All offices will be closed during this time

Yavapai Community College is closed for spring break until March 16, 2020.  All offices will be closed during this time.

Will join the Community College in her new position March 2

According to a Yavapai Community College news release of January 29,  Dr. Tina Redd has been selected as the new Dean for the Verde Valley Campus and Sedona Center. It is anticipated that she will begin her duties in the Verde Valley as soon as March 2, 2020. Her role “will be to plan, direct, evaluate, and oversee administration of academic affairs for the Verde Valley Campus and Sedona Center. She is also expected to serve on district committees relating to academics, instruction, curriculum, and faculty affairs.”

“We are thrilled to have Dr. Tina Redd join Yavapai College” said Yavapai Community College President Dr. Lisa Rhine.  “Her passion and enthusiasm for education are apparent and we believe she will excel in leading our academic programs in the Verde Valley.”

Dr. Redd said that she is “excited to be in a leadership role at the Verde Valley Campus and Sedona Center during a time of exceptional growth and connection to our communities. I am excited to work with faculty who have expertise in such a wide variety of disciplines.  I look forward to making the Verde Valley my new home and can’t wait to explore the beauty of the area.”

Dr. Diane Ryan,  Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, said that “Dr. Redd brings a diverse and experienced background to our academic programs in the Verde Valley and Sedona. She has a history of successful implementation and expansion of academic offerings at the community college level. We are so lucky to have someone with her knowledge and experience joining YC.”

Dr. Redd comes to Yavapai Community College from Central Oregon Community College where she served as the first Director of the Redmond Campus. Prior to becoming a branch campus director, Dr. Redd taught humanities, women’s studies, and literature at Central Oregon and Portland Community College for twelve years.  She also taught for several years at two major universities.

Source:  Yavapai Community College News https://www.yc.edu/v6/news/index.html

Irwin joins with East County representatives to give East County first officer on Governing Board in at least 12 years

Tuesday’s Governing Board meeting of the Yavapai Community College District Governing Board saw a member of the Board, Deb McCasland, who represents a large portion of the East County in the Verde Valley, appointed as its Chair for 2020. It took West County representative Steve Irwin’s  decision to abandon his West County colleagues in order for this occur.  

The issue was one of the first items listed on the agenda for the Tuesday morning retreat. It opened with Paul Chevalier making an impassioned speech on behalf of representative Deb McCasland for the position.  He carefully outlined her years of outstanding service on behalf of the Community College and several of her recent community projects.  McCasland’s impressive record on behalf of the College begins at a time when she and her mother went door-to-door with a petition that was used  to gather signatures in support of creating the Community College. Since then, she has been student, employee, Foundation executive, and member of the Governing Board.

After a second for McCasland by Representative Steve Irwin,  Chair Sigafoos asked if there were any additional candidates. This was followed by an awkward silence.

Then in a somewhat high pitched voice, , West County representative Pat McCarver spoke up and nominated herself for the position.  Both candidates then addressed the Board. McCarver said  she should be appointed  because she “had not been Board Chair for quite some time.”  McCarver omitted reminding  the Board that she had been  chairperson from 2009-2010 and 2015-2016, in addition to serving as the Board secretary at various times. 

The group then voted with McCarver and Sigafoos casting their ballot for McCarver but with three Board members in opposition.  However, as a shock to some, West County representative Steve Irwin broke from the West County voting bloc (Sigafoos, McCarver, Irwin) and swung his support to McCasland on the second vote. Following that vote, which was 3-1 (Sigafoos not voting; McCarver voting “no”),  there was a brief silence in the Boardroom. The fact that the West County voting bloc had been cracked sunk in with Irwin’s vote for McCasland.   Finally,  the Board attorney announced McCasland as the new Governing Board Chair.  

The meeting proceeded under the gavel of Ms. McCasland.  Most observers perceived an almost immediate increase in discussion among all Board members and a perceived reduction in the tension among Board members once McCasland was handling the gavel. Despite the fact that this was her first time as chair, the meeting moved along efficiently and smoothly for the entire day.

You may view Representative Chevalier’s nomination speech and vote on the video below.

Here is Mr. Chevalier’s speech in full in support of Ms. McCasland.

Today I will nominate Deb McCasland to be Chair of the Yavapai College Governing Board for the year 2020. My nomination of Deb is based on her ability and history with the Board and the College.

