002.02 An accredited college of chiropractic means a school of college which maintains accreditation by the Council on Chiropractic Education and is approved by the Department upon recommendation of the Board.The proposed regulation must still be reviewed by the attorney general's office for authority and constitutionality before it can be reviewed and signed by the Nebraska governor.
If this new definition does occur, Nebraska will join California and Florida as a state that has taken action to prohibit graduates of colleges accredited by the Straight Chiropractic Academic Standards Association (SCASA). While the awaited decision of the Secretary of Education (as to whether SCASA will be recognized as an accrediting agency) may make this a moot definition, the proposed regulation could play a very significant role should the Department of Education re-recognize SCASA.
The members of the Nebraska Board of Health are made up of representatives of each of the various health care disciplines, including one chiropractic member. It is interesting to note that the January 28 meeting was not attended by anyone representing SCASA. Testimony was therefore limited to those in favor of the proposed regulation.
In response to the unanimous decision of the Nebraska State Board of Health, David L. Timperley, D.C., the only chiropractic member of the Board of Health remarked:
"It is clear to me that after the issue was discussed and the real importance of it known, it was only right to change the regulations. The decision was made that our profession in chiropractic is better served by one accrediting agency. You must work within this system, not outside of it. The standards of chiropractic education have continued to grow on a yearly basis; this is what we want and what we expect for our profession.
"I can only hope that by the action taken by this board, it may send a message of the need for a unifying body in chiropractic. A great deal of lobbying and pressure was brought out by both side of the issue. One question we might ask ourselves is: Must we be our own enemies within chiropractic in order to weaken us with our true enemies? This was brought up a lot -- about fighting among ourselves. I think it is important for chiropractic in the future to have a united front, whether it is related to an accrediting body or as the profession as a whole."
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