The Yavapai County Community College District Governing Board will hold what is described as a “Policy and Attorney Education Workshop” at the Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) on Tuesday, January 16, 2024. The Career and Technical Education Center is located on the Prescott airport at 220 Ruger Road, Prescott, AZ 86301. The agenda suggests that the event will last approximately four hours or more.No other details released as yet by Yavapai Community College; estimated three-quarters are part-time students
Yavapai Community College has not yet released detailed enrollment information for the Fall 2023 semester. However, some insights were shared at the November 2023 District Governing Board meeting, shedding light on this subject.
The enrollment information was part of the “Environmental Scan” report presented by Dr. Tom Hughes, Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Research at the College. According to Dr. Hughes, the Fall 2023 enrollment at Yavapai College, measured in terms of total credit hours taken by students, has increased by 8.7%. He also noted that the total enrollment, counted as the number of students enrolled in classes, rose by 2.8%.
Later in the meeting, it was reported that “three-quarters” of the student body is attending part-time. This may be significant if correct, considering that in the Community College’s most recent official report to the State of Arizona, part-time students comprised 85% of the student body. (See table below.)
The College has not yet publicly released data detailing the number of students attending each campus or center during fall 2023, the number of online learners, or other relevant information.
The latest available data on enrollment at Yavapai Community College is found in the 2021-2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report submitted to the State of Arizona. (See table below.)
Community College opens tiny home construction program at CTEC like that on the Verde Campus
The Tiny Home Project: An Overview and Historical Context
Uncertainties Surrounding the Project: The Tiny Home Project, which involves students constructing miniscule houses intended for rent by staff, faculty, and students, still has several unresolved issues. Key questions include the final location of these homes and the total number that the College plans to eventually construct. While it is believed there will be six or seven homes located at the Chino Valley Center, it is not all that clear based on the information provided the District Governing Board from October 2022 to November 2023.
Historical Records of the Project:
October 2022 – College Shares Ideas with Governing Board: In October 2022, Yavapai Community College’s administration first introduced the concept of students building tiny homes for the college community. During a discussion, Third District Representative Paul Chevalier inquired whether the construction would occur on both sides of the mountain, to which the administration affirmed.
May 2023 – Interview with Phoenix Channel Three Television: Dr. Clint Ewell, in a May 2023 interview with Phoenix’s Channel Three news, shifted the focus to primarily using these small houses for students. He highlighted a key issue: “Our recruiting pools have been getting smaller, which we believe is due to the high cost of living in Yavapai County, currently about 20% above the national average.” During this segment, Dr. Ewell expressed hope that a 200-square-foot house, built by students, would attract more enrollees. He noted, “Many students have told us they accepted our program but later withdrew due to the lack of affordable housing.”
According to the Channel Three report, the initial goal is to have three tiny homes available for rent by students at the Chino Valley Center by Spring 2024. However, this objective became uncertain following a housing report presented at the November 2023 Governing Board meeting.
November 2023 – Governing Board Meeting: At the District Governing Board meeting in November 2023, Dr. Ewell informed the Trustees that construction of tiny houses was underway by students at both the Verde Campus and the Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) at the Prescott Airport. He estimated, “By the end of the school year, we should have six or seven homes ready. We plan to place them either at the Chino campus or the Verde campus to provide housing for students and staff. These homes, ranging from 240 to 300 square feet, are not only compact but also well-constructed and thoughtfully designed.”
As of today, the tiny homes constructed at the Verde Campus remain in the parking lot outside the small Career and Technical Education facility, where they have been for several months. There also appears no movement to prepare an infrastructure on the Verde Campus on which they can be located.
If approved by the Governing Board, the result is a total investment of a million dollars or more in a program that has provided training for only a handful of students; Governing Board appears ill equipped to protect County taxpayers against what appears to be an apparent misapplication of funds
The Yavapai Community College Administration has informed the District Governing Board that it is considering purchasing an additional 3D concrete housing printer, estimated to cost $550,000. (Refer to the video clip below for more details.) If approved, this acquisition would increase the total expenditure on 3D printers by the Community College to approximately one million dollars since 2020.
Recall that on January 27, 2020, the District Governing Board did not oppose a proposal from the College executives to spend nearly half a million dollars on two 3D concrete printers. The information provided to the Board at that time indicated that these printers could construct the foundation, interior, and exterior walls of a medium-sized home within 3-5 days.
However, these two printers proved unsuitable for the intended purpose, as acknowledged by the College executives. Consequently, they were discarded, and the College staff initiated a challenging, time-consuming program to develop and construct the College’s own 3D printers. To the astonishment of careful observers of the College budget, the College Administrators are contemplating asking the Board to approve the purchase of a new 3D printer, despite the substantial previous investment and obvious failures.
It should also be a concern of County taxpayers that so far only a few students have enrolled in courses related to the 3D printing project. Moreover, the initial plan to recoup some of the considerable expenditure by developing and patenting a special cement mixture failed to materialize.
The District Governing Board, responsible for ensuring the prudent use of taxpayer money, seems unable to grasp the problematic history of this project or justify the expenditure of hundreds of thousands of dollars to train so few students. One wonders what it will take to wake this sleepy board up to its statutory responsibility in matters like this.
Associate Vice President for Health Sciences at Yavapai Community College
Dr. Marylou Mercado
Dr. Marylou Mercado, Associate Vice President for Health Sciences at Yavapai Community College, was selected by the 2024 Arizona Women in Higher Education organization as its 2024 Woman of the year. Dr. Marylou Mercado is a Hispanic first-generation community college graduate and recently completed a Doctor of Education in 2018.
In its announcement, AWHE said the following about Dr. Mercado:
Throughout Dr. Mercado’s journey as a non-traditional student, she has had women in the roles of professors and administrative assistants walk alongside and stand with her through every challenge, offering encouragement so that she could complete her educational goals for quality of life. After spending 28 years in the community college environment, Dr. Mercado believes that education is the empowerment and equalizer of overcoming societal inequalities. Helping students achieve their educational goals and fostering leadership qualities and abilities in women are paramount to her role and responsibilities in higher education. She is passionate about seeing women become all they desire to be by investing time with them, hearing their concerns, understanding their visions and goals, and providing resources so that they may achieve all they are meant to achieve in fulfilling their destiny. For Dr. Mercado, there is no greater joy.
Congratulations to Dr. Mercado!
Eight additional firefighters now enrolled in the College’s rigorous Paramedic program, which CAFMA lauded
The Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority (CAFMA) announced on December 21 that two of its firefighters had graduated from Yavapai Community College’s Paramedic program. They are Nelson DiVall and Andrew Kontz. Both firefighters successfully attained paramedic certification through the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT).
In the announcement, CAFMA stated that while all CAFMA firefighters already possess certification as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), the pursuit of paramedic certification signifies a heightened level of expertise.
CAFMA explained that the rigorous curriculum at Yavapai Community College included over 150 hours of clinical experience and nearly 400 hours of field internships. This equips the firefighters with the essential skills and knowledge needed to excel in their roles as paramedics.
CAFMA lauded the College’s training program in its announcement, with Doug Niemynski, CAFMA EMS Chief saying, “Well-trained, highly skilled, dedicated paramedics are vital to the success of a comprehensive Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system, and we’re grateful to Yavapai College for a fantastic program. CAFMA is proud of our commitment to delivering the best possible emergency medical care for our community.”
CAFMA also noted that eight additional firefighters are currently enrolled in the Yavapai College Paramedic Program, which, upon graduation, will further strengthen the organization’s capabilities.
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