The annual meeting of the Council on Chiropractic Education's Commission on Accreditation (COA), held Jan. 9-11, 2003, in Scottsdale, Ariz., yielded one accreditation-related status decision: On Jan. 10, officials of Life Chiropractic College West were advised that accreditation of their institution had been reaffirmed for a period of eight years.
Although the reaffirmation process of Life Chiropractic College West was neither unique nor out-of-the-ordinary (it was reaccredited for seven years in 1995), the current cycle of college reaffirmation is notable because of the ongoing dilemma facing Life University's College of Chiropractic.
"Many people throughout the profession have misunderstood the relationship between Life University and Life Chiropractic College West," related Life West president Gerard W. Clum, DC. The California college's circumstances have been the subject of considerable speculation since accreditation of Life's chiropractic program was withdrawn by the COA in June 2002.
"There have been those who were waiting for the other shoe to drop, thinking that our accreditation was in jeopardy," continued Clum, "and there have been those who were truly confused or uninformed about the relationship between Life University and Life West. I can appreciate the confusion among those who have not been closely involved with the two institutions, but we have always been separate, and have always been accredited separately."
Life West achieved status with the COA in 1983, and the college was first accredited in 1987. For additional information on Life West contact the college at www.lifewest.edu; Dr. Clum can be reached directly at gclum@lifewest.edu.