First she has Proven Leadership Ability:

Deb has served in numerous leadership positions on non-profit boards throughout her adult life. Currently she is the Board President of the Adult Center of Prescott. In addition, she is the Yavapai County Republican Women’s Club Treasurer, and she is the Vice Chair of the City of Prescott Library Advisory Board. 

Second she has significant Past Experience on the Yavapai Community College Board: 

For the last six consecutive years, Deb has been an active member of the Yavapai Community College Governing Board.  She is the only current member of the Board elected twice, consecutively, to her current Board position.  Each time, she was elected over her competition. During the six years as a Board member, she has attended six professional conferences focused on improving her skills as a Board member.  Deb comes to Board meetings prepared to participate and contribute ideas. 

Read More→

Finalists completed interviews for job last Friday

Yavapai Community College President Dr. Lesa Rhine is hoping to make an offer to one of the two finalists in the Dean’s search for the Verde Campus/Sedona Center within a week.  That is according to a story in the Verde Independent of January 19, 2020 by Bill Helm where the President is quoted.

It is anticipated that either Tina Redd or Emily McRobbie will be chosen. They attended a meet-and-greet session on Friday where each gave a 25 minute  presentation about their qualifications for the job, which was followed by a series of written questions.  You can review the  biographical information each of the two candidates supplied the College by clicking here.

Source:  Bill Helm article, Verde Independent, January 19, 2020 plus interviews.

Moving to Prescott Campus after almost eight years as Verde/Sedona Executive Dean

After eight years as Executive Dean for the Verde Valley Campus and Sedona Center, Dr. James Perey will be shortly moving  to the Prescott Campus where he will assume the duties as Associate Vice President for Strategic Initiatives. His new duties will include supporting online learning and Open Educational Resources efforts throughout the District. 

Perey will also partner with other faculty to re-imagine the college’s career services and integrate career exploration and planning into Yavapai’s pathways model, according to President Lisa Rhine.

The move to Prescott will occur once his successor on the Verde Campus/Sedona Center is announced.  Two candidates for that position were interviewed on Friday, January 17, 2020. 

Verde Valley Community Room, M 147, 8:30 to 10:30

Yavapai Community College has selected two finalists for the position of Verde Valley/Sedona Dean.  They will be interviewed by faculty at a forum to be held Friday, January 17.  Dr. Tina Redd will give a presentation and then answer faculty questions at 8:30 a.m.  Dr. Emily McRobbie weill follow at 9:30 a.m.

The best information about the background the Blog has been obtained on the two candidates follows below:

Dr. Tina Redd

Dr. Tina Redd:  She earned her doctorate at the University of Washington and her MA at Southern Illinois University, teaching at two large research universities for over a decade before focusing her time and energy on community college education. Dr. Redd has served as Regional President for the Community College Humanities Association and is a graduate of the AACC Roueche Future Leaders Institute.

Dr. Tina Redd currently serves as the first Director of Central Oregon Community College’s Redmond Campus. Prior to becoming a branch campus director, Dr. Redd taught humanities, women’s studies, and literature at Central Oregon and Portland Community College for twelve years.

She serves on the boards of her local Chamber of Commerce, Redmond Executive Leaders Association, and Saving Grace, Central Oregon’s only domestic violence and sexual assault prevention organization. A first-generation college graduate, Dr. Redd is passionate about access to quality education in rural communities and is committed to promoting the positive impact community colleges make in those communities.

Dr. Emily McRobbie

Dr. Emily McRobbie:  Dr. Emily McRobbie is currently employed as Assistant Professor of Adult and Higher Education at the University of Southern Maine. She teaches online graduate courses, including Facilitating Adult Learning, Leadership in Adult and Higher Education, and a support seminar for students completing internships and directed studies.

Prior college teaching experience includes a wide variety of topics, including diversity in education, curriculum and instruction, science education, and the community college.

Emily began her career in K-12 education as a teacher in the Sedona-Oak Creek Unified School District (B.S. in Elementary Education and Natural Sciences from State University of New York at Geneseo) specializing in experiential science learning (M.A. in Science Education from University of Texas at Austin). She became interested in adult learning while working in the Northern Arizona University-Sedona partnership program as faculty and mentor teacher.

At Coconino Community College in Flagstaff, AZ she served as Professional Development Coordinator and later Education Faculty leading three teacher education certificate and degree programs. The first Teaching and Learning Center was established and she led the Training and Development Committee for five years.

