On March 3, 2011, Cleveland Chiropractic College President Carl Cleveland III, DC, announced that the college's Los Angeles campus would no longer accept new undergraduate students or students of the doctor of chiropractic program, and would officially close its doors at the end of the summer trimester this August.
In making the announcement, Dr. Cleveland emphasized that the most important and immediate consideration was ensuring that current Cleveland-LA students could continue their education. In that regard, he said college leadership has initiated discussions with nearby Southern California University of Health Sciences, whose campus is located a mere 24 miles from Cleveland-LA and thus would not severely impact current Cleveland students who commute to the college on a daily basis.
As of press time, SCU has agreed to "accommodate all current Cleveland-LA students in good standing," said Dr. Cleveland, adding that the two schools "have reached an agreement in principle to accomplish this without impacting the students' anticipated graduation dates, tuition or fees, provided they remain in good standing once enrolled at SCUHS."
Dr. Cleveland also said that every effort would be made to help Cleveland-LA faculty members and staff, who also face bereavement once the college closes, transition into new roles at other institutions or businesses.
The seeds of Cleveland Chiropractic College were planted in Kansas City in 1922 when Drs. Carl S. Cleveland Sr., Ruth R. Cleveland and Perl B. Griffin founded the Central Chiropractic College of Kansas City, graduating its first doctor of chiropractic two years later. Nearly 30 years later (1951), Cleveland College of Chiropractic - Los Angeles came to fruition when the Los Angeles branch of the Ratledge System of Chiropractic Schools, founded by Dr. Tullius Ratledge in 1911 and transferred to Dr. Cleveland Sr. in 1951, was rechartered as Cleveland Chiropractic College of Los Angeles.
"The decision to close Cleveland Chiropractic College - Los Angeles has been difficult," said Dr. Cleveland III. "However, challenging economic conditions and a continuing downward enrollment trend impacting the California chiropractic colleges dictates that this consolidation is necessary. This change does not affect Cleveland Chiropractic College - Kansas City, a separate entity that has maintained an affiliation with Cleveland-LA since 1951."
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