Foundation gives $250,000 to CTEC

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, July 7th, 2016

Internships on West side of the County and more

A $250,000 grant from the Kemper-Ethel Marley Foundation was received in June by Yavapai Community College.  It will pay for six interns per semester for the next two years with local companies such as Toro, Ruger, Whipstone Farms, Bent River Machine, and Cobham.  

CTEC6Bent River, the only business on the East side of the County listed by the College as using interns in its brief announcement,  is located in Clarkdale. Norela Harrington is listed as the corporate president by the Arizona Corporation Commission.  Former Governing Board member Herold Harrington, who was trounced in 2014 by Deb McCasland for his seat on the Board,  is listed as secretary and treasurer.  The Harringtons’ are listed by  the Arizona Corporation Commission as the only two directors of the corporation.

The grant also adds equipment to programs at CTEC.

It will fund the robotics and GEEK youth camps in both the Verde Valley and Prescott areas for the next two summers.

Categories : Career and Technical Education

Money follows enrollment; Verde Valley the loser

By R. Oliphant
Tuesday, July 5th, 2016

President Penelope Wills’ Enrollment Philosophy Criticized

Paul Chav

Paul Chavalier

The Chair of the Verde Valley Board Advisory Board criticized the enrollment philosophy being followed by Yavapai Community College President Penelope Wills.  In an article in the Cottonwood Journal Extra of July 6, 2016 Mr. Paul Chavalier told reporter Zachery Jernigan that Wills’ philosophy of matching the percentage of spending to percentage of enrollment had ensured poor funding for the Verde Valley.

According to the article, when enrollment in the Verde Valley declined from 30 percent of total enrollment to 15 percent, the decrease ensured poor funding for the Verde Valley.  Consequently, the number of classes declined and facilities such as the Sedona Center have gone unused.

Chavalier also suggested that relationships between the College and Northern Arizona Healthcare Verde Valley Medical Center have been damaged by efforts to cut careers programs that contribute to a qualified workforce.

The full article has not as yet been posted online.

Categories : Advisory Committees

Feds give Yavapai Community College $12,500 Grant; $50,000 loan

By R. Oliphant
Tuesday, July 5th, 2016

United States Department of Agriculture Award

Yavapai Community College has received a $12,500 grant and a $50,000 loan from the Untied States Department of Agriculture.  The grant and loan is intended to support rural economic development projects and create jobs. The awards came from the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program and Intermediary Relending Program.

Any project the College undertakes using funds from this program must be spent in a rural area outside a city or town with a population of fewer than 50,000 residents.   Funding may be used for working capital, debt refinancing and for purchasing equipment, supplies and real estate. 

The $50,000 is loaned at 1% interest from local intermediaries that can re-lend to businesses in support of economic development projects. USDA

The Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program is a new program created by the 2008 Farm Bill. USDA administers the program, which will make grants to organizations that provide training, technical assistance or make small loans to new and existing rural small businesses. It may (a) Provide microloans for microenterprise startups and growth through a Rural Microloan Revolving Fund and (b) Provide training and technical assistance to microloan borrowers and micro entrepreneurs.

The Community College has yet to announce receipt of the grant and loan or indicate how it will be specifically used in Yavapai County.

Categories : Grants

Enology student organization hosting wine trivia night fundraiser

By R. Oliphant
Tuesday, July 5th, 2016

Friday July 8th, 6pm to 8pm:  Tickets are $25 at the door (100% tax deductible!) 

SOUTHWEST WINE CENTER SIGNThe Grand Crew, Yavapai College’s Viticulture and Enology student organization, is hosting a wine trivia night fundraiser at the Southwest Wine Center on the Verde Campus in Clarkdale, Arizona.  The organization is charging $25 at the door, which is says is “100% tax deductible!” 

The Student Group says that the proceeds from this event will help fund the Grand Crew’s planned educational activities.

SOUTHWEST WINE CENTER TRIVIA NIGHTThe student organized, student led, group is made up of current and former students of our Enology and Viticulture programs. In its advertisement of the event, it says to “Expect an interactive experience with our students as each team tries out their wine knowledge against each-other, a student Master of Ceremonies will read each question aloud and will keep score.  Grab your friends and family and head on over!” 

Categories : Verde Campus, Wine Center

DRONE PROGRAM AT CTEC

By R. Oliphant
Sunday, July 3rd, 2016

YC students benefit from new drone rules

You may recall that in August, 2014 the Blog reported that a new program was under development at the Chino Valley campus of Yavapai Community College that involves drones and a partnership with SWIFT Radio planes.  Swift Radio planes is a local Prescott business that manufactures unmanned aircraft. The unmanned aircraft systems, known as drones, would be used for safety programs, “including fire sciences, emergency management and agricultural studies.”

