Palmer West Board of Trustees Chairman Marilyn Smith, D.C., joined PCCW President John L. Miller, D.C., at an all-college meeting to announce the merger and to introduce Michael Crawford as the chancellor of Palmer Chiropractic University.
The current presidents, Dr. Donald P. Kern of Palmer College and Dr. John Miller of Palmer West will retain their present positions but will be under the direction of the chancellor.
"I am extremely proud of Palmer West and its accomplishments over the past ten years," said Dr. Miller, who has served as PCCW president since the college was founded in 1980. "Today's announcement represents the next step in the ongoing evolution of Palmer West's commitment to quality chiropractic education."
The PCC/PCCW merger follows a four-year period in which a task force represented by trustees from both colleges and assisted by an independent consulting service underwent an extensive analysis of educational, financial, legal, and accreditation-related matters. Factors which led to the decision to merge include the collaborative ability to strengthen unity of mission and Palmer philosophy; the strategic planning of both colleges; the organizational environment to accommodate future growth and change; and to enhance recruitment and marketing efforts.
Vickie Palmer, chairman of the Palmer College board of trustees and great-granddaughter of chiropractic's founder, said the merger will allow PCU to "speak with a single voice to address its mission and fulfill its role of leadership in the chiropractic profession.
Michael Crawford, the newly appointed chancellor of PCU, has served as chancellor and CEO of the St. Louis Community College system for the past five years. Mr. Crawford was also chancellor of the Eastern Iowa Community College district for eight years, and vice president of development at Kirkwoood Community College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa for four years. Mr. Crawford was named the executive director of the ACCtion Consortium, an organization which provides technical assistance to developing community colleges. Mr. Crawford was also the chairman of the President's Academy of the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges.
"I'm excited about this new opportunity; it's a position which allows me to tie together my strong commitment to higher education with my strong feeling about chiropractic," said Mr. Crawford. "We're at a very important point in the development of chiropractic, and we have a unique opportunity to do something special, a chance to make a significant difference in research, clinical care and instruction on an international basis," he concluded.
The corporate office of PCU will be based in Davenport, Iowa. During the next two months Mr. Crawford will be reviewing the task force report and meeting with PCC and PCCW administrators to discuss how the merger can most effectively support the academic goals of each institution.
Chancellor Crawford indicated that the merger will not affect the curriculum of either college.
Mr. Crawford stated that, "We have a basic blueprint ... but nothing is absolute at this point. We will build and grow on the strengths of each institution. Palmer College brings the history and tradition of the founding college of chiropractic. Palmer West is a young, dynamic institution which has fostered an atmosphere of excitement during it rapid growth and development into one of the leaders in chiropractic education."
The chancellor summed up by saying: "The synergy of this merger will strengthen all aspects of the instructional process, and isn't that the reason we exist, to provide the best possible educational experience for our students?"
Palmer West's current student enrollment is approximately 650. Since its founding in 1980, PCCW has enrolled students from more than 20 countries and has graduated more that 1,500 DCs. Palmer College of Chiropractic, the oldest and largest accredited chiropractic institution was formed in 1895 and has an alumni of more than 15,000 DCs.
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