Coalition Forms to Address Crisis in Chiropractic Education

Coalition Formed

The Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation (FVS), International Federation of Chiropractors and Organizations (IFCO) and the Movement for Chiropractic Quality and Integrity (MCQI) have formed a Coalition in an effort to mount a unified front in addressing the US Government’s mandate to the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) to demonstrate the wide acceptance of its standards, policies, procedures, and decisions.

In a move to demonstrate unity amongst the members of the profession that reject the medicalization of chiropractic and want to preserve the foundational tenets of chiropractic clinical practice, the Coalition intends on combining its resources to engage the CCE in dialogue in an effort to ensure that the governments’ mandate be met.

Steve Tullius, DC speaking for the MCQI stated, "Concern and lack of support regarding the operations, attitudes and actions of the CCE have reached a critical point.  We are now being presented with an opportunity to address the concerns and needs of those that have been disenfranchised through past and current actions, and welcome this opportunity to assist the CCE in performing its mandated task of seeking profession wide acceptance."

As has been widely reported, the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) of the US Department of Education met on Wednesday, December 14, to consider the CCE’s petition for renewal of recognition.  The process of continuing the recognition of an existing agency is generally unremarkable, often requiring only 15 minutes or so of discussion.  This proceeding involving CCE was anything but routine, with four hours of public comments, agency responses, and deliberations. In the end the Department of Education staff identified over 40 compliance issues that the CCE needs to address within the next year. Most importantly, following overwhelming written and oral testimony to the committee expressing concerns about the CCE from the profession at large, the NACIQI added the following statement:

“In addition to the numerous issues identified in the staff report, NACIQI asks the agency to demonstrate compliance with Section 602.13 dealing with the wide acceptance of its standards, policies, procedures, and decisions; and to address how its standards advance quality in chiropractic education."

According to IFCO President Shane Walker, DC, "We are at a real tipping point in chiropractic education. Now that the US Department of Education has acknowledged that the CCE has failed to represent the totality of the profession, it is vital that we call for the appropriate changes within the CCE Standards. The IFCO is excited to have teamed up with the Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation and Movement for Chiropractic Quality and Integrity as we help to facilitate serious change."

The Coalition has already sent a letter to the CCE expressing its desire to assist them in demonstrating compliance with Section 602.13. Given the seriousness of the Government’s concerns and the widespread protest from the profession over the CCE’s past actions it is expected that the CCE will need to make substantive changes to its organizational make-up, policies, and standards if it wishes to gather the widespread support demanded by the NACIQI.

According to Christopher Kent DC, JD, President of the Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation, “FVS is troubled by CCE's continuing efforts to disenfranchise a significant segment of the profession.  CCE has become bold in their efforts to exclude advocates of dissenting philosophies from meaningful participation in the decision-making process.  We seek a collegial rather than adversarial accreditation process that respects diversity. In short, we simply seek the ability of institutions that wish to perpetuate our kind to flourish.”

The Coalition believes that there is a real opportunity here for the CCE to demonstrate its oft stated intention to be the ‘profession’s accrediting agency’ and for their tent to be big enough for everyone. However, doing so will require a thorough revision of the CCE’s organizational make-up, its policies and its standards. It is hoped the profession will embrace this opportunity for meaningful change.

About the Movement for Chiropractic Quality and Integrity: The Movement for Chiropractic Quality and Integrity is a grassroots movement of concerned doctors and students of chiropractic committed to achieving quality, integrity and freedom of chiropractic education within the profession's basic core tenets.

About the International Federation of Chiropractors and Organizations: The International Federation of Chiropractors and Organizations is an international organization representing chiropractors and chiropractic affiliate organizations with a united voice for chiropractic principles and the advancing chiropractic practice focused on vertebral subluxation because vertebral subluxation, in and of itself, is a detriment to the fullest expression of life. 

About the Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation: Through research, science, education, policy and service the mission of the Foundation is to advocate for and advance the founding principles and tenets of the chiropractic profession in the area of vertebral subluxation.