YAVAPAI COMMUNITY COLLEGE COMPUTER UPGRADE TO COST $1.5 MILLION; ANNUAL MAINTENANCE COST TO START OUT AT $400,000

Current system inadequate, say President Rhine and Vice President Ewell; other colleges in same boat but have yet to find a way to cooperate on purchasing expensive software together

During the April 24 meeting of the District Governing Board, Yavapai Community College officials emphasized the pressing need for an overhaul of the current computer system, citing its inadequacy in serving students, faculty, and staff effectively.

In addressing the budget for the upcoming fiscal 2024-25 academic year, Vice president Dr. Clint Ewell estimated the replacement cost of the current system to be approximately $1.5 million, with an additional annual expenditure of $400,000 to maintain operations to most likely begin in 2025-2026.

Community College president Dr. Lisa Rhine highlighted the potential for an enhanced sense of community and belonging with the implementation of an improved computer system.

Dr. Clint Ewell underscored the opportunity to leverage the collective expertise of retiring employees in tandem with the system upgrade. The purpose of this strategic approach it appears is intended to optimize the transition while capitalizing on the wealth of institutional knowledge within the workforce.

The Community College officials further contextualized the College’s situation with its computers within a broader trend of technological upgrades and replacements across other educational institutions. This expenditure most likely aligns with similar initiatives undertaken by peer institutions to modernize their computer technology infrastructure.

A part of the discussion by the Governing Board raised the question of whether there was an opportunity to partner with other colleges who appear to be facing a similar program.  The Board was told that efforts in that direction have not been successful.

If you are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the decision surrounding this expenditure, audio/video clips prepared by the Blog totaling approximately eleven minutes are available for review by clicking here.