NIC TRUSTEES: Incompetence, churlish behavior and a bizarre move from three

I observed the North Idaho College Board of Trustees meeting on April 24.

I had expected the meeting to be tense, as there are clearly deep disagreements among the board on several issues. What I did not anticipate was the sheer incompetence demonstrated by Mr. McKenzie, the board chair, in leading that meeting. The board, under the chairmanship of Mr. McKenzie, completely bypassed the single most obvious and existential threat to NIC: the loss of accreditation.

Instead, the observers were instantly treated to churlish behavior by Mr. Banducci, who proposed to intrude upon the president’s portfolio regarding a safety review. Obviously eager to settle a score, Mr. McKenzie skipped over the response to the Show Cause letter from NWCCU, so the board would waste the next two hours trying to decide if Mr. Corkill should be censured (45 minutes), and whether the board could interfere in hiring actions that are obviously President Swayne’s to make (another hour). In a bizarre move, the board voted to render President Swayne’s contract “null and void,” pretending that it somehow “cured” its earlier blunders with respect to Idaho’s Open Meetings law.

In contrast, board members Corkill and Zimmerman were paragons of restraint, not to mention President Swayne, who is apparently expected to work without a contract for the near future.

I have nowhere above mentioned the Republican elephant in the room that is apparently inspiring three of the NIC board members to behave so badly. Last night’s meeting can be criticized on the basis of sheer, abject incompetence by the Board majority.

J D SAHR

Instructor at NIC