Study session to run from 1:00 p.m. for over an hour. There are 15 minutes set aside for a business meeting. A 90 minute secrete executive will then be held to establish goals for President Rhine in the coming year. Board rejects modern technology and will not live stream meeting

The Yavapai Community College Governing Board is scheduled to meet on September 19 at the Rock House on the Prescott Campus. The first part of the agenda called a “work session” is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. According to the announced agenda, about 15 minutes have been set aside for a “business meeting” later is the session. That will be followed by a secret executive meeting that may run for an hour and a half (See agenda). The purpose of the executive meeting is to set goals for President Dr. Lisa Rhine for the coming year.

About ten minutes have been set aside at the beginning of the meeting for input on any subject by members of the public. A citizen wishing to address the Board is normally asked to complete a “Request to Speak” form, and give it to the Recording Secretary. The speaker should be prepared to limit his or her remarks to the designated time (from one to three minutes although typically three minutes). 

Under Arizona law, a citizen has a right to attend, listen, tape record, or videotape all of these meetings. The public may not disrupt, but may speak during the Call to the Public at the beginning of this meeting if the call is on the agenda. See Ariz. Att’y Gen. Op. No. I78-001.

You may access the minimalistic agenda that appeared on the Governing  Board’s Saturday morning September 16 website  by clicking here.  https://www.yc.edu/v6/district-governing-board/sub/2023/09/09-19-2023-meeting-summary.pdf.

The less than opaque process regarding distribution of information to the community by the Governing Board is disturbing. Few know much at all about the operational decisions involving its two campuses and four centers in the County. This presents a significant challenge for rural residents throughout the County interested in the health of the College.

One example of the opaque process is how the agenda is handled. The agenda provided prior to the handful of yearly Board meetings leaves community members with scant opportunity to familiarize themselves with items touched because of the intentionally sparse descriptions of agenda items. This lack of detail creates a formidable hurdle, if not an insurmountable one, in evaluating whether a particular agenda item justifies the significant sacrifice of a 100 to 200-mile round trip and a day off from work to attend the meeting in person.

Another example of the opaque process is the Governing Board’s rejection of of modern technology.  Despite having all the equipment and personnel needed, it refuses to live-stream its infrequent sessions exacerbates the problem about a resident of the County gaining meaningful information. County residents are left without real-time updates and information about the affairs of a $100 million dollar government educational institution funded by their property taxes.

A third example of the satisfaction the Board has with the out-of-date opaque process is its refusal to require those using PowerPoint slides during a meeting to provide them so they can be posted on the Board website either prior to or after their use during a meeting.  

There is a pressing need for greater transparency and accessibility in the District Governing Board’s proceedings. Rural residents and taxpayers deserve a more inclusive and informative process, particularly for a publicly funded institution of this magnitude. Or maybe, there’s a pressing need for new Board members who actually care about providing their constituents with actual information.