Community gives feedback on NIC campus master plan

COEUR d'ALENE — How should North Idaho College's campus and facilities change over the coming years? 

About a dozen community members gathered Thursday evening in the Lake Coeur d'Alene Room in the Student Union Building on NIC's main campus to discuss that topic during a listening session about the college's campus master plan.

A campus master plan is a shared, long-term vision for how the college's buildings, outdoor spaces and infrastructure can best support student success, teaching and service to the community. 

The master plan connects the college's mission and educational priorities to it physical campus, guiding improvements, setting investment priorities and providing flexibility as needs change. 

"We don't know what the next 10 years are going to bring for higher education," said Jonathan Martin, lead campus planner for RDG Planning and Design, the firm assisting NIC with the planning process. "We need to make sure that plan is not so rigid that North Idaho College leadership can't pivot when they need to." 

In Coeur d'Alene this week, representatives from RDG Planning and Design have gathered feedback on classrooms, outdoor spaces, parking, campus access and other needs. 

Staff gathered input from about 100 NIC students on Thursday, many of whom shared an appreciation for the college's proximity to the lake. 

"We heard a lot about the outdoors from students who want that connection to nature," said Eric Winkler, an architect with RDG. "Students were really thinking about activities beyond their everyday school." 

Martin said many community members have shared a desire for a deeper connection to the natural beauty of NIC's campus. Some educators, for instance, said they'd love to be able to take their students outside and conduct class in the open air. 

"We've had a lot of positive talk about recapturing the beauty of the lake for the campus," he said. "The lake is an amazing asset that needs to be celebrated here." 

NIC Ecology Club President Thad Shelby said club members have discussed the possibility of a greenhouse on campus and where such a facility might go. 

"If it were a big enough greenhouse, there could be space inside for learning," he said. 

Some community members emphasized NIC's identity as the heart of Coeur d'Alene, both in terms of its physical presence and its impact for generations of North Idaho families. 

"For some of us, NIC is a generational school," said Dan Shepler. "There's that consistency through life changing." 

Martin said the feedback gathered this week will help planners brainstorm ideas for how to improve the campus and facilities in response the wants and needs of the community. 

"As we think big, it gives us, as planners, opportunities to dive into it and come up with a solution that is right-sized for the campus," he said.