Construction has begun in earnest on the 10,000 square foot Career and Technical Education Center on the Verde Campus in Clarkdale. Heavy earth moving equipment has begun the process of preparing the site for the foundation of the facility.
It is anticipated that the new CTE facility will be ready by the Fall 2021 for classes.
Yavapai Community College will host a site visit for continuing accreditation of its Nursing Program by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing Feb. 22-25. This is a regular visit that is required of all programs that are operating a Nursing program.
The Community College has invited members of the public to meet with the site team and share their comments about the program in person at an online meeting scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday, February 24.
The link for the public meeting as provided by the Community College is: https://www.gotomeet.me/acen014/yavapai-college-room-1.
Written comments are also welcome, and should be submitted directly to:
Dr. Marsal Stoll, Chief Executive Officer
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
3343 Peachtree Road Northeast, Suite 850
Atlanta, GA 30326
Or email mstoll@acenursing.org.
All written comments should be received by the ACEN by Tuesday, Feb. 9.
Yavapai Community College has reduced its pandemic operational phase from red to 
orange for the Spring semester that began January 19. It had put the Red operational phase in place Monday, November 30, 2020.
On January 19 President Lisa Rhine issued a special bulletin that welcomed back students to the Community College and explained the reasons for its COVID decision. The Bulletin is reproduced in full below. Of particular interest should be the safety protocols the Community College has put in place for this semester.
Special Bulletin: January 19, 2021
Dr Lisa Rhine
Dr Lisa Rhine, Ph.D.
Dear faculty, staff, and students,
Welcome back to Yavapai College. Whether you are a returning student, employee, or a new Roughrider this semester, YC welcomes you with open arms and warm hearts. This semester’s goal is to do everything we can to guide our students towards their educational goals while also keeping all students, employees, and communities as safe as possible.
Today, I want to share with you what you can expect this semester. Yavapai College is opening the semester in the orange phase of our re-entry plan. I urge you to review the information on the orange phase and all of our required safety protocols on this page.
The Challenges
First, I want to be upfront and honest with you about the challenges we will face this semester.
As you may know, COVID-19 transmission has significantly increased in Arizona and across the country. Arizona has recently been dubbed “the COVID hotspot,” and the state has seen the highest daily rate of COVID-19 cases in the country. Virus transmission is now consistently exceeding levels that we saw in summer 2020.
We are going to face challenges this semester, just as we have throughout all of 2020. “College” certainly “looks” a little different these days. But, the way it “looks” is irrelevant if you invest in your work and take good care of yourself. It is not impossible to overcome the odds and persevere through this semester.
Many of you have done so for the last year and know what it takes to succeed in these tough times.
If you are new to YC, you can do this. Work hard, ask for help when necessary, and when all else fails, believe in yourself. If you do this, you will find success in your endeavors.
The Safety Protocols
With the rise in COVID-19 transmission, Yavapai College must remain vigilant, and we must continue to err on the side of caution to protect everyone’s health and safety. You, your colleagues, fellow students, and peers all have a commitment to protect each other by following YC’s health and safety protocols at all times when you are at a YC Campus or Center.
Protocols include wearing a mask, social distancing, staying home when you are sick, among others.
There is a misconception that “college-aged” students are less likely to contract or face severe symptoms of COVID-19. This is not the case. In fact, nearly 50% of the current cases of COVID-19 in Arizona are ages 20-44 or “college-aged,” and almost 1,500 of those are in the hospital with medium to severe symptoms.
The YC community has done a great job so far following the protocols in place, but that does not mean we can soften those efforts. If you see someone ignoring the protocols, gently remind them. Most of us want to do the right thing and keep others safe.
Classes and Services
While everyone’s health and safety is our number one priority, we also have an obligation to educate and train our workforce.
With that in mind, this spring semester will begin with a blend of class modals. Most classes will be 100% virtual in either online or WebLive formats.
There will be some hybrid classes in the crucial fields of allied health, nursing, and career and technical education. These classes will only be in-person for required hands-on learning portions of the curriculum.
This is very similar to how classes operated last fall and proved to be effective in mitigating COVID spread when accompanied by our safety protocols.
All student services are still available, mostly in a remote format through phone or Zoom videoconferencing. I urge all students to take advantage of these services and ask for help when it is needed.
In Closing
I want to thank you all in advance for all of the different requirements placed upon you this semester. Last year was surreal, and I think we all can agree we are glad to see 2021 on the calendar. While there is hope that the light at the end of the tunnel is approaching, we will not get there unless we all do our part. Together.
I wish you nothing but the best this spring semester. Please stay safe and stay well.
Sincerely,
Lisa B. Rhine, Ph.D.
President
Yavapai Community College has hired Rozanne (Rozie) DeWeese as the Head Coach for its new Women’s Soccer Program. Coach DeWeese is leaving Sacramento State University, where she was an assistant soccer coach since 2017. Coach DeWeese spent 10 years as the Associate Head Coach at the University of California, Davis and before that was an assistant coach at Indiana State University.
