Looks like NIC is well on its way to losing accreditation (Boise: appointed, transplants)

[mistyriver]

This is just fine for north Idaho transplants who’ve come here to retire and indulge their Redoubt fantasies, but not so much for the real Idaho folks who depend on this institution.

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/20...interim-presi/

[mistyriver]

Originally Posted by JLynx

Yes, as I've come to understand it, North Idaho is already an educational wasteland for the most part.

I took classes there years ago to fill in a few I needed as prerequisites for a nursing degree. My work way back when for my English degree missed a few science classes.
I found it to be about as rigorous as junior or senior high school level classes back then. I don’t imagine it’s improved much. Still, it’s all the local kids have and it fills in what their high schools missed. And they can transfer on since it’s accredited.

This board led by the scurrilous Banducci and his two lackeys is just over the top nuttery.

[volosong]

Yes, the board is really messing things up. The students are the ones losing out.

p.s. For out southern brethren, "NIC" is North Idaho College, the local community college in Coeur d'Alene. Beautiful campus at the conjunction of the northwest corner of Lake Coeur d'Alene and the Spokane River.

[mistyriver]

Originally Posted by volosong

Yes, the board is really messing things up. The students are the ones losing out.

p.s. For out southern brethren, "NIC" is North Idaho College, the local community college in Coeur d'Alene. Beautiful campus at the conjunction of the northwest corner of Lake Coeur d'Alene and the Spokane River.

It is an absolutely gorgeous campus in a prime location. Sometimes I wonder if someone is after that property to develop it. First step could be NIC losing its accreditation.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by JLynx

Yes, as I've come to understand it, North Idaho is already an educational wasteland for the most part.

You're mistaken.

North Idaho is the home of Northern Idaho College, the University of Idaho, and Lewis & Clark State College.
And just over the Washington border, there's Gonzaga University in Spokane and Washington State University in Pullman.

They're all no further apart than a 3-hour drive, and that's a greater concentration of public higher education than in any other region of Idaho. Even when Boise State is combined with the private colleges in the Treasure Valley, it still comes in second in availability.

if anything, Southern Idaho lags behind both when it comes to both private and public schools of higher education.

The fact really is Idaho as a state lags behind our neighbors in the quality of our schools period. In all our schools from the elementary schools to our universities.

We have failed to keep up with teacher's and administrator's salaries, building needed new schools, updating the old schools to meet the demands of modern education, and have failed to build more schools when the need for them arose.

It's no surprise NIC has been touched by those failures. Every other college in the state has been touched by them already. Some of our best have been repeatedly touched.

Northern Idaho College is just like every other public college in Idaho. And all our other schools as well. They are all trying their best to educate our young as best they can with what they have.

There are really a lot of places where the blame can be laid, but none of it is specific to any region.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by JLynx

Oh, you're right -- U of I in Moscow is still pretty well in North Idaho. But it's a fairly long way from the Sandpoint area. 2 1/2 hour drive each way is a bit much for a good "continuing education" class.....

Yes, it is. Especially during the winter.

The U of I has a large extension system that works in conjunction with other colleges. I don't know if there's something available up there, but there may be, and it might be something that would work for you.

Google their website...

[Syringaloid]

Originally Posted by JLynx

Yes, as I've come to understand it, North Idaho is already an educational wasteland for the most part.

I'm not sure if it is a wasteland up there, but no where in the state will match the higher educational opportunities in the Boise area. CWI (College of Western Idaho) has an enrollment of twice that as the U of I in Moscow and BSU also enrolls twice as many as U of I.

There is also the ISU Meridian Center which specializes in health sciences. One of the top rated Liberal Arts colleges in the nation, the College of Idaho is in Caldwell and NNU is in Nampa.

Just over the border in Ontario is the Treasure Valley Community College and Eastern Oregon Ontario Center.

There are also several private business colleges in Boise.

[EscAlaMike]

Originally Posted by mistyriver

This is just fine for north Idaho transplants who’ve come here to retire and indulge their Redoubt fantasies, but not so much for the real Idaho folks who depend on this institution.

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/20...interim-presi/

The thread title seems a bit sensational to me. Nowhere does the article even remotely imply that the college's accreditation status may be in jeopardy. The gentleman appointed was only done so on an interim basis, and the college is conducting an active search for a full-time President.

Is there more information that only someone close to the situation would know that the public at-large wouldn't?

[mistyriver]

Originally Posted by EscAlaMike

The thread title seems a bit sensational to me. Nowhere does the article even remotely imply that the college's accreditation status may be in jeopardy. The gentleman appointed was only done so on an interim basis, and the college is conducting an active search for a full-time President.

Is there more information that only someone close to the situation would know that the public at-large wouldn't?

In less time than it took you to post the above, you could have googled “NIC” and “accreditation” and found this:

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/20...-risk-as-comm/

[volosong]

Originally Posted by banjomike

The U of I has a large extension system that works in conjunction with other colleges. I don't know if there's something available up there, but there may be, and it might be something that would work for you.

U of I, along with Lewis & Clark college have an extension in the same building pretty close to NIC. Also on the Spokane River. To the southeast is the NIC campus, then going northwest is the wastewater treatment plant followed by the U of I building. Past that is the 95 overpass.

Not a huge building and I have no idea what classes are offered there. But there it is.

Originally Posted by EscAlaMike

The thread title seems a bit sensational to me. Nowhere does the article even remotely imply that the college's accreditation status may be in jeopardy...

Is there more information that only someone close to the situation would know that the public at-large wouldn't?

There is much more to the story than what that one article conveys. Even today in the local paper is an article about the new interim president warning that the board must do whatever it takes to keep their accreditation. It's a real issue and has been in the local news for months. There are issues with the current board and being able to work together.