alumni strategy in his brief comments to the Governing Board. His comments to the board may be viewed below.

Categories : Admnistrative turnover

COLLEGE SAYS HEADCOUNT ENROLLMENT DISTRICT-WIDE IS UP 4.7% FOR FALL SEMESTER

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, August 12th, 2017

Sedona Center enrollment up 1,235%

The College announced at the District Governing Board meeting on August 8, 2017 that headcount enrollment District-wide is up by 4.7%. In making the announcement, the College noted that it had been a long time since it had been able to announce enrollment was increasing. It also noted that enrollment at the Sedona Center was up by 1,235%. (Last year at this time enrollment at the Sedona Center was reported at 14.)

The Blog surmises the headcount is finally increasing for three reasons:  First, the administration is now using the telephone to contact students who they identified should have enrolled but did not for a variety of possible reasons. Second,  greater flexibility on dates to enroll. Third, the opening of the Sedona Center.

The announcement as reported to the District Governing Board by Dr. Liss follows below.

 

Categories : Enrollment data

COLLEGE SPENDS $17 MILLION DURING LAST FISCAL YEAR ON CAPITAL PROJECTS

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, August 10th, 2017

Total expenditures 148.9% of budget with overrun due to Prescott Valley building expansion and Sedona Center remodel

The Yavapai Community College administration reported to the Governing Board at its August 8, 2017 meeting that it had spent $17,343,277 during the fiscal year 2016 – 17 on capital projects. It had originally budgeted $11,648,400 to spend on buildings and grounds during that period. It attributed the additional $6 million increase in capital spending to the Prescott Valley building expansion and the Sedona Center remodel. 

Because College has so many millions of dollars paid in by taxpayers annually, there was no need for any bonding needed to provide $17 million for these capital projects. As this blog has repeatedly told its readers, the college is flush with revenue. Furthermore, in the opinion of the blog, there is little serious oversight over how these millions are spent each year after basic educational expenses are met.

You may view the College explanation and verify the amount spent on capital projects during the past fiscal year by clicking here and going to page 23 of 154.

Categories : Budget

COLLEGE ENDS FISCAL YEAR WITH $2.5 MILLION SURPLUS IN GENERAL FUND

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, August 10th, 2017

Surplus headed to capital fund for buildings; no new educational initiatives or other options for excess revenue discussed

The College ended the 12-month fiscal year on June 30, 2017 with a $2.5 million surplus. When college administrators were asked by representative Deb McCasland how that surplus was to be used, they said it would be applied to future capital projects.

Overall the College explained that “General Fund revenues are projected to be below budget by $208,000 and expenditures are projected to be under budget by $2,736,000. Revenues are lower than budgeted due to lower fall and spring semester enrollments and the gradual reduction of the aviation program. Expenses are less than budgeted due to several factors including unspent contingency funds, vacancy savings, lower non-labor expenditures (i.e. utilities) and the utilization of available Proposition 301 monies (in lieu of General Fund monies).”

The College administrators did not offer the Governing Board any possible alternatives for the use of this excess surplus revenue. For example, to award faculty bonuses or develop additional educational programs. In fact, if representative McCasland had not raised the issue about the surplus, it would have been submerged in the consent agenda with no discussion at all.

You may click here to go to the August 2017 agenda where on page 20 of 154 you will see the surplus.

The Administration’s statement on use of the surplus is below.

Categories : Budget

RHODE ISLAND FOURTH STATE IN THE NATION TO MAKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE FREE

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, August 5th, 2017

Will Yavapai Community College ever seriously explore this possibility?

Rhode Island has become the fourth state in the United States to make community college tuition and fees free. The tuition and fee waiver applies to all students regardless of income.

Rhode Island follows New York, Oregon, and Tennessee in making tuition and fees free at the community college level.

Typically, Yavapai Community College has increased tuition in some form every year for the past 10 years. It currently collects around $10 million a year in tuition. Is it possible, given the current excess revenue that is used to build parking lots, tennis courts, and buildings, to make tuition free for Yavapai residents and their children or at least reduced by many dollars at the College?  Will the College and the Governing Board seriously study and discuss this issue?