The drone program began in the Spring of 2015.

In June, 2016 the Federal Government promulgated regulations regarding the operation of drones.  According to a press release from Yavapai Community College, “the rules – Part 107 of the Federal Aviation Regulations – are a major step toward opening the nation’s airspace to drones. The new regulations will help students move quickly through the operator testing process, positioning them well for employment.”

CTEC6Drones “are going to be replacing all kinds of manned aircraft and doing things manned aircraft never did in the first place,” said Yavapai College Associate Professor of Aviation, Matt Mintzmyer. “The industry is pretty wide open. Students will have job opportunities and be able to go out in the industry, or create their own business from the ground up.”

The college’s drone program was launched in the spring, capitalizing both on emerging markets for drone technology and increased interest in drone operation. Mintzmyer envisions the program growing as a result of the FAA essentially clearing the way for small, unmanned aircraft.

The drone program at Yavapai Community College is “at the forefront of the industry and comprehensive – more so than other colleges and universities that have jumped on the UAS bandwagon,” Mintzmyer said. “We train on everything you need to know for the operator certificate,” including building and operating drones, operational safety, rules and regulations and entrepreneurship. “We’ve got a really solid program.”

The CTEC program is not available to high school students on the East side of the County.

You may read the press release from Yavapai College by clicking here.

Categories : Career and Technical Education

Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee told to stay away from analyzing data

By R. Oliphant
Friday, July 1st, 2016

Focus on other projects; not analysis

Based on the brief discussion of the Governing Board at the June 14, 2016 meeting, the seven-member blue ribbon Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee is not to get into the job of analyzing feedback received from around 70 or so Verde Valley residents regarding how well the College is operating. 

Verde Valley Representative Al Filardo raised the question at the Board meeting. He said that he would advise the Committee that “the job of the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee is to collect feedback, not necessarily analyze it.  Is that correct madam Chair?”

Chair Pat McCarver replied that “if we look back that we were asked that question by the newspapers.  So we look back at the minutes and it was so that we could gather the feedback  . . . that was as far as it went.  I think that is what we want.”

Filardo said:  “There’s so much we need to focus on that focusing on the right things is a good thing.” 

McCarver also said that during their fall retreat they would talk about what they want from the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee next year.    

You may view the video of this brief discussion by clicking here.

Categories : Advisory Committees

COLLEGE LACKS COHERENT ENROLLMENT PLAN; NO CREATIVITY

By R. Oliphant
Wednesday, June 29th, 2016

DEAN PEREY TALKS TO VERDE INDEPENDENT ABOUT ENROLLMENT

Dean James Perey, the Executive Dean in charge of the Verde Campus and Sedona Center, was interviewed by Verde Independent reporter Bill Helm in late June, 2016 .  The interview, which can be accessed by clicking here, reveals how little the College has focused on a serious effort to develop a comprehensive plan to increase enrollment at the Verde Campus or Sedona Center.  It also reveals the absence of serious, creative thinking on the part of the Community College when it comes to enrollment. 

Recall that Northern Arizona University (NAU) has launched a serious new effort at recruiting students in Yavapai County. Last year, NAU has a huge increase in enrollment in its first-year classes because of its serious efforts and careful planning. Yavapai College is no doubt beginning to feel the effects of the NAU effort.

Perey replied during the interview to the enrollment question saying in part: “The key there is not necessarily what I can do, but what we can do to increase student enrollment in the Verde Valley.”  Exactly what that means was left ambiguous.

Perey also said that what “we try to do is to structure a schedule that will potentially work for both part-time – which is normally that evening/night market when people work, and they’re coming to class at night, and also the day market.  . . . An additional thing we’ve done is include academic advising on those conversations, because they’re talking with the students.”  This was his plan for increasing student enrollment in the Verde Valley.  The problems of marketing were never touched upon.

One has to feel somewhat sad for Perey who is now the alleged spokesman for the Verde Valley Community College while continuing to reside in Chino Valley.  He tried to get out of the Verde Valley job earlier this year when he applied for the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development. The VP operates out of the Prescott Campus. He was one of two finalists but the job went at the last moment to Ron Liss. 

Maybe to make Perey feel better, the all powerful President Penelope Wills gave him a new title.  He is now called the “Executive Dean/Campus Executive Officer for the Verde Valley and Director of University/Governmental Relations for the College District.”  Despite his title, he remains  under the thumb of Wills. If he is ever get out of his present job, he must keep her happy. Therefore, his vague non-creative responses to the reporter’s questions about enrollment.  They tracked the Wills’ party-line when it comes to the Verde Valley.

