Author Archive for R. Oliphant – Page 17
Administration says they are only “demonstration homes.” Is this another Governing Board failure to provide adequate information, transparency and accountability in overseeing how funds are spent on a taxpayer-supported project?
Recall that back on January 27, 2020, the District Governing Board showed no opposition to a proposal made by the College executives to spend almost a half million dollars to purchase two 3D concrete printers. The information given to the Board at the time suggested that the printers could complete the foundation, interior, and exterior walls for a medium-sized home in 3-5 days.
After roofing, electrical, plumbing, and other services were installed, it was thought that these 3D printed homes could help alleviate Yavapai College’s attainable housing shortage by providing temporary housing for staff, faculty, or students. This innovative approach seemed like a promising solution to a pressing problem.
However, after Governing Board approval and the investment of the half million dollars, the College eventually had to scrap the purchased 3D printers and construct their own, using its own staff and materials. The purchased printers were not fit for the purpose intended by the College.
The next bit of information surfaced in December 2020, when a brief announcement in the College’s Facilities Management Newsletter revealed ongoing work to equip the 3D housing sites (possibly three of them) at the Chino Valley Center with essential utilities. The announcement stated, “Facilities Management is aiding the 3D house printing project by installing electrical, data, and water services for up to three houses at the construction site. Moreover, the Chino Ag Center will serve as a platform to display the program’s capabilities.”
However, since December 2020, Yavapai Community College’s disclosure about the status of the 3D homes has been at best sparse. That changed slightly when, during a brief moment at the November 26, 2023, Governing Board meeting, some light was shed on this project.
The scrap of information came in response to a succinct question from Chair Deb McCasland about the status of those homes. “What is the plan for the houses built on the Chino Valley Campus?” she asked. In response, Community College Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services, Clint Ewell, surprised some listeners by stating: “Those are actually not certified for occupancy. So those will just be basically demonstration homes.”
Recall, as noted earlier, that since 2020 many, if not most, had assumed that the 3D cement homes being constructed would, when completed, provide temporary housing for College faculty, staff, or students. But as clarified in Ms. McCasland’s query, this will not be the case. They cannot be occupied!
It is worth noting that the total amount, running into hundreds of thousands of dollars, invested by the College in this endeavor remains hidden from the public. The District Governing Board, charged with the dual responsibility of judiciously using taxpayer funds and keeping the community informed about spending, seems to have missed the mark over the past three years in ensuring transparency and accountability for this project.
First tier General Ed up 5%; Second tier lab courses up by 6%, CTE Allied Health programs jump by 7%; Nursing getting $25 per credit added; upper division nursing will pay $38 more per credit; high school students taking concurrent courses have existing discount slashed from 50% to 25%
Tuition increases at Yavapai Community College are annually approved by the District Governing Board with little significant questioning or commentary. The meeting on November 26, concerning the requested tuition increase for the 2024-2025 academic year, was no exception.
The College, evidently in need of more funds as it plans to spend millions expanding the Prescott Campus and its three west county centers, proposed major across-the-board tuition hikes. It also proposed slashing or eliminating some discounts now deemed too costly to maintain.
The increases vary: General Education courses, labeled as “tier one” in the three-tier rate system, will see a 5% hike. “Lab courses” in tier two will experience a 6% increase. The Career and Technical Education courses, along with Allied Health offerings, are set for a 7% rise.
The basic nursing courses, typically filled to capacity, will see an increase of $25 per course. Online upper-division classes will be raised by $38 per credit, exceeding the College’s initial tuition projections. The upper-division nursing program is set to begin in fall 2024.
High school students enrolled in concurrent high school and Community College courses will see their existing 50% discount reduced to 25%. The program that allowed students taking 12 full-time classes in a semester to take additional classes for free was discontinued due to perceived overuse.
It took the Governing Board only about eight minutes to approve the College’s proposal. None of the Board members, except Mr. Sigafoos, posed any inquiries or made notable comments during the vote to approve the increases.
Residents remain in the dark about the specific property under consideration, shrouded by the cloak of these closed-door meetings
Yavapai Community College’s District Governing Board was hastily called into a one-hour secret executive meeting on Thursday, December 14 to discuss and consult “with College Representatives Regarding Potential Lease and/or Purchase of Real Property, or Properties, in Prescott.”
The December meeting came on the heals of another long secret executive meeting held on the Verde Campus just three weeks ago on November 26. The purpose of that secret meeting was to discuss and consult “with College Representatives Regarding Potential Lease and/or Purchase of Real Property, or Properties, in Prescott.”
Residents of the county remain in the dark about the specific property under consideration, shrouded by the cloak of these closed-door meetings. The next public Board meeting, offering the first potential glimpse into the Board’s plans, is ten weeks away, scheduled for February 20th.
New officers will join law enforcement agencies across the state
Yavapai Community College, in a press release dated December 12, 2023, announced that 27 law enforcement recruits trained at the College’s Northern Arizona Regional Training Academy in Prescott participated in the traditional swearing-in and badge-pinning ceremony at the Prescott campus earlier this month.
At the ceremony, Community College President Dr. Lisa Rhine thanked the recruits for stepping into a difficult role during uncertain times. She said, “To say that it’s a very difficult time to be a police officer is truly an understatement. Thank you for your selfless decision to protect and serve and to take on the risks and demanding responsibility for all of us to live in a safe and secure community.”
