Meeting moved to Zoom instead of being held live at Prescott Campus Rock House as mystery deepens over Chair’s sudden ‘safety concerns’—without explanation

The Yavapai Community College District Governing Board will hold a meeting on Tuesday, February 18, via YouTube. The meeting was originally scheduled to take place at the Rock House on the Prescott Campus. However, Board Chair Deb McCasland abruptly changed the format to a virtual Zoom meeting, informing the Board in part that “after learning of safety concerns related to our board meetings,” she “decided that governing board meetings will be held virtually until further notice.”

The alleged “safety concerns” remain a complete mystery, as McCasland has steadfastly refused to disclose any details to Governing Board members or the public.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. and is expected to conclude by 4 p.m. A live stream will likely be available at https://www.youtube.com/user/YavapaiCollege.

It appears the first order of business will be a closed executive session, which may pertain to the undisclosed safety concerns that prompted the abrupt transition to a virtual format. The meeting notice for this session states:

Executive Session:
i. A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(8) and §38-431.03(A)(9) – Discussion and consultation with college representatives regarding facility safety and security measures. – PROCEDURAL {Time: 20}.

The only other agenda item of likely interest to most county residents is a discussion titled:

“Upholding Yavapai College District Governing Board Resolution Reaffirming Delegation of Authority and Accountability to the President – Resolution 2024-18” – Board Chair Deb McCasland.

Notably, there is no call to the public on the agenda.

Under Arizona law, the public has the right to attend, listen, record, or videotape the meeting, provided they do not disrupt the proceedings. For more information on these rights, refer to Arizona Attorney General Opinion No. I78-001.

Topics will include discussion of budget and “attorney education workshop”

The Yavapai Community College District Governing Board will hold a workshop meeting on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at the Rock House on the Prescott Campus. The meeting will start at 9 a.m. and is expected to conclude by 4 p.m. A live stream of the meeting will normally be available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/YavapaiCollege.

The workshop agenda includes a discussion of the Community College budget and a lecture by the Board’s attorney entitled, “Attorney Education Workshop.” 

Members of the public are generally not permitted to speak during these workshop sessions. However, under Arizona law, the public has the right to attend, listen, record, or videotape the meeting, provided they do not disrupt the proceedings. For more information on these rights, refer to Arizona Attorney General Opinion No. I78-001.

Further updates  will be provided as they become available. The agenda is usually posted by Monday, the day prior to the meeting.

Topics will include election of officers and a  “refresher workshop” with two consultants intended to impress upon members their extremely narrow window of responsibility, as seen by the Administration and consultants  

The Yavapai Community College District Governing Board will hold a workshop meeting on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at the Rock House on the Prescott Campus. The meeting will start at 9 a.m. and is expected to conclude by 4 p.m. A live stream will be available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/YavapaiCollege.

The workshop agenda includes the selection of District Governing Board officers and a “refresher workshop.” These workshops typically focus on emphasizing the Board members’ limited authority as defined by the Community College administration and the Association of Community College Trustees association consultants. Discussions often include strict guidelines on whom Board members may communicate with, what information they may disclose to their constituents, and warnings against interfering with the College President’s management of the institution. These restrictions are usually framed within an extremely narrow interpretation of Board policy, as presented by a consultant or consultants selected by the Board Chair, often someone with prior ties to the Community College administration.

For the first time, and in the Blog’s view,  out of an abundance of concern that the three newest trustees may stray from past policy, without consulting the Governing Board as a whole, two consultants have been selected by the Chair to present their views on the limitations of Board members’ authority. The consultants are:

• Ken Burke: Affiliated with the Association of Community College Trustees, he recently served as a consultant to trustees at North Idaho College. North Idaho College is a public community college in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Reports indicate he emphasized that individual trustees have no independent authority and only exercise power collectively during official meetings. He also underscored that the Board’s sole employee is the college president. It is anticipated that he will express these same views at Tuesday’s workshop.
• Dr. David Borofsky: Executive Director of the Arizona Association of Community College Trustees (AACCT) and now the Arizona Community College Coordinating Council (ACCCC), an organization listing Yavapai College President Dr. Lisa Rhine as a member. Borofsky has apparently worked closely with Board Chair Deb McCasland and Dr. Rhine in various capacities.

Notably, Dr. Borofsky drafted the controversial resolution enacting Board policy 301, which passed 4-1 by the outgoing Board in November. Board policy 310 included a prohibition stating, “Under no circumstances should an individual Board member direct or contact by any means, a staff member concerning a college or community issue.”

The prohibition, at least in the Blog’s view, undermines the role of Board members, who are elected officials entrusted with representing the taxpayers of Yavapai County. Also, in the Blog’s opinion, it reflects a profound distrust of the integrity of Board members and potentially seeks to impose an inappropriate chilling prior restraint on  free speech.

