Author Archive for R. Oliphant – Page 3

COLUMNIST WARNS YAVAPAI COLLEGE’S NEW GOVERNING BOARD POLICY STIFLES MEMBERS’ FREE SPEECH

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, December 14th, 2024

In Sedona Red Rock News Christopher Fox Graham calls the restrictions on Board members’ communication with faculty and staff unconstitutional, arguing they violate fundamental free speech rights

Christopher Fox Graham

In a November 29, 2024 opinion column, Sedona Red Rocks newspaper managing editor Christopher Fox Graham expressed alarm over a policy adopted by the lame-duck Yavapai Community College Governing Board. The policy restricts communication between elected District Governing Board members and any member of the Community College staff. Should such communication occur, the staff member may face disciplinary action, even if the interaction involves an innocent question related to the College’s operations.

In his column, Mr. Graham alleged that the College “doesn’t have a grasp of basic constitutional law, or it would not attempt to strangle free speech in the throats of faculty members who want to discuss legitimate issues with their duly-elected board members for the benefit of the taxpayers who elected them.”

He warned, “Hopefully the incoming board . . . will have the wisdom to shut down this policy before litigation by an offending faculty member leads to a costly lawsuit the college will certainly lose, costing taxpayers tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of dollars in legal fees that could be better spent on programs, facilities and student services.”

You may read his column found in the Sedona Red Rock News about  this issue by clicking here. 

Categories : GOVERNING BOARD

FORMER GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER PAUL CHEVALIER SPEAKS OUT OVER EFFORTS TO SILENCE THE YAVAPAI COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT GOVERNING BOARD

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, December 12th, 2024

Says that since he left as the Third District representative to the Board (Sedona, most of Verde Valley) that the Community College leadership with west side majority support has sought to erode its  power. Will new Board in January alter  these policies?

Paul Chevalier

Opinion:  When I was on the Yavapai College Board for four years the subject of the college silencing the Board was brought up at least three times at meetings I was at by the administration but never as a Board action. Each time it came up I stated it was unconstitutional under both the state and federal Constitutions. The college then said it had instructed its management not to answer Board members questions and that was the end of the discussion.

Since I left, the college administration has eroded Board power continuously, all with the consent of the four Board members who live on the west side of our county. Only the east side member who replaced me opposed it.  Four members of the five member Board, with two of them being lame duck west side members in their final Board meeting, have now agreed (by resolution) for the Board to be almost powerless under the control of the President and her senior management, That is the opposite of Arizona legislative intent. The Board by law is supposed to govern the college administration not vice versa.

 Unless three members of the next or some future five member Board decide to end this unconstitutional resolution the Yavapai College Board will remain what it has become, which is a meaningless entity. I expect Board members will follow the resolution even though, I believe, it has no legal standing. We, on the east side, can expect practically no educational classroom courses for our residents from this administration which has broken promises it has made to improve it. The college administration will do whatever it feels like doing and it doesn’t feel like doing much in the way of classroom education for the east side residents. Moreover it is continually raising taxes for all county residents through the roof for land purchases that make no logical sense.

Paul Chevalier

Elected Yavapai College Board member representing the east side 2018 to 2022

Categories : District Governing Board

MARICOPA COLLEGES ADDS THREE NEW BACHELOR’S DEGREES; WITH HLC APPROVAL MARICOPA NOW OFFERS A TOTAL OF 11 BACHELOR’S DEGREES

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, December 12th, 2024

Maricopa has become one of Arizona’s first community colleges to offer a bachelor’s degree in Al and the third community college in the nation to do so

The Maricopa County Community College District has announced a new bachelor’s degree in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning after receiving approval from the Higher Learning Commission. This marks the latest expansion of artificial intelligence education in Arizona.

The three newly approved Baccalaureate Degree Programs are:

  1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (BS) at Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC),

  2. Business Administration – Accounting (BBA) at Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC), and

  3. Business Administration – Management (BBA) at Scottsdale Community College (SCC).

Chandler-Gilbert Community College is also home to an AI Incubator Lab, developed in partnership with Dell, Intel, and the State of Arizona.

