Goals were set during secret executive meeting with President November 15 but College upon request refuses to disclose them

The question of goals the President of Yavapai Community College should achieve came up during a secret executive meeting on November 15, 2022, with the College District Governing Board.  Apparently, three goals were agreed upon. 

Once the executive meeting ended, the Governing Board returned to a public meeting and adopted by motion the three goals.  However, the Board did not publicly explain what the three goals were.  The public was left completely in the dark.

In an odd twist of the application of Arizona’s Open Meeting law, because the goals were brought up during secret negotiations over her revised multi-thousands of dollars severance package she will receive if fired because of poor performance, the Board took the view the Board could not  reveal the goals. 

The College, when asked to reveal them, stated because they were a part of the secret meeting it need not reveal them.

The Community College’s actual statement from its information office in response to the request from the Blog for information was:

“I don’t have access to that information as it was part of the executive session with the District Governing Board.”

The secrecy over goals set for a college  president is both odd and to a certain extent somewhat humorous.  The secrecy is apparently intended to prevent the public from holding her accountable for  achieving the goals. Obviously, as long as the public doesn’t know what the goals are, she cannot be held accountable.

Whether this is some kind of new age shenanigan, cleverness by the President’s lawyer in outsmarting the Board, or just a sign of extraordinary political weakness on the part of both President Rhine and the Board I leave to the reader to judge.  You may view the motion made at the Board meeting and the very brief discussion on this issue by clicking here. 

Unclear why President’s contract is up for discussion after receiving a 10 percent increase in May 2022. Also unclear is a Resolution to be considered directing the President to create “Necessary Infrastructure”; it appears the Resolution  involves delegating more Board authority to the President 

There are two items of important business to be conducted at the Governing Board meeting on Monday, May 14. One of them is the President’s contract.

Exactly what aspect of the contract is to be considered is not clear from the agenda posting. Recall that the Yavapai Community College District Governing Board voted to increase the base pay of Dr. Lisa Rhine by ten percent at the Board Workshop held May 24, 2022. It also added an extra year to her five-year contract.  The pay-raise of 10% and contract extension vote was identical to the raise and extension awarded in 2021.

This was a generous base-pay increase when compared to how faculty and staff increases were treated just a week earlier.  Recall that at the May 17 General Board meeting the Board approved a  4% across-the-board salary increase, .45% one-time bonus, and 1.3% for market adjustments, etc. for all staff and faculty.

At the time of its May decision, the Governing Board did not provide any indication of Dr. Rhine’s current base salary.  Most observers believe it is nearing $300,000 annually.  Dr. Rhine is the highest paid Yavapai County officer.

Now, just six months later, the question of the President’s employment agreement will be discussed in secret during Monday’s “workshop.”  In a vaguely worded statement, the agenda for the meeting says that there will be “Discussion or Consultation for Legal Advice with the Board’s Attorney Regarding the President’s Employment Contract and to consider its position and instruct its attorney regarding the President’s Employment Contract.”  It goes on to say that there will be “Possible Action RE: President’s Evaluation and Consideration of President’s Contract as a result of Executive Session.”

It is anticipated that nothing significant regarding the contract talks will be divulged to the public.

The Board will also be asked to delegate Board authority by approving a resolution regarding “infrastructure.”  It is not clear why such a resolution is needed.  (See draft copy of resolution below:

DRAFT OF RESOLUTION FOLLOWS

YAVAPAI COLLEGE DISTRICT GOVERNING BOARD RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE PRESIDENT TO CREATE THE NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE TO MEET THE CHANGING NEEDS OF STUDENTS AND EMPLOYERS RESOLUTION 2022-10

RECITALS:

WHEREAS, the District Governing Board is the legally constituted and final authority for the operation of Yavapai County Community College District, including any policies that govern the College;

WHEREAS, the Governing Board’s responsibility includes 1) governing the College as a whole, and 2) delegating authority to the President to perform and oversee the daily operations and administrative functions of the College;

WHEREAS, the Governing Board understands that new educational content providers and distribution in the higher education marketplace are driving up institutional competition and consumer choice;

WHEREAS, the Governing Board understands that enrollments in traditional community colleges are declining nationally and in Arizona and are increasing in four-year institutions; 

WHEREAS, the Governing Board understands that Arizona public universities are now piloting 2-year Associate Degrees, offering short-term credentials and noncredit workforce offerings, and placing regional economic development centers in our counties to grow their enrollments;

WHEREAS, the Governing Board understands that in order to meet the changing needs of learners in the knowledge economy, community colleges must be prepared to adopt and implement new, innovative strategies for delivering educational opportunities;

WHEREAS, the Governing Board believes that the College plays an instrumental role in meeting the needs of students and employers and that an expanded and effective infrastructure is vital to the continued operations of the College, so that Board goals are realized;

