Author Archive for R. Oliphant – Page 103

RETIREMENT OF VICE PRESIDENT RON LISS ANNOUNCED AT BOARD MEETING

By R. Oliphant
Wednesday, October 9th, 2019

VP of Instruction and Student Development retires January 26, 2020

Dr. Ron Liss

Yavapai Community College President Dr. Lisa Rhine announced at the October 8, 2019 District Governing Board meeting that Dr. Ron Liss was retiring as Vice President of Instruction and Student Development.  His retirement date was set at January 26, 2020. Upon retirement, his position will be temporarily filled by Dr. Diane Ryan. She is  the  College’s current Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. 

Dr. Liss joined Yavapai Community College in 2016. He oversees academic degree and certificate programs, the College library, instructional support, teaching and e-learning support, and student development.

President Rhine commented that:

 “During my short time working with Ron, I was able to see the positive and transformational impact that he has had on the College’s academic offerings and support services. Many of our programs would not be where they are today without Ron’s leadership,” she said. “I wish him nothing but the best in retirement. Yavapai College will truly miss him.”

Upon retirement, Dr. Liss plans to spend more time with his wife, children, and grandchildren, as well as pursue many of his personal passions and plans to stay in the Yavapai community looking for the right volunteer opportunities.

Sources:  Announcement made at Yavapai College District Governing Board meeting October 8, 2019; also,  https://www.signalsaz.com/articles/yavapai-college-vice-president-of-instruction-and-student-development-dr-ron-liss-announces-retirement/.

Categories : ADMINISTRATION, Yavapai Community College

YAVAPAI COMMUNITY COLLEGE GOVERNING BOARD TO HOLD REGULAR BOARD MEETING ON VERDE CAMPUS BEGINNING AT 1:00 P.M. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, October 5th, 2019

Meeting to be held in Building  “M,” Room 137 on the Verde Valley Campus, 601 W Black Hills Drive, Clarkdale, Arizona – Public invited

The Yavapai Community College Governing Board will hold its regular Governing Board meeting this  Tuesday, October 8, 2019 beginning at 1 p.m. The meeting will be held in Building “M,” Room 137 on the Verde Valley Campus, 601 W Black Hills Drive, Clarkdale, Arizona.

The public is invited to attend. There is an opportunity for the public to address the Board at this meeting, according to the agenda published by the College. This is an opportunity for residents of Yavapai County to provide their input on any issue within the jurisdiction of the Yavapai College District Governing Board.

Members of the Governing Board are not supposed to discuss or take legal action on matters raised during an Open Call to the public unless the matters are properly noticed for discussion and legal action. A citizen wishing to address the Board, should complete a “Request to Speak” form, and give it to the Recording Secretary and be prepared to limit his or her remarks to the designated time (usually three minutes).

The public has a right to attend, listen, tape record or videotape this meeting. The public may not disrupt, but may speak during the call to the public at the beginning of this meeting. See Ariz. Att’y Gen. Op. No. I78-001.

The full 162 page agenda for this meeting can be found on the Community College web site by clicking here.

Categories : Meeting Notice

COLLEGE TO SEEK TUITION INCREASE TUESDAY

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, October 5th, 2019

Tuition fees may be increased 4% to 5%; continues decade-long annual decision to raise tuition

The Yavapai Community College Board will seek a tuition increase at the Tuesday, October 8 Governing Board meeting of from four to five percent.  The Governing Board has approved a fee increase in some form every year over the past decade.

It is anticipated that the Board will approve the increase being asked this year.

Categories : Tuition

GOVERNING BOARD ATTORNEY CONTRACT UP FOR RENEWAL

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, October 5th, 2019

Current Phoenix based law firm charges $485 per hour but gives College discount to $385 per hour; however it charges a flat fee to attend any Board meeting of $1,925 (will go to $2,100 flat fee if new contract approved); length of meeting irrelevant

The Contract with the Phoenix Law Firm of  Osborn Maledon is up for review at the Governing Board meeting on the Verde Campus this Tuesday, October 8.  Osborn Maledon is the law firm that represents only the Governing Board.