Categories : Tuition

MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE PARTNER ON 75 COURSES FOR FALL 2017

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, August 5th, 2017

Governing Board to sign intergovernmental agreement with Mountain Institute at Tuesday’s meeting

The West side Joint Technical Education District (JTED) Mountain Institute and Yavapai Community College have agreed to cooperatively offer JTED students learning opportunities in 75 courses. The agreement will be signed at the Tuesday, August 8, 2017 Governing Board meeting. The partnership agreement states that the College will provide college credit for JTED students successfully completing an approved course. The JTED will provide tuition for the students taking the courses from the College.

You may view the agreement and the list of courses and the tuition charge for each course by clicking here and scrolling down on the consent agenda.

Categories : Mountain Institute

WHEN WILL COLLEGE ADDRESS INTER-CAMPUS TRANSPORTATION ISSUES?

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, August 3rd, 2017

Why isn’t there a College transportation system between CTEC and all of College Centers and the Verde Campus? VVBAC asked Board to address issue in March, 2015

On March 17, 2015 the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee recommended to the District Governing Board that the College  “address the transportation barriers for students across the Mountain and within the Verde Valley.”  Unfortunately, since that time, there has not been any serious response to the request (or a serious study) except for occasional suggestions  that transportation between the various Centers and campuses is not the College’s problem.  (Once, I’m told, there was a system of sorts.  Anyone know what happened to it?)

Let’s see:  The College has created the problem of non-access.  But it doesn’t want to work on solving it.  Ummm? I guess it prefers to continue spending tax revenue on buildings and professional tennis courts.

 

 

Categories : Transportation

COLLEGE OPENS 104 NON-CREDIT COMMUNITY COLLEGE EDUCATION CLASSES ON WEST SIDE OF COUNTY FOR REGISTRATION; NONE OPEN FOR REGISTRATION ON EAST SIDE OF COUNTY

By R. Oliphant
Wednesday, August 2nd, 2017

Forty-seven non-credit courses listed for East side of County not open for registration; marvelous course catalog developed only for West side of County 

Another indication of how the Yavapai College administrators have historically concentrated resources on the West side of the County to the detriment of the East side is the development of non-credit courses.

For example, the Yavapai community College has just opened for registration 104 non-credit community college education classes on the Prescott/Prescott Valley/Chino Valley side of Yavapai County. (Click here to see the list of West side courses.) These are courses to be held at various locations including the Prescott Campus, CTEC, Prescott Valley Center, Chino Valley Center and at sites off campus.

Meanwhile, the College lists a total of 47 non-credit community college courses to be held on the East side of the County. (Click here to see the list of 23 Verde courses.)  However, none of the East side courses have been opened for registration.

Another example of how the College administration has favored the West side of the County is the use of a catalog to announce and describe the non-credit courses being offered there. The Community College has also generated a 26 page  outstanding online catalog describing all of the non-credit courses to be held in the fall on the West side of the County. There is no similar online catalog for the courses on the East side of the County. (Click here to go to catalog.)  

Furthermore, if history repeats itself, the College will mail hundreds of these catalogs to residents on the West side of the County. They do not reach the East side.

It should be noted that these non-credit courses are in addition to any Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) classes offered in the County. The courses range from single day seminars up to six week classes and are taught by community professionals experienced in their chosen field. Tuition for a course ranges from $75-$225 depending on its length. The classes are offered only in-person.

Below is is an example of the message one receives when seeking to enroll in an East side course listed on the College web site (as of August 2, 2017):

Categories : Non credit courses

DISTRICT GOVERNING BOARD MEETING AUGUST 8 AT 1 PM ON PRESCOTT CAMPUS ROCK HOUSE

By R. Oliphant
Wednesday, August 2nd, 2017

Agenda for meeting published late on Friday before meeting

The Yavapai Community College District Governing Board will meet at 1 PM on Tuesday, August 8, 2017. The meeting will take place on the Prescott Campus at the Rock House. The meeting will begin at 1 PM. The Rock House is located at 1100 E. Sheldon St., Prescott, AZ.

The full agenda for the meeting is usually posted late Friday afternoon of the Friday before the Tuesday meeting. It can be found when it is posted by clicking here.

Often, PowerPoint presentations that are used during the Board meeting are not posted along with the agenda. They generally appear after the meeting if they were not previously posted.

Categories : District Governing Board, Event
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