The AI degree is a significant milestone, as it is the first of its kind offered by a community college in Arizona and only the third such program nationwide. With these additions, Maricopa County Community Colleges now offer a total of eleven bachelor’s degree programs.

Categories : Maricopa Community College

COMMUNITY COLLEGE BEGINS ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN TO SELL HOUSING SPACE FOR HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS ON PRESCOTT CAMPUS AND PRESCOTT PINES AT YAVAPAI COMMUNITY COLLEGE; OFFERS HOUSING FOR TEN STUDENTS AND/OR EMPLOYEES AT VERDE VALLEY CAMPUS

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, December 7th, 2024

Housing and Residence Life team and Property Management team believe some student/employee housing will be available for Spring semester

Yavapai Community College has launched a new advertising campaign to promote student and employee housing options on its Prescott and Verde Valley campuses.

The Prescott campus offers both on- and off-campus housing, accommodating several hundred students and employees. According to the campaign, on-campus residence hall spots are expected to be available for the upcoming spring semester, probably limited to students. Additionally, the College highlights in its advertising the limited non-traditional housing availability at its newly acquired Prescott Pines property, purchased for $11 million, which can accommodate students and employees.

Meanwhile, the Verde Valley campus offers housing in a modest 10-space trailer park that is currently occupied by students and employees. When The Blog checked the trailer park’s availability in July 2024, the spaces were already at full capacity for the fall semester. At that time, the College reported that a waitlist is forming for January 2025. It appears that the trailer park could accommodate at least ten students if no employees took the opportunity to rent a space.

The College’s latest advertisement regarding housing is included below.

Categories : Housing

OUTGOING GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER KUKNYO CLAIMS 25% OF ATHLETES ARE LOCAL, BUT DATA SUGGEST OTHERWISE

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, December 5th, 2024

Volleyball roster lists only one local player out of 17, with others hailing from Serbia, Brazil, and beyond. Men’s soccer and baseball teams also appear to fall short of the minimum local recruitment goals

During his resignation speech at the November meeting of the Yavapai Community College District Governing Board, outgoing Board member Chris Kuknyo made the following statement:

“When our sports teams had next to no local athletes, we said at minimum 25% had to be local, and now that’s so.”

A quick review of a handful of current athletic rosters suggests this claim is inaccurate.

For example, the Yavapai College volleyball team lists 17 players, but only one is from Yavapai County (6%). To meet the 25% target, at least five players would need to hail from the county. Instead, the team includes five international players, hailing from Serbia, Brazil, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Poland.

Similarly, the 2024 baseball roster comprises 38 players, with only four (10%) from Yavapai County—far short of the 25% benchmark.

The 2024 men’s soccer team includes 26 players, of whom only three (11%) are from Yavapai County. To meet the stated goal, the team would need at least seven local players. Like the volleyball team, the soccer roster features a strong international presence, with players from Colombia, Australia, Canada, Spain, the Cayman Islands, and Mexico.

These figures indicate that Yavapai Community College athletics has not yet achieved the 25% local athlete goal cited by Kuknyo in his remarks.

You may hear Mr. Kuknyo’s statement taken from his remarks at the Board meeting  below:

Categories : GOVERNING BOARD

YAVAPAI COMMUNITY COLLEGE DECEMBER GRADUATION CEREMONIES SET FOR NARTA AND NURSING PROGRAM

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, December 5th, 2024

Thursday, December 12 at 11 a.m. for NARTA and Friday, December 13 at 1 p.m. for Nursing Pinning Ceremony at Jim and Linda Lee Performing Arts Center on the Prescott Campus

Yavapai Community College will hold graduation ceremonies for students in the NARTA and Nursing programs in December.  The Northern Arizona Regional Training Academy (NARTA) Graduation is scheduled for 11 a.m. and will be held at the Jim and Linda Lee Performing Arts Center on the Prescott Campus.  The Nursing Pinning ceremony will be held December 13 at the Center beginning at  1 p.m.