Other law firms are employed by the College to handle daily legal issues for it; they do not represent the  Board.  The College also employs special defense lawyers, such as those defending the College in the six-year old Hamilton v. Yavapai College lawsuit.

The bulk of the work provided by the firm representing the Board  involves attending Governing Board meetings on a regular basis mostly in Prescott (occasionally in Sedona, Verde Valley, Chino Valley, Prescott Valley). The remainder is office work done at the Phoenix location of the law firm.

It is not clear that the Governing Board has put out bids asking local Yavapai County based  law firms to bid on this contract. 

According to College documents, Osborn Maledon charges a regular hourly rate of $485.  However, the College documents indicate it charges a reduced rate of $385 an hour to the College for office work.   The firm currently charges the College a flat fee for attending a Board meeting of $1,925.  If the current contract is extended, it will increase that fee to $2,100 regardless of the length of the Board meeting.  

The Board lawyer has typically attended all Governing Board regular monthly meetings, retreats, and special meetings. Meetings vary in time from two to over four hours.

Categories : ADMINISTRATION

COMMUNITY COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL TEAM STRONG; SOCCER TEAM IMPROVING

By R. Oliphant
Friday, October 4th, 2019

Issue of recruiting County players for County Community College teams remains; less than 5% recruited from Yavapai County high schools

The Yavapai Community College Roughriders volleyball team is making a strong showing this year with a 13-2 overall record along with seven straight victories.  They have an overall 5-0 record in their conference as of October 4.

The soccer team has lost three of its last five games.  It is now 9-3 on the season and 2-2 in conference play.  They turned around their losing streak October 3 with a victory over Chandler-Gilbert Community College.

The persistent issue of recruiting athletes for the Community College team from outside Yavapai County remain. Data shows that the two teams are dominated by players outside the County.  The Volleyball and Soccer teams field a total of 42 athletes.  Of those, only two are from Yavapai County.

The Volleyball team has 16 members, none of whom are from Yavapai County. Eleven team members are from Arizona; five from other states.

The Soccer team has 26 members.  Of those, two are from Yavapai County, two from outside the United States, eleven from outside Arizona, and eleven are from Arizona.

Categories : Athletics

FORMER BUSINESS MANAGER FOR VALLEY ACADEMY FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, INDICTED FOR STEALING $35,500 OF VACTE FUNDS

By R. Oliphant
Wednesday, October 2nd, 2019

Following an investigation performed by the Office of the Auditor General, it is alleged that Celestia Ziemkowski was involved in a number of fraudulent schemes and practices while employed at VACTE

The Sedona Red Rock News, in a story authored by Christoper Fox Graham October 1, reported that the Arizona Attorney General had indicted the former Valley Academy for Career and Technical Education business manager on a number of criminal charges.  It is alleged that she made $10,746 in fraudulent charges on the VACTE charge card and presented forged statements to conceal the charges.

It is also alleged that she used five unauthorized checks totaling $19,851 for personal purposes between July and December 2015. The indictment also alleges that she presented the VACTE Board with fraudulent vouchers to secure the approval of the checks and modified the accounting software to conceal the true payees.

Ziemkowski resigned in May 2016 after a VACTE employee questioned her about certain credit card purchases.

VACTE works closely with Yavapai Community College in its Career and Technical Education programs. The College was not involved.

For the full story, you may click here. 

Source:  Christopher Fox Graham, Sedona Red Rock News.

Categories : VACTE

COMMUNITY COLLEGE SOUTHWEST WINE CENTER RECEIVES ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD

By R. Oliphant
Sunday, September 29th, 2019

Recognizes Center as leader in adopting environmentally sustainable practices for a better Arizona

The Yavapai Community College Southwest Wine Center on the Verde Valley Campus received an Award of Distinction at the Arizona Forward 39th Annual Environmental Excellence Awards Gala on September 21.  The award recognized the Center as a leader in adopting environmentally sustainable practices for a better Arizona.

