Yavapai Community College in Northern Arizona

Archive for Underserving the Verde Valley – Page 2

CTEC renovations completed for $5.2 million

By R. Oliphant

Friday, November 6th, 2015

College Celebrates “Grand re-opening”

The public attended an open house event at Yavapai College’s Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) at the Prescott airport on Saturday, October 10. The open house was intended to celebrate CTEC and learn more about the facility’s recent renovations and the valuable programs it offers. A brief program of welcome and remarks about the project was given to those in attendance. CTEC GRAND OPENING SHOP 2

CTEC GRANG OPENING MOTORCYCLES

The CTEC Campus is enclosed by a 108,000 square foot building, which sits on an eight-acre site. It houses 12 programs and the Yavapai College Rural Center for Entrepreneurship.

The $5.2 million renovation accomplished the following:

Added four new classrooms

Expanded space and labs for several programs

Incorporated 10,000 square feet of storage space

Enlarged the student computer commons

Created two computer labs

Replaced aging overhead lights with energy efficient LED lights

Added noise abatement features.

Programs offered through CTEC include Electronic Technology, Gunsmithing, Welding, Industrial Machine Mechanic, and Applied Pre-Engineering. The College reports that technical education is one of Yavapai College’s fastest growing offerings and prepares students for well-paying careers while helping to boost the local economy.

Blatant unfairness. None of the programs offered at CTEC today are available to High School students in Sedona and the Verde Valley. Almost all of them are available to High School students on the West side of the County. The unfairness of this situation has existed now for about 8 years, when the College administration closed down the development of the Northern Arizona Regional Skills Center on the Verde Campus and moved most, if not all, CTE training to the Prescott side of Yavapai County.

Categories : CTEC, Ten year plan, Underserving the Verde Valley

College Community Chorale, Women’s Chorale, and Symphonic band celebrate Veterans Day on Verde Campus

By R. Oliphant

Friday, November 6th, 2015

Outstanding concert; small but deeply appreciative audience

The Yavapai Community College Community Chorale, Women’s Chorale, and Symphonic band presented the “Homeland: Veterans Day Salute Concert,” Thursday evening, November 5 in the Community Room on the Verde Valley Campus. A small but very appreciative audience thoroughly enjoyed the concert.

The 57 member (40 for this concert) Community Chorale, directed by Dr. Judith E. Burns, sang a variety of patriotic songs including “A Tribute to the Arms Services,” “Shenandoah,” and “Give me Your Tired, Your Poor.” The 15 member Women’s Chorale, directed by Arlene Hardy, charmed the audience with special renditions of “Johnny Aroo,” “I hear America Singing,” and the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

The 22 member symphonic band, directed by Maurice Terrell, played a wide-range of music from the stirring “In Storm and Sunshine” march to the emotionally moving tribute to military veterans of the Vietnam War, “Mekong.” The three groups joined in a number of other patriotic musical presentations.

The excellent narration for the program was provided by Dr. Craig Ralston, Yavapai College Dean for Arts and Humanities. Ralston, who joined the Yavapai faculty in July, 2014, is responsible for curricula in art, music, and humanities including art history, creative writing, history, humanities, philosophy, religion, Spanish, and theater. He obviously worked very hard to put together this program for the Verde Valley Campus.

Disappointing turnout. The turnout of local residents for the program was disappointing, with an estimated 25-30 in attendance. However, with around 60 singers and a 20 piece orchestra in the community room, there wasn’t room for many more concert goers.

Community Room completely inadequate. The need for a small 350 seat auditorium on the Verde Campus has never been more evident than it was at this concert. The Community room is simply not equipped for a concert program of this magnitude and quality. It does not have a stage that can accommodate such a program, seating is far from acceptable, and the ability to effectively utilize visuals such as lighting is almost nonexistent. It is not an attractive or comfortable venue for performing arts programs. (The College recently invested about $5 million in the Prescott campus Performing Arts Center to upgrade seats, lighting, sound, stage, etc.)

College administration ignores need since 2008. Verde residents have called for construction of an adequate small on-campus performance hall facility since 2008, when a comprehensive land-use study incorporating views from throughout the Verde Valley was presented to the College Governing Board. As with other recommendations in that study, it has been ignored by the Wills’ administration.

Categories : Editorials/Essays, Performing Arts Center, Underserving the Verde Valley, Verde Campus

Special events ratio 11:2 in favor of the Prescott Campus Dinner Theatre

By R. Oliphant

Sunday, October 25th, 2015

October/November Special Events illustrate the enormous disparity between campus development on the East and West sides of Yavapai County

Yavapai Community College has released its schedule of special events for the months of October and November. As you can see from the chart that follows, there are eleven special events planned for the Prescott Campus and only two for the Verde Campus in Clarkdale. None are planned for the Sedona Center even though taxpayers in the Sedona Taxing District pay over $7.3 million annually to support the College.

