Wills’ can’t provide answers to questions about NAU’s future relationship with the College
Mystery suddenly surrounds the relationship between NAU and Yavapai Community College. Will NAU close the existing NAU/Yavapai Regional University in Prescott Valley. Will it purchase land from a local land family for an entirely new campus? Has the program to obtain a bachelor’s degree in three years failed? Will it join Yavapai Community College at the new Allied Health Campus?
When President Penelope Wills was asked specifically by Representative Deb McCasland at the May 10 Governing Board meeting about the future relationship between the College and NAU, she provided no concrete answers. Wills’ said that discussions with Rita Cheng, the NAU president, involved “what they may do with their facility” at the Prescott Valley Library. Wills provided no details. Wills added that NAU “may very well come over to this Center.” But then waffled.
Wills’ stated that “it was a lot more clear under the former president. We knew exactly where we were going with the Allied Health and the Medical Center for Excellence. But those are all under discussions.”
It appears that the College has made a deal with Prescott Valley to purchase the property used by NAU as its Regional University. The property was was financed by the College back in 2007 via an intergovernmental agreement with the town of Prescott Valley. If the property is sold back to Yavapai College, does that change NAU’s presence at the facility?
Who knows? Certainly not the public whose money finances these projects.