After getting feedback from the community, including the registration of only 63 applications for participation, the Verde Valley Forum for Public Affairs has decided to reschedule this year’s forum on post-secondary education for early fall.
“Our application deadline for the proposed April 2 through 6 forum was Jan. 30,” VVFPA President Dick Dahl said. “Our goal was to secure 100 participants representing as broad a demographic as possible from all areas in the Verde Valley. We fell far short of our goal.
“While we had a fairly good mix of applicants from all Verde Valley communities, we had very few business owners, work force members and homemakers applying.”
As a result, Dahl and Participant Selection Committee Chairman Kent Jones met with the selection committee and discovered that requiring participation over four days was a “huge barrier to getting participation from the younger demographic.” Many polled wanted to attend but could not take that much time off from work. The committee unanimously recommended that Dahl shorten the time commitment.
“They felt certain in so doing that we would be able to secure representation from those segments of our population,” Dahl added.
Aware of a recent forum event in Lake Havasu City, Dahl enlisted representatives from Arizona Town Hall to gather detailed information on the event, as well as feedback that led him to believe it would work successfully for VVFPA.
“In fact, the Arizona Town Hall is actually partnering with local communities in staging these conferences,” Dahl said. “We have met with Tara Jackson, president of the Arizona Town Hall, who has been partnering in staging these conferences. We are now working on securing a partnership with them in staging the forum early next fall. The forum next will occur over a Friday evening, all day Saturday time frame.”
According to Dahl, all 63 applicants for the Sunday through Monday, April 3 through 6, forum have been informed of these changes. He has pledged to hold over their applications. In addition, the Participant Selection Committee will be recontacting everyone who has expressed a desire to participate.
“The application process will effectively be reopened just as soon as we can nail down the exact dates,” Dahl said.
Dahl is optimistic about the schedule and format change.
“The format, due to the shortened time frame, will be more focused on five very specific topics and will have the objective of developing action plans for implementing these recommendations ….
“It is believed that these changes will provide a more efficient approach to developing the consensus recommendations needed to help guide the future direction of post-secondary education in the Verde Valley.”