SPECIAL EVENTS OCT NOV 2015

SPECIAL EVENTS 2 OCT NOV 2015

As those who have attended the special events can attest to, on the Prescott Campus you can order a dinner and a show. It is the only Community College in the nation that has invested $5 million dollars in its student auditorium to convert it into a dinner theatre.

On the Verde Campus you can purchase a can of pop for a dollar at the two events.

Dinner and show: As advertised on the College web site.

Categories : Performing Arts Center, Underserving the Verde Valley

Bill Regner; Carolyn Fisher analyze Yavapai College Funding for Verde Valley

By R. Oliphant

Thursday, October 15th, 2015

Every year 40 percent of primary property tax dollars and 60% of secondary property tax dollars going outside the Verde Valley

In an editorial in the Verde Independent of October 13, 2015 Bill Regner and Carolyn Fisher provided details about how property taxes being paid by residents of Sedona/Verde Valley to support Yavapai Community College are being used outside the Valley—primarily on the Prescott main campus and CTEC located at the Prescott airport. Mr. Regner and Ms. Fisher are members of the prestigious Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee that has been thoroughly looking into how the Community College administrators have been collecting and spending tax revenue going to Yavapai Community College. where do my taxes go

According to them, 40 percent of the primary property tax dollars paid for the College in Sedona/Verde Valley and approximately 60% of secondary property tax dollars end up “each year to fund post-secondary education outside of our region?”

Verde Valley tax payers will be funding $55 million dollars over 10 years and receive about $6 million in return.

When it comes to the 10-year-plan adopted in December, 2013 by a majority of the College Governing Board, “the Verde Valley was scheduled for about $3.5 million in capital improvements. Since its adoption, the Plan amount has risen to approximately $111 million with about $6 million coming to the Verde Valley and Sedona campuses. Using a conservative assumption at $5.5 million of excess revenues per year, the Verde Valley tax payers would be funding $55 million dollars over 10 years in order to receive about $6 million in return.”

They ask: “What we could do with somewhere between $5.5 million and $7.1 million every year of excess revenues (going to Prescott) to create and sustain programs and facilities for our local students of every age?” The answer, of course, is obvious.

The full editorial in the Verde Independent can be read by clicking here.

Categories : Advisory Committees, Underserving the Verde Valley

Prescott Special events 20; Verde Valley 1

By R. Oliphant

Thursday, September 24th, 2015

September and October calendars shows huge difference in College providing special events to East and West sides of the County: 20 for the West side; 1 for the East side

The September and October special events schedule published by the College shows the huge difference in its view of where cultural events should be produced. According to the schedule it has posted, so far there are 20 cultural events scheduled for the West side of the County during September and October to be held in the 1105 student auditorium (redeveloped into a Community College dinner theatre). Only a single event is scheduled so far for the Verde Campus, which will be held in the large multi-use classroom in Building M (canned pop, possibly). In fact, a check today (9/24/2015) by the Blog of the Verde Campus web site shows no events as being scheduled so far.

The following is a chart of the announced programs for September and October, 2015.

September October PAC Events schedule

Categories : Art programs, Performing Arts Center, Underserving the Verde Valley

Prescott Film Festival returns to Yavapai Community College — Prescott Campus

By R. Oliphant

Saturday, July 18th, 2015

Prescott Film Festival returns to Yavapai College next week from Wednesday to Sunday, July 22-26

The Prescott Film Festival Founder and Executive Director, Helen Stephenson, said the Prescott festival has grown incrementally every year. She said she is hoping to fill the Community College’s performing arts center on the Prescott campus. She said that “the festival has something for everyone.” Prescott film festival

Recall that in 2014 the Community College shut down tight the Sedona Center’s internationally recognized film school. It had participated annually in the Sedona Internal Film Festival. The Sedona festival was founded in 1994. After closing the Sedona Center, Ms. Stephenson was put in charge of what was left of the Center by Dr. Penelope Wills. She remains in charge as of the writing of this note.

Categories : Sedona Campus, Underserving the Verde Valley

Yavapai College Soccer Clinics scheduled only on West side of the County

By R. Oliphant

Saturday, July 11th, 2015

Historic athletic discrimination against the East part of the County continues

All of the athletic teams and athletic facilities for these teams are kept on the West side of the County. Summer athletic programs for youngsters are likewise made available by the Community College only on the West side of the County. Here, for example, is the announcement of the soccer clinic to be held in Prescott Valley. SOCCER 2

Friday, August 14-Free Yavapai College Soccer Clinic

Yavapai College soccer team members will conduct a free clinic from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Mountain Valley Park in Prescott Valley. Boys and girls ages five to 16 are eligible to participate. No registration required. If possible, participants should bring their own soccer ball. All participants will receive a special soccer souvenir gift.

Categories : Soccer team, Underserving the Verde Valley

Student organizations on Prescott campus outnumber Verde campus and Sedona Center by 13-1

By R. Oliphant

Saturday, June 20th, 2015

Wide disparity in student organizations between the East and West sides of Yavapai County another indication of poor Community College development on the East side of County

Another clear indication of the failure to effectively develop the Community College on the East side of Yavapai County is the absence of student organizations in Sedona and the Verde Valley when compared to the development of student organizations in Prescott.

