COLLEGE CONTINUES BUILDING SPREE PLANS DESPITE DECLINING ENROLLMENT

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, November 3rd, 2016

Internal memo reveals commitment to new construction rather than new educational programs and improved faculty salaries

An internal Yavapai Community College memo dated October 27, 2016 provided to the Blog shows the College’s Administration continues to be wedded to construction.  It continues its building spree despite a continued decline in enrollment, which over a ten year period has fallen by 6,000 students in its credit courses. The College spends from $6 to $8 million a year on construction by using tax and tuition revenue it sees as no longer necessary for programs and salaries.

The memo states that “there are plans to build additional facilities such as a 300 seat lecture hall at Prescott, a multi-purpose field and event center at Prescott, a new classroom building in PV, . . . and a 3rd Residence Hall at a place to be determined.” The ten-year capital building plan puts the new residence hall on the Prescott Campus.

Gosh, wouldn’t it be terrific if the College invested this money in educational programs and increasing faculty salaries!

😥

Categories : Construction

FILARDO RESIGNS GOVERNING BOARD SEAT

By R. Oliphant
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2016

FRUSTRATION AT BOARD ACTION KILLING OFF THE VERDE VALLEY BOARD ADVISORY COMMITTEE THE LAST STRAW

Al Filardo

Al Filardo

Mr. Al Filardo formally resigned his seat on the Yavapai College District Governing Board November 1, 2016 at the meeting of the Board in Sedona.  Filardo, who completed two years on the Board, found it impossible to work with the three-member majority on the Board led by Pat McCarver. Bob Oliphant, who preceded Filardo, resigned after one year on the Board representing the Verde Valley.

In his resignation speech, Filardo pointed to four key areas of guiding principles that caused his resignation.  They were the Board and College:  (1). Making significant fiscal commitments without the requisite comprehensive strategic planning; (2). Failing to authorize research to inform important, key decisions; (3). Overlooking problems masked by policy governance; and (4). Suspending the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee.

Filardo stated that  “My observation is we are getting caught up in the quarrel and forgetting our mandated cause – we are to serve the educational needs of the citizens of Yavapai County.  How can we know their needs if we silence their voices. Based on my years of experience as a process-improvement and organizational development champion, I’ve witnessed when intelligent people quarrel and lose sight of the real cause, they do incredibly stupid things.  They become politically obnoxious, diplomatically inept, and intellectually bankrupt.”

You may read all of Mr. Filaro’s speech by clicking .al-filardo-speech.

 

Categories : Administrative College, Advisory Committees, Politics

FIRST YC CULTURAL EVENT IN CAMPE VERDE HICCUPS

By R. Oliphant
Wednesday, October 26th, 2016

College struggles to find an audience for its cultural events in Verde Valley

The Wills’ administration, under enormous pressure from the Verde Valley, has been experimenting with bringing a handful of cultural events to the area. It has a huge cultural program on the West side of the County.
Music notesOn Saturday, September 22, 2016 it put on a program that featured a three-person jazz concert at the Camp Verde Philp England Center. This was the first such program in Camp Verde sponsored by the College.
Kudos go to Craig Ralston, Director of the Yavapai College Performing Arts Center, for his patience and effort in trying to find effective ways in which to bring these events to the community. Despite problems.

This program ran into problems. As with several other events, the College advertised ticket price for the concert was $32. The problem was that only 24 tickets had been sold shortly before the Saturday concert.

Dean Ralston said that the small number of tickets were sold despite “extensive marketing and promotion (postcards, flyers, posters, ads in paper, Kudos, radio, social media).” Given the sparse sales, Ralston felt the best approach was to make the concert “free.” He traveled personally to Camp Verde, Sedona and Cottonwood/Clarkdale handing out complimentary tickets to key business and organizations.

In the end and thanks to Raltson’s personal commitment, over 130 residents turned up for an excellent concert by the trio.

You may read a letter to the editor regarding this concert in the October 25, 2016 Verde Independent by clicking here.

Categories : Camp Verde, Event

AL FILARDO RESIGNS GOVERNING BOARD SEAT

By R. Oliphant
Wednesday, October 12th, 2016

Issues involving treatment of VVBAC the last straw

Al Filardo

Al Filardo

Third District Representative to the College Governing Board, Al Filardo, resigned his seat on the Board yesterday afternoon (Tuesday, October 11, 2016).  Filardo represents a large portion of the Verde Valley.  Filardo indicated that the treatment afforded the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee by the three-member Prescott majority, which suspended the Committee for a year last month,  was a primary reason he could no longer sit on the Board. Filardo will provide an expanded view of his decision at the November 1, 2016 Board meeting in Sedona.

