NAU breaks enrollment records, welcomes largest freshman class—Yavapai enrollment down again

By R. Oliphant
Sunday, September 13th, 2015

NAU shows 5 percent increase in first-year enrollment; Yavapai College reporting 5 percent decline in overall enrollment

Enrollment at the Flagstaff campus is 20,839 for the fall, 2015 semester, which represents a nearly 5 percent increase from 19,913 last year. Graduate student enrollment also increased from 3,823 to 3,905 this fall. Enrollment at the Phoenix Biomedical Campus is 256, up from 184.

up downOnline enrollment at NAU is up to 5,183 from 4,385, which includes students enrolled in Personalized Learning, NAU’s competency-based online degree program.

While detailed data is not available from Yavapai College, it is reliably reported by the Academic Provost that Yavapai Community College overall enrollment is down 5% in fall applications as compared to 2014. The Verde Campus is reporting a little over 1% decline in enrollment this fall.

You may read the NAU enrollment report by clicking here.

Categories : Enrollment data

Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee to meet

By R. Oliphant
Sunday, September 13th, 2015

Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee meets Wednesday

Committee meetingThe Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee will meet Wednesday, September 16, 2015 at 8:30 a.m.  on the Verde Valley Campus, 601 Black Hills Drive, Clarkdale, AZ.  The room number for the meeting was not posted on the College web site as of Sunday, September 13.  Check here for room information. The public is invited.

 

Categories : Advisory Committees

Steve King appointed to the Yavapai College Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee

By R. Oliphant
Sunday, September 13th, 2015

King to represent Camp Verde on the Advisory Committee

Steve KingSteve King, the Assistant Superintendent of the Cottonwood-Oak Creek District, has been appointed to the vacant Camp Verde seat on the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee. He worked for eight years as the principal at South Verde High School before joining the administration of the Cottonwood-Oak Creek District.

Assistant Superintendent King fills the position vacated earlier this year by Dr. Amber Marchant-Lee who has moved from the district.

Categories : Advisory Committees

VVBAC Makes 16 Specific Recommendations

By R. Oliphant
Tuesday, September 8th, 2015

Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee submits 16 recommendations to District Governing Board–will the Board seriously consider them?

The Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee has submitted 16 recommendations to the District Governing Board.  At the August 31 retreat, however, they were only minimally considered.  It is not clear  when, if ever,  the Board will carefully review each of the 16 recommendations.  Both of the Verde Valley representatives, Al Filardo and Deb McCasland, are encouraging the 5 member Board to take the recommendations seriously and to incorporate them into the strategic plan the College is now working on.

TRUTHHere are the recommendations.

  1. Allocate a far greater percentage of financial resources generated in the Verde to the Verde.
  2. Establish effective and efficient local decision-making through a Verde Advocate structure rather than through Prescott.
  3. Implement an ongoing Verde marketing and recruitment program of continuous and direct interaction with Verde lower and secondary education students and their parents.
  4. Focus on increasing student numbers in the Verde.
  5. In the Verde Valley create a CTE building for classes in fields that meet the needs of Verde residents.
  6. Prioritize building a state of the art delivery system.
  7. Add sufficient remote learning centers for distance learning opportunities.
  8. Provide and increase core transfer courses.
  9. Provide and increase multiple pathways of 2+1, 2+2, Certification, and CTE.
  10. Increase Verde scholarship and financial assistance and maintain an affordable tuition rate.
  11. Add focus on working with governments in all Verde communities to increase broadband coverage that can be used by the college.
  12. Fund all capital projects privately or through bonding rather than taxes, tuition and fees.
  13. Further incorporate workforce demand analysis in education decision-making. Build stronger local partnerships for business development and job creation.
  14. Focus on solutions for Verde affordable student housing.
  15. Encourage the immediate exploration of alternative models or structures to increase Foundation related activities and fund raising in the Verde.
  16. Recommend revised criteria for evaluating investment needed for new programs as well as criteria for continuing programs.  (Note. The red emphasis is put on each recommendation by the Blog.)
Categories : Administrative College

President Wills’ reacts to motion to extend life of Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee

By R. Oliphant
Monday, September 7th, 2015

Two years seems too much for Dr. Wills; what do you think?

wills reaction to 24 month extensionWhen Third District Yavapai Community College Board member Al Filardo recommended a two year extension of the life of the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee at the August 2015 meeting, Dr. Wills appears less than enthusiastic.  You may view her reaction by clicking here. Note speech, face and crossed arms.

 

Categories : Advisory Committees

Yavapai College Strategic Planning Committee finds some online courses in trouble

By R. Oliphant
Monday, September 7th, 2015

Inconsistent quality, failure to standardize, and lack of preparedness among factors reported (Where is excellence in education?)

While you hear a lot about online education, it is often liveried.  Many folks  see online education as wiping out all face-to-face classroom experiences. However, those serious about how students actually learn know online courses are a merely one tool in a bag of learning tools available to educators.  Education experts know that the best learning opportunity is afforded a student with a combination of online and face-to-face educational experiences. Moreover, they know that if online learning is to occur, the online courses must meet a very high standard of excellence to be effective.  Unfortunately, that is not occurring on the Yavapai Campus, if the latest Strategic Planning Committee Report is correct.

