Marycrest International University has announced its intention to add a doctoral program in chiropractic at its new branch campus in Denver, Colorado. Both the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS) and the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) have approved the addition of the program.
Marycrest's Colorado College of Chiropractic is scheduled to begin offering courses August 15, 2000. Dr. Robert D. (Doug) Davison is the executive dean of the new program. With the approval from the NCACS and CCHE, the hiring of faculty and staff and the recruitment of prospective students is now proceeding.
"Contemporary chiropractic recognizes the important role scientific inquiry plays in the ongoing development of the profession," said Dr. Davison. "The program being developed at Marycrest will focus on the contemporary approach to chiropractic. Graduates will be taught to practice in an evidence-based environment. We must teach our students to practice as members of the health care delivery team, while ensuring that they continue to offer their patients the chiropractic alternative."
While the college officials in Colorado did not see a specific need for another chiropractic college in the U.S. in terms of number of seats available, they did see a definite geographic need in the Denver area. Students here have to travel at least 750 miles to attend a chiropractic college.
To help with the early organization of the college and its curriculum, and to add a depth of experience to the program, Dr. Davison recruited a local advisory committee: Drs. Terry Yochum; John Hanks; T. Sammi Lowe; Chip Carmichael; and Chad Abercrombie.
Dr. Davison said the school is looking forward to working with the Colorado Chiropractic Association and the Colorado Chiropractic Society, and to serving local professionals. With that in mind, Marycrest Colorado College of Chiropractic will host a monthly journal club for area practitioners. The club is an opportunity for doctors to come together and discuss the current literature and difficult cases. It meets on the first Wednesday of each month in the library. Interested doctors are encouraged to call (303) 937-4585 for more information.
Marycrest International University has a long history of high-quality programs in undergraduate and graduate professional preparation. Since its inception in 1939 in Davenport, Iowa as Marycrest College, a Catholic college for women, the institution has graduated thousands of successful professionals in the areas of nursing, education, computer science/graphics and social work. In 1990, Marycrest affiliated with the Teikyo University Group, strengthening its position as an international institution and providing access to many new educational opportunities for its students.
The chiropractic program is located on the campus of Marycrest's sister institution - Teikyo Loretto Heights in Denver, Colorado. Marycrest and Teikyo Loretto Heights are members of the UNITE (University Network for International and Technological Education) Consortium, a group of three U.S. Teikyo University Group-affiliated institutions which enhance institutional effectiveness by sharing curricular, personnel and other resources.
The Teikyo University Group comprises: six foundations; undergraduate and graduate universities; and a number of specialized schools and institutions, including the largest private medical school in Japan, with three teaching hospitals, a school of pharmacology, a law school, and a graduate school of engineering. The group's 50,000 students are spread out among 46 campuses located in Japan, the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong.
College officials believe that the Teikyo University Group offers the potential for collaboration in research and teaching, and access to a wealth of knowledge and opportunities not previously enjoyed by chiropractic programs.
"I believe the new school will further the educational mission of Teikyo University Group, and will also have tremendous impact on the health and well-being of individuals," said Dr. Shoichi Okinaga, president of Teikyo University.
Teikyo has academic affiliations with:
- Wadham College, Oxford University
- St. Edmund's College, Cambridge University
- Harvard University
- Durham University
- University of Science and Technology of China
- Taipei Medical College
- West China University of Medical Sciences
- Harbin Medical University
- China Medical College Hospital
The addition of a chiropractic program fits well within the mission of the university and Teikyo University Group. The Okinaga Foundation, part of Teikyo, has funded a $2.5 million grant toward the start-up expenses of the program. "We are excited to be able to fund a new program initiative that serves multiple members of the UNITE consortium, said Mr. Fred Van Liew, president of the Okinaga Foundation. "Through this grant, we are able to help Marycrest with a new program in a new market, while also adding a significant presence to the Teikyo Loretto Heights University campus."
The college will seek accreditation through the Council on Chiropractic Education, however, the CCE Standards mandate new schools wait two years before applying for accreditation.
The Loretto Heights campus consists of 19 buildings on a 74-acre site, the highest area in the mile-high city. The Administration Building, the centerpiece of the campus, was opened in 1891 and is entered in the National Register of Historic Places. Its wide hallways, hardwood floors and architectural detail lend themselves to the classic academic feeling of this building. Its prominent bell tower can be seen from miles around, serving as a landmark for many Denver residents. This building houses the Colorado College of Chiropractic administrative offices, faculty offices and most of the classrooms.
The university is completing its human anatomy lab, a state-of-the-art facility that will have access to all forms of multimedia technology for faculty and students, including a portable wireless camera system, which allows the instructor to project live images onto a large screen, and video monitors for easy viewing by students.
The May Bonfils Library, a 45,000 square-foot facility, includes 150,000 volumes; a complete reference area; study spaces; a private faculty study area; and two videoconference classrooms with T-1 fiberoptic connections to the main campus in Davenport, Iowa and connections to the sister schools in Connecticut and in Japan (Teikyo Post University).
The university has recently opened the Colorado College of Chiropractic website to the public at http://chiro.mcrest.edu. Visitors will find information about the program; entrance requirements; an application package; curriculum; costs; a housing application package; and a tour of the campus. The resources page has been designed to serve the chiropractic profession with helpful links to research sites, literature searches, and other valuable sources of information helpful to the practitioner.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Colorado College of Chiropractic at Marycrest International University should call (303) 937-4585. Information is also available on the Internet at the website listed above.
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