Says high schools need to ask their foundations to support the poor and economically challenged families
On February 3, 2015 Yavapai Community College President Penelope Wills answered questions about post-secondary problems, which were put to here by the Blue-Ribbon Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee. One of those questions asked whether the College would give special consideration to the poor and economically challenged families whose children wanted to take dual enrollment courses but could not afford the new fee the College intends to impose on them.
Wills’ made it clear she has little sympathy for their plight. Her bottom line solution to paying for the College credits was to have County High School Foundations, if they exist, provide for them.
In her response to the VVBAC question, which you can listen to in full by clicking here, she listed a number of gripes she had with the County High Schools over this program. They included:
- Some High schools are irresponsibly “going wild” when asking for dual enrollment classes.
- Some students don’t have “skin-in-the-game,” which probably means she believes they don’t take the courses seriously unless they have to pay something for them.
- Students are “skipping” Yavapai Community College after graduation (anyone wonder why?)
- Administrative costs have suddenly mushroomed, with her estimate being that it now costs $300,000 in administration to run the program.
- Offers by High Schools to take over administration costs have been rejected by the College because not all High Schools have the capability of providing the data.
- The College doesn’t get tuition from the students (even though it doesn’t provide faculty, rooms, utilities, transportation, etc.)
- The best success for dual enrollment programs is to hold them on a college campus.
he scholarships will be awarded annually in increments of $3,000 over ten years.
Wills’ said that she has been meeting about the Center for the past two years and that the last summit meeting was to be held that afternoon (February 3). She stated the Allied Health Center Campus will stay in the College Master Plan while also stating that there appear little or no need for the College to be involved. She said that Yavapai College was doing just fine as is. This was confusing to some listeners.
The article made the following points:
Come and view the “amazing” art work created by Yavapai Community College faculty, which is produced on top of their demanding teaching schedules. Exhibiting art faculty this year include Laura Bloomenstein, Ben Norton, Richard Ozanne, Bennett Roti, and Thomas Schumacher.
The Chair of the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee, Mr. Paul Chevalier, reported to the District Governing Board at its January 12 meeting that all seven of the representatives on the Advisory Committee recommended no fee be assessed to high school students in the dual enrollment program.