Emeritus Faculty: Amy Stein

B.A., University of Arizona

M.A., Northern Arizona University

Ph.D, Northern Arizona University

If you have additions or corrections to this page, please contact the College Archives at 928-771-7776 or archives@yc.edu.  We are especially looking for :

• Nomination materials of faculty for Emeritus status
• Classes taught by individual Emeritus faculty 
• Evidence of their superior teaching at YC
• Their involvement in committee work and special projects
• Photographs of them during their time at YC
• List of written works published, public artwork, music written and performed

Dr. Amy Stein began her career at YC in 1989. From 1989-1993, prior to her tenure as a full-time faculty member, which began in 1994, Dr. Amy Stein enjoyed a professional relationship with Yavapai College as a technical and grant writer, Adjunct Faculty member, Adult Educator, and Program Director.

The following is taken from her Emeritus nomination letter:

In Service to Community

As both educator and later director and/or program manager of the Adult Basic Education programs, Amy Stein wrote the grant applications and final reports for the Federally and State funded programs. She trained and supervised instructors, and when necessary, maintained regular class meetings at the Clarkdale campus and in the following College centers:

• Ashfork/Seligman
• Bagdad
• Black Canyon City
• Camp Verde
• Chino Valley
• Clarkdale
• Sedona

While working with the Adult Education student community, Amy Stein supported the initial efforts to establish the Verde Valley Woman’s Shelter, connect students with legal and social services in the area, and represented Yavapai College on NACOG committees and councils. She established English for Speakers of Other Languages classes in Sedona Resorts in concert with the then YC Contract Learning Department.

In Service to College

Through her work as an Arizona Department of Education, Division of Adult Education consortium member, Amy Stein worked in concert with Yavapai College to write the Adult Education Manual and the Assessment of Adult Learning publications. She represented Yavapai College as teacher trainer and presenter at state, regional and national Adult Education conferences. Finally, Amy Stein volunteered to participate in curriculum and course development activities for the Liberal Studies and Art Departments.

1994-2011 Prescott Campus

Her participation in the development and growth of Art History courses on both the Prescott and Verde Campuses encouraged the creation of the full time Art History position in the Prescott Campus Art Department. Amy Stein applied for and was awarded the full-time position on the Prescott campus in 1994. In Service to Students: As the first full time Art Historian, she taught a full load of Art History on the Prescott and Clarkdale campuses providing morning, afternoon, evening and weekend courses in Prescott as well as a section every semester on the Clarkdale campus. During her first two years as full-time faculty member in the art department, Amy Stein worked with the Art History faculty at the three state universities and articulation task force committees to re-write the Art History curriculum at Yavapai College and thus ensure the seamless transfer of the courses as Art History requirements, or history and humanities electives.

In Service to College

Immediately upon receiving continuing contract status as a faculty member, Amy Stein was promoted, first to chair, and later division dean for Visual and Performing Arts. Prior to the creation of the Senate faculty mentor committee and process, it was the department chair or dean’s responsibility to supervise and mentor all probationary, now provision faculty. During her first three years in leadership of the division, Amy Stein lead the entire Art Department, five new full time faculty members to continuing contract status. During this period, she

• Continued to teach 6-9 credit hours of Art History each semester.
• Created an Art Department Educational Program plan including, 
  • Standardized curriculum
  • Standardized, authentic and measurable assessment plans
• Established the first Associate of Fine Arts degree, in the state
• Oversaw the building of the studio arts complex (Buildings 16, 17)
• Established an Art Gallery Management Plan aligned with CAA standards.
• Acted as Director of the Art Gallery
• Secured and Managed Carl Perkins resources for the Graphic Design and Digital Photography programs.
• Secured resources to establish a dedicated computer lab for Graphic Design Program
• Oversaw the first renovation of building 15 to correct and enhance discipline specific facilities for both music and art.
• Maintained diplomatic relations between the Performing Arts department, Community Events, and Performance Hall staff.
• Respected, supported, and defended the experience and expertise of the Music faculty to conduct their programs as they saw appropriate.

Service to College and Community

Amy Stein served students, the college and community during this same time period through; Active participation in Friends of Yavapai College Art continuing the work of her predecessor, Dick Marcusen in the tireless pursuit of a growing sculpture garden and development of a College Fine Art Collection.

• Supervised the college and foundation scholarship programs.
• Served on the Master Plan Architectural Review and Building Committee
• Provided support and leadership to the Verde Campus Art Department and Sedona Center for Media Arts including but not limited to the final establishment of the Verde Campus Art Gallery.
• Served on the following faculty committees: College Honors Advisory Board, Developmental Education Committee, Student Learning and Outcomes Assessment Committee, Liberal Studies Core Program Review Committee, General Education Committee, Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee, Faculty Handbook Writing Committee
• Served on the NCA Accreditation team under Jim Hinton.
• Researched and wrote the original art acquisition and arts management policy.
• Completed an Interdisciplinary PhD program in Quaternary Studies, World History and Aesthetics entirely through face-to-face seminars at Northern Arizona University.
• Supported the 2-plus-2 agreement with Northern Arizona University by offering undergraduate and graduate courses in Secondary Education and History in Prescott and Online.
• Returned to full time faculty status in art history to enhance the academic programs and devote more time and attention to the directorship of both college art galleries.

2012-2023 Verde Campus Amy Stein transferred her full time position from the Prescott to Verde campus to provide support and leadership to faculty in the Art, History and Humanities programs.

In Service to Students

From the Verde campus, Amy Stein offered courses in Art History, US and World History, Western Civilization, and American Arts and Ideas. These courses were offered Online and F2F on the Prescott and Verde Campuses and at the Prescott Valley Center.

• She developed and taught concurrent enrollment courses on the Prescott campus and at the Camp Verde High School.
• Finally, for three years, Amy Stein developed and directed three week-long interdisciplinary symposium presentations which included lectures by YC faculty from the diverse disciplines, a film festival, and musical performances organized around a common theme.

In Service to College

From 2011 to 2022 in concert with the Office of Institutional Research and Development, Amy Stein assumed a leadership role during the last two, ten-year accreditation reviews. As an accreditation team member, Amy Stein contributed actively and substantially as a participant from one of the twelve pathways pioneer colleges. Amy Stein wrote the first Quality Initiative Proposal, administered the project, and wrote the Quality Initiative Report. She was the primary author of the last three assurance arguments and helped with the most recent Quality Initiative Proposal and Additional Location reports. At the behest of previous Vice Presidents of Academic Affairs, she trained; researched and composed the first faculty qualifications guidelines and policy researched and developed the proposal for a student retention project.

Amy Stein represented Yavapai College as an HLC Peer Reviewer and Institutional Action Committee member. She served on the Faculty Senate Standards Committee

Dr. Amy Stein retired in 2023.

The College Seal was adopted in Sept. 1969. 

Stein, Amy Ilona, Flooding the Market: A History of the American Wilderness Image, Dissertation, 2005.

Stein, Amy IIona, "Cultural Artifact and Work of Art: Grand Canyon Landscape Painting," Journal of Arizona History, (Winter, 2019):475-505. 

Stein, Amy Ilona, and Byron Pearson , "An Interview with the Great Unconformity: Howie Usher "Journal of Arizona History, (Winter, 2019): 525-555.