TRUTHThe just released draft report issued by the Yavapai Community College Strategic Planning Committee confirms what serious educators are concerned about when it comes to online learning.  The report cites a number of areas where  online learning at Yavapai Community College is falling far short of the goal of excellence. 

For those doubting Thomas’s, the Blog is reproducing word-for-word what the Strategic Planning Committee Draft report on online education at the College, issued August 31, 2015, states:

“Inconsistency in Online Classes—Students reported that the quality of their online courses varied widely from phenomenal to very poor.  Students expressed frustration that structure, and look and feel of online courses were not standardized.  Many students express frustration that instructors did not respond to questions in a timely manner.  Faculty reported student’s lack of preparedness for online coursework was a barrier to student success.  Course success rates for online courses are below those of face-to-face courses and have stagnated in recent years.” (Underline added by Blog.)

Source:  Yavapai College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan, Draft Version, Provided August 31, 2015 (District Governing Board Retreat).

Categories : On line classes and accreditation

Why didn’t president Wills treat Sedona like the rest of the Valley?

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, September 5th, 2015

Jessica Williamson says Sedona would have welcomed the same courtesy showed to other communities

Jessica Williamson, a member of the Sedona City Council speaking as a private individual, criticized president Wills at the September 1 Governing Board meeting for not keeping the Sedona Council and residents informed of her intent to encourage the Governing Board to increase property taxes on Verde Valley residents.

JESSICA WILLIAMSONIn her two minute presentation to the Board, she urged support of the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee and expressed her annoyance at the failure of president Penelope Wills to provide the same information about the proposed tax increase that she had given to other communities in the Valley. 

Ms. Williams stated that the Sedona City Council has “four meetings a month . . .  and would certainly have welcomed the courtesy that President Wills showed to other communities.” She went on stating that “Yavapai College benefits from significant taxes paid by Sedona residents and I would think that part of president Wills job is to keep the taxpayers notified of important changes. She is, after all, a public official, and needs to show respect to the taxpayers, the owners of the college.”

The complete two minute speech may be seen by clicking here.

Categories : Advisory Committees, Politics, Sedona Campus

Concerned citizens express support for post secondary education for the Verde Valley

By R. Oliphant
Friday, September 4th, 2015

More than two dozen citizens speak out on  concerns during open call to the public

The Tuesday, September 1 meeting of the Yavapai College District Governing Board saw one of the largest turnouts ever for such a meeting.  Those in attendance came from throughout the Verde Valley.  There were educators, high school and middle school superintendents, representatives of the Verde Valley County supervisors, mayors, city council members, and others.  The entire Tribal Council of the Yavapai Apache Nation was present.

They had come to the Board meeting to express their concern with the inequity in the allocation of tax resources and Community College development in rural Yavapai County and in particular the Verde Valley. They had also come to express their support for the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee (VVBAC) and concern it would be significantly weakened or eliminated.

LIBERTYMany were aware of the immediate reaction of President Wills and all three members of the Governing Board when at the August Board meeting Verde representative Al Filardo moved that the VVBAC continue for two (2) years with the members monitor the progress of their proposed recommendations. The motion was seconded by Verde representative Deb McCasland.

President Wills appears aghast on the video of the meeting when the suggestion was made and Chair McCarver immediately jumped to her aid.  The motion lost when it became clear there was solid opposition from the West County representatives.

Other attendees at the September Board meeting had read excerpts from the August Board minutes,  which strongly suggested that the Committee was about to be killed off or at least marginalized.  As the video of the meeting discussion about the Committee (posted by the Blog) and the approved minutes show, the three members of the Governing Board were less than enthusiastic about continuing the Committee.

For example, Ray sigafoos stated that “this committee has met specific Verde Valley ownership linkage objectives,”  clearly implying it was no longer of much use.  Member Steve Irwin stated that he believed the Verde Valley strategic plan is close to being completed,” implying when it was complete the role of the VVBAC was over. Mr. Irwin suggested that “combining the committees (VVBAC with the Perey Committee) may be more effective rather than duplication of work of developing the Verde Valley Strategic Plan and monitoring progress.”  The consequences of putting the VVBAC under an advisory committee now run by Dean Perey would be devastating.  It would essentially destroy the VVBAC’s effectiveness and return all meetings about the Valley to total college secrecy.  Moreover, and as a practical matter, the activities of Perey’s  committee are far different than those of the VVBAC.

Board Chair McCarver, who is no friend of the Valley,  agreed with the idea of effectively destroying the VVBAC by incorporating members from the VVBAC into the Executive Dean’s Verde Valley Advisory committee. McCarver suggested that during the August 31st Retreat the Board determine the VVBAC charge, implying it might be ended as it exists in its present form.

At the September meeting McCarver tried to cover up the real intentions and actions of the West County representatives a by stating “at the last board meeting, the board did unanimously vote to continue the Verde Valley Advisory Committee.”

