Accreditation Key Points

North Idaho College is working toward compliance with the accreditation standards of the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) as the college continues its work toward good standing.

The NWCCU has detailed specific areas of concern in which the college must demonstrate compliance to return to good standing.

Here is the list of tasks that NIC must address in its Fall 2023 special report, which is due Sept. 18, and in a special site visit tentatively scheduled for Oct. 31 to Nov. 1.

Policy Tasks

• Affirm and adhere to institutional and board policies, specifically those related to appropriate roles and responsibilities, expectations, professional conduct and ethics, and grievance procedures.
• Develop and execute presidential evaluation procedures, as well as policies regarding retention of presidential evaluations records. (Note: The NWCCU has noted the college to be substantially compliant but in need of improvement in this task.)
• Advance specific policies and procedures to address concerns identified in the show cause sanction and take timely and definitive action to mitigate or eliminate risks identified in the show cause sanction.

Governance Tasks

• Ensure full occupation of board by five trustees. (Note: This requires formal notification to the NWCCU regarding the makeup of the board by interim trustees appointed by the State Board of Education in 2022, as well as regarding the current makeup of trustees after the 2022 election.)
• Resolve issues identified in no confidence votes from students and employees, and demonstrate willingness to work with and support students, faculty and staff when they communicate concerns.
• Achieve consensus between the board and college leadership to identify internal and external strategic initiatives and to jointly create and execute plans.
• Ensure adherence to inclusivity articulated in NIC’s planning and decision-making processes; and demonstrate a commitment to an environment respectful of meaningful discourse.

Institutional Tasks

• Rebuild the college’s administrative and academic leadership team, including:
  • Appointing a permanent president using a process that permits an appropriate level of engagement by institutional stakeholders.
  • Hiring for currently vacant and/or interim vice-president positions after the permanent president is identified.
• Ensure transparency regarding financial resources by ensuring that:
  • Processes to inform faculty and staff are consistent from year to year.
  • Processes to inform trustees regarding financial decisions are applied equitably.

(Note: The NWCCU has noted the college to be substantially compliant but in need of improvement in this task.)

The college will share more information about its special reports and site visits as information becomes available. Sign up for Accreditation Updates in the Key Points signup form to the right.

North Idaho College is working toward compliance with the accreditation standards of the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) as the college continues its work toward good standing.

The NWCCU has detailed specific areas of concern that the college must demonstrate compliance to return to good standing.

Here is the list of tasks that NIC must address in a special report and site visit in Spring 2024.

Governance Tasks:

• Continue training and development activities for the board and president to:
  • Improve governance.
  • Ensure ethics and general conduct policies are followed.
  • Demonstrate a sustained commitment to the NWCCU’s Standards and Eligibility Requirements through concrete actions over time.
• Create a strong new onboarding programs for trustees, as well as ongoing development related to:
  • Board governance
  • Roles and responsibilities
  • Effective participation
  • Conflict of interest identification
  • Ethics
• Understand, embrace, adhere to and comply with existing shared governance structures in place at NIC. (Note: The NWCCU has noted the college to be substantially compliant but in need of improvement in this task.)

Institutional Tasks:

• Take action to resolve uncertainties regarding both the college’s leadership and accreditation status in order to improve retention of existing employees and fill current vacancies.
• Identify one college president and ensure a valid presidential contract, as well as a clear understanding of the president’s conditions of employment, rights, responsibilities, and criteria and procedures for evaluation, retention and termination.
• Resolve current litigation, governance and accreditation issues that have had a current and immediate impact on actual, current and budgeted expenditures, and which, if unresolved, will impact the long-term stability of the college.

The college will share more information about its special reports and site visits as information becomes available. Sign up for Accreditation Updates in the Key Points signup form to the right.