NIC: Banducci is still in denial

A July 7 Coeur d’Alene Press article addressed the NIC accreditation issue, a huge decision looming before us. President Swayne’s optimism is reassuring. Unfortunately, he isn’t on the Board of Trustees, which is the crux of the problem. I’m exasperated by Mr. Banducci’s constant denial of the role he has played in this debacle.

Amazingly, he blames it all on others. Banducci and his cohorts fired college presidents without cause, spent a fortune hiring extraneous presidents and lawyers, etc. They alone are the guilty parties in this mess, nobody else! Nobody else! Banducci claims that others have them in a corner they can’t escape. No, Banducci, you guys drove that bus all by yourself. There were no passengers — this is all on you!

The guilty trustees can squirm to get out of it if they want, but the community knows better. Trustees are in leadership positions, but that doesn’t make them leaders. As a 29-year military vet, I’ve seen more guts and leadership in three strippers than Banducci has shown. This isn’t about pride, if that’s what he’s holding onto. This is about students, families, staff, the entire community. We can only hope that President Swayne can pull us out of the morass that Banducci and friends created. There are a few months left for the Banducci band to step up, face the music, and do the right thing. Will they? 

TIM SCHWEHR 

Hayden