While completing a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction (Ed.D. with a focus in Higher Education) at Northern Arizona University, she merged her interest in mindfulness and educator professional growth. She also mentored beginning teachers and managed a statewide online continuing education program for educators in Arizona.

Dr. McRobbie has participated in professional organizations and activities that embrace holistic development, learner-centered focus, and transformative adult learning. These include the Center for Courage and Renewal’s Circles of Trust facilitator training, Teaching for a Change conferences, International Symposia for Contemplative Research, and the Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education.

Bios of the candidates may be found at https://www.yc.edu/v6/human-resources/verde-dean-search/

Duties and responsibilities are many including preparing budget for Verde Campus/Sedona Center; must be willing to live in the Verde Valley; shows dramatic shift away from total control by Prescott

There has not been a decision as yet about who might become the new Verde Campus/Sedona Center Dean. The search began in late fall 2019 and there are rumors about possible finalists.  However, there have been no official announcements about the position.

For the first time, and a major change, is that the new Dean will be required to live in the Verde Valley.  Another change requires that the new Dean be responsible for preparing a budget for the Verde Campus and Sedona Center.  These changes signal the willingness of the new Administration to move away from the total control that has been exercised by Prescott over the Verde Valley for the past several decades.

The list of duties and responsibilities for a dean candidate were listed in the announcement of the position by the College.  What follows below is a portion of that job opening announcement as found on the College’s job opening web site (emphasis has been added).

The following are examples of typical duties that may be assigned to positions in this job family. It does not imply that all positions within the job family perform all the duties listed, nor does it necessarily list all possible duties that may be assigned. Other duties may be assigned. Plans, directs, evaluates, and oversees administration of academic affairs for the Verde Valley campus and Sedona center by performing duties personally. Participates on district committees on various issues related to academics, instruction, curriculum, and faculty affairs.

 Directs the planning, implementation, and evaluation of instructional programs based on the Verde Valley campus and Sedona center. Directs and coordinates activities of instructional managers, including program directors/coordinators, and other Plans and implements professional development activities in conjunction with the other academic deans for full-time and adjunct faculty in the department/division.

Supervises the preparation of catalog material for programs on the Verde Valley campus and Sedona center. Works with the Director of Scheduling & Early College Partnerships to determine scheduling of courses and recommends implementation of additional courses for the Verde Valley campus and Sedona center. Communicates and collaborates on a regular basis with Director of Student Affairs & Campus Operations of the Verde Valley campus to ensure a campus atmosphere of consistency and collaboration.

Works to maintain a college wide consistency of student-facing processes and procedures for a seamless experience for students college wide, regardless of the location. Assists in the selection, improvement, and evaluation of instructional faculty; review of credentials, screening of applications, and formulation of recommendations for final interviews with the Vice President of Instruction.

Maintains current knowledge of, and interprets and applies Federal, State, and related legislation. Revises program administration to comply with regulations. Works with the Office of Community Relations to attend community events and meetings in the Verde Valley and Sedona on behalf of the college.

Responsible for budget preparation, monitoring, verification, and reconciliation of expenditure of funds for academic programs on the Verde Valley campus and Sedona center. Minimum Expectations & Requirements Master’s degree Supervisory experience Instructional leadership skills Ability to adhere to deadlines Demonstrated ability to work as a team member. Regular attendance is an essential job function as it demonstrates dependability towards the performance of job duties.

Must live in the Verde Valley.

 Knowledge of Open Educational Resources, Online Education and Instructional Design Preferred Skills & Abilities Academic Administrative experience in class schedule building, budget management and problem-solving and conflict resolution.

Professional experience in a community college/higher education work environment. Experience working with Open Educational Resources, Online Education and Instructional Design Essential Functions. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

Provides details on what is happening throughout the District; making the College much more transparent to County taxpayers than ever before

Dr. Lisa Rhine has launched a new web site that provides information about Yavapai Community College, its budget, faculty, construction, events and much more.  The web site can be accessed by clicking here.  

The web site is obviously intended to provide Yavapai County residents with much more accurate information about the College that it has ever provided in the past.  Too often important information about the College may have been buried in an almost two hundred page Governing Board monthly meeting agenda or not provided at all.  The new web site will make the College much more transparent to the residents of Yavapai County.

Kudos to Dr. Rhine for showing concern for County residents who have been asking for Community College information on a regular basis for years but getting very little! 

Source:  Yavapai Community College web site:  https://www.yc.edu/v6/office-of-the-president/index.html (last visited October 2019).