Residents learn College Governing Board can provide little assistance to answer simple questions if they involve “operations”

Residents of Yavapai County are learning that their elected representatives on the Community College Governing Board are unwilling or unable to help them with answers to fairly simple questions about the Community College.  At least, that is what some believe after an effort was made by them to find out the cost and reasons for building new College Foundation offices in a portion of the library on the Prescott Campus.

One of the residents, for example, recently sent an email to Governing Board member Steve Irwin asking if he “could you shed some light on a . . .  report that the College plans to build a partition in the college library to provide office/meeting space for the Yavapai College Foundation?”

The Governing Board administrator, not Mr. Irwin, responded as follows:

“Thank you for your concern and for reaching out to our District Governing Board Member. Unfortunately the Board’s responsibility doesn’t include the day-to-day operations and activities on the campus. The president of the College has the responsibility to make decisions that are in the best interest of our students, employees, and the community, including operational decisions.”

There was no information or direction given to the resident about who  to contact or how to contact anyone at the college who could  deal with answering the question appropriately. There was no effort by Mr. Irwin to lend a hand regarding where to go with the question so it could be answered.

Later, this same constituent received a copy of the Community College Governing Board Policy Manual from the Governing Board administrator.  

As of today, exactly how operation questions from taxpayer residents like this are to be handled by the Community College appears to remain a mystery.  It is hoped the new College President will create a process where residents can ask questions about the College activities that involve “operations” and receive answers. “Operations” appear to be about 95% of what the President does.

Costs and reasons for construction of offices  in this area of the Prescott Campus library remain a mystery.

Dr. Diane Ryan will begin as VP of Strategic Initiatives September 3 at reported annual salary of $157,000

Yavapai Community College has hired Dr. Diane Ryan as its new vice president of strategic initiatives. She will begin her new role in the $157,000-per-year year position September  3. She was one of three finalist for the newly created Vice President of Strategic Initiatives position at  the College.  The candidates were:  Dr. Sean Abel, Dr. Diane Ryan, and Dr. Stephanie Duguid. 

Dr. Ryan earned a Ph.D. in Community College Leadership from Old Dominion University. She holds a B.A. and M.A. in Communication from Western Illinois University and graduate hours in English from Old Dominion University. Her academic research focuses on open educational resources (OER) and academic outcomes in the community college classroom.

“As Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, I look forward to working with different groups at the college to assess and enhance existing programs or create new ones to increase student access, enrollment and retention,” said Dr. Ryan. “Because of my academic background and former work experience, I am confident we will work together for what is in the best interest of our students.” 

“I couldn’t be happier that Dr. Diane Ryan is joining our YC team,” said Yavapai College President Dr. Lisa Rhine. “She brings a breadth of knowledge and experience from numerous areas of the college landscape that will be key in helping us shape the future for Yavapai College and our communities that we serve.”

Formerly a faculty member at Tidewater Community College in Virginia, she is currently the dean of engineering, science and mathematics. As an academic dean, she advocates for the use of open educational resources, flexible class schedules, online degrees supported with student services and robust dual enrollment programs. Dr. Ryan recruited 38 faculty members to teach with OER course materials, saving students thousands of dollars in textbook costs and retaining tuition for the college. She worked with a team to launch two online degrees and is familiar with the challenges and successes of online education. During a downturn in college enrollment she increased enrollment in the division by creating flexible class schedules, which appealed to a broader audience of students. Under her leadership dual enrollment offerings and enrollment grew by 90% in a college transfer pathway.”

In 2018 she was named Administrator of the Year at Tidewater Community College. Dr. Ryan desires to move into senior administration to use her leadership skills to shape policy and practices to remove student barriers to persistence and completion. In her spare time, she practices yoga and volunteers for a local organization that provides food and shelter for people without homes.

Sources:  Yavapai Community College press release; Verde Independent story of Wednesday, August 14, 2019.

