“Efficiency is not, and should not be, the mission of a community college,” says Gary LaMaster, Chair, Verde Valley Community College Citizen Advocates
“Efficiency is not, and should not be, the mission of a community college. The mission should be to serve its communities,” wrote Gary LaMaster, the Chair of the Verde Valley Community College Citizen Advocates, in a letter to the Verde Independent of August 20. He stated that “In 2009-2010, the college cut classes and staff on the Verde campus at the very time community college enrollment should have been increasing as workers displaced by the Great Recession looked to re-educate themselves to find new employment. To make matters worse, the college suspended virtually all outreach and communications in the Verde Valley. This further reduced enrollment.”
LaMaster also wrote that the District Governing Board is “split 3-2 in favor of the west county. Given that split, we can only hope that the administration and one of the Board members representing the west county will take into account the best interests of the Verde Valley. We’ll need to keep a watchful eye.” Mr. LaMaster’s entire letter to the editor in the Verde Independent can be accessed by clicking here.