The Community College described the NARTA graduation as a ceremony celebrating the completion of training programs for law enforcement officers in Northern Arizona. NARTA provides specialized training for new recruits and current officers to enhance their skills and knowledge in various aspects of law enforcement.

During the graduation ceremony, participants who have successfully completed their training programs are formally recognized and awarded certificates or badges. The event typically includes speeches from key figures in law enforcement, presentations of awards, and sometimes demonstrations of skills learned during training.

The Community College describes the nursing pinning ceremony as a symbolic event that marks the transition of nursing students from their academic training to becoming registered nurses. It typically takes place near the end of their nursing program and is a rite of passage that celebrates their hard work and dedication.

During the ceremony, each graduate is presented with a nursing pin, often by a family member or mentor, which represents their accomplishment and entry into the nursing profession. The pin usually features the insignia of the nursing school or organization and sometimes includes symbols related to nursing, like a lamp or a caduceus.

The ceremony often includes speeches, the recitation of the Nightingale Pledge (a commitment to ethical practice), and sometimes the presentation of awards. It’s a meaningful tradition that honors the students’ achievements and their commitment to caring for others.

Categories : NARTA, Nursing

VERDE VALLEY CAMPUS WINE AND DINE IN THE VINES EVENT RAISES OVER $50,000

By R. Oliphant
Friday, November 29th, 2024

Second straight year event eclipses $50,000 | Third District Governing Board representative Toby Payne gave final report at November Governing Board meeting

Discussing and purchasing wine at the program celebrating the vineyard and viticulture program back in 2010.

Yavapai Community College Third District Representative Toby Payne presented the final report on the 14th annual Verde Valley Campus fundraiser celebrating the viticulture and enology  program and creation of a vineyard and center to support it (for last ten years the event has been called Wine & Dine in the Vines). The report was made during the District Governing Boards’ November meeting. The event, held Saturday, October 19, 2024, successfully raised over $50,000, matching the amount raised in 2023.

The late Yavapai Community College president Dr. James Horton, a visionary, attending the 2010 event celebrating the start of the experimental vineyard on the Verde Valley Campus.

Proceeds from the event will fund student activities and  scholarships while supporting the priority needs of the College’s Viticulture and Enology program, which has become a cornerstone of the College’s Verde Valley presence. Thirteen wineries, six of them Southwest Wine Center Alums, and nine restaurants participated.  There were approximately twenty sponsors.  Over 200 guests were  served.

History:

The Greater Verde Valley Chapter of the Yavapai Community College early on recognized the potential economic value to the Community College and the Community of involving itself in the fledgling wine industry in the Valley.  It took a first step when it became a member of the Greater Verde
Valley Wine Consortium during the 2008-09 academic year. 

Thanks to the decision by then Yavapai Community College president Dr. James Horton, in  2010 an experimental one acre of grape vines was planted on the Verde Valley Campus.  Dr. Horton had discussed the matter with local rockstar and entrepreneur Maynard Keenan. Mr. Keenan generously provided financial support for plants and materials for the experimental vineyard.

Community College and part-time Greater Verde Valley Chapter of the College Foundation employee Linda Buchanan persuaded a local excavation company, the Brewer Brothers to help out with first project. They agreed to prepare the ground for the first one acre vineyard—a big job and all for free.

Yavapai Professor Tom Schumacher drafted a detailed 16 page plan for what is now the Viticulture and Enology program. President Horton instructed Professor Schumacher to  move forward with research into creating this new program.

Once the first experimental acre was leveled, Ms. Nikki Check (now Third District County Supervisor) and others dug the holes for the soils testing and trenches for the water lines so that the vines could be planted. 

It is noteworthy that during this period, Robert Oliphant, then a member of the Community College Foundation Board, worked closely with  Board members to  expand the viticulture program from one experimental acre to 20 acres of particularly rich land immediately adjacent the Campus.

