Program now encompasses students studying in such areas as mechanics, fire science and other trades who were not covered by the College’s 2017 free tuition plan

In a June 15 press release, Yavapai Community College announced that it was expanding student tuition free opportunities via a program it calls “Workforce Promise.” The new program expands free tuition to eligible students studying in many more areas than it did when it first began offering free tuition in its “YC Promise” program back in 2017.

Of significance, is that beginning in the fall 2022, the Community College will now offer students, of any age, the chance to earn a two-year degree in a variety of trades, tuition-free.

The Workforce Promise program covers students seeking degrees in the following fields:

Associate of Arts Elementary Ed.

Associate of Business

Associate of Science

Accounting

Agriculture Technology Mgmt.

Applied Pre-Engineering

Automotive Technology

Computer Networking Technology

Electrical & Instrumentation Tech.

Fire Science

Graphic Design

Management

Nursing

Paralegal Studies

Radiologic Technology

Viticulture and Enology

Among several requirements for the program is one that declares that  those in the tuition free program must complete their degree program in seven semesters. 

The College says that the Workforce Promise program is available for new students, enrolling for the Fall 2022 Semester, as well as qualifying first-year YC students. It also says that students must enroll through the Community College Promise Portal, meet regularly with advisors, maintain at least a 2.0 grade average and graduate within the stipulated time frame. The reimbursement covers direct tuition costs up to sixty-one credits. It will be awarded after degree completion, and cannot include any non-YC classes, transfer credits, developmental or re-taken courses. For a full list of eligibility requirements, please visit the YC Promise website.

There is a deadline for application to this program.  Students wishing to apply for the Workforce Promise must opt-in through the Community College  Promise Portal by Monday, August 1. Additional information can be obtained by visiting: yc.edu/promise

President announces a working group has been formed to establish a curriculum to meet state criterion

In a press release authored by Yavapai Community College reporter Tyler Rumsey on September 30, 2021, it was announced that the College has set up a process to bring four-year degrees to its campuses and centers. The release said  a formal  working group has been created and already established a tentative timeline for the first four-year degree to be available to Yavapai students by the fall of 2023.

According to the press release, the 2023  timeline provides the Community  College the time it needs to research, survey students and Yavapai County communities, develop a budget and infrastructure, develop a curriculum, and seek approval from the Yavapai College District Governing Board, the Higher Education Learning Commission, and the Department of Education.

“Yavapai College is committed to providing its communities with an accessible, affordable education that fits our students’ needs and prepares them for local job opportunities,” said President Rhine. “The process to launch four-year degrees will take time, but I am confident that the recommendations that stem from this working group will be data-driven, realistic, and impactful.”

In May, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed House Bill HB2523, allowing Arizona Community Colleges to offer four-year degrees  if they meet a specific criterion.

Classes are designed to be completed on an accelerated timeline, 50% shorter than normal classes

Yavapai Community College has announced that it will be offering over 130 eight-week classes beginning October 11.   All of the classes are eight weeks in length and designed to be completed on an accelerated timeline, 50% shorter than normal classes.

A variety of in-person classes are available at all six of  Community College  campuses and centers around the County while the majority of classes are on-line.   For a complete list of available classes, visit yc.edu/8week.

The Health and Wellness classes are one area where most of the classes are live.  However, there are no live Health and Wellness classes offered anywhere other than on the Prescott Campus.

Yavapai Community College president Dr. Lisa Rhine says implementation two or three years away

Governor Doug Ducey

Governor Doug Ducey signed legislation this past Tuesday that will allow Yavapai Community College to offer some baccalaureate degrees in the future. According to an interview given to Mr. Bill Helm, in the Verde Independent of Sunday, May 9, 2021, College President Dr. Lisa Rhine said the “process for implementing new baccalaureate degrees will take time.”

Dr. Rhine indicated that offering certain new upper division programs is two  to three  years away. She said that programs must be identified and approved by the District Governing Board. She also said that the curriculum has to be created and that any proposal then submitted to the Higher Learning Commission for approval.

The legislation contains specific requirements for any Community College considering offering new upper division programs leading to a baccalaureate degree. As noted by Dr. Rhine in her interview with the Verde Independent newspaper, the bill  requires a district governing board to determine if there is a local workforce need for the degrees that would be offered. There is also a provision that requires  a study of the costs and a determination of whether  a similar degree is offered by other Arizona colleges.

