College legal trouble

By R. Oliphant
Wednesday, September 17th, 2014

Federal court dismisses Guidance Aviation and its CEO from $60 million dollar lawsuit filed by former Yavapai Community College Director of Aviation; College remains

The Federal District Court dismissed two defendants in the lawsuit brought by former Yavapai Community College’s Director of Aviation against the College. Guidance Aviation, a corporate defendant, and its CEO, John Stonecipher, were dismissed on summary judgment from the case. The College remains a defendant and the plaintiff’s lawyer says he will amend the original complaint.

vector scales of justice and gavelThe lawsuit was brought in September, 2012 by Mr. Daniel Hamilton, the former College Director of Aviation Programs. He alleges in his lawsuit that the college and Guidance Aviation, who had partnered to offer a helicopter flight training program, took tuition money from the U.S. Veteran’s Administration’s Post-9/11 GI Bill, but did not comply with the program’s requirements.

Mr. 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 started his job with Yavapai College on Sept. 6, 2011, and was terminated around May 31, 2012. For more details, please click here and the link will take you to the full story in the Verde Independent.

Categories : Lawsuits

Tennis court become issue in election campaign

By R. Oliphant
Wednesday, September 17th, 2014

Board candidate McCasland says College spending almost $1 million dollars on tennis court is “misuse of educational funds”

 

Second District Governing Board Candidate Deb McCasland charged at the September 9 Governing Board meeting in Prescott that expending almost $1 million dollars of taxpayer money on a tennis court on the Prescott campus was a “misuse of educational funds.”

She said that the College only offers two tennis classes with a maximum enrollment of 32 students.

There are no tennis courts of any kind anywhere else in the Community College system that are supported by the Community College.

All of Ms. McCasland’s short speech to the Governing Board may be viewed by clicking here. (The full video of the September meeting will also be on the College web site shortly.)

Categories : Politics, Tennis Court

Governing Board focus on Verde Valley over next year

By R. Oliphant
Tuesday, September 16th, 2014

Governing Board Chair Sigafoos’ summary of retreat puts focus on Verde campus and Sedona Center over next year

Ray sigafoos 2

Yavapai Community College Board Chair Ray Sigafoos summarized a portion of the recommendations being made as a part of the Board’s spring retreat.  The retreat was held September 8-9 on the Prescott campus.   The Board recommendations included the following:

A.  Expand Career and Technical education in the Verde Valley.

B.  Expand Community event opportunity in the Verde Valley.

C.  Expand programming at the Sedona Center.

D.  Work/educate the Verde Valley Advisory Committee to the Governing Board.

E.  Board needs more information before deciding on an independent administrative college for the Verde Valley.  Prefers to wait until the Verde Valley committees have time to work with the Board and College.  The additional costs of setting up an independent Verde Valley campus was estimated by the College staff at $1.2 million dollars.

Mr. Sigafoos’ comments on this issue can be viewed as he delivered them at the September 9 Board meeting, by clicking here.

 

Categories : Administrative College, Advisory Committees, Sedona Campus, Survey results, Verde Campus

Verde Valley Operating Budget

By R. Oliphant
Tuesday, September 16th, 2014

Operating budget for Verde Valley for 2014 is set at $4.4 million; about $2.2 “allocated expenses” added to $4.4 million budget

Clint Ewell

The 2014-15 Yavapai Community College operating budget for the Verde Valley is about $4.4 million.  The College allocates an addition $2.2 million for services it provides the Sedona Center and the Verde Campus.  This brings total operating expenses for 2014 to an estimated $6.6 million dollars.  If primary property tax revenue from the Verde Valley (including Sedona) is at the level collected in 2012, this leaves about $6 million dollars in excess property tax over total operating expenses.

The budget information was provided by Vice President Clint Ewell in an Email to Ms. Ruth Wicks.  The following is the information provided by the College at a department level analysis included in Vice President Ewell’s email.2014 BUDGET PAGE 1 VERDE VALLEY

2014 BUDGET PAGE 2 VERDE VALLEY

 Note that the College reports that there are several “allocated” District Services costs that are incurred to support the Sedona Center and the Verde Campus in Clarkdale. Allocated expenses are not included in the operating expenses outlined above.  Those costs are set by the College at approximately $2.2M of allocated expenses per year.

Categories : Budget, Verde Campus

Low cost of creating administrative college for Verde unveiled

By R. Oliphant
Sunday, September 14th, 2014

College says increased cost of creating independent administrative college in Verde Valley is less that $1.2 million dollars

The estimate by the Yavapai Community College executives that setting up an independent administrative college would cost less than $1.2 million dollars in additional operating expenses came as a welcome surprise. (Recall that Valley residents now pay more than $5 million dollars over current operating costs to run the Sedona Center and the Verde campus.)  If the separate college were approved by the Governing Board, this would put total operating expenses at about $6.3 million dollars for the Verde campus and the Sedona Center.