Coach DeWeese expressed her honor and excitement at becoming the first coach to head the women’s soccer program. She said that “These are challenging times we are all facing through the continuing pandemic. However, I am grateful and optimistic about the opportunity to make a positive impact for aspiring student-athletes to achieve continued success, Together as part of the YC Soccer Family.”
The program will begin with matches in the fall of 2021.
Yavapai Community College District Governing Board members, Mr. Chris Kuknyo and Mr. Mitch Padilla, were sworn in at a ceremony conducted by Tim Carter, Yavapai County School Superintendent, during the Board’s regular monthly meeting held January 12. Both will serve six years as members of the Governing Board.
Mr. Padilla joined the Board in September 2020 as the representative from District #5. This District was represented by Steve Irwin who left the seat earlier in 2020 to run for County Supervisor. No one filed for the District #5 position by the deadline other than Mr. Padilla. Consequently, Mr Padilla was appointed and has served for four months before he was again formally sworn in again at the January meeting.
Mr. Kuknyo represents District 4 of Yavapai County. This seat was previously held by Pat McCarver, who chose not to seek re-election. Her term expired December 31, 2020.
You may view the swearing in ceremony , which is on the video clip below.
Written comments at the January 12 Board meeting by Third District Representative Paul Chevalier, in his response to what is called an “Executive Limitation” report, drew a somewhat fiery response from Governing Board Chair Deb McCasland whose views were generally supported by the Governing Board Attorney. Chevalier wrote in part in response to the report that “The College, while not required by the Board to do so, could provide a detailed transparent budget as [do] all the major public entities in our county.” He said because the Community College does not do this, “I am in the dark, so is the public,” about how the College allocates resources.
Chair Deb McCasland argued that Chevalier’s comments were not appropriate because “we have addressed as a Board the budget format,” which was passed by a majority of the Board, and “we move forward with one voice.” She also said she was reminding Chavlier “of [his] responsibility as a Board member.”
Chevalier said that the Governing Board policy regarding a financial data report “didn’t prohibit the College president from doing more” than required by the state statute. He said his comments were an attempt to encourage the president “to do more” when sending the Governing Board a budget.
The Governing Board attorney, Ms. Lynn Adams, said Mr. Chevalier could make a suggestion but not a direction. Chevalier said he was not making a direction. Ms. Adams also said that she interpreted Mr. Chevalier’s remarks as meaning the College president did not meet the minimum requirements as set down by the Governing Board for this report. Finally, it appeared that from her perspective, Mr. Chevalier had a criteria different from that of the Board policy for assessing this report and technically, if she was correct, he should not be using it.
From the Blog’s perspective, the conversation seemed more about wordsmithing than anything else. For example, had Mr. Chevalier said in his comments that the President met the state statutory requirements as set out by Governing Board policy, but he would have preferred more information, it would be difficult to challenge because he still has a right to state his own view on the issue. At the same time he is recognizing that the Community College president met the existing Governing Board policy.
In the end, the report was unanimously approved by the Governing Board. You may view the eight minute back and forth on the issue of providing greater transparency on the College budget in the video clip below.
Although the information is less than perfect, a great deal more is now known about the Community College’s plans on how to use the $400,000 two futuristic concrete 3D printers it purchased last year. The information came to light during the January 12 Governing Board meeting.
The revelations were made only after Third District Representative Paul Chevalier initially questioned Dr. Diane Ryan, Vice President of Academic Affairs, about her report to the Board on the 3D concrete printing project. In order to respond to Mr. Chevalier more accurately, Dr. Ryan asked that Career and Technical Education Dean John Morgan explain the project.
The following is a list of some of the information provided the Board by Dean Morgan, which admittedly is sometimes a little vague. Dean Morgan noted during the discussion that there were nondisclosure agreements the Community College has agreed to abide by with its partner that may account for some of the vagueness:
Dean Morgan reported that the Community College has partnered with Arizona Custom Concrete Homes. He described the partner as “a Local company” that is “in the Verde.”
Although the current goal is to build only one concrete home for demonstration purposes, the Community College is adding infrastructure for at least two other homes at the Chino Valley Center in case the project is expanded in the future.
In addition to constructing the first home on the Chino Valley Campus, there is also a project located inside the Community College’s Career and Technical Education Center at the Prescott airport where experiments for the project will take place. This is necessary, it appears, because of what Dean Morgan described as “non-disclosure agreements.” Among other matters, CIt is here that the secret formula for the concrete mix will be created.
Dean Morgan predicted that the potential for using the 3D printers on the Verde was “very large because the builder was already going to be there.”
It was explained that the Community College partner wants to test the feasibility of building a concrete home with the Community College “before buying a machine” that could construct one.
The first concrete house at the Chino Valley Center is necessary for “proof of concept” so lenders can come in and “all of that,” according to Dean Morgan. He suggested lenders” and “contractors have to get on Board” before the concept is accepted.
There is an undisclosed “developer” who is looking at the project with an eye toward building several concrete custom homes “up here once the concept is out,” said Dean Morgan.
The Community College will be conducting research on the type of mix to use when building a concrete home. The research, according to Dean Morgan, is “in its infancy.”
