North Idaho College

North Idaho College (NIC) is a public community college in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. It has an enrollment of approximately 3,900 undergraduate students. Its main campus is situated at the north end of Lake Coeur d'Alene near downtown Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and Tubbs Hill, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, at the east bank of the outflowing Spokane River.^[6] It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities but was placed on "show cause" status in early 2023 due to concerns about its board of trustees. Together with the College of Eastern Idaho, College of Western Idaho and College of Southern Idaho, NIC is one of only four comprehensive community colleges in Idaho.

North Idaho College

Former name	Coeur d'Alene Junior College (1933-1939) North Idaho Junior College (1939-1971)
Motto	"Changing Lives Every Day" On seal: Excellentia inter amoenitatem (Latin)
Motto in English	"Excellence between charms"
Type	Public community college
Established	August 10, 1933; 92 years ago (1933-08-10)
Parent institution	Idaho State Board of Education[1]
Accreditation	NWCCU
Academic affiliations	Space-grant
Chair	Greg McKenzie[2]
President	Nick Swayne[3]
Administrative staff	162
Students	3,979 (Fall 2023)[4]
Location	Coeur d'Alene , Idaho , United States 47°40′32″N 116°47′56″W
Campus	Small city[5], 77 acres (0.31 km2)
Other campuses	Bonners Ferry Kellogg Post Falls Rathdrum Sandpoint St. Maries
Newspaper	The Sentinel
Colors	Maroon and gray
Sporting affiliations	NAC
Mascot	Cardinal
Website	nic.edu

History

The school was established during the Great Depression in 1933 as "Coeur d'Alene Junior College," with classes held at City Hall. It moved to its present campus in 1939, at the site of the old Fort Sherman (1878–1900), and the name was changed to "North Idaho Junior College"; the present name came in 1971.^[7][8]

Board of trustees

The college's board of trustees has engaged in actions that have drawn national attention on multiple occasions.

In 2009, the college administration was censured by the American Association of University Professors.^[9][10]

In 2021, the board fired Rick MacLennan, the college president, without cause, later settling a lawsuit with him for nearly $500,000.^[11][12] Continued conflict among board members led to resignations of senior administrators at the college, the resignation of two trustees, the nonrenewal of some of the college's insurance policies, and a warning from the college's accreditor.^[12]

In late 2022, the board suspended the next college president, Nick Swayne, without explanation and hired a new attorney without an application or interview process; a few months later, the college was ordered by a judge to reinstate Swayne.^[12][13] These actions and concerns about their legality and the college's stability led Moody's Investor Service to downgrade the college's bond rating and issue warnings from the college's accreditor, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). In February 2023, NWCCU placed the college on "show cause" status, giving it one month to convince the accreditor that the college should remain accredited.^[14][15] Against the advice of the administration, and counter to college policy, the board hired a new attorney in November 2023. The college was subsequently given until October 2024 to demonstrate compliance with the accreditation standards.^[16]

As a result of the November 2024 elections, three new trustees were elected. The new board began correcting the problems created by the previous board. All 13 votes of no confidence lodged by staff, faculty, and students were formally rescinded by those bodies. Following college policy and the administration's recommendation, the trustees hired a professional legal team with actual experience in higher education law. The college presented evidence of these actions at the January 2025 meeting of the NWCCU. In its February report, the NWCCU recognized the professionalism and tremendous work done by the new board, resulting in a reduction of the sanction level from "show cause" to probation.

Academics

North Idaho College offers associate degrees, including transfer degrees and the Associate of Applied Science degree.^[17]

Catchment

Its catchment area includes all of the counties of Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai, and Shoshone. Of them, solely Kootenai County is in the college's taxation zone.^[18]

Notable alumni

• Braian Angola, professional basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Jason Bay, Major League Baseball outfielder^[19]
• Bryan Caraway, mixed martial artist (did not graduate)^[20]
• Barbara Ehardt (class of 1985), member of the Idaho House of Representatives and former college basketball coach
• Kelvin Gastelum (attended), mixed martial artist^[21]
• Gordon Herbert, professional basketball player and coach
• Rick Jore, former Montana State Representative^[22]
• Sarah Palin, former Alaska Governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate, attended North Idaho College for one semester^[23]
• Steve Parker, National Football League player^[24]
• Trevor Prangley, college wrestler and mixed martial artist^[25]
• Josh Thomson, wrestler^[26] and mixed martial artist (did not graduate)^[27][28]
• James Webb III (born 1993), basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Mike Whitehead, college wrestler and mixed martial artist (did not graduate)^[29]

Gallery

• 
  Meyer Health & Sciences Building
• 
  Edminster Student Union
• 
  Christianson Gymnasium
• 
  Historic Fort Sherman Officers Quarters