NIC: Situation concerns parent

As a former North Idaho College student and parent of a high school senior, I am deeply concerned about the threat to NIC’s accreditation. What assurance do we have as parents that the credits our students earned through dual enrollment at North Idaho College will be transferrable?

As my child heads into her final semester of high school, she is slated to take two more courses through dual enrollment. Right now we are contemplating changing her schedule. Regular high school credit would be preferable to rolling the dice and having my child take classes that might count for nothing.

Over the past two years, our students have weathered a great deal of uncertainty due to the pandemic. They have dealt with atypical stress in addition to the everyday stress students deal with as they complete their high school education and apply to college. Now, because of a lack of leadership and shortsightedness by North Idaho College’s Board of Trustees, our children have the anxiety of not knowing whether a head start on their college education will instead be a setback.

It saddens me to say that I would hesitate to have my child start their college career at NIC. It is time for the college to be accountable to our students, the local school districts that offer dual credit, the taxpayers who fund NIC operations and the dual credit program, and to the many who have supported the college in the past.

TARYN HECKER

Rathdrum