Perey offered no explanation for the enormous decline on the Verde Campus in student enrollment.  That decline is illustrated by the below chart.  It is known that the enrollment has continued to fall, although the total decline for 2015-16 has yet to be announced.

ENROLLMENT LAST SIX YEARS TO 2015 VERDE CAMPUS

Categories : Enrollment data

National Science Foundation (NSF) awards $855,350 grant to CTEC

By R. Oliphant
Monday, June 27th, 2016

Will apply grant towards engineering technician training; how about the Verde Valley?

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded Yavapai College a $855,350 grant. It will be used at CTEC to provide among other things internships with employers. The grant is expected to provide up to 20 student interns with work-based experiences through paid internships with local business partners.

Currently, CTEC provides students with hands-on training in Applied Pre-Engineering, Computer Numerical Control, Integrated Systems Engineering and other vocational programs. These programs are open to West County high school students but not East County high school students. CTEC is also difficult to reach from the East side of the County by part-time workers, single parents, and the unemployed.

CTEC6The grant is also intended to help fund equipment enhancements and outreach events for rural high school students. How much of the grant, the criteria and which high schools will receive the assistance is not clear.

The grant may to some extent duplicate training funds that were already available under programs administered by the Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG). NACOG provides employers and communities access to economic development funding within the region.

NACOG supports programs to assist economically distressed areas, planning regions, cities and counties to undertake significant economic development planning, policy making and implementation efforts. It may match employers and students as interns where there is an agreement with Yavapai College regarding a particular program. Currently, it works closely with a for-profit training facility located in Cottonwood, which reflects past difficulties NACOG has experienced with Yavapai College.

Recall that in 2012, Yavapai College received $1.87 million of a $13,477,799 grant awarded to a consortium of five Arizona community colleges to train people for high-skill, high-wage employment and advancement in energy and mining industries. All of the funds received by the College were spent on the West side of the County at CTEC. Much of it went for developing the line-worker program over there.

Keeping the public in the Dark. Because the College District Governing Board does not require detailed reports regarding grant expenditures, the public will probably never know how much was spent where and for what of this grant.  

Categories : CTEC

MORE PARKING LOT RECONSTRUCTION

By R. Oliphant
Friday, June 24th, 2016

FLUSH WITH MONEY; REBUILD RATHER THAN RESURFACE; NO CITIZEN OVERSIGHT

Yavapai College has millions of dollars in discretionary property tax revenue that President, Penelope Wills can spend with little or no oversight by citizens. Currently, one of her recent decisions is to rebuild rather than resurface a number of parking lots in the District with a heavy focus on the Prescott Campus.

As noted above, there is no voter oversight of decisions by Yavapai County citizens over the expenditure of funds on such projects as parking lots. Obviously, resurfacing a parking lot is much less expensive than completely rebuilding it. But, if you got the money piling up, you got to spend it somewhere.

Shown below is the parking lot adjacent Building 29 on the Prescott Campus. As you can see, rather than resurface the lot, the College is spending thousands on constructing a completely new surface for the parking lot.

PARKING LOT BUILDING 29 SHOWING ALL DUG UP

Categories : Construction

WHAT HAPPENED TO DUAL ENROLLMENT HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER STIPEND?

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, June 23rd, 2016

HAS COLLEGE GONE BACK ON JANUARY PROMISE?

Despite objections from all seven Verde Valley superintendents to imposing a per credit fee on high school students in the dual enrollment program, President Penelope Wills pushed ahead with her fee demand. Her demand was approved by the Governing Board June 14 via an intergovernmental agreement and students will now pay $10 per credit while in high school taking a dual enrollment credit course. 

QUESTION FACEOf concern is the fact that the Intergovernmental agreement approved by the Governing Board June 14 does not contain any provision for continuing the small stipend that the College was paying each high school instructor who was teaching a dual enrollment class.  Under intense questioning from Deb McCasland, the College stated that it would not pay anything toward the teachers.  There was no mention of the stipend. (You may view the June 14 questioning by Ms. McCasland at the Board meeting by clicking here.)

At the January, 2016 Governing Board meeting, interim Vice President Scott Farnsworth was specifically asked about the stipend.  He specifically stated it would continue.

So where is the stipend?  Why isn’t it in the contract?  How much of a stipend will be paid to each teacher and who decides this amount?  Who decides what teaches will receive the stipend?  What is the total amount to be paid out?  Who decides the total?

Thanks to the Blog and Representative Deb Mc Casland this issue will be raised at the next Governing Board meeting in August. At that time the public should receive information about whether the stipend was discontinued or is to be continued. Hopefully, the public should also discover  the criteria and amount to be paid to each teacher. (And how that was decided.)

Categories : Dual enrollment
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