This seems to reflect a typical authoritarian perspective, marked by a profound distrust in the integrity of Governing Board members and the imposition of a free speech barrier throughout its campuses and centers

It may have shocked some to learn that Yavapai Community College President Dr. Lisa Rhine has issued a chilling directive to staff, instructing them to never discuss college or community matters with a member of the District Governing Board. According to Dr. Rhine, even an innocent conversation with a Board member could lead to disciplinary action if it touches on something she considers and defines as “college operations.”

Dr. Rhine revealed this authoritarian edict while supporting a provision in a District Governing Board policy resolution drafted by former college president and consultant Dr. David Borofsky. The resolution, which was under discussion, included a clause that was eventually approved in a 4-1 vote. The provision states: “Under no circumstances should an individual Board member direct or contact by any means, a staff member concerning a college or community issue.”

This poorly drafted provision effectively limits a Board member’s ability to seek information from any college source other than the president. The restriction, in the Blog’s view, clearly undermines the role of Board members, who are elected officials entrusted with representing the taxpayers of Yavapai County. It also reflects a profound distrust of the integrity of Board members.

Below is a video clip of Dr. Rhine’s comments, delivered to the Board at its November 21 meeting on the Prescott Campus.

Drafted by a former College president and current consultant, the document contains extreme provisions solely intended to allow the Community College president to control an elected Governing Board member’s behavior and speech when it comes to the taxpayer supported institution

OPINION: The outgoing Yavapai Community College District Governing Board, with two lame-duck members,  convened on November 21 at the Prescott Campus, where one of the major issues was a controversial resolution drafted by current consultant and former college president Dr. David Borofsky. The resolution’s main purpose appears aimed at stifling and controlling the free speech and behavior toward faculty and staff of elected Board members. As written, the resolution raises serious concerns about transparency and accountability.

Dr. Borofsky, now the Executive Director of the Arizona Association of Community College Trustees (AACCT), has a history intertwined with Yavapai College leadership. Borofsky was the Interim-Executive Director of the Arizona Association of Community College Trustees (AACCT), a group that included Yavapai Community College Board Chair, Deb McCasland.  He is now the executive director of the Arizona Association of Community College Trustees (AACCT), a group that includes Yavapai Community College president Dr. Lisa Rhine.

Notably, Borofsky’s tenure as a college leader has not been without controversy. For example, it was reported that at Dakota State University he unexpectedly resigned when students began organizing petitions “to then President Borofsky—who was primarily suspected for pressuring the changes in leadership—asking for answers to why these decisions were made.” The claim was that “several high profile administrators” had stepped down, and  it “was believed by many students and faculty that these administrators had not stepped down willingly.”

It was also reported that Jack Warner, executive director of the Board of Regents, “managed to confirm a suspicion that students . . .held since the incident: Doctor Borofsky’s choice to leave was a quick development, and was certainly made because of the poorly received decisions.”

At the November Yavapai Community College Governing Board meeting, Third District Representative Toby Payne asked Chair McCasland who had initiated the request for Borofsky to draft the resolution. McCasland admitted she had done so.

The resolution presented by Borofsky to the Board, which was published in full in a November 16 blog post, is overall an extreme document designed to muzzle dissent and enforce rigid control over Board members. Among its provisions, it prohibits Board members from making any comments about the College president that could be construed as negative. Thus, the Third District representative Toby Payne, under this resolution, can never raise critical questions with his constituents about the lack of attention or development by the college leadership in his district. Even more troubling, the Resolution bans Board members from engaging with community college staff or faculty in any way on any issue involving the College or the community.

This resolution lays bare the administration’s profound fear of criticism and its desire to silence opposing voices. It exemplifies a culture of authoritarian control, where dissent is not tolerated, and open dialogue, some of which may be considered critical,  is actively suppressed. Such measures are a blatant affront to the principles of governance and transparency that should guide a public institution.

In essence, the resolution reflects an unsettling effort to insulate the College leadership from accountability at the expense of the public’s trust. The five elected officials on the lame duck Governing Board should have resisted the blatant attempt to undermine their ability to represent their constituents and upheld their responsibility to advocate for transparency and fairness. Anything less is a disservice to the residents of Yavapai County who they are sworn to serve. Moreover, it is a disservice to democracy.

Unfortunately, the 4-1 vote cast by the lame duck representatives who approved this resolution at  Tuesday ‘meeting does not reflect either these concerns or basic democratic values.