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MAGA-style GOP trustees take over North Idaho College Board; results in 5 presidents in one year, credit rating drop, and maybe loss of accreditation

essentialsaltes

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For most of the past two years, the college’s governing board has been a volatile experiment in turning grievances into governance. Trustees backed by the county Republican Party hold a majority on the board. They have denounced liberal “indoctrination” by the college faculty and vowed to bring the school administration’s “deep state” to heel and “Make NIC Great Again.”

OG NYT link: The MAGA-fication of North Idaho College

The injection of such sweeping political aims into the routine administration of a community college of 4,600 students, one better known locally for its technical training programs than the politics of its faculty, has devolved into a full-blown crisis. The school has faced lawsuits from two of the five presidents it has had since the start of the previous school year. A district court judge ordered one of those presidents reinstated Friday in a ruling that castigated the trustees for “steering NIC toward an iceberg.” The college has lost professors and staff and had its debt downgraded by Moody’s, which cited the school's “significant governance and management dysfunction.”

...

In November, Greg McKenzie, the current board chair, dismissed the prospect of losing accreditation as “Fake News” in a letter to constituents.

But at the February meeting, as that loss suddenly seemed like a very real possibility, the trustees appeared somewhat chastened. McKenzie reminded the crowd that members of the accrediting commission were watching via livestream and asked attendees to help avoid the circuslike atmosphere of recent meetings.

...

Banducci’s bloc of trustees eventually fired MacLennan without cause, installing the school’s wrestling coach as interim president.
 
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iluvatar5150

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For most of the past two years, the college’s governing board has been a volatile experiment in turning grievances into governance. Trustees backed by the county Republican Party hold a majority on the board. They have denounced liberal “indoctrination” by the college faculty and vowed to bring the school administration’s “deep state” to heel and “Make NIC Great Again.”

The injection of such sweeping political aims into the routine administration of a community college of 4,600 students, one better known locally for its technical training programs than the politics of its faculty, has devolved into a full-blown crisis. The school has faced lawsuits from two of the five presidents it has had since the start of the previous school year. A district court judge ordered one of those presidents reinstated Friday in a ruling that castigated the trustees for “steering NIC toward an iceberg.” The college has lost professors and staff and had its debt downgraded by Moody’s, which cited the school's “significant governance and management dysfunction.”

...

In November, Greg McKenzie, the current board chair, dismissed the prospect of losing accreditation as “Fake News” in a letter to constituents.

But at the February meeting, as that loss suddenly seemed like a very real possibility, the trustees appeared somewhat chastened. McKenzie reminded the crowd that members of the accrediting commission were watching via livestream and asked attendees to help avoid the circuslike atmosphere of recent meetings.

...

Banducci’s bloc of trustees eventually fired MacLennan without cause, installing the school’s wrestling coach as interim president.
link doesn’t work
 
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HTacianas

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For most of the past two years, the college’s governing board has been a volatile experiment in turning grievances into governance. Trustees backed by the county Republican Party hold a majority on the board. They have denounced liberal “indoctrination” by the college faculty and vowed to bring the school administration’s “deep state” to heel and “Make NIC Great Again.”

The injection of such sweeping political aims into the routine administration of a community college of 4,600 students, one better known locally for its technical training programs than the politics of its faculty, has devolved into a full-blown crisis. The school has faced lawsuits from two of the five presidents it has had since the start of the previous school year. A district court judge ordered one of those presidents reinstated Friday in a ruling that castigated the trustees for “steering NIC toward an iceberg.” The college has lost professors and staff and had its debt downgraded by Moody’s, which cited the school's “significant governance and management dysfunction.”

...

In November, Greg McKenzie, the current board chair, dismissed the prospect of losing accreditation as “Fake News” in a letter to constituents.

But at the February meeting, as that loss suddenly seemed like a very real possibility, the trustees appeared somewhat chastened. McKenzie reminded the crowd that members of the accrediting commission were watching via livestream and asked attendees to help avoid the circuslike atmosphere of recent meetings.

...

Banducci’s bloc of trustees eventually fired MacLennan without cause, installing the school’s wrestling coach as interim president.

I read that article earlier. It's hard to tell if this is a right-wing takeover of a college causing the disturbance or the last dying gasps of left-wing faculty learning their time is up.
 
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iluvatar5150

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I read that article earlier. It's hard to tell if this is a right-wing takeover of a college causing the disturbance or the last dying gasps of left-wing faculty learning their time is up.
The notion that there's much in the way of left-wing faculty at a community college in rural Idaho is... laughable. This isn't Berkeley.
 
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essentialsaltes

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I read that article earlier. It's hard to tell if this is a right-wing takeover of a college causing the disturbance or the last dying gasps of left-wing faculty learning their time is up.
Haha, the faculty is not causing Moody's to downgrade their bonds. The faculty didn't usher in 5 presidents. If there were a sea-change in the faculty, that might occasion the loss of accreditation. No, it should be easy to tell what the cause is.
 
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NxNW

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The notion that there's much in the way of left-wing faculty at a community college in rural Idaho is... laughable.
Idaho is where the Deep State hides under Deep Cover to perpetrate, um, liberal things.
 
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Blade

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Yahoo news.. sure ok. It does make me think how Christ came died for you gave His life to save you no other did nor will. For God so loved YOU He gave His only son that if you would believe in Him who He said He was He will give you ever lasting life. Today is the day of salvation. We were not promised tomorrow.. ask Him.. if He is real He will show up. Key is to ask from your heart..
 
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Arcangl86

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Yahoo news.. sure ok. It does make me think how Christ came died for you gave His life to save you no other did nor will. For God so loved YOU He gave His only son that if you would believe in Him who He said He was He will give you ever lasting life. Today is the day of salvation. We were not promised tomorrow.. ask Him.. if He is real He will show up. Key is to ask from your heart..
What? This has absolutely nothing to do with the story we are discussing.
 
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USincognito

a post by Alan Smithee
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Yahoo news.. sure ok.
Are you unfamiliar with news aggregating services? All the major search engines have them. The original article appeared in the NYT.
 
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