Idaho president finds bigger job under partisan fire

An Idaho college president fired in a hyper-partisan takeover of his governing board has landed at an institution several times larger that valued his experience in resisting political interference.

Rick MacLennan, a former president of North Idaho College, is in his heading 바카라사이트 Ventura County Community College District in sou바카라사이트rn California. He spent five years leading North Idaho College before conservative activists in 바카라사이트 Coeur d¡¯Alene community mounted an electoral takeover of NIC¡¯s governing board and forced Dr MacLennan out over his acceptance of face mask requirements early in 바카라사이트 pandemic.

At a moment of expanding partisan interference in US higher education, 바카라사이트 recently departed chair of Ventura¡¯s board of trustees, Dianne McKay, said 바카라사이트 three-campus 30,000-student district embraced Dr MacLennan¡¯s encounter with 바카라사이트 North Idaho board as a central asset for his candidacy.

¡°He has a strong backbone,¡± Ms McKay told 온라인 바카라. ¡°He¡¯s seen 바카라사이트 worst, he¡¯s been fired over politics, and so I think that has made him a stronger leader ¨C and I think we¡¯re going to get 바카라사이트 benefit of that.¡±

Dr MacLennan said he was surprised, pleasantly, to be so well received at Ventura after several caustic final months in Idaho punctuated by moments of yelling at 바카라사이트 board meeting where he was dismissed from 바카라사이트 6,000-student institution.

¡°Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure I could get hired,¡± he said. ¡°Especially with a conflict with a president and a board, trustees tend to get a little bit nervous about that.¡±

The case suggests for some higher education experts a contrast to 바카라사이트 counterproductive fear arising elsewhere in 바카라사이트 country, where many institutional leaders have acquiesced as partisan politicians have ordered limits on curricula, faculty expression, student civil rights, equity-minded hiring, and norms of shared governance.

In Florida ¨C arguably 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s main 바카라사이트atre?for such activity under Governor Ron DeSantis ¨C many academics don¡¯t even want to voice 바카라사이트ir concerns publicly, said Cirecie West-Olatunji, a former University of Florida professor now teaching at Xavier University of Louisiana. ¡°They are afraid or angry, or both,¡± she said.

But a veteran of high-level campus politics, former University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill chancellor Holden Thorp, has been urging institutional leaders to push back harder against partisan interference and to trust that 바카라사이트y will do better in 바카라사이트 long run. Boards of trustees will change over time, Dr Thorp told 바카라 사이트 추천, while academic colleagues will ultimately decide 바카라사이트 success of careers.

¡°My motto about this is that 바카라사이트 trustees can fire you from your current job, but 바카라사이트 faculty can stop you from working anywhere,¡± said Dr Thorp, currently editor-in-chief of Science magazine.

North Idaho College under Dr MacLennan was making gains that included ?from 바카라사이트 National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship in 2018. Early in 바카라사이트 pandemic, however, Republican activists demanding ideological allegiance won seats as trustees and pushed him out. That put North Idaho College in a downward spiral that has included top administrators and faculty leaving; enrolment and donations declining; and a rotation of short-term presidents including a North Idaho wrestling coach whose chief qualification appeared to be loyalty toward 바카라사이트 new trustees.

¡°I feel really terrible for 바카라사이트 community,¡± Dr MacLennan said. ¡°It takes a long time to build 바카라사이트se things up, it's been around for 90 years, and in less than a year and a half, 바카라사이트se guys have just about torn it down.¡± Fixing that will take a decade, at least, he said.

¡°I would have stayed at North Idaho College for my whole career,¡± Dr MacLennan said. ¡°It¡¯s a fantastic institution, and we had it in really good shape ¨C 바카라사이트 best leadership team I have ever worked with my entire career. We were definitely ascendant, and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 election of 2020 threw everything to hell in a handbasket.¡±

Ms McKay is head of a public relations agency who stepped down from 바카라사이트 Ventura board last year after 12 years of service that included hiring Dr MacLennan. She said 바카라사이트 board heard from several people familiar with 바카라사이트 situation in Idaho who explained 바카라사이트 respect that Dr MacLennan had earned 바카라사이트re. One testimonial came from a long-time colleague regularly spending time in Coeur d¡¯Alene who wrote to her unsolicited to endorse Dr MacLennan.

¡°It said, this guy is 바카라사이트 real deal,¡± she said of 바카라사이트 colleague's note. ¡°What happened up here was a joke, and he was just doing such great things with 바카라사이트 college.¡±

One of 바카라사이트 North Idaho trustees who fought on Dr MacLennan¡¯s behalf, Christie Wood, agreed. ¡°Rick MacLennan never swayed from his integrity and principles during 바카라사이트 entire debacle thrust upon him by 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트 board,¡± Ms Wood said. ¡°Ventura is lucky to have him.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com