Aug. 31, Yavapai College Verde Valley Advisory Board President Paul Chevalier provided a list of four items the VVBAC plans to present at the next Yavapai College District Governing Board meeting at Yavapai College Verde Valley Campus, Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 1 p.m.
First, Chevalier stated that the VVBAC wishes to be on record in favor of a motion at the governing board’s March meeting. Made by board member Al Filardo and seconded by board member Deb McCasland, the motion proposes the hiring of an independent consultant to look at the following:
- The viability of an administrative college.
- The possibility of having a Verde Valley resident in charge of the Verde Valley campus.
- The “merit of continuing on the college’s current path as the administration modifies its operations and reacts to feedback from the communities in the Verde Valley.”
Second, Chevalier stated that he intends to advise the governing board that it should meet with the VVBAC and discuss responses to a questionnaire generated by the governing board to gauge the educational needs of Verde Valley residents.
Third, Chevalier stated that the VVBAC will advise “the [governing board] to direct the college to allow the heads of both marketing and recruitment to meet our committee so that the VVBAC can learn of their plans and then use that information to help in providing advice to the [governing board] on these very important subjects.”
According to Chevalier, the last item of advice will be to direct the college, “when hiring administrative positions for the Verde Valley, that persons who domicile in the Verde Valley be given preference, subject to any applicable federal and state discrimination laws.”
Yavapai College recently hired Barb Waak to the position of interim Associate Dean of Yavapai College Verde Valley Campus. Prior to her promotion, Waak worked for approximately two decades as an English instructor at the Verde Valley campus. She resides in the Verde Valley.
“I don’t know Barb, but I’ve only heard positive things about her,” Chevalier said.
Chevalier added that it is unlikely the governing board will seriously look into a separate administrative college for the Verde Valley, but that “the issue will not go away as long as so much of the money coming from the Verde taxpayers keeps being spent in Prescott instead of the Verde.”
