In letter from Community College Governing Board nominating Dr. Rhine she was praised for her work and accomplishments including making the Community College more accessible and affordable in her first three years as College president
Dr. Lisa Rhine
Dr. Lisa Rhine, President of Yavapai Community College, has just received national recognition for her leadership in higher education from the Association of Community College Trustees . She was named the recipient of its Pacific Region Chief Executive Officer Award.
Annually, the Association, which is a 52-year-old organization made-up of trustees from over 1,200 colleges in North America, honors a chief executive officer from each of its five regions in the United States who has exhibited exceptional leadership.
In the nomination letter from the Community College Governing Board, they wrote that: “In the midst of a pandemic, Dr. Rhine has initiated a remarkable number of key initiatives and innovative programs with an unrelenting focus on student success.”
The Community College Governing Board also that: “In the midst of a pandemic, Dr. Rhine has initiated a remarkable number of key initiatives and innovative programs with an unrelenting focus on student success.” They also cited her work to increase the Community College’s Hispanic student population from 15% to 21.4% since taking office in 2019. They lauded her efforts at targeting assistance toward Yavapai County’s “asset-limited, income-constrained, employed” (ALICE) population, which comprises an estimated 43% of Yavapai County.
The Governing Board was also impressed that Dr. Rhine, with the able assistance of Dr. Diane Ryan, has championed expansion of Open Educational Resources (OERs), a program that fights expensive textbook costs by developing free, public domain alternatives. So far, this effort last year resulted in 164 courses with zero-cost textbooks. The savings in textbook costs came to than $300,000 over two semesters.
Dr. Rhine has also led initiatives like The “Yavapai Community College Promise,” which refunds tuition to qualified students who complete their degree programs on time. To date, the Community College has graduated more than 100 Promise students, with another 290 enrolled for 2021-22.
“I am so pleased that Dr. Rhine has won the ACCT Pacific Regional award,” said Yavapai Community College District Governing Board Chair Deb McCasland. “I know we have an outstanding President and it’s excellent that her leadership and focus on student success is highly valued by other leaders in the Community College field.”