In today’s Press, NIC Trustee Chair Christie Wood said that the Education Corridor purchase was going forward despite state-wide mandated budget cuts. She wrapped up her points about the Education Corridor by saying that it would:
… provide economic development through educational opportunities.
I don’t have a degree from NIC, but what the heck does that statement mean?
My guess is that “educational opportunities” should be replaced with “tax dollars meant to educate our community.” So, let’s see:
The Education Corridor will provide economic development through tax dollars meant to educate our community.
Yep. That’s my feelings on the thing. The NIC Trustees haven’t proved me wrong yet, nor have they answered specific questions from other concerned citizens regarding why economic development seems to be the only driving element behind the Education Corridor.
According to the Master Plan, the Education Corridor is about commercial development: office space, condos, boutique shops, restaurants, and so on. The word “classroom” appears only 13 times in the 114-page report. Nine of those 13 references mention existing classroom facilities. The other 4 times mention how “classrooms” fit into proposed commercial development. From Page 23 of the report:
6. Orient retail along Northwest Boulevard and River Road. A true campus has components of live, work, and play. Office space and classrooms provide the stage for educational work. Living and playing in the Coeur d’Alene Education Corridor will require an increase in retail amenities including small shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues. The locations and roles of Northwest Boulevard and River Road make these streets ideal locations for retail uses.
(Curious how the need seems to be “living and playing” and not “learning.” Also note how it’s referred to as the “Coeur d’Alene Education Corridor”?)
From page 36:
What are typically retail storefronts along a traditional main street will be a diverse mix of academic offices, classrooms, retail stores, restaurants, academic related office space, and a combination of for sale and for rent housing. The ground floor will be characterized by academic offices and commercial uses. The upper floors will contain a mix of classrooms, housing, and offices.
Page 52:
A signage and gateway program will inform students and visitors of the existence and location of student services, classroom space, recreational opportunities, student housing, retail shops, restaurants, parking, restrooms, and other information.
Obviously, building classrooms is not the prime motivation behind the Education Corridor. Why those pushing this project don’t find that detail disappointing is upsetting to me — and should be upsetting to anyone who wants NIC’s top priority in these economic times to be community education, not development.
Here is North Idaho College’s mission statement:
North Idaho College is committed to student success, teaching excellence, and lifelong learning. As a comprehensive community college, North Idaho College provides quality educational opportunities that expand human potential and enhance the quality of life for the students and the communities it serves.
Where is “economic development” in that mission statement?
Very good critical reading, Dan.
An old saying by…..me. “People generally tell you what you want to know.”
No subterfuge here. Christie tells it like it is. The community has been alerted many times about the misrepresentation of their so called “Mission Statement”, but apparently it is no big deal. Bring on the economic development, the students will follow?
Comment by Gary Ingram — December 3, 2008 @ 11:56 am
NIC is supposed to service the educational needs of all 5 northern counties of Idaho. Every property owner in Kootenai County pays extra to support NIC. It is not “Coeur d’Alene College”!
Comment by mary — December 3, 2008 @ 1:59 pm
The electorate of Kootenai County voted to create a tax assessment for North Idaho College. Now might be the time to reconsider this decision. I’m certain that the residents of Bonner and Shoshone counties appreciate our support for institutions in their area. Seriously, does anyone know what the procedure would be to have NIC legally removed from our Kootenai County tax assessment?
Comment by doubleseetripleeye — December 3, 2008 @ 2:16 pm
I’ve heard that Kootenai County residents can vote to remove “local control” and then our tax assessment for NIC would drop dramatically because the state would be running the school. NIC is the only of the three Idaho community colleges that has “local control”. We live here locally, do you feel like you have “control”? I don’t. I don’t even feel that the NIC Board listens to citizens at all…how much less responsive could a state level person be?
Comment by mary — December 3, 2008 @ 5:35 pm
2c3i and Mary,
According to this article in the Seattle P-I, there’s a fledgling move to enable two-year schools to offer a smattering of baccalaureate degrees. If as the article says, “Those programs — like those already offered at seven community colleges around the state — would emphasize job skills over more traditional academic studies such as the humanities,” that is something worth serious consideration. I wonder what Ron Nilson and Rep. Henderson might think of that?
It seems pretty clear, though, that a community college like ours would have to cede local control (as Mary noted, nominal at best) to the state.
Comment by Bill — December 3, 2008 @ 7:17 pm
csi and nic are the two colleges that have ‘local control’. this means the local power structure gets control of the spending and the local taxpayer gets the bill.
Comment by TheWiz — December 3, 2008 @ 7:50 pm
bill a long time ago nic was a normal school that created teachers out of high school girsl. it was a two year trade school. it worked well.
Comment by TheWiz — December 3, 2008 @ 7:51 pm
I knew that LCSC was a teacher’s college when it was called Lewis Clark Normal, but I didn’t know North Idaho Junior College had ever turned out certificated teachers.
Comment by Bill — December 4, 2008 @ 6:45 am
NIC has done nothing but suck blood out of folks for an education. Locally, they control everyone, including NOT giving you an education. These local folks decide your fate, and if they can suck enough money out of you, they will string you along or deny you. Their degrees do not mean anything in another state. Most folks don’t even know where the state of Idaho is or even care.
If you want anything at all, you are best served by moving and taking your financial aide and giving it to a tech school, before they fail you locally or ruin your job opportunities. Those tech schools will guarantee you something. You will have it, and lose all the anguish to get accepted into their pretigious nothing programs. If you do make it here, you will eventually work for free for a local employer during your internship, and have this god awful financial loan bill to pay. The good jobs and programs are always guranteed for the elite rich. Once you cannot stand the area any longer, because it is such a struggle, you will eventually move out of state to do better and you will.
Real training is OUT of the state of Idaho and these folks don’t even bother to recognize any of it. They think they are all so great, because they have a lake. All they do is suck kids in for a suntan.
There, I said it and it feels good.
Comment by Stebbijo — December 4, 2008 @ 4:42 pm |Edit This
Comment by Bill — December 4, 2008 @ 4:51 pm
bill, when i check it looks like i was wrong, nic was a junior college not a normal school. sorry.
Comment by TheWiz — December 4, 2008 @ 6:59 pm
Wiz,
Thanks for the clarification.
Comment by Bill — December 5, 2008 @ 4:37 pm