Filardo replaced Bob Oliphant in March, 2015.  Oliphant, who served a year on the Board,  had resigned in protest over the treatment of the Verde Valley by the three-member Prescott area controlling majority on the Board.

Categories : Advisory Committees, Politics

CANDIDATE OPPOSING McCASLAND SAYS ABOLISHING VVBAC O.K. WITH HIM

By R. Oliphant
Monday, October 10th, 2016

“I support the recent DGB’s action” dissolving the Advisory Committee

The Prescott Valley candidate Walt Nagy, whose goal is to knock off Deb McCasland in the upcoming election, has made it clear that he agrees with the three-member majority on the Governing Board that doing away with the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee was a good idea. McCasland has represented District 2 on the Governing Board effectively for the last two years since trouncing Harold Harrington.

In an interview with the Camp Verde Bugle of October 8, 2016 he flat out said he supported “the recent DBG’s action,” which effectively abolished the current Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee.  The Committee was the voice of the entire Verde Valley to the Governing Board.

As far as Nagy is concerned, matters in the Verde Valley are “beyond adequate.” He has no clue.

If he is elected, it is clear the Verde Valley will lose another strong voice that is attempting to stop the economic oppression being foisted on it by the three-member West-County voting block.

A vote for McCasland is a vote for the Verde Valley and fair and equitable treatment.  Nagy is most likely already in the pocket of the Prescott Valley politicos. There is little doubt he will continue to plunder the tax revenue coming from the Verde Valley to build projects on the West side of the County. There is little doubt he will also go along with continuing to raise the property tax rate on County voters as he seems ready to join the West County voting block and holds their views.

You may read his interview in the Bugle by clicking here.

Categories : Advisory Committees, Politics

SEDONA COUNCILWOMAN WILLIAMSON SLAMS WEST COUNTY GOVERNING BOARD MAJORITY

By R. Oliphant
Friday, October 7th, 2016

Verde Valley Advisory Committee Never Wanted by Controlling Majority

Sedona Councilwoman Jessica Williamson slammed the decision by the three-member West County majority on the District Governing Board  to shut down the Verde Valley Advisory Committee to the Governing Board. She made her comments at the September 27 meeting of the Sedona City Council.

jessica-williams-2“I’m very disturbed that it was suspended. It would have been an act of good faith by the board with this side of the community, which it always outvoted 3-2 by the board.”

“ I don’t think they actually ever wanted the committee and I think they didn’t accept most of the recommendations from the committee. I feel they were just as happy to get rid of a pesky committee that was comprised of very high-level people who were very committed to the college and the Verde Valley.”

You may view her comments in full by clicking here.

You may view a story on the meeting in the September 30, 2016  Sedona Red Rock News by clicking here. 

Categories : Advisory Committees

COLLEGE CUTTING BACK ON PLANS FOR SEDONA CULINARY SCHOOL

By R. Oliphant
Friday, October 7th, 2016

Reduction of Kitchens at Sedona Center new Culinary School Challenged before Sedona City Council

Yavapai Community College has been telling Sedona residents that it is going to invest around $5.8 million in renovating the Sedona Center.  As a part of that renovation, it will install a Culinary school. However, as it begins to develop its plan, the first step was to reduce the number of kitchens needed from four to two.  According to the College, two will do the work of four.

Paul ChavMr. Paul Chevalier, the co-chair of the now dissolved Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee, alerted the Sedona Mayor and Council to the decision by the College to reduce the teaching kitchens from four to two at the Sedona City Council meeting September 27, 2016. He said that he was a party to the various early meetings with the College and local culinary experts about the culinary school.  He said that at the time everyone talked about having “four separate kitchens; one each for commercial, teaching, pastry, and chocolate.”  In early September he was notified via email of the newest configuration.   To his surprise, the diagram sent to him “had only two kitchens.”

According to Mr. Chevalier, there is not sufficient room in the existing renovated Center for culinary, the Osher Life Long Institute, and general education classes.  “Everything got promised,” he told the Mayor and Council. Chevalier argued that with the money now allotted to renovate the Center, it would be better spent on constructing a separate 10,000 square foot building to house the culinary program.

He said that the final decision on the Culinary school has been delegated to the College President, Penelope Wills.  “She is the person [the Mayor and Council] must talk to,” said Mr. Chevalier.  His short speech to the Mayor and Council can be viewed by clicking here.

