All courses are in the culinary program; so far only 49 of 84 seats have been filled for the fall semester
Yavapai Community College is offering only five courses this fall at the Sedona Center for Arts and Technology. All of those courses are in its culinary program.
Registration data from the Community College as of August 14, 2021, indicated that so far only 49 of 84 seats had been filled. However, one of the five courses does not begin until October 11 and accounted for 12 vacant seats. Of the four courses that begin August 16, 45 of the available 68 seats had been filled; 23 remain open.
One may recall that back in 2001, the Sedona Center had been open only one year when in June 2001 the Administration began looking to purchase up to 80 acres of land of the Coconino National Forest adjacent the Center. The purpose was to expand the facility to meet the unexpected huge number of students seeking admission to the Zaki Gordon Film Institute, which was based at the Center and worked cooperatively with Yavapai Community College.
The Red Rock News of June 13, 2001, reported that Keith Harwood of the special projects office of the Community College president’s office was interviewed about the lack of space to accommodate applicants to the film program. He said, “we’re bursting at the seams. In the short term, we expected to have 100 in our Sedona multimedia program and we have 500.” The 20,000 square foot Center had only six classrooms. It was also reported that there was a two-year waiting list to get into the program.
However, the film school training began to collapse following a 2011 dust up between the Film Institute’s Director and the Community College president over curriculum and control. Shortly thereafter the Independent Film Institute fled to a private university. The College insisted the program would continue to thrive and remain open.
However, in 2015 the film school was closed by the College President and the Community College director of the Sedona programs (who lived in Prescott). The Community College then began moving video training to the Verde and Prescott campuses. (The theory the College administration was following was to sell the Sedona Center and lease property for any classes and OLLI.) Today, the small film training program appears to be mostly based in Prescott. The threat to sell the Sedona Center was blunted by local educational advocates but strong enrollment or a variety of class offerings have not returned after its renovation and reopening.
