December 11, 2002 Life University clears crucial hurdle MARIETTA “ Life University has retained its accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges 12/11/02 Staff photo by Bret Gerbe Incoming Life President Ben DeSpain addresses studentBy David Burch Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer MARIETTA “ Life University has retained its accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Universities, dodging a bullet that could have spelled doom for the 28-year-old institution. Incoming President Ben DeSpain announced the news to several hundred students and faculty members Tuesday morning. Lifeºs status with SACS was downgraded from a warning sanction to a first-year probation, an action taken almost entirely because of the schoolºs loss of accreditation from the Council on Chiropractic Education earlier this year. But, SACS could have stripped the school of its accreditation, a move that would have prevented students from receiving federal financial aid. ÑItºs a very positive statement,æ DeSpain said. ÑThey are willing to give us the time to work through our other issues.æ Those issues, he said, include concerns about Lifeºs administration, governance, curriculum and financial stability. SACS will visit the school next September to review changes made at the school and Lifeºs probation could be lifted as soon as Dec. 2003, DeSpain said. Lifeºs accreditation with SACS was placed on warning status in December 2001. The warning came as a result of a 100-page report from the association that recommended 52 changes to the schoolºs academic, financial and professional structure. Tuesdayºs announcement was a bright spot in an accreditation nightmare with the CCE suffered by Life University during the past six months. Life lost its chiropractic accreditation June 10, and a three-member panel with the CCE refused the universityºs appeal of the decision on Oct. 20. Life founder and former President Dr. Sid Williams, other members of the Williams and other top administrators have since resigned their positions. DeSpain, a former dean at the University of Tennessee Martin located northeast of Memphis, was named as president in mid-November. Late last month, DeSpain Ç who will officially take the helm of the university next month “ told students the CCE informed the university it would not be able to reapply for accreditation until June 2004, meaning that accreditation would not be restored until at least Jan. 2005. Life currently has about 1,400 students enrolled, 688 of whom are in the Doctor of Chiropractic program. The enrollment has dropped from about 3,600 total students before its accreditation problems surfaced. DeSpain said the program currently has 120 applications of students looking to enroll next quarter. The school plans to host an open house Saturday aimed at students considering Life University. He also said the university has received letters from chiropractic licensing boards in New Jersey and Ohio saying they would be willing to license Life students if they pass their board examinations. Similar agreements are in the works with a number of other states like New Hampshire, DeSpain said. ÑThe long and the short of it is that Life still has friends and Life still has life,æ he said. On Tuesday, SACS did revoke the accreditation of another metro Atlanta college. Morris Brown College, a historically black school that is more than $23 million in debt, lost its accreditation, a move that will cost the college millions in federal financial aid and threaten it with closure. dburch@mdjonline.com