North Idaho College trustees were ready to hold a public meeting, until they weren’t.

The board abruptly called off a public session Tuesday — after trustees met in a closed executive session, and before trustees hopped on a Zoom call with the college’s accrediting body.

Kaye Thornbrugh of the Coeur d’Alene Press has details on the meeting that wasn’t.

Tuesday’s non-meeting comes as the embattled community college faces a deadline.

By Friday, NIC must submit a written report, making its case for remaining accredited. The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities has requested the “show-cause” report ahead of a site visit scheduled for late April.

Accreditors have asked NIC to address a series of concerns: trustees’ decision to place President Nick Swayne on paid administrative leave, a decision reversed earlier in March; a continued decline in enrollment; declining donor support; and a “continued exodus of faculty, staff and senior administrators.”

Trustees were scheduled to discuss a draft of NIC’s response during Tuesday’s meeting.

Check back for details on NIC’s response to accreditors.