Funding, revised structure pose challenges for Community College President in effort to enhance post-secondary learning opportunities in the County
The Blog has prepared a 39 page essay written this month (August 2019) by Professor Emeritus Robert Oliphant that collects most of the reasons that are given for creating an independent or quasi-independent community college in the east region of Yavapai County, Arizona. Obstacles facing the College’s new president when considering the potential for such as facility in the East Region (about 74,000 residents now live there) include money and how to effectively reorganize staff to achieve an acceptable result at the lowest possible cost.
Creation of an administrative college would give the East Region a community college with its own name and local executives, including a president, to operate it. There would be little or no change to current staffing or buildings. The increased cost would be incurred because an Administrative College would require a set-up somewhat similar to what one sees in Maricopa County. That is, the College would be overall directed by a Chancellor with the east and west regions having their own presidents. It is estimated that propertly staffing a Chancellor’s office would cost at least $1 million dollars.
It is believed, however, that the costs associated with reorganization and naming would be far outpaced by increased local economic development, local student enrollment, and local community involvement in the East region of the County. Some argue that the current College administrative set-up is somewhat akin to the Prescott City Manager running the cities and towns in the East Region from his desk on the west side of the County. The analogy is not perfect but seems to more or less frame the question.
For those seriously interested in the future of post-secondary education in Yavapai County, the essay is a very good place to begin the thinking process. You may access the essay by clicking here.COMPLETE ESSAY