The Center won in the Governor’s Award for Arizona’s Future category, specific to programs that nurture “Arizona’s future through creative initiatives, public policies and/or collaborative efforts that enhance the state’s environmental quality, economic vitality and sustainability.”

The Director of the of the Viticulture and Enology programs at the Southwest Wine Center, Michael Pierce, director, accepted the award on behalf of Yavapai College. He commented that :

“We are proud to be acknowledged as a leader in environmentally sustainable practices in Arizona. Although our primary goal is to teach students the skills and knowledge they need to be a success in the wine industry, we also stress the importance of cultivating a climate-appropriate agricultural crop using sustainable water conservation practices.”

Sources:  Verde Independent, Sunday, September 29, 2019, p. 1;  Signals.com (click here for the full story).

Categories : Southwest Wine Center

VERDE VALLEY CAMPUS EVENT FRIDAY, OCT 11 MARKS GIFT OF ‘POSEIDON’

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, September 26th, 2019

4:45 p.m. celebration features  Poseidon’s creator, internationally renowned Sedona artist, John M. Soderberg, Ph.D

The Yavapai Community College Verde Valley Campus is celebrating the installation of a life-size bronze of Poseidon, Greek god of the seas and protector of the waters, on Friday, October 11. The public is invited to attend the 4:45 p.m. celebration featuring Poseidon’s creator, internationally renowned Sedona artist, John M. Soderberg, Ph.D. 

The event begins in Building “M”, Room 137, on the Campus before moving outside to a location near the Mabery Pavilion for the unveiling. After the sculpture dedication, all are invited to attend the closing reception of the Visions of the Verde art show in the Verde Valley Campus Art Gallery (Building F).

The free reception is scheduled until 7 p.m. For information, contact Alexandra.Helm@yc.edu, or call 928.634.6511.

Poseidon was one of the twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and myth, god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses. In pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, he was venerated as a chief deity at Pylos and Thebes. His Roman equivalent is Neptune.

Categories : Event

PRODUCTION OF MERCHANT OF VENICE OCT 5 ON VERDE VALLEY CAMPUS

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, September 26th, 2019

Admission is free, program runs from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Building “M” (or possibly at the adjacent Mabery Pavilion)

Yavapai Community College is offering Shakespear’s “Merchant of Venice” play on October 5, 2019 on the Verde Valley Campus.  The show begins at 6 p.m. and is anticipated to finish by 8:30 p.m.

The Classic Shakespeare romantic comedy performed live by Laark Productions will be either outside at the Mabery Pavilion on the Verde Valley Campus or inside Building “M” adjacent the Pavilion.

This is the forth year Lark Productions have performed live at the Verde Campus since developing a relationship with the College in 2016.

Laark Productions is a non-profit in the state of Arizona and is an IRS recognized non-profit charity under article 501(c)(3). Donations are not solicited for the benefit of Laark Productions.

Laark Productons operates with the combined “artistic and business concept of Lane and Karla Burkitt.”  Karla Burkitt has been teaching theater to grades k-8 at Franklin Phonetic School in Prescott Valley, AZ for the last 20 years.  Lane Burkitt is owner and director at 1lane road consultancy. The other members of Laark Productions are friends, family, cast members, technical crew, and other partners who work on its productions.

 

Categories : Event

YAVAPAI COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCHEDULES THREE-DAY INAUGURAL HOMECOMING EVENTS

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, September 26th, 2019

Former and current “Roughriders” and the community invited

Yavapai Community College has scheduled its first ever homecoming celebration for October 17-19.  The College is “inviting all former and current Roughriders, and the community to celebrate the past, present, and future of Yavapai College.” 

The dates and the scheduled events appear below.

Categories : Event
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