The College stresses the importance of student organizations on its website. It says that “There’s no better way to become active within the College community than working with like-minded people to achieve a common goal. Participation in clubs and organizations provides you with opportunities for Community Service, helps you make new friends and generate new interests and provides you with activities that promote personal and professional growth.”

Here is a list of organizations for 2014-15 and a short explanation about them. There are 13 listed on the Prescott campus; a total of 1 on the Verde Campus.

Student Clubs in Sedona and the Verde Valley (1)

Student Nurses Association. All students enrolled in the nursing program are members. This club works with the community on several projects during the school year to assist those who may have health, financial, or educational needs.

Student Clubs in Prescott (13)

Baha’i Association: Promote racial unity, equality of men and women, and world citizenship through the tenets of the Baha’i Faith.

English Club: The English Club is for those who delight in reading and writing, and talking about reading and writing. Come share your reading, your writing, and your love of language and its power..

Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) Club: Yavapai HOSA offers students an opportunity to learn leadership skills along with refining their career skill. It also teaches about professionalism and community service.

International Adventures Club: Experience Yavapai College’s cultural diversity – learn about the habits and beliefs of others! Explore international cuisine, music and dance styles, all while developing new friendships!

Juggling Club: Learn to juggle or share your juggling skills!

Native American Club: Provides opportunities for both Native American students and staff to interact with and to support each other through a variety of inter-tribal activities.

Northern AZ National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAZAEYC): Open to students in education and early childhood education fields. Club projects and activities promote community involvement, networking, discussion, and action around current issues facing early childhood and education fields.

SSS-TRiO: SSS-TRiO promotes academic success for eligible, certificate and/or degree-seeking students who have completed the SSS TRIO Orientation.

Student Nurses Association of YC (SNAYC): The SNA-YC is a pre-professional organization committed to supporting and mentoring future nurses by providing opportunities in: 1) Leadership, 2) Professional Development and 3) Community Service. Membership is open to pre-nursing and nursing students.

Veteran Connection Club: Establish communication with Yavapai College veterans and military organizations in order to promote personal and professional development of students, veterans (including active, retired, or drilling status service members), veteran’s families, and any supporter of the United States Military branches through learning opportunities, networking, and volunteerism.

YC Pride Club: The Pride Club is established to promote the fair treatment and acceptance of GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered) people. We seek to bring a safe and non-judgmental environment to the campus for all who desire acceptance and tolerance.

Young Life at Yavapai College: Crazy fun! Adventure! Significance!

Student Leadership Council: Meeting: Bi-monthly 9:30-11:30am Prescott 2-138. The Student Leadership Council (SLC) is responsible for maintaining a communication link between students, faculty, staff, and administration. It is a student resource and service organization. SLC provides a voice for student concerns and ideas for improvement of Yavapai College.

Categories : Student Organizations, Underserving the Verde Valley

No bookstore on Verde campus or Sedona Center

By R. Oliphant

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2015

Only College bookstore on Prescott campus

Students enrolling in courses on the Verde Campus or Sedona Center must use the only College bookstore, which is, you guessed it, located on the Prescott Campus. Oh, well. BOOKSTORE 1

Categories : Underserving the Verde Valley, Verde Campus

Professional tennis courts paying off for City of Prescott

By R. Oliphant

Thursday, May 28th, 2015

College financed professional tennis courts host big events for City of Prescott

When the City of Prescott wants money for a project it can’t afford, it knows the pocketbook of Yavapai Community College is always available. That was the case when it sought a new state-of-the-art professional tennis complex.

Begging 1 Prescott didn’t have anywhere near enough money for a professional tennis complex. In fact, the best it could muster was $25 thousand dollars. However, the Yavapai Community College administrators were contacted and with a little prodding, they decided to take around $1.3 million dollars of County taxpayer dollars from the College treasury and use it for the Professional complex. They built it, now operate the web site, hired a part-time employee for it, and maintain the complex, which is used mostly by Prescott residents. (The College does not have a tennis team.) The complex was completed in December, 2014 and is already pumping money into Prescott hotels, motels, restaurants and other businesses.

The first major event at the complex was the 2015 Prescott NTRP Memorial Tennis Tournament, which ran from Friday through Sunday, May 22-24,. It showcased 101 entries and 75 players participating in singles, doubles and mixed events for all ability levels and ages in 13 different divisions. The next tennis event is scheduled for Sunday, June 7: The Grand Prix Series. Many other events are planned.

When it comes to local development and where to get money, the folks in Prescott know exactly where to look. If the College is foolish enough to use County taxpayer money from the Verde Valley and elsewhere to fund local projects like a professional tennis complex, the folks in Prescott are smart enough to take the money and run with it.

Categories : Tennis Court, Underserving the Verde Valley