Author Archive for R. Oliphant – Page 36

MCCASLAND WILL REMAIN ON GOVERNING BOARD FOR ANOTHER SIX YEARS

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, September 29th, 2022

No one filed for the District 2 seat in the upcoming November election other than McCasland

Yavapai Community College District Governing Board Chair Deb McCasland will remain on the Board for another six year term, beginning in January 2023.  McCasland’s current term ends this year. 

Board Chair Deb McCasland

Because no one other than McCasland filed for the District 2 Governing Board seat, she will remain on the Board for the next six years.

McCasland’s Yavapai County District (precinct) includes:  Aqua Fria, Beaver Creek, Camp Verde 1 and 2, Canyon, Cherry Creek, Cordes Lakes, Cornville, Crown King, Humboldt, Mayer, Middle Verde, Montezuma, Prescott Country Club, Stoneridge, Sugarloaf and Verde Lakes.

Of the five members on the Governing Board, McCasland’s seat was the only one up for election this year.  

Categories : GOVERNING BOARD

UNIQUE $202,000 ENDOWMENT CREATED FOR HAVEN HEALTH SKILLED NURSING AND REHABILITATION CENTER IN SEDONA

By R. Oliphant
Wednesday, September 28th, 2022

Administered by Yavapai Community College’s Foundation, the proceeds from the endowment will  help fund the educations of Haven Health Sedona employees and their family members pursuing healthcare careers through Yavapai Community College

Following a  tragic accident at the age of 25, Barbara Gehring was cared for by her biological kin and the nurses and staff at Haven Health Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Sedona. Barbara lived at Haven Health Sedona for more than 25 years before passing away on Christmas Day 2020.

To honor Barbara and at the same time thank her Haven “family” for their caring and kindness, her brother, Douglas, of Mountain Home, Idaho, and mother, Gertrude, of Sedona, established the Barbara Gehring Endowed Scholarship with the Yavapai College Foundation. The initial contribution from the family was $202,000. 

Proceeds from the endowment will help fund the educations of Haven Health Sedona employees and their family members pursuing healthcare careers through Yavapai College.

You may read the full story about Barbara and this endowment, which appears in a Yavapai Community College press release of September 26 by J.J. McCormack, by clicking here. 

Categories : Scholarships

DISTRICT 5 REP MITCH PADILLA LEAVING GOVERNING BOARD IN DECEMBER AFTER TWO YEARS OF SERVICE

By R. Oliphant
Wednesday, September 28th, 2022

Will become Justice of the Peace for the Prescott District in 2023, which makes him no longer eligible to hold a seat on the Board

Attorney Mitch Padilla will be leaving the Yavapai Community College District Governing Board at the end of this year.   He was sworn in to become a Board member on January 13, 2021. 

Mitch Padilla

Padilla won the primary election August 2 as a Republican against two other Republican candidates.  Because there was  no Democrat primary opponent, there will be no contest in the November general election. Padilla will take the seat as Justice of the Peace in January.

 Padilla served two years of a six year term on the District Board.  He represents District 5, which consists of Castle, Diamond Valley, Glassford, Granville, Groom Creek, Horseshoe, Lynx Creek, Mountain View, Prescott Valley 1/Navajo, Prescott Valley 2, Pronghorn View, Roundup, Superstition, and Yavapai Hills.

It is anticipated that the County Superintendent of Schools will appoint someone from District 5 to serve out the remainder of Padilla’s term.

Categories : GOVERNING BOARD

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY EXPLORING POSSIBLE ASSOCIATE IN ARTS DEGREES

By R. Oliphant
Tuesday, September 27th, 2022

If trial program is successful, University will compete with community colleges in this area

The Arizona Republic newspaper, in a story by Alison Steinbach, reported that Arizona State University (ASU)  is exploring the possibility of offering two-year degrees.  According to the story, ASU  is expected to launch a new two-year Associate of Arts in professional studies degree, starting as part of a targeted trial program next year, pending approval from the Arizona Board of Regents.

Traditionally, associate degrees have been the purview of community colleges and technical schools. However,  some four-year universities have recently begun to explore this area of education.  ASU’s decision comes after Arizona’s community colleges got state approval last year to begin offering four-year degrees, which the universities opposed.

Source. Arizona Republic newspaper story by Alison Steinbach of September 17, 2022. The full story may be accessed on line by clicking here. 

Categories : ADMINISTRATION

NATIONAL SEARCH FOR VERDE CAMPUS DEAN RUNS ONLY 11 DAYS; UNCLEAR WHY SEARCH WAS SO SHORT

By R. Oliphant
Monday, September 26th, 2022

Job opening posted in Chronicle of Higher Education was dated August 10, 2022 with closing date of August 21, 2022

The Blog notes that the national search for the new Verde Campus Dean, according to the Community College’s posting in the Chronicle of Higher Education, ran for only 11 days.  To some, this seems an unusually short period of time to conduct a national search for such an important position.

The Blog also notes that Dr. Karen Reed from Shaker Heights, Ohio was selected as the Interim Dean of the Verde Valley for Yavapai Community College to begin work  April 11, 2022.  The College anticipated, according to its press release in April, that Dr. Reed would  serve in the role until October. A national search for the permanent dean was to be conducted.

The Blog further notes that a national search for an Associate Dean for the Verde Valley Campus back in 2016 began on October 14, 2016, and closed May 16, 2017—a period of seven months.

