Rather than look at the SCASA-CCE negotiations from the point of view of one organization or even both, perhaps the best authority on the issue is the U.S. Department of Education. In an exclusive interview, Dynamic Chiropractic asked Mr. Reed Saunders, division director for Higher Education Management Services, for his view of these very critical negotiations:
"DC": Mr. Saunders, how long have you been working with SCASA and CCE?
Mr. Saunders: That is sort of a tough question because I have been responsible, I guess, for the last five and one-half years for, among other areas in the office, the accreditation activities and the listing of the accrediting agencies by the secretary. Over that period of time, on and off, I have come into contact with either SCASA or CCE or both. Quite often, when one or the other has appeared before the committee asking for recognition, the other one has also shown up.
"DC": Recently, especially after the secretary of education issued the show-cause letter, there have been, some intensified negotiations between the two groups. Can you describe what your part has been in those negotiations and what the goals were?
Mr. Saunders: Well, actually I haven't had a part in the negotiations as it is really inappropriate for the department to be involved between two groups who are trying to work things out on their own. My understanding of the negotiations is that both sides have kept the department pretty well informed. I think things have gone along where the two had hoped to be able to merge into one organization that could be a bigger, better, and stronger accrediting association that would cover all the schools of chiropractic thought, not just one side or the other.
"DC": Do you have any feeling for where the two organizations are right now in terms of their negotiations?
Mr. Saunders: My understanding is that they are currently at a standstill, and I do not know whether this is temporary or permanent.
"DC": Right now there is the show-cause order for SCASA that is in effect. Do you have any feel for when the secretary will be making a decision regarding SCASA?
Mr. Saunders: I think the show-cause hearing will probably be held in January; they are in the process of scheduling it right now, and the secretary will be making a decision sometime after that hearing.
"DC": Do you think there is a possibility for the two organizations to continue negotiations after that time?
Mr. Saunders: Oh, I think there is always a possibility. Both sides have made it very clear that the profession would be much better off with one organization devoting all its resources to accrediting activities.
"DC": What is your opinion about the viability of one accrediting agency vs. multiple accrediting agencies within a health care profession such as chiropractic?
Mr. Saunders: I think the cost of accreditation crosses many areas. There have been competing organizations from time to time, and when the competing organizations have merged, things have been stronger. From time to time a second competing organization grows up in a field where there was only one. This has happened recently in the area of business schools. What this will lead to down the road, I am not sure. It depends upon how close the aims and ambitions of the two bodies are. Generally speaking, secretary Alexander has tried to encourage competition just because competition is good, as a whole, but most people in accreditation right now would feel very strongly that in an area as small as the chiropractic field where there are 16 schools, or something like that, it's not logical to have more than one agency. We no longer have a regulation that says we only recognize one agency in a field alone; some years ago we did.
"DC": Is there anything I haven't asked or anything you would like to add regarding this situation with SCASA and CCE?
Mr. Saunders: At one point last summer I think most of us who were observing this thought that resolutions had been reached and everybody was going to wind up quite happy with it, and it would have been a good arrangement, I think. Very clearly both sides are looking to strengthen the standards and certainly the department of education has been very interested in any movement which is going to lead to academic improvement. I had the impression that that was exactly what the merger was headed for.
