North Idaho College’s enrollment continued to grow this summer, leading to a need for more career and technical education instructors and classroom space.
Enrollment overall is up 14.3% from last summer President Nick Swayne told trustees. Combined with last year’s increase, summer enrollment is up over 30% in the last two years.
That growth will only continue, with more Kootenai Technical Education Campus (KTEC) students expected next year as the school transitions from 2 to 3 daily cohorts.
Those increases in enrollment drove trustees to authorize $780,000 in additional state funding to hire more faculty and staff and expand programs. Additional faculty members will be hired for the welding, health professions, graphic design and dental programs.
Trustees toured the Parker Technical Center ahead of their monthly meeting Wednesday to see how newly budgeted funding will improve student workspaces.
During their tour, trustees saw how increased enrollment has stressed the Parker Center’s capacity. The building, located in Rathdrum, opened in 2016.
Shane Stockman, professor and division chair for trades and industries, showed trustees how welding and HVAC students need more space to keep partially finished projects and gear. And he pointed out the need for maintenance and upkeep; the welding program needs a redesign of the gas system due to a pressure drop in some of the booths.
Board Chair Brad Corkill, who owns an area sawmill, kept repeating how clean the facility was.
Stockman joked back “it’s not as clean as I would like.”
Trustee Eve Knudtsen marveled at the automotive program’s shop. She said she frequently hires graduates at her car dealership, Knudtsen Chevrolet.
The shop will be expanded as well, along with adding parking behind the Parker Center, Mark Magill, an instructor said.
Trustees also received an update on accreditation. The college remains on probation, an improvement from years on the edge of losing accreditation altogether, but Swayne and the trustees are hopeful to return to full accreditation this fall.
A draft of the upcoming mid cycle report is set to be complete this week with the site visit set for mid-October.