 

 

 

 

 

Categories : ADMINISTRATION

AFTER AN ALMOST FOUR MONTH HIATUS, GOVERNING BOARD TO HOLD STUDY SESSION AND BUSINESS MEETING SEPTEMBER 27, 2022, AT ROCK HOUSE ON PRESCOTT CAMPUS

By R. Oliphant
Friday, September 23rd, 2022

The meetings begin at 1 p.m. and are scheduled to end by 4:00 p.m.

The Yavapai Community College District Governing Board will hold a study session and  General meeting on Tuesday, September 27 beginning at one p.m.   The study session was listed by the Community College as running from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. while the business meeting is scheduled for 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. The meetings will be held at the Rock House on the Prescott Campus. The address is 1100 E. Sheldon Drive, Prescott, Az. 86301.

There is an Open Call to the public scheduled for shortly after 1 p.m.  Members of the Governing Board are not supposed to discuss or take legal action on matters raised during an Open Call to the public unless the matters are properly noticed for discussion and legal action.

A citizen wishing to address the Board should complete a “Request to Speak” form, and give it to the Recording Secretary at the meeting site. Unfortunately, there is no accommodation for persons viewing the meeting on-line to similarly address the Board if the meeting is broadcast live on YouTube.  The speaker at the Rock House should be prepared to limit his or her remarks to the designated time (usually three minutes).

Under Arizona law, the public has a right to attend, listen, tape record, or videotape these meetings. The public may not disrupt, but may speak during the call to the public at the beginning of this meeting if the call is on the agenda. See Ariz. Att’y Gen. Op. No. I78-001.

Although there is no mention of this on the Governing Board website, it is usually possible to view the meeting live via YouTube by searching for Yavapai College.

Categories : Meeting Notice

YAVAPAI COMMUNITY COLLEGE REVEALS POSSIBLE BREWERY BUILDING PLAN TO REP CHEVALIER PER PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, September 22nd, 2022

Do not assume this is the final plan – Blog has no way of knowing whether College is also considering other plans | Plan includes art gallery, tap/tasting room,  community room | cost estimates differ

Yavapai Community College provided Third District Representative Paul Chevalier with one possible plan for a College beer brewing facility in the Verde Valley after he submitted his last Public Records Request.  Readers should be warned that there is no assurance that there are not other options or plans for a brewery not provided to Mr. Chevalier that the Community College is considering.

The plan Mr. Chevalier obtained, and provided to the Blog, covers only 8,000 square feet.  You may recall that on May 17, 2022 at the Governing Board meeting that the College said it was expanding the Verde Valley Skills Center via this Brewery (see video) and is preliminary estimates put the square footage at 14,000.  (See video.)  Later during the May meeting the Governing Board 4-1 approved the project at an estimated cost of $10 million.

In the plan submitted to Mr. Chevalier, the square footage of the facility is put at 8,800 square feet (see below) and cost estimates provided to him show a cost exceeding $8 million.  It is expected that at Tuesday’s meeting (the first general session since May) a new cost estimate will be provided to the Governing Board on this project.

The brewery is part of a $50 to $60 million plan for various improvements and projects throughout the district over the next five years. (see video clip)

A video clip of the Brewery discussion where the square footage and location is stated can be seen by clicking here.

Categories : Career and Technical Education

YAVAPAI COMMUNITY COLLEGE BRIEFLY SHUTS DOWN AFTER GUNSHOTS HEARD SUNDAY AFTERNOON, SEPT 18 IN 800 BLOCK OF EAST GURLEY STREET

By R. Oliphant
Wednesday, September 21st, 2022

Caller reported a man, 20-to-30 years old, wearing dark clothing and a tan hat waiving something at passing cars and heard shots fired after that

Yavapai Community College briefly went into lockdown Sunday afternoon after a report of shots fired near the campus in Prescott. The Prescott Police Department reported  receiving a call at around 2:30 p.m. that gun shots were heard in the 800 block of East Gurley Street, near the intersection of Gurley and Arizona streets. The Police Department says that a caller reported a man waiving something at passing cars and heard shots fired after that.

Yavapai College went into lockdown because of the incident at 3:56 p.m. and the lockdown was lifted at 5:20 p.m. There were no reports of injuries, or property damage  as a result of the incident. If anyone has seen someone matching the suspect’s description, they are asked to  to call 9-1-1, or (928) 445-3131.

Authorities are looking for a man, 20-to-30 years old, wearing dark clothing and a tan hat.

Categories : ADMINISTRATION

COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24 FROM 11 A.M. TO 3 P.M.

By R. Oliphant
Tuesday, September 20th, 2022

All events to be held on the Prescott Campus

Yavapai Community College will celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month with a special celebration on Saturday, September 24.  The event will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is on the Prescott Campus, 1100 E. Sheldon Street, Prescott, Arizona.

There will be authentic Mexican food, music, dancers, a short film, and more.  All are invited.

Categories : Event

COMMUNITY COLLEGE HIRES NEW HEAD SOFTBALL COACH, APPARENTLY STILL SEARCHING FOR HEAD BASEBALL COACH

By R. Oliphant
Tuesday, September 20th, 2022

Pugh is eleventh head softball coach in College history

Yavapai Community College has hired a new softball coach.  She is Kali Pugh and becomes  the 11th head softball coach in the College’s  history. Pugh was the head coach of the San Diego City College Knights.

Prior to coaching in San Diego, Pugh was an assistant coach at her alma mater Palomar College from 2017-22. While coaching the Comets, Pugh coached with Hall of Famer Mark Eldridge and her previous head coach Lacey Craft.

You may read much more about Pugh by reading an article posted in Signalsaz.com by  D.J. Irwin, Coordinator of Yavapai
Community College Athletic Communication. You can reach that article by clicking here.

Categories : Athletics
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