“If someone takes something from you without your permission, you first politely ask them to give it back:” Request falls on deaf ears
The recently retired Verde Valley Assistant Dean of Student Services, Ms. Barbie Duncan, pleaded with the Yavapai College District Governing Board at its March 1 meeting to return what Prescott has taken from the Verde Valley. Unfortunately, her plea was futile as demonstrated by a 3-2 vote against hiring a consultant to examine various community college models.
She asked that the authority taken away six years ago from the Verde Valley and placed in Prescott supervisors be returned.
She pointed out that six years ago, eleven full-time and part-time student services positions (60%) were either cut or reassigned to the Prescott Campus. She said that the cuts and reassignments correlate to the decline in enrollment on the Verde Campus.
Course offerings and faculty have been reduced “so dramatically” on the East side of the County that students can “rarely find enough classes to fill a full-time enrollment in their study,” she said.
She asked that East County taxes be returned to East County facilities rather than spent on the West side of the County. The three members of the West County voted as a block to reject hiring a consultant to objectively examine the isssue.
You may listen to her entire three minute presentation by clicking here.