NIC has entered its final stretch in the fight to maintain its accreditation. As deadlines draw closer and tensions escalate, there remains uncertainty as to the fate of the school. Many are wondering what the plan of action is from here, still others are left wondering how NIC got to this point in the first place.
As of the time of this writing, there’s only five months left before a decisive judgment that determines the fate of NIC. The Northwest Commission on College and Universities (NWCCU) will meet in June and decide if NIC has met the requirements of the Show Cause sanction, or if its accreditation should be revoked.
For many, this prompts more questions than answers: Who is the NWCCU? What is the Show Cause Sanction? How does any of it affect accreditation?
Accreditation – Formal recognition given an institution or specialized program for meeting established standards of educational quality, as determined by regional, national, or specialized nongovernmental accrediting bodies
NWCCU’s Glossary definition
All public colleges are accredited by an organization approved by the US Department of Education. The NWCCU is one such organization that provides accreditation status to numerous institutions, NIC being one of them.
“The Commission [NWCCU] is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) as an accreditor of higher education institutions throughout the United States,” according to their website. “NWCCU provides institutional accreditation for public and private institutions of higher education, including Tribal and Faith-Based, throughout the United States and internationally.”
Simply put, accreditation ensures that NIC receives funding from the Idaho government and that academic credit/degrees obtained from NIC transfer to other institutions.
Why does any of this matter?
Accreditation is imperative for NIC to keep its doors open. This is why the sanctions and disapproval from the NWCCU are a cause for concern for anyone with an interest in the College’s existence. NIC has been issued two sanctions – Warning and Show Cause – the latter being the current sanction. Both are steps of evaluating NIC’s accreditation.
The Sanction of Warning is issued to warn institutions to correct its deficiencies, to refrain from certain activities, or to initiate certain activities within a stated period of time, as explained in their website’s glossary.
In this three-year period, the NWCCU reviews and monitors an institution’s actions to determine if it resolves its violations. This includes making biannual site visits and commission meetings to determine where NIC is in the process to return to good standing.
The Sanction of Show Cause is issued to prompt an institution to “present evidence as to why its accreditation should not be withdrawn,” according to an action letter dated to February 9. This is done in response to an institution failing to adequately resolve areas of noncompliance.
While under Show Cause, nothing is preventing the NWCCU from removing NIC’s accreditation.
How did we get here?
This begs the question: What has NIC done that violates NWCCU standards, policies, and Eligibility Requirements?
In the February 9 Show Cause Request, the NWCCU listed the following threats to NIC’s accreditation:
Three lawsuits, one settled and two active.
Frequent changes in leadership with little to no input from relevant stakeholders, without following institutional policies and procedures.
Uncertainty as to who is the Chief Executive Officer at North Idaho College, with a regular president placed on administrative leave (Swayne) and an interim president (South) appointed concurrent with the regular president.
Declining enrollments, including termination of partnership with STEM Charter Academy, with concomitant reduction in tuition revenue.
Continued exodus of faculty, staff, and senior administrators.
Decision with little to no input to expand athletics program and to change athletics conference with potential added costs.
Multiple No Confidence Resolutions from the Associated Students of NIC, NIC Faculty Assembly, and NIC Staff Assembly.
Risk of significant financial stress, including but not limited to: o Expanded payroll for two presidents, interim provost, and special assistant to the interim president, along with moving expenses, and other contracted charges and/or obligations. o Significantly increased insurance costs with higher deductibles. o Moody’s Bond Rating review for potential downgrade. o Declining donor support.
The specific Standards of Accreditation and Eligibility Requirements violated were also outlined in this letter. They pertain to effective functionality of NIC’s leadership and ethical standards. Specifically, NIC must have “a functioning governing board(s) responsible for the quality and integrity of the institution”.
“[The NWCCU is] convinced that the NIC Board of Trustees has not shown sufficient responsiveness to previous Commission action and, thus, fails to sufficiently appreciate the jeopardy it is placing the institution in with respect to the welfare and viability of the institution.”
February 9 Show Cause Letter from NWCCU
In addition to the lists of Standards and Eligibility violations, they also gave 15 recommendations for resolving these areas of non compliance. These were detailed in a letter from July 7, 2023 which also extended the deadline for resolving the Show Cause sanction. The recommendations relate to Eligibility Requirements all NWCCU accredited institutions must adhere to.
The NWCCU most recently communicated the Fall 2023 Peer Evaluation Report. The 19-page report concluded there had been little to no progress in several areas that required Board action.
The report was conducted by a four-person evaluation team following their site visit to NIC’s campus in late October of 2023. The team specifically addressed nine of the recommendations given to guide NIC’s to regaining good standing. Their findings were overall negative.
Unresolved votes of no confidence in the Board, pending lawsuits, the presence of two CEOs, and a lack of civility during Board meetings are all issues noted within the Report. These issues continue to threaten NIC’s compliance with the NWCCU.
What happens next?
The fate of NIC is still indeterminate, although the recent Peer Evaluation Report did not show promising results. This report will be reviewed by the NWCCU Board of Commissioners at their meeting later this month.
The NWCCU will also conduct one more peer evaluation during their site visit in April of 2024. The results of this report will be reviewed at the Board of Commissioners meeting in June of this year.
“The June Commission meeting is going to be the big one for us.”
President Nick Swayne
The NWCCU’s decision at the June meeting will ultimately decide if NIC can retain its accreditation for an additional year. The Comission can move to maintain the sanction, reduce to a less severe sanction, or move NIC back to good standing.
“You can only be on Show Cause for a year,” said Swayne. “If they take us from Show Cause back to Probation or Warning, we have to be back in good standing with NWCCU by April of ‘25.”
The events of the 2024 spring semester will be notable in NIC’s history. The actions of the Board of Trustees, the responses to the Recommendations, and the verdict of the NWCCU Commissioner meeting will all prove decisive.
“I don’t know how this resolves,” said Kathleen Miller Green, Chair of the Faculty Assembly. “I will tell you I believe however this resolves will be painful.”
The arbiters of NIC’s fate may be few, yet the community can stand with their college and stay updated by attending the Board’s public meetings. The next regularly scheduled Board meeting is January 24. Information on the Board’s meeting time and agenda can be found on NIC’s website.
For more information or to stay up to date on NIC’s accreditation, subscribe to the Sentinel.
