BARREL TASTING EVENT ON VERDE CAMPUS AT WINE CENTER

By R. Oliphant
Tuesday, July 4th, 2017

SATURDAY, JULY 15 FROM NOON TO 2:00 P.M

A “barrel tasting event” will be held on the Verde Campus at the Southwest Wine Center from noon to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 15. Admission is $20 at the door, which includes tastings and small bites. The College says it will be tasting a number of unreleased 2016 reds during the event.  The Center is located at 601 Black Hills Drive, Clarkdale, Arizona.  Its normal hours are from noon to 6:00 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. The following is an advertisement sent out by the College for the event.

 

Categories : Southwest Wine Center
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SEDONA CENTER OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULED FOR JULY 26

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, July 1st, 2017

Newly renovated Center open to public  from 9 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, July 26

The public is invited to what the College describes as a “Sedona Center Program Preview Day from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday, July 26.”  The College will provide a tour of the facility for visitors. 

The Sedona Center is located at 4215 Arts Village Drive, Sedona, Arizona.  For information about the Center and the July 26 event, please click here. https://www.yc.edu/articles/Sedona-Center-Transformation/6399

For more information and a schedule of classes, visit the college’s website at yc.edu. Updated information about the culinary arts and hospitality programs is available by contacting barb.waak@yc.edu. Call 928-634-6560. For class registration, visit yc.edu/register, or contact the Yavapai Community College  Answer Center, answercenter@yc.edu, 928-634-6520.

Categories : Construction, Sedona Campus

COLLEGE DECEMBER 2013 PLAN TO CLOSE THREE CENTERS FLOPS

By R. Oliphant
Friday, June 30th, 2017

Sedona Center alive and well thanks to effective advocacy and political opposition to closing

Commentary

Recall that in December 2013 the College and a majority on the District Governing Board agreed to sell the Sedona Center and the Chino Valley Center, while also selling and then  rebuilding the Prescott Valley Center at a cost estimated around $50 million.  Furthermore, recall that the December 2013 ten-year-plan allocated more than 95% of $103.5 million to specific West County development. There was not a penny for Sedona Center development.

At best, the development plan suggested that the College lease 10,000 square feet sometime in the future for a Sedona facility. (The College killed off the nationally recognized film school in Sedona no doubt in preparation for the possible sale and also closed down virtually all for-credit courses.)

To many, the College plan was  to restrict development of almost all Community College live classes and all other live activity to the West side of the County. Specifically,  in the Prescott/Prescott Valley area.

The College administration misjudged the Verde Valley. When word came of the closing and selling of the Sedona Center, there was an outpouring of opposition to the plan.  The administration may have  also misjudged Sedona’s former and present mayor and Sedona’s City Council. While they were extremely polite in their response to the contemplated closing and selling of the Sedona Center, they were forceful and  unanimous in vocal opposition to the decision.  

Another part of the plan, intended for Prescott Valley, also fell through. Apparently, the administration failed to foresee the possibility of Northern Arizona University (NAU) backing away from the plan for a major health complex in Prescott Valley. NAU’s reluctance surfaced   after it hired a new President. It wasn’t long after that when the College announced it was scuttling plans for the $50 million plus development in Prescott Valley and reducing future expenditures to around $18 million.

The College administration has also backpedaled on its decision to close the Chino Valley Center.  It has given Chino Valley a reprieve of several years to increase enrollment.

The overall result of not selling the centers  is to begin returning the Community College to one that serves all the citizens of the County. While there is a long way to go, the trend to locate virtually all live classes and activities in Prescott/Prescott Valley has at least been slowed. 

Below is a copy of a portion of the original December 2013 plan as approved by a majority of the District Governing Board. It shows their intention to sell the three centers.  The Blog couldn’t resist reminding readers of the plan as the College prepares for an open house at the newly renovated Sedona Center.

                               THE ORIGINAL PLAN BELOW AS DRAFTED BY THE COLLEGE

 

 

Categories : Sedona Campus, Ten year plan

BUSINESS CENTER & OLLI FACILITY RENOVATION COMPLETE

By R. Oliphant
Friday, June 30th, 2017

Building 29 on Prescott Campus renovated, new parking lot created, and area landscaped

Building 29 is located at the southeast corner of the Prescott Campus, close to the administration but slightly removed from the academic core. It was thought by the administration that the location makes it “an ideal location for a business center focused on community outreach and partnerships.”  Renovation began several months ago with Northern Arizona University moving to the University Transfer Center in Building 1.  Building 29 houses the Small Business Center and the Osher Lifelong Learning program.

The following are photos showing the renovation of Building 29, which are found in variouis District Governing Board agendas over the past several months.

Categories : Construction

NEW DIRECTOR FOR SMALL BUSINESS CENTER ON PRESCOTT CAMPUS HIRED

By R. Oliphant
Friday, June 30th, 2017

Jeri Denniston, a Yavapai Community College  adjunct marketing instructor, replaces SBDC Director Kurt Haskell, who retired in April

Yavapai Community College announced on June 29, 2017 that Jeri Denniston, a Community College adjunct marketing instructor who lives in Prescott Valley, was hired as the new director for the Small Business Center.  You may read the College’s press release by clicking here. Denniston is a former San Diego Union-Tribune community relations director and Thunderbird School of Global Management graduate. She is a partner in an international consulting business with her husband, Eric. The firm specializes in helping businesses with strategic and financial planning and management. 

