OPINION - North Idaho College: A success worth celebrating

For several years, it seemed North Idaho College was making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Leadership turnover. Lawsuits. Insurance problems. Public disputes. Accreditation concerns. Today, the headlines are very different for all the right reasons.

This week, Moody’s Ratings revised NIC’s outlook from stable to positive while affirming the college’s Baa1 issuer and revenue bond ratings. Moody’s specifically cited continued stability in college governance as an important factor in the improved outlook. That is one more milestone in what has become a remarkable turnaround for one of North Idaho’s most important institutions.

In February, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities removed NIC from probation and restored the college to good standing, ending a multi-year accreditation review.

Enrollment is growing, too. Spring enrollment increased 7.1 percent over the previous year, marking six consecutive semesters of growth. Now Moody’s reports enrollment has increased more than 9 percent over the same period last year, extending that streak to seven consecutive semesters. (North Idaho College)

Those numbers matter, but they don’t tell the whole story. NIC’s comeback belongs to a community that refused to give up on its college.

It belongs to President Nick Swayne and his administrative team, who kept their focus on the institution and its students through extraordinarily difficult circumstances. Restoring confidence requires more than surviving a crisis. It requires rebuilding policies, strengthening relationships, restoring accountability, and getting everyone moving in the same direction.

It belongs to the faculty and staff who showed up every day and did the work. While headlines focused on controversy, instructors were still teaching. Advisers were still helping students choose a path. Employees were keeping classrooms, programs, financial systems, and campus operations functioning.

And it certainly belongs to the students. Through years of uncertainty, they continued enrolling, learning, competing, graduating, and reminding all of us why North Idaho College exists in the first place. The clearest sign of renewed confidence may be that more students are choosing NIC.

Credit also belongs to Trustees Tarie Zimmerman, Brad Corkill, Eve Knutson, Rick Durbin, and Mary Havercroft for helping restore stable governance and allowing administrators and educators to do their jobs. Moody’s specifically pointed to that governance stability when explaining its improved outlook. (CDA Press)

Finally, credit belongs to the people of North Idaho. Our community spoke loudly when NIC was struggling. People attended meetings, asked questions, demanded accountability, supported students and employees, and made it clear that losing this institution was not acceptable. That involvement made a difference.

North Idaho College is more than a beautiful campus on the lake. It trains nurses, welders, teachers, first responders, tradespeople, and professionals. It gives high school students a head start, working adults an opportunity to retrain, and families an affordable path to higher education. Its success strengthens our workforce and our entire region.

There will always be more work to do. Moody’s itself notes that NIC still faces financial and operating challenges. (CDA Press) Good stewardship means recognizing those challenges rather than pretending they do not exist.

But sometimes it is important to stop long enough to recognize progress: Accreditation restored. Enrollment growing. Leadership stabilized. Financial outlook improving. Those headlines are worth celebrating.

And to everyone who helped make them possible; our community, President Swayne and his administration, faculty and staff, students and trustees:

Thank you. North Idaho College is moving forward. This is what happens when we embrace the Idaho Way. 

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Becky Funk is a member of North Idaho Republicans and former Legislative District 4 Republican Chair. She is a proud Cardinal parent of two children who earned degrees from NIC.