BOSS is one of the oldest survival schools in the US.
This does not excuse their screw up but they are no fly by night operation.

BOSS is primarily a primitive type school so their training does not involve a lot of gear. Students are expected to make and find what they need. Maybe they should have offered this as an advanced course with a prerequisit of taking more basic courses.

While BOSS was definitely party to this students demise I can only wonder how much previous training he had before this trip.
Perhaps he was taking a course that was over his head and BOSS should have known this before they started the course.

The BOSS staff should have noticed the students deterioration and pulled the plug on the course for this student.

The "more you know the less you need" mantra in quite valid and widely accepted but it turns out to be an ironic twist to this sad tale. This phrase or its philosophy are ubiquitous to almost all primitive schools.
Personally I agree with this mantra to some degree. Many people can carry plenty of gear and still get in trouble but the folks with experience and training can make the best of a situation with less. In fact in many cases their training helps them avoid the crisis all together.