VVBAC Chair Paul Chevalier replied during an interview found in the Verde Independent that “The board only voted to continue us through the strategic plan process. You have to read between the lines.”  Mr. Chevalier was more than correct!

Recall that the Governing Board has voted 3-2, with the West members voting together on each vote on at least three occasions, to reject important recommendations of the VVBAC (it has been announced the VVBAC may no longer make recommendations):  (1) Don’t raise tuition; (2) don’t raise property taxes; and (3) don’t continue the capital spending spree until there is a plan in place.

Sources:  Minutes of August meeting, which may be read by clicking here.  Additional background may be found in the Verde Independent by clicking here.  

 

Categories : Advisory Committees, Politics

West County Board reps put Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee on critical list

By R. Oliphant
Sunday, August 30th, 2015

Minutes from August Board meeting confirm West reps want Committee dissolved or weakened

For those who are sometimes skeptical of the Blog’s view that the West folks do everything within their power to maintain control over the Community College, one only has to read the minutes of the August Governing Board meeting.  The biggest thorn in the side of the Board is the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee, which has made several recommendations the folks on the West side of the County have voted down. For example, no tuition or tax increase; or hold up further capital spending until there is a plan. 

The Verde Valley Board may have gone too far when it began asking for detailed financial data showing the College operating and maintenance expenditures for the Verde Campus and the Sedona Center.  The Administration, which sees keeping financial details out of the hands of the Governing Board and taxpayers as its number one priority, has fought every request.  So far, the details have never been released.

One method of getting rid of the Verde Valley folks is to claim it has met its objectives.  As the minutes show, the was Mr. Sigafoos view (Prescott):  “Member Sigafoos suggests that this committee has met specific Verde Valley ownership linkage objectives.”  The minutes also reflect Mr. Irwin’s (Prescott Valley) view, which if followed, would effectively dissolve the Verde Valley Board Advisory Group:  “Member Irwin suggests that the Verde Valley strategic plan is close to being completed and recognizes that several of the VVBAC members have acquired knowledge and information that may be valuable to the Executive Dean Verde Valley Advisory Committee. Mr. Irwin suggests that combining the committees may be more effective rather than duplication of work of developing the Verde Valley Strategic Plan and monitoring progress.”

bad ideaChair McCarver, who obviously does not support the VVBAC actions joined in:   “Chair McCarver agrees that incorporating members from the VVBAC into the Executive Dean Verde Valley Advisory committee may be a natural transition because of the effective incorporation of the VVBAC recommendations into the Verde Valley Strategic Plan without requiring action from the Board. Dr. McCarver would also note that it is not necessary to have two separate committees to identify the needs of the Verde Valley community with information going directly to the Strategic Plan and not requiring any Board action.”

This scheme, being pushed by the three representatives from the West side of the County, will effectively kill of the VVBAC.  (Ask any member if you don’t believe the Blog.)

 

 

Categories : Advisory Committees

Governing Board disciples of Policy Governance attend Vancouver, Canada conference; return with another indoctrinator

By R. Oliphant
Sunday, August 30th, 2015

Policy governance indoctrination continues for new Board members

Community College District Governing Board Chair Pat McCarver and Board member Ray Sigafoos attended the International Policy Governance Association Conference in Vancouver, Canada on June 18 – 20, 2015.  Both are disciples of this method of controlling an elected representative governing board.  This model of governance  provides the West side of the County with effective control over Verde Valley elected representatives in terms of their ability to exercise free speech when publicly discussing Board actions with their constituents.  This is especially true when it comes to the unfair treatment Verde Valley taxpayers have suffered at the hands of the West side of the County. Both McCarver and Sigafoos have been leaders in seeing to it that Community College economic development takes place on the West side of the County rather than the East side. 

During their trip to Vancouver, they  also apparently signed up Richard Stringham, Senior Associate, The Governance Coach, to assist with further indoctrination of the three newest Board members into the Governance Model at the retreat to be held Monday, August 31. Click here to go to retreat agenda. 

This will be Mr. Stringham’s second trip to the College. He was here on August 27, 2010 where he facilitated a Board discussion on facilitating policy governance. Click here to see the 2010 agenda

Mr. Stringham is employed by a group called “The Governance Coach Team.”  Its website states that Stringham  was “Personally trained in the theory and implementation of Policy Governance, by John and Miriam Carver at the Policy Governance Academy” and  is a “Coach to boards in implementing Policy Governance.”  Click here to see the Governance Coach Team website.  He has  Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and Professional Agrologist, Alberta Institute of Agrologists.

February indoctrination.  Indoctrination for the three new Board members into  this policy governance model began on February 3, 2015 when then chair Ray Sigafoos invited Stacy Sjogren, principal consultant, Out of the Woods Consulting, to conduct the retreat and to meet individually with Deb McCasland and Steve Irwin the day before the retreat to explain (indoctrinate) them into the Policy Governance model.  Board minutes of the retreat can be accessed by clicking here.  Sigafoos had run across Sjogren while attending an International Policy Governance Conference in Minneapolis. The Out of Woods website can be accessed by clicking here.

 

Categories : Policy Governance Indoctrination
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