LIFE University is in Accreditation Trouble Again - Chiropractic Program Placed on WARNING Sanction

1. Section 2.H.2, Assessment of Learning Outcomes and Curricular Effectiveness

2. Section 2.H.3, Quality Patient Care

CLICK HERE for the announcement

As a result the Council has determined that LIFE's Doctor of Chiropractic Program is in noncompliance with Sections 2.H.2 & 2.H.3 and as a result imposed a sanction of WARNING upon the College.

The CCE notes that "Warning is a sanction, that is not subject to appeal, and shall not exceed twelve (12) months." That means LIFE has less than a year to fix these problems or they could face worsening accreditation sanctions.

According to the CCE LIFE must submit a Progress Report in February 2022 and then the CCE will conduct a Focused Site Visit in the Spring of 2022.

Over the past several years LIFE has struggled with accreditation problems, having recently come off of PROBATION with the CCE for its low graduation/completion rates in its Doctor of Chiropractic Program. LIFE struggled with graduation rates for several years until the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) was finally forced to place the school on the sanction of PROBATION on February 5, 2019. Following this, the school appealed the decision and following an appeal hearing on May 14, 2019, the appeals panel issued a report to the program and the Council Chair on May 20, 2019 upholding the PROBATION sanction and affirming the action of the Council.

LIFE attempted to deflect blame for its poor graduation rates on its number of minority students in the program as well as data entry errors. The CCE eventually took the school off probation once they got their graduation rates up.

Its current completion rate is 75% with 70% being the minimum acceptable rate by the CCE.

It is now dealing with a WARNING Sanction related to the effectiveness of its curriculum and its quality of patient care.

LIFE's new accreditation troubles come amidst ongoing exorbitant salaries and perks paid to LIFE's inner circle of supporters. According to the most recent 990's available LIFE University's President Rob Scott was paid a salary of $352,124.00

Guy Riekeman is still the Chancellor and was paid $419,725.00 PLUS a $220,177.00 "consulting" fee, and $60,000 was paid to his daughter and son in law daughter as a "franchise fee".

Also noted in the 990's is: COMPANIONS per the term of his employment agreement, the Chancellor and/or the President is afforded "Travel for companions".

Former Provost and Board Member Brian McAuley was paid a $175,496.00 "consulting fee, Vice President Gilles LaMarche was paid $204,787.00 and Gerry Clum was paid $158,680.00 as the "Presidential Liaison".

$705,837.00 was spent on "Program Services Operations in East Asia and the Pacific."

Lastly - in November 2020 Moody's rated the nearly $100,000,000.00 (One hundred million) in refinanced bond DEBT that LIFE has as Ba3 - "substantial credit risk"

According to Moody's report . . .

FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO A DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS

"Deterioration of student demand, given very high reliance on student generated revenue; further accreditation problems that could negatively impact student demand"

According to a 2020 Report from Moody's LIFE told them that the school was doing away with the Chancellor position held by Riekeman stating:

"The leadership structure transitioned back to a president only from the chancellor-president structure implemented in 2017 to provide focus for core education activities and limit external ventures detracting from LU's mission."

It seems the new accreditation troubles stem from a lack of focus on very "core educational activities" such as Learning Outcomes, Curricular Effectiveness and Quality Patient Care.

CLICK HERE for more history on LIFE