ENACTMENTS:

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Yavapai County Community College District Governing Board delegates to the President the authority and responsibility for creating an infrastructure that meets the changing needs of today’s learners and provides workforce driven educational opportunities, which shall be based on the following principles:

2. The knowledge economy requires a new model of higher education that is rooted in outcomes and learning rather than an industrial era model of higher education, focused on time, process and teaching.
3. Increasing short-term workforce certifications and just-in-time education defined by industry need is critical to meet the educational needs of students and the community in support of our economy.
4. With near universal access to digital devices and the internet, new modes of delivering content and new technology tools need to be leveraged to meet the changing needs of learners
5. The infrastructure created pursuant to this Resolution will align resources, policies and strategies for the implementation of a talent pipeline for employers, establish a model for sector-based partnerships, clearly define pathways that address the needs of employers and potential employees, and partner with online platform providers and independent work facilitators or enterprise businesses to provide industry-specific or business-specific training that businesses cannot provide.
6. The infrastructure shall be evaluated by the President each year to determine whether it has met the goals adopted by the Governing Board in this Resolution and whether it should be modified to better effectuate those goals. The President shall inform the Governing Board of the results of the evaluation at least once yearly, starting with a report in or before October 2023.

NOW, BE IT ALSO RESOLVED that the Governing Board delegates to the President such additional authority as is necessary to ensure that College operations meet the changing needs of our students and employers.

The Governing Board shall retain all powers and duties as prescribed by law that are not formally delegated in this Resolution or Board Policies.

PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Yavapai County Community College District Governing Board this 14 day of November, 2022.

Ms. Deb McCasland, Board Chair Approved as to form:

Mr. Ray Sigafoos, Board Secretary

====================================================================

AGENDA

1. General Functions: Procedural
   1. Call to Order {Time: 1}
   2. Adoption of Agenda – DECISION {Time: 1}
2. Board Business
   1. Executive Session – Pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(1), Review of President’s Employment Agreement – Attorney Lynne Adams – PROCEDURAL {Time: 60}
   2. Executive Session — Pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(3) & (4), Discussion or Consultation for Legal Advice with the Board’s Attorney Regarding the President’s Employment Contract and to consider its position and instruct its attorney regarding the President’s Employment Contract – Attorney Lynne Adams – PROCEDURAL
   3. Reconvene in Public Session – Attorney Lynne Adams
   4. Possible Action RE: President’s Evaluation and Consideration of President’s Contract as a result of Executive Session – Attorney Lynne Adams – DECISION {Time: 5}
3. Study Session
   1. The Association of Community College Trustees Review – INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION – Board Chair Deb McCasland {Time: 30}
   2. Changing Higher Education Landscape – INFORMATION, DISCUSSION, AND DECISION – Dr. Lisa Rhine {Time: 120}
      1. Scott Van Pelt Video
      2. A New Infrastructure Presentation
      3. Yavapai College District Governing Board Resolution Directing the President to Create the Necessary Infrastructure to Meet the Changing Needs of Students and Employees – Resolution 2022-10 (Attached)
   3. District Governing Board Policies Review – INFORMATION, DISCUSSION, AND DECISION – Dr. David Borofsky, Director of the Arizona Association of Community College Trustees {Time: 90} 
4. Adjournment of Board Workshop: Procedural – DECISION {Time: 1}

Goal is to work together to benefit students and communities

The presidents of Coconino Community College, Mohave Community College, Northland Pioneer College, and Yavapai College recently signed an intergovernmental agreement called the Northern Arizona Community College Partnership (NACCP). According to a press release from Yavapai Community College, the agreement calls on the districts to collaborate and combine resources to better serve citizens and communities throughout northern Arizona. This includes sharing college courses to improve student success and completion and enhancing workforce development by utilizing each district’s vast array of unique programs.

The agreement states that the districts will “exercise efficient and maximal use of available educational resources through common and complementary resources of each institution.”

The colleges will specifically focus efforts to collaborate in areas of credit and non-credit offerings, curriculum development, data sharing, business functions, student services, and other support services to provide a cooperative higher education network for residents of Northern Arizona which includes Mohave, Navajo, Apache, Yavapai and Coconino Counties. 

It is not clear how they will carry out their collaboration and no examples were given at the September Governing Board meeting.

The four northern Arizona college districts claim they will also work together to strengthen their partnerships with K-12 institutions, universities, and workforce development partners.

Board members from each district approved the agreement, and the districts began working together under the agreement on October 1, 2022. The issue was placed on the September 27 consent agenda for approval by the Yavapai Community College District Governing Board. It was approved without comment by the President or discussion. 

Sources:  Yavapai Community College Governing Board meeting September 27, 2022; Yavapai Community College press release dated October 3, 2022.