There are specific restrictions on Pima and Maricopa counties. In those districts, community colleges are limited to offering no more than 5% of their degrees at the baccalaureate level for the first four years. After four years, the number is  capped at 10%.

Community Colleges  also cannot charge tuition for the  courses offered to  juniors and seniors that is 150% higher than the fees for courses in the first two years. Finally, before new degrees can be offered, public universities are given an opportunity  to provide a written response to any planned community college degrees.

Dr. Rhine said during her interview that she will direct her staff to begin researching possible new programs by using “labor market data and community needs to determine what would have a lasting impact on our students and communities.”

Sources: Verde Valley independent, Sunday, May 9, 2021 article by Mr. Bill Helm; Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services, https://tucson.com/news/local/arizona-lawmakers-ok-bill-to-allow-4-year-community-college-degrees/article_6aa4fafa-a847-11eb-9f54-e3a56056748a.html; April 30 Blog.

Fall semester scheduled to begin Monday, August 17

College President Dr. Lisa Rhine has scheduled Yavapai Community College to  begin classes on Monday, August 17.  At that time, it is estimated that about 30 percent of the classes will be face-to-face.

Details of the plans regarding classes and the reopening of the College on August 17 follow below.

Northern Arizona Audubon Society, Greenwood Fund and College partner in development of course

Members of the Northern Arizona Audubon Society have created a course titled An Introduction to Natural History Field Studies and Yavapai College has agreed to incorporate it into the curriculum at Clarkdale Campus starting September 5.

This four-session course will introduce students to the diverse habitats of the Greater Verde Valley region with special emphasis on understanding why these habitats exist where they do and the characteristic species found in each.

Participants will visit the Bubbling Ponds and Sedona Wetlands sanctuaries and other natural areas, learn about the region’s plants and animals and get a hands-on introduction to the art of birding and other aspects of natural history field studies.

The class will focus on the identification of local species and stress the interdependence of species within each habitat discussed.

Opportunities to participate in natural history studies through a variety of citizen science projects will also be discussed.

Those interested in signing up for the course can do so on the Yavapai College website. All participants completing the course will receive a $50 tuition subsidy from the Greenwood Fund. For further information, please contact Brent Bitz at birdsedona@gmail.com

Pond near Page Springs supports small population of endangered Northern Mexican Garter snake.

Why not turn loose creativity in educational design?

Yavapai Community College shows little creativity in its educational design.  This is especially true when you see the months it is closed down with no students on campus.  For example, the fall-winter break for students runs from December 14 to January 14. 

With a new President, there is hope that serious creativity may return to change the current stodgy educational paradigm where there are hundreds of hours of potential learning going unused.  However, a serious creative change in how things have always been done will, of course, require a lot of very hard work and commitment.

One of the first and easiest changes to the College’s current educational design is to begin using all the down time you find in its year-long schedule for FLEX courses.  Why not, for example, use this period in the fall-winter break as an opportunity to teach one or two credit courses not regularly offered in the curriculum in an intense compressed-format?  Or, occasionally a three-credit course. Call the period something like “Our Intense Flexible, Creative offerings.”

Studies of Colleges using intense ;short courses have shown they have advantages.  David Gooblar, writing in the Chronicle Vitae observed the following:  “Whether they are taught in the summer or at other times of the year, these short  intensified courses are increasingly a standard feature at North American universities. Cramming a whole semester’s worth of material into as little as three weeks often appeals to older students, to students with inflexible work schedules or family commitments, and to those trying to make up credits for various reasons.”

He went on to write that “In a paper published in the Canadian Journal of University Continuing Education, William Kops, a professor of general studies at the University of Manitoba, surveyed the literature on compressed-format courses and found a surprising amount of unanimity.

“There’s not a huge amount of research into the quality of these courses, but what there is almost entirely supports the conclusion that they are as good as semester-long courses. Using a variety of metrics, researchers over the past 20 years have concluded that intensive courses do no disservice to students, and may ever offer some advantages. For example, students tend to be more focused, discussions deeper, and teacher-student relationships closer in compressed courses than in traditional ones.”

The College could, for example, consider Flex courses like the following: Sport and American Society, Cross-Cultural Communication, Living with Quakes,  World Music, Dance in Culture,  US National Government. Highly specialized Career and Technical Education courses could also be taught as a part of the Flex program.

It’s time to think creatively; really outside the box.  Considering Flex courses is a mere beginning.