An announcement posted on the Web sites of Life and CCE on Aug. 21 provided details of the agreement:
| The Council and Chiropractic Education and Life University College of Chiropractic announce today that the litigation concerning LUCC's accreditation status has been concluded, and that LUCC's lawsuit and the CCE's appeal have both been dismissed. CCE and LUCC look forward to a cooperative, collaborative, and mutually beneficial process in the years to come. LUCC has held programmatic accredited status with CCE since 1985, including court-ordered accreditation from June 2002 through the conclusion of the special accreditation process. |
The CCE stripped Life's chiropractic program of its accreditation in June 2002. In response to that action, Life filed suit against the CCE in December 2002, claiming its decision was unfair and caused irreparable harm to the school's reputation. Federal Judge Charles Moye Jr., then granted Life a temporary injunction, which restored Life's accreditation retroactive to June 2002 and placed the chiropractic program on probationary status.
In an interview with the Marietta Daily Journal, Life President Dr. Benjamin DeSpain said the school will maintain its chiropractic accreditation through the injunction while it applies for re-accreditation. The application process is expected to last through January 2005.
"We have the protection of the injunction through the entire process," Dr DeSpain said. He added that he will work to ensure Life's accreditation once the application process is complete.
"Life will be accredited after 2005. It is my job to see to it that we continue to deliver when it is necessary, and it is always necessary. We are not entertaining other options, and we have the right people to get in place to get the job done."
With its legal squabbles with CCE resolved, DeSpain said the school will focus its efforts on other issues, with a particular emphasis on increasing recruiting efforts.
Enrollment in Life's chiropractic program declined dramatically in the months following the CCE's decision to withdraw accreditation. Registration figures show approximately 750 students are currently enrolled in the chiropractic program, down from a high of nearly 3,200 two years ago.
In addition to attracting more students to the school, Life officials will review and revise the chiropractic curriculum, and prepare for the council's next accreditation visit.
"We have to take it up a notch and have things in order for the visit," DeSpain said. "They will see we have made a lot of progress, and I am sure we will be ready."
Resources
Giltman P. University will keep accreditation through injunction, president says. Marietta Daily Journal Aug. 26, 2003.
Announcement of August 21, 2003. Posted on Web sites of Life University (www.life.edu) and Council on Chiropractic Education (www.cee-usa.org).
Life University's accreditation denied. Dynamic Chiropractic July 15, 2002. www.chiroweb.com/archives/20/15/09.html.
Second chance at Life. Dynamic Chiropractic Jan. 14, 2003. www.chiroweb.com/archives/21/02/07.html.
Life files suit against CCE. Dynamic Chiropractic Feb. 10, 2003. www.chiroweb.com/archives/21/04/11.html.
Life gets preliminary injunction. Dynamic Chiropractic March 10, 2003. www.chiroweb.com/archives/21/06/09.html.
Dynamic Chiropractic editorial staff members research, investigate and write articles for the publication on an ongoing basis. To contact the Editorial Department or submit an article of your own for consideration, email
.