Says it will begin construction in April 1999 on its digital media center and campus building at the cultural park; Nationally recognized film school flowing from this decision shut down by Wills
It was 20 years ago, November 30, 1998 that Yavapai College announced that it was going to construct a digital media center and campus building at the cultural park in Sedona. Construction was approved and additional funds included in the $69.5 million dollar 2000 bond for another building at the Sedona Center. That second building was never built.
The digital building was constructed by 2000 and Dan Gordon and the Community College joined in a partnership. That relationship resulted in creation of the Zaki Gorden Film Institute (named after Gordon’s deceased son) and brought national and international recognition to the Community College because of its film training program.
However, Dan Gordon and president Penelope Wills got into some kind of dust up in 2012 over control of the curriculum that led to Gordon leaving Sedona and moving to Liberty University. President Wills then closed the Institute that was using Gordon’s name. However, she said she would continue the film program and enhance it.
In a subsequent editorial, Gordon commented on the decision to essentially kick him out saying in part that “[i]n 2012 the current director of the school and the President of Yavapai College violated their contract with the Institute by unilaterally changing course content.”
According to Mr. Gordon, “As president of the Institute, I cancelled their right to use our name or our copyright-protected methodology and I ceased providing my services, which were offered gratis for twelve years, as lead instructor. The result speaks for itself. Their enrollment dropped 44 percent and the college is dropping the program. When you cut the heart and soul out of something, you cannot expect the body to survive.” He concluded: “Meanwhile The Zaki Gordon Cinematic Arts Center at Liberty University is adding an online Master’s Degree program and inside of a year will have some 800 students taking courses in the program.”
As noted above, when Gordon left, the College promised to “enhance” the film school, which was now renamed the Sedona Film School. It did not meet that promise. Instead, Wills essentially shuttered the facility in 2013 and abandoned any film instruction there. After deciding not to sell the facility as a part of a ten-year 2013 capital development plan, the College reopened the Center in 2017 as a culinary institute.
Special thanks to the Red Rock News of November 21 for the reminder.