Dr. Borofsky’s tenure as a college leader appears at times to have been controversial. For example, at Dakota State University, he resigned abruptly amid student petitions questioning his leadership and alleging pressure on administrators to step down. According to news reports, Jack Warner, Executive Director of the Board of Regents, confirmed that Borofsky’s resignation was a quick decision prompted by the backlash against his management decisions. 

It is noteworthy that the the workshop will feature a presentation by the Board’s attorney at the outset of the workshop on the “Legality of College Operations.”

The meeting is anticipated to run about three hours; this is the last meeting of 2024 where business will be discussed

The Yavapai Community College District Governing Board will hold a meeting on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at the Rock House on the Prescott  Campus. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. and is expected to last approximately three hours. A live video stream will be available on YouTube.

While the agenda normally includes an Open Call to the Public, allowing residents and other attendees an opportunity to address the Governing Board at the beginning of the meeting, the Board may not include that provision if it so chooses.  Should the Board allow persons to do so,  those wishing to speak should complete a “Request to Speak” form and submit it to the Recording Secretary prior to speaking. Speakers should be prepared to limit their remarks to the allotted time, which is usually three minutes.

Under Arizona law, the public has the right to attend, listen, record, or videotape these meetings. While attendees may not disrupt the meeting, they are welcome to speak during the Call to the Public. For further details, see Ariz. Att’y Gen. Op. No. I78-001.

The agenda for the meeting is normally withheld from the public until almost the last minute that is legally allowable.  You can view the agenda when it is finally posted on Monday at https://www.yc.edu/v6/district-governing-board/sub/2024/11/index.html.

It is noted that this is the last meeting of 2024 where business will be discussed.

The meeting will feature discussion of budget assumptions for the coming year and expected approval of the amount of the annual increase in student tuition beginning the next academic year

The Yavapai Community College District Governing Board will hold a meeting on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, in Room M-137 on the Verde Valley Campus in Clarkdale. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. and is expected to last approximately three hours. A live video stream will be available on YouTube.

The agenda includes an Open Call to the Public, allowing residents and other attendees an opportunity to address the Governing Board at the beginning of the meeting. Individuals wishing to speak should complete a “Request to Speak” form and submit it to the Recording Secretary prior to speaking. Speakers should be prepared to limit their remarks to the allotted time, which is usually three minutes.

Under Arizona law, the public has the right to attend, listen, record, or videotape these meetings. While attendees may not disrupt the meeting, they are welcome to speak during the Call to the Public. For further details, see Ariz. Att’y Gen. Op. No. I78-001.

The meeting will include a discussion on budget assumptions for the upcoming fiscal year, with final approval scheduled for May 2025. Additionally, the agenda features a request to raise student tuition—an annual appeal by the college as the costs of its expanding operations on the west side of the County continue to substantially increase. 

Board may  most likely allow an open call to the public at the beginning of the meeting where a citizen may address the Board for up to three minutes; the entire event will be live streamed

The Yavapai Community College District Governing Board will hold its first public meeting since May 2024 at the Rock House on the Prescott Campus on Tuesday, September 24.  The meeting is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. and will run an estimated three hours.  It will be live-streamed on YouTube.

There is likely to be an opportunity for residents and others to address the Governing Board at the beginning of the meeting for about three minutes.  A citizen wishing to address the Board is normally asked to complete a “Request to Speak” form before speaking, and give it to the Recording Secretary.  The speaker should be prepared to limit his or her remarks to the designated time (from one to three minutes although typically three minutes).

Under Arizona law, a citizen has a right to attend, listen, tape record, or videotape all of 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.

The workshop is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. and may run to 4:00 p.m.

The Yavapai Community College Governing Board will hold what is described as a “Board Self-Assessment Workshop” on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Rock House on the Prescott Campus.  It is unclear what, if any, additional business will be conducted.

There is usually no open call to the public at these workshops but be sure to check the agenda when it is posted.

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

You may access the agenda for this meeting at the District Governing  Board’s website when it is eventually posted. (It is normally sent to the Governing Board by Friday prior to a meeting but is usually withheld from public posting on the Governing Board’s website until the day before the meeting.)

This is the last Board meeting scheduled until next fall.

Tuesday’s meeting will be held in the Community Room 19-147 on the Prescott Campus beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Yavapai Community College has made a last minute change in the location for Tuesday’s taxation hearings.  Originally scheduled in published newspaper notices for the Rock House on the Prescott Campus, it has been changed as of Saturday, May 18 to the Community Room 19-147 on the Prescott Campus. 

The start time for the meeting remains 1:00 p.m.