Denniston has taught internet and social media marketing at Yavapai Community College since 2011 for small business owners and entrepreneurs as part of the Entrepreneurship Course. You may read more about Ms. Denniston’s background by clicking here.

The Small Business Center is located in Building 29 on the Prescott Campus, however, appointments may be made by phone to meet with staff on the Verde Campus.  On its current web site, the Center currently offers four classes in Prescott, and one each on the Verde Campus and in Prescott Valley. 

If you own a small business or are thinking about starting one, the SBDC  offers both short and long term counseling at no charge, and seminars and workshops conducted by experienced business professionals. Hands-on training can be provided in such disciplines as business planning, record keeping and personnel management. Classes are sometimes offered in web design and other like areas of the internet. There is a charge for most classes.

You may read more about classes and their cost by clicking here.

 

 

Categories : Small Business Development

SEDONA CENTER CONSTRUCTION MOVING AHEAD

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, June 29th, 2017

Work anticipated to be complete by the fall semester

The Interior work on the west wing Sedona Center is moving ahead on schedule. Equipment is being installed in the culinary and pastry kitchens. The walk-in  coolers and freezers are being installed in basement level store room.

The following are a few of the photos shown to the District Governing Board in its Agenda at its June 13, 2017 meeting that depict the renovation of the Sedona Center. Project substantial completion is scheduled for July 1. You may view additional photos of the project in the June 2017 agenda by clicking here.

 

Categories : Construction, Sedona Campus

TOUGH TO GET MEETING WITH PRESIDENT WILLS

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, June 29th, 2017

Dana Dieterich describes the challenges she faced

Dana Dieterich addressed the Governing Board on April 18, 2017 about her concerns over the closing the wet lab on the Prescott Campus.  In the short video below, she outlined to the Board at its June 13, 2017 meeting the frustration she had experienced in her failed efforts to meet with President Wills.

Many might say, “she got the royal runaround.” What say you?

Categories : Complaints, Politics

VERDE HAS OVER “1,000” IN COLLEGE FOR KIDS SUMMER PROGRAM SAYS WILLS; PRESCOTT ONLY 354

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, June 24th, 2017

Wills’ also says it may put pressure on Prescott; Difference is strong Verde Leadership and overall Cooperation

President Penelope Wills was no doubt surprised by the huge enrollment on the Verde Campus for this year’s College for Kids summer program of over “1,000” students.  By comparison, there were only 354 students enrolled on the Prescott side where there is double the population.

Wills noted when she spoke to the District Governing Board at its June 13, 2017 meeting  that the program was not run in the Verde Valley two years ago when the College staff person in charge quit shortly before the program was to begin.  Wills may have forgotten that three years ago the program also did not operate in the Verde Valley. 

Wills heaped praise on College staff member Linda Buchanan but failed to mention by name the outstanding leaders behind the program in the Verde Valley. She also failed to recognize the thousands of dollars contributed by the public schools in the Verde Valley that made the program accessible to the students.

The outstanding leadership provided by the Verde Valley came in the form of principal Heather Wacker and superintendents Barbara U’Ren and Steve King along with splendid cooperation from Verde Campus Executive Dean James Perey. While many others contributed to the program, they were the key to the program’s success.  The schools in the Verde Valley contributed an estimated $20,000 to the program for transportation, meals, along with staff to supervise the project. 

The program illustrates just how successful an educational endeavor in the Verde Valley can be when there is cooperation and strong leadership.   For some, it also strongly suggests that the Verde Valley could operate a successful community college on its own.

The statement made by Wills’ about the program at the Governing Board meeting follows below.

Categories : College for Kids

TIME MAGAZINE ARTICLE EXAMINES SUCCESSFUL CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS

By R. Oliphant
Friday, June 23rd, 2017

Provides window into future potential creative community college Verde Valley development

The June 1, 2017 article in Time magazine written by Josh Sanburn entitled, “The Case for Community College,” provides insight into the need for creative approaches to developing career and technical education programs as a part of Yavapai College’s responsibility to the Verde Valley. It explains why several Community College CTE programs have been so successful. At a time when Yavapai College has developed a state-of-the-art career and technical education Center on the West side of the County while leaving the East side of the County struggling and well behind in CTE development and training opportunities, the Time article is extremely relevant.

You may read the entire Time article online by clicking here.   The Blog encourages everyone to read the article.  

Categories : Career and Technical Education

Yavapai College wins 2017 wine award

By R. Oliphant
Friday, June 23rd, 2017

Receives gold medal and best of class award at International Wine competition in California

Yavapai Community College announced in a press release of June 22, 2017 that the Southwest Wine Center had won a Gold Medal and Best of Class Award at the 2017 Sunset International wine competition in Berkeley, California. It won the award for its 2014 Sunlight (a blended varietal white wine). The sunlight wine was the first wine that the College that had entered in a competitive event.

College Enology Director Michael Pierce said. “This an internationally recognized competition which receives several hundred entries, so to receive a Gold Medal and Best in Class Award is a tremendous accomplishment for the students.”

For more details please see the College press release by clicking here.

Categories : Verde Campus, Wine Center
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