The initial plan for the  large Campus vineyard was the  vision of a Cottonwood group consisting of  Oliphant, Ms. Ruth Wicks, Mr. Randy Garrison, Professor Tom Schumacher, and Professor Paula Woolsey. They met during 2009-2010 and prepared a detailed financial plan that Oliphant presented to the Community College Foundation Board. This plan provided the basis for the donation of the rich 20 acres adjacent the Campus that is now used in part (only 13 acres) for the vineyard.

The Wine & Dine in the Vines fundraiser can trace its genesis to at least 2010, when an event called French Flair in the Countryside was held to celebrate  the establishment of the one acre experimental vineyard on the Verde Campus. The event  was created by the Greater Verde Valley Chapter of the Yavapai Community College Foundation, which was later dissolved by former Yavapai Community College President Dr. Penelope Wills.

The 2010  theme remained until 2012 when it became “Art, Wine and Dine.”  The Southwest Wine Center Board ensured the event’s continuation and labeled it “Wine & Dine in the Vines” ten years ago. Over the years, the fundraiser has grown into a highly successful and eagerly anticipated community tradition in the Sedona/Verde Valley area.

You may listen to Third District Toby Payne’s full report to the Governing Board by clicking on the video below (For reasons unclear, the video operator did not put Mr. Payne in the video frame during most of the report.)

Categories : Verde Campus, Wine Center

YAVAPAI COMMUNITY COLLEGE’S PRESCOTT CAMPUS JIM & LINDA LEE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER UNVEILS FESTIVE DECEMBER LINEUP

By R. Oliphant
Wednesday, November 27th, 2024

Outstanding month-long holiday events include concerts by the Community College’s combined choirs and festival orchestra, the Prescott Pops orchestra, and the national and international talent of Mark O’Connor’s Appalachian Christmas, and the Irish Tenors

Yavapai Community College’s Jim & Linda Lee Performing Arts Center on the Prescott Campus presents a splendid and diverse lineup of programs for the December holiday season. This year’s offerings include captivating concerts by the College’s combined choirs and festival orchestra, as well as the beloved Prescott Pops Orchestra. Adding to the festive spirit are spectacular performances by nationally and internationally acclaimed artists, including Mark O’Connor’s Appalachian Christmas and the iconic Irish Tenors.

These programs  align with the Community College’s cultural mission for the County. They are expected to draw over a thousand attendees per event to the Performing Arts Center throughout December.

While open to the entire community, the live programs primarily benefit residents of the Prescott and Prescott Valley areas due to several challenges. The challenges include the vast size of Yavapai County—comparable to the size of Israel—combined with limited county-wide transportation, restricted road access, and unique geographical barriers. These present significant obstacles for residents on the east side of the county to easily attend any of the programs.

Despite decades of awareness, the College has struggled to extend similar cultural opportunities to communities in Sedona, the Verde Valley, and other semi-rural or rural areas, leaving these regions underserved. Addressing these disparities remains an ongoing challenge for the institution.

Categories : Performing Arts Center

YAVAPAI COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO HOST CERAMICS SALE ON VERDE VALLEY CAMPUS DEC 14 FROM NOON TO 3:30 P.M.

By R. Oliphant
Wednesday, November 27th, 2024

Sale to be held at the Southwest Wine Center, Building 601, Clarkdale Campus

Yavapai Community College invites the community to a ceramics sale on Thursday, December 14, from noon to 3:30 p.m., at the Verde Valley Campus in Clarkdale. This event offers a chance to purchase unique, handcrafted treasures created by the College’s talented students and faculty—perfect for holiday gifts.

While you shop, enjoy a glass or share a bottle of the College’s student-crafted wine, adding a special touch to your experience.

Categories : Event, Verde campus events

PRESIDENT RHINE REVEALS CHILLING DIRECTIVE: ALL FACULTY AND STAFF FORBIDDEN FROM DISCUSSING COLLEGE OR COMMUNITY MATTERS WITH SERVING DISTRICT GOVERNING BOARD MEMBERS UNDER THREAT OF DISCIPLINE FOR EVEN POTENTIALLY INNOCENT MINOR VIOLATIONS

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, November 23rd, 2024

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.

Categories : ADMINISTRATION
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