The estimate was made by Yavapai Community College Vice President Clint Ewell at the Governing Board retreat on Monday, September 8. The chart presented to the Governing Board by Mr. Ewell follows and can also be found on the College website by clicking here: Read More→

Categories : Administrative College, Budget

Agreement with Mountain Institute Joint Technical Education District great for high school students in Prescott

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, September 13th, 2014

Mountain Institute Joint Technical Education District and
Community College reach career training agreement–no agreement with East County 

The Mountain Institute Joint Technical Education District in Prescott has reached an agreement with the College over training of high school students at the Prescott Airport Career and Technical Education campus. Under the agreement high school students in the district will be able to take a wide variety of career and technical education courses taught by College instructors. The high school students will often be taking courses at the same time as adults.

CTEC6The programs offered in this agreement are not available to any high school students in the East side of the County (Sedona, Camp Verde, Cottonwood). The following is a list of the courses, the credit hours and tuition. Tuition is paid to the College by the Mountain Institute District for each student.  Read More→

Categories : Career and Technical Education, Vocational Education, Vocational training

YCC Governing Board Advisory Committee

By R. Oliphant
Friday, September 12th, 2014

Clarkdale defers decision until after September 19

On September 9 the Clarkdale City Council deferred making any recommendations to County Superintendent Tim Carter for positions on the Community College Governing Board Advisory Committee until after noon, Friday September 19. This is the last day an applicant may express interest in an appointment. The Council will decide their two nominees at the September 23 meeting at 3 p.m. in the Clark Memorial Clubhouse.

Clarkdale sealIt is anticipated that the Council will put forward one of their members and a member of the public. Among those in the public who have expressed interest are Ms. Ruth Wicks, who worked to form the Verde Valley Community College Citizen Advocates to create a separate administrative system for the Verde Valley, and the Clarkdale-Jerome outgoing Superintendent Kathleen Fleener.

For more details on the Tuesday Council meeting, please click here to go to the Verde Independent story.

Categories : Advisory Committees

Staff recommendations based on survey results

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, September 11th, 2014

YCC Staff makes seven recommended actions during retreat based on data obtained from resident feedback 

The Yavapai Community College staff analyzed the data from the County-wide poll, call to the public from March to August, and two Verde Valley focus groups. Based on the information obtained from that data, the staff recommended to the Governing Board at the September 8, 2014 retreat that the following actions be taken:Survey 6 clip art 1

1. Improve marketing and outreach to all regions of Yavapai County.
2. Explore expanded access to CTE programs in the East County.
3. Expand community event opportunities in the East County.
4. Review and improve course scheduling to increase availability and reduce cancellations
5. Now that the Sedona Center land situation has been resolved, develop appropriate programming for the center.
6. Continue to be price-conscious for tuition & fees, as well as all other services provided.
7. Continue to demonstrate and improve quality of academic offerings.

This data can also be found on the College website by clicking here.

Categories : Polling data, Survey results, Yavapai Community College

County survey shows East County concerns

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, September 11th, 2014

Verde Valley residents say College can improve programming, scheduling, return more for their taxes, and improve marketing/outreach

In a survey of Yavapai County residents by the Community College, the response from residents in the Verde Valley appears markedly different from the response of Prescott/Prescott Valley residents when asked what the College could do better. The differences are reflected in the following chart, which was prepared by College staff and presented to the Governing Board at the September 8 retreat.  The chart can also be found by clicking here, which will take you to the College’s web site where the material is posted.

Survey 4 doc complaints with notations

Categories : Polling data, Survey results

Sedona works on candidates for Advisory Council to YCC Board

By R. Oliphant
Wednesday, September 10th, 2014

Sedona City Council defers selection of 2 two candidates from field of 4 for Governing Board Advisory Council to next meeting (September 15)

The Sedona City Council met September 9 and deferred selection of two candidates to be considered for the Yavapai Community College Governing Board Advisory Committee to its next general meeting, which is scheduled for Monday, September 15. (Of the two selected, County Superintendent Tim Carter will make a selection of one of them to sit on the Advisory Council.) So far, the Sedona City Council has received interest in possibly filling the position from four Sedona residents. They are: Mayor Rob Adams, Mr. Paul Chevalier, Mr. Dick Dahl, and Ms. Julie Larson.

Sedona City Council 1These persons and any others interested in the position will be invited to submit a resume to the Council and appear in person at the next City Council meeting, which will be held next Monday. At that time, it is anticipated a decision will be made, although it could be delayed to September 23. A link to the Council meeting may be accessed by clicking here.

Categories : Advisory Committees
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