North Idaho College board votes to reinstate president amid accreditation crisis

The North Idaho College board has reinstated the college president and placed the interim president on paid administrative leave Monday night in response to a court order.

“The majority of the board members doesn’t necessarily agree with the court order, but the college will abide by the court’s ruling,” Chair Greg McKenzie said Monday.

The divided community college board put President Nick Swayne on administrative leave in December, under the advice of interim legal counsel Art Macomber, an unsuccessful candidate for Idaho attorney general in the May 2022 Republican primary, to “investigate” the terms of Swayne’s contract.

In the meantime, the board hired Greg South as interim president, offering him a salary of $235,000 a year with a contract “at least until June 30th, 2024, unless terminated,” The Spokesman-Review previously reported.

Swayne sued, seeking to be reinstated, arguing that his contract did not allow the board to put him on leave without cause. Swayne was not accused of any wrongdoing.

In a preliminary injunction late last week, Judge Cynthia Meyer of Kootenai County District Court ordered the college to immediately take Swayne off administrative leave for the duration of Swayne’s lawsuit. Meyer said the board did not have the authority to place him on leave without cause, and that in the meantime, he would suffer irreparable injury given his “unique interest” as president in the well-being of the higher-education institution during an accreditation crisis.

“By keeping Dr. Swayne on leave, the Board is permitting its interim president to make discretionary decisions that should be made by Dr. Swayne,” the injunction said.

The vote to reinstate Swayne was unanimous. About half of the crowded meeting room inside the student union erupted into applause.

Swayne and his attorneys declined to comment, citing the litigation.

The board’s minority faction of two, Brad Corkill and Tarie Zimmerman, had moved to reinstate Swayne at the Feb. 22 board meeting, but that motion failed 3-2.

A vote to place South, the interim president, on paid leave in good standing and to keep his college email address passed 3-1, with Corkill voting against and Zimmerman abstaining.

Zimmerman questioned putting South on paid leave, since she said his services are no longer needed. McKenzie, the chair, cut her off and threatened to send the meeting back into executive session.

The injunction comes amid a larger crisis as the public community college faces the possibility of losing accreditation as soon as this summer.

NIC’s accrediting body, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, issued a show-cause sanction in February requiring the school to submit a report addressing the commission’s concerns by March 31.

The sanction listed the uncertainty of having two presidents as one of several institutional and financial risks.

Outside the meeting room in the student union, Kaitlyn LaMetterey was doing her business homework.

“I am looking at other colleges,” she said, “because if they lose accreditation, I’m probably going to have to leave.”

She said students have started paying more attention to what is happening as the situation gets more serious.

Swayne received a standing ovation when he attended an employee appreciation luncheon Monday, said Molly Michaud, an English teacher and former faculty assembly chair.

“Thank God he’s back,” she said. “We’re so fortunate and happy to have him.”

Joni Roberts, a nurse who attended NIC, held a sign at the meeting that said “Welcome back Dr. Swayne.” She said she is disappointed to see what has happened at the college recently.

“I don’t know the man,” she said, “but I’m thinking he may be our only hope.”

The Idaho Statesman contributed.