LIFE University in “Significant Noncompliance” with Accreditation Standards/Policy Requirements According to CCE

In a move that the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) states “is required in order to serve the best interests of students and prospective students” the accreditor of chiropractic programs placed LIFE University on PROBATION for “significant noncompliance with accreditation standards or policy requirements.”

In a PUBLIC DISCLOSURE NOTICE dated May 20, 2019 the Council also determined that "the noncompliance reflects recurrent noncompliance with one or more particular standard(s) and/or policy(ies)."

CLICK HERE to review the CCE Disclosure

Specifically, according to the Council, it took the action of placing the school on PROBATION due to noncompliance concerns related to program completion rates.

According to CCE's Policy 56:

“The two-year average completion rate, calculated at 150% of the time normally designated for completion of the DC degree, must be at least 70%.”

According to the CCE, LIFE University's Chiropractic Program reported DC degree completion rates of 68.6% in 2016, 67.8% in 2017 and 64.9% in 2018 during the accreditation review process by the Council.

According to the CCE, PROBATION is an action reflecting the conclusion of the Council that a program is in significant noncompliance with accreditation standards or policy requirements.

In their PUBLIC NOTICE the CCE states that PROBATION is a sanction that shall not exceed twenty-four (24) months. According to the CCE they have notified the U.S. Department of Education, regional (institutional) accrediting agencies, jurisdictional licensing boards, and the public that the program has been placed on PROBATION.

According to the CCE's PUBLIC DISCLOSURE Life's Doctor of Chiropractic Program is required to submit a Progress Report no later than August 1, 2019, that specifically addresses the noncompliance concerns and provide evidence that the Program is in compliance with the completion rate policy.

Following that, Life's chiropractic program is also required to host a Focused Site Visit in the Fall of 2019 for verification and validation of the August 2019 Progress Report.

Then at its meeting in January 2020, the Council will review the August 2019 Progress Report, Fall 2019 Final Site Team Report and the Program response to the Final Site Team Report. The Council will then determine whether the Program has demonstrated compliance with the policies identified in the action and whether PROBATION can be removed.

If the chiropractic program at Life has not demonstrated compliance, the CCE states that other action may be appropriate.

According to the CCE's Accreditation Standards the agency may revoke an institution's accreditation if the Council concludes that the chiropractic program has significantly failed to comply and is not expected to achieve compliance within a reasonable time period.

The public notice by the CCE is at odds with a press release sent out prior to the CCE's by LIFE's President Robert Scott who stated LIFE anticipated that their probation status would be removed in July though it was possible the decision would be deferred until January 2020.

CLICK HERE for LIFE President Rob Scott's Letter

The CCE PUBLIC DISCLOSURE makes no mention of a possibility the PROBATION sanction might be removed in July. In fact, a July date is not even mentioned by the CCE.

Instead the CCE lays out a much more specific timeline of events including a required Progress Report by August 1, 2019 where LIFE must provide evidence that it is in compliance.

Then, LIFE must host a Focused Site Visit in the Fall of 2019 in order for the CCE to verify/validate what LIFE puts in their August Report.

Several months later in January 2020 the CCE Council will review the LIFE's August Report, the report from the Fall 2019 Site Team visit and LIFE's response to the Final Site Team Report.

According to the CCE only at that time in January 2020 will the CCE determine whether the Program has demonstrated compliance with the policies identified in the action and whether Probation can be removed, or the Program has not demonstrated compliance and other action may be appropriate.

Despite this very clear timeline of events and potential outcomes laid out by the CCE, LIFE's President Robert Scott proclaimed in his press release:

"I am sure that some on social media will be sharing misinformation and suggesting that LIFE will lose its accreditation. This is categorically not the case!"

Making matters worse is that in its public comments LIFE does not appear to be taking responsibility for its being placed on PROBATION and instead Scott blames the problems on students of diversity and CCE's Policies stating:

"When you consider national 'time-to-completion' data for students of diversity, especially first-generation and socio-economically disadvantaged students, this CCE policy directly conflicts with the current state of inequity regarding program completion rates seen nationally."

In his letter, Scott also claims that LIFE has been working with the CCE to revise the policy that led to their probation.