Dr. Rhine and ten female staff and faculty featured

The August/September 2019  issue of the Prescott Woman magazine devoted 26 pages that featured Dr. Lisa Rhine and ten female staff and faculty.  The spread included  four-color photos of each person featured and a theme for each individual.  The overall theme of the article was “Education as a Catalyst for Change.”  In 2018 the same magazine featured former Community College president Dr. Penelope Wills and nine faculty/staff in another 26 page spread.

The theme for the featured article on Dr. Rhine in the 2019 issue was entitled, “Dr. Lisa Rhine’s Personal Experience Gives Her the Passion to Guide Yavapai College to its Full Potential.” The ten women featured in addition to Dr. Rhine and the theme for each follows: 

Megyn Felton,  “Here to Protect and Serve, . . . “I’ve always had an interest in wanting to help people. I really want to help children. That’s my ultimate career goal: to be a detective in crimes against children.”

Stacey Hilton, “Keeping an Open Heart and an Open Mind, . . .Our student population is the reason why each one of us comes to work each day, driving us to be the best we can be.”

Emily Weinacker, “Making Y.C. the Greatest Place to Work,  . . . This is a wonderful campus. There are good people here, and the students are excited.”

Jennifer Jacobson, “Influencing Students to Make a Social Difference, . . . YC professors know your name–you truly are an individual student.”

Helen Stephenson, “Lights, Camera, Passion, . . . I just love film and I understand the power for good that film can be. It can be a life-changing force.”

Valerie Wood – From Student to Entrepreneur, “Living the Dream and Paying it Forward, . . . We are literally ‘living the dream’ and making our own wine in the Verde Valley.”

Diana Dowling – “Where I am Meant to Be . . . Making Education a Seamless Experience for Every Student.”

Carissa Bond, “That’s Bond, Carissa Bond, . . . A Yavapai College Alum Lands Her Dream Job. . . . I stayed at YC because of the incredible opportunities that I have been able to pursue in such a short amount of time.”

Mary Talosi – YC Foundation Major Gifts Officer Considers Her Job—to Align Donors’ Passion with Their Purpose—‘The Brass Ring,’ “Living and Celebrating Purpose, . . .  Every day, when I put my head on the pillow, I can think, ‘That was one hundred and ten percent.’”

Lisa Raygoza – Embracing Diversity and Versatility as Community Relations Coordinator, “I love the challenging aspect of my job. YC really does hold our community members’ bests interests at heart.”

You may read the entire feature article online by clicking here

Front cover

Candidates come from diverse backgrounds and experience

The three finalists for the newly created Vice President of Strategic Initiatives position at  Yavapai Community College appeared during the morning for an Open Forum on July 16 at the Verde Campus.  The candidates were:  Dr. Sean Abel, Dr. Diane Ryan, and Dr. Stephanie Duguid.  The event was provided over a live video stream to faculty who could not attend the presentation in person.

The candidates were given 15 minutes to make a presentation and then several more minutes to answer written questions from those in attendance.

At least one member of the Community College Governing Board, Deb McCasland, was in attendance at the Forum.  The public did not receive notice of the open forum although the moderators who introduced the candidates during the morning suggested that the community had been invited.

The candidates will be given a guided tour of the Prescott Campus today (Wednesday).

The following is some of the information the candidates submitted to the Community College.

Open forums for faculty (apparently not the public) to be held July 16 & 17

The three finalists for the position of new Vice President of Strategic Initiatives will be coming to Yavapai Community College July 16 & 17.  There will be open forums held those two days between 8 a.m. and noon for the faculty.

The Community College has not announced that the open forums are open to the public or provided the public with a place where they will be held. 

Community College President Dr. Lisa Rhine explained earlier this year in a written message to the faculty that she is going to address the culture, health and strategic direction of the College in the coming months.  To help her accomplish those objectives, she began  searching for a Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, which is a new administrative position. This person will be responsible for improving and enhancing the online experience, improving enrollment management, expanding an Open Education Resources initiative, developing the learning core, and for leading the College’s Organizational Health strategies.