Prescott Valley Police Chief Bob Ticer delivered the keynote address, congratulating them for the life of integrity it took to volunteer to join what he described as the “most noble profession on the face of the earth.”
The following are the NARTA Class 55 graduates and the police agencies they are joining:
Arturo Castillo, Jr., and Jason Tyler Ehlert, Chino Valley Police Department
Benjamin Samuel Bruner, Christian Brady Carter, Aaron Joseph Cote and Jennifer Jane Glover, Prescott Valley Police Department
Brandon Kalani Kawainui Callio, Page Police Department
Casey Sky Dragos, Camp Verde Marshal’s Office
Christopher Flowers, Nicholas William Hamilton, Douglas Allen Harwood, Nicholas David McKay, Brian Lee Sutton and Luis Alejandro Terrazas, Prescott Police Department
Michael Andrew Bentley, Oro Valley Police Department
Oscar Molina Teran, Payson Police Department
Richard James Avery, Bradley James Bartell, Jaden Elliot-Kai Berney and Tyler Jon Slim, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office
Travis Steven O’Donnal, Ryan Hunter Palmer and Corey James Tousley, Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office
Ty Matthew Furr and Steele Domingo Salinas, Flagstaff Police Department
Victor Esteven Rodriguez, Maricopa Police Department
Zachary Joseph MacGregor, Jerome Police Department
Source: Yavapai Community College press release by JJ McCormack dated Dec. 12, 2023.
No business transacted
A holiday dinner party was held for the five members of the Yavapai Community College District Governing Board on Wednesday, December 6 at Murphy’s Restaurant in Prescott. No business was transacted during the dinner. The public was not invited.
Follows on the heels of a 5% tax rate increase approved by District Governing Board in May 2023
Yavapai Community College Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services announced at the November 26 District Governing Board meeting that the administration will ask for a two percent tax rate increase in 2024. The increase is needed, according to Dr. Ewell, to help provide funds for an estimated $3.36 million in additional revenue. If approved, the tax rate increase will add about one-third of the additional revenue the College says it needs.
If approved in May 2024, this will result in a total increase of seven percent in local property tax rates over two years that is associated directly with the College. This past May, the District Governing Board approved a 5% property tax rate increase. The administration also announced that it was seeking approval for a five percent tuition increase.
Program accredited in maintenance and light repair through 2028
The Yavapai Community College automotive program announced in a December 7 press release, authored by Tyler Rumsey, that it has received ASE Training Program reaccreditation from the ASE Education Foundation. The automotive program has been accredited in maintenance and light repair through 2028.
The College reported that to achieve the reaccreditation, its automotive program underwent a rigorous evaluation by the ASE Education Foundation. Nationally accepted standards of excellence in areas such as instruction, facilities, and equipment were used. The program was reaccredited in maintenance light
John Morgan, Associate Vice President for Career and Technical Education explained the reaccreditation process. He said: “During the past few months, we have worked closely with the ASE Education Foundation to make certain that our program would meet strict industry standards, and now we are delighted to join the ranks of the ASE accredited training programs. Students will be assured of a quality education, and shop owners will be assured of getting quality job applicants. The efforts of Jerrad Smith as the lead to get this accomplished are noticeable, and I want to commend the entire Automotive Department at Yavapai College for their continued excellence.”
YC offers two degrees and four certificates in automotive and diesel technology at its CTEC facility located at the Prescott airport.
Source: https://www.yc.edu/v6/news/2023/12/auto.html.
Insufficient interest shown in renting apartments by faculty, staff, or students
Yavapai Community College’s District Governing Board was informed at its November 26 meeting that the Administration anticipates closing down its Cottonwood Apartment experiment within the next 30 days, unless more interest is shown. According to Clint Ewell, Vice President of Finance and Administration, “we just have not had much interest in the rental plan.”
Ewell mentioned that eight units would be released, as only one student and one employee have rented apartments for the spring. He also assured the District Governing Board that the College incurred no capital or out-of-pocket expenses for the experiment.
The experiment was based on a handshake agreement, with no reduction in market prices for faculty, staff, or students renting space there. Additionally, the College did not provide any financial subsidies as incentives for faculty, staff, or students to rent at the Cottonwood complex.
To hear Dr. Ewell’s explanation to the District Governing Board, click on the video below:
Only community college admitted this year as well as being the first and only accredited NASM community college in the state of Arizona
Glendale Community College (GCC) was recently notified that they it has received accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). GCC is the only community college admitted this year as well as being the first and only accredited NASM community college in the state of Arizona. Only the three state universities in Arizona are also accredited by NASM.
To earn this recognition, the music program at GCC wrote a comprehensive self-study that addressed numerous standards established by NASM. This was followed by a campus visit by NASM in 2022 to verify the information in the self-study, listen to performances, observe classroom instruction, interview faculty, staff, students and administration, as well as verify academic transcripts of recent graduates. New members of NASM must repeat this process five years after initial accreditation, then again in five years, and every ten years after that.
Dr. Tiffany Hernandez, President of Glendale Community College, said that “our accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Music reflects GCC’s commitment to our students and our community to prepare musicians at the collegiate level. As the only NASM-accredited community college in the state of Arizona, GCC is proud to be a significant component of the performing arts and culture community in the West Valley and beyond.”