One of the experiments will involve eliminating the need to insulate concrete homes.
Dean Morgan explained that the Community College hopes to recoup a portion of its $400,000 investment by sharing patent rights with its partner and selling the patented formula for the concrete mix that is developed to willing buyers.
You may view the entire discussion with Dean Morgan in the video clip below.
Chair Deb McCasland
Yavapai Community College District Two Representative Deb McCasland was unanimously selected to continue for a second year as the Chair of the Yavapai Community College District Governing Board at its January 12 meeting. McCasland was nominated by District one representative Ray Sigafoos. There were no other nominations.
Mr. Sigafoos was then nominated by Ms. McCasland to act as Governing Board Secretary for the coming year. With no other nominations for the position coming from the Board, he was selected unanimously.
When it came to Chair appointments, Ms. McCasland appointed herself and Ray Sigafoos to serve on the State Trustee Board. She also appointed herself to serve as Board spokesperson and as Yavapai Community College Foundation liaison. She asked District 4 Representative Chris Kuknyo and District 5 representative Mitch Padilla to “shadow” her with the Community College Foundation meetings with each attending alternate meetings with her.
When Paul Chevalier was asked if he had ever functioned in any of the appointive positions by Mr. Kuknyo, he said “no.” He said he believed Ms. McCasland would prefer that the two of them do it. Ms. McCasland commented that “last year” Mr. Chevalier said he didn’t want to be a liaison “so we’ll do it this way this year.”
You may view the entire six minute discussion about Governing Board appointments in the video clip below.
The question of how Yavapai Community College would handle the current pandemic when it opens on January 19 for regular classes was raised at the January 12 Governing Board meeting by Third District Representative Paul Chevalier. He was allowed two short questions with the issue then being abruptly shuttered by the Board attorney for any further questioning by Board members.
The request for information by Mr. Chevalier came at the end of Community College president Dr. Lisa Rhine’s monthly report to the Board. In response to his query, Dr. Rhine said that the plan to reopen was a “modified one.” Dr. Rhine indicated that there would not be face-to-face classes in the performing arts and music programs.
Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Diane Ryan, estimated that about ten percent of the entering spring class would be hybrid with some face-to-face interaction. The ten percent included students in Allied Health and Career and Technical Education . However, she estimated the number of students in face-to-face classes at the Career and Technical Education Center would be “lower” than in the fall semester.
After the two questions from Mr. Chevalier, any additional queries from the Board were abruptly cut off by the Governing Board attorney . She said that because the issue of Covid-19 wasn’t on the Board Agenda, nothing more about the pandemic and its impact on students, staff and the community could be publicly discussed.
➡ Because the ruling limiting questions to President Rhine about Covid-19 came up at the end of the Community College’s president’s report and she had not addressed the important issue until asked, there remains a general question about what a Board member may ask the President when she makes her monthly report, if anything, if it has also not been placed on the Board agenda.
You may see a clip of the brief discussion regarding this issue on the video below.
December was a busy month for Yavapai Community College. Listed below are only a few of the many projects, programs, and thank you efforts that it was involved in during the month.
NEW 3D HOUSE PROJECT ON CHINO VALLEY CAMPUS. Curt Freeman, Construction Professor, along with Associate Dean Max Bledsoe and adjunct Instructor, Joe Sabato recently completed a three-week training on the new 3D printer for the construction program at the Chino Valley Campus. The Community College will begin building the first proof-of-concept home on the Chino Valley Campus, scheduled to start the first week of February 2021. (See December 12 EyeonYavapaiCollege posting for more information about the project.)
DRONE PROGRAM’S NEW LAB AT CTEC/PUSH CERTAIN PARTS OUT TO VERDE VALLEY HIGH SCHOOLS. The Community College Drone program took advantage of the newly finished Fab Lab at CTEC by having students design and construct their own drones using 3D printing technologies and electronics integration. The goal is to push certain parts of the drone program out to local high schools in the Verde Valley and Quad City areas.
SPECIAL OLLI PROGRAM AT SEDONA INSTITUTE. Each month beginning in December 2020 through May 2021, Community Education and OLLI are partnering with the Sedona Culinary Institute to offer a wide variety of cooking classes. Some courses feature Yavapai College Culinary Chefs and others taught by local chefs.
THE HAPPY SPIRIT AT VERDE CAMPUS LIBRARY. The Verde Valley Campus Library shared the Holiday Spirit with patrons.
BASEBALL TEAM RANKED 17TH. The Jan. 8, 2021 College Preview edition of Collegiate Baseball features a list of the top junior college baseball teams in Division 1. According to its December 23 poll, Yavapai Community College ranks 17th in the Division.
GROWING SWISS CHARD AND HYDROPONICS. Yavapai Community College grows superb swiss chard in its Hydroponic raft system at the Chino Valley Center.
10 STEPS TO STARTING NEW BUSINESS. Learn steps for new business start-ups to be in compliance and obtain tax ID numbers with the Community College’s first webinar of 2021 “10 Steps to Starting a Business in AZ”. Wed Jan 6, 2021. Register Now! https://buff.ly/3noU3MG