Categories : Sedona Campus

ARCHITECTURAL INTEGRITY OF SEDONA CENTER AT RISK

By R. Oliphant
Friday, October 7th, 2016

Citizens Charge Yavapai College Plan will Destroy the Center’s Esthetics

A Yavapai Community College plan to enclose the circular part of the College’s Sedona Center has drawn fire from Sedona residents.  As one resident put it:

The College intends to “desecrate the architectural integrity of the Sedona building by destroying the “Kiva” — a take-off on one of the world’s great ancient architectural wonders, the “Alhambra”, in Granada Spain . . .. They intend to destroy this area by closing it in — a true tragedy for the Sedona community.”

Sedona resident Carol Landower (phonetic spelling) argued at the Sedona City Council meeting September 27, 2016  that the Cerntgertis integrated into and specific to the Sedona landscape. She charged that the College was “destroying art.  You are destroying the beauty and serenity of that building.”

 You may view the argument for preventing the College from proceeding with its plan by clicking here.

sedona-center-concept-enclosing-center

Categories : Sedona Campus

Where was Wills?

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, October 1st, 2016

Was she hiding from the Sedona Mayor and Council?

Conspicuous by her absence from the September 27, 2016 Sedona City Council meeting on the “update” on Yavapai Community College was Yavapai President Penelope Wills.  Instead of showing up and answering questions directly from the Mayor and City Council on the record about the future of the College, she sent Vice President Clint Ewell and Ms. Heather Mulcare. Ms. Mulcare is a College staff member and Verde Valley native. The experience for Wills when appearing in Sedona has been to observers as making her  “uncomfortable.”

VP Clint Ewell, of course, is not the last word on anything in the College. But he’s a likable guy.

hiding-from-sedona-2

This is not the first time Wills’ has skipped Sedona.

Two years ago Wills presented her annual update to most of the cities and towns in Yavapai County.  However, she omitted showing up in Sedona and didn’t bother to send a representative.  She was later chastised for this oversight by a member of the Sedona City Council at a Governing Board meeting.  A year ago she showed up in Sedona and had to apologize (without explanation) for “missing” Sedona with her update a year earlier. 

The one way to stay off the record, is to stay away from meetings where you are going to be asked hard questions.  One suspects that Wills did not want to be on the record in Sedona September 27.

Categories : Politics, Sedona Campus

COLLEGE LOSES MOTION TO DISMISS IN FEDERAL COURT

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, September 29th, 2016

Judge says Multi-million dollar lawsuit involving former head of aviation program to go to jury

The defendants in Daniel Hamilton’s $60 million dollar lawsuit against Yavapai College and some of its administrators must go to a jury trial, Federal District Judge G. Murray Snow ruled September 28 (Wednesday).  Recall that Mr. Hamilton is the former Yavapai College Director of Aviation Programs.

Hamilton is a professional aviator, a veteran and a decorated former F-16 fighter pilot who served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force from 1997 to 2007. He reportedly started his job with Yavapai College in Sept. 6, 2011, and was terminated on or about May 31, 2012.

vector scales of justice and gavel

According to Hamilton’s lawyer, “One of the educational programs under the Post 9/11 GI Bill is a helicopter flight training/degree program.” Among the requirements of the program is that no more than 85 percent of the students in the program can be funded by the VA or by the educational institution.  “No new VA benefits are paid when the computation establishes that the 85/15 ratio is not satisfied.” Mr. Hamilton’s lawsuit alleges that Yavapai College and Prescott-based Guidance Aviation fraudulently took tuition money for its aviation programs from the U.S. Veterans Administration’s Post-9/11 GI Bill, but did not comply with the program’s requirements. Along with the false claim allegations, Hamilton is also suing Yavapai College for wrongful termination under the False Claims Act whistleblower protection provisions and under state law.

In his order denying a request by the defendants that the lawsuit be dismissed, Judge Snow wrote that “[t]he Defendants were warned that the 85/15 ratio `applied to each program and each course’ containing veterans.”  He also observed that “Yavapai and Guidance had violated Regulation 4201 in the past.”

Judge Snow rejected the theory that JTED students could be counted in the 15% required by the Veterans Administration. In part he wrote:  “Notes from a meeting between Guidance, NorthAire, and Yavapai representatives in July of 2012 indicate that the Defendants had reason to know that `there is a statute stating we can’t count the JTED students as civilians because they are possibly counted in secondary, per the state.’”

The judge’s decision should drive Yavapai College to begin serious negotiations to settle the lawsuit.  A complete copy of Judge Snow’s order can be found by clicking on the following link. 414-order-on-dispositive-motions1815086

Categories : Lawsuits
« Previous Page
Next Page »

Topics