Chiropractic

Acceptability of Education for Students Attending Life University College of Chiropractic (LUCC)

October 29, 2002

The New York State Education Department has been informed that Life University College of Chiropractic (LUCC) lost its accreditation by the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) as of October 20, 2002. Students at or graduates of LUCC who are considering seeking professional licensure in New York State should be aware of the following:

• The NYS professional education requirement for licensure in chiropractic will be considered satisfied for any graduate of LUCC subsequent to June 1, 1979 and prior to October 20, 2002.
• NYS will not review or consider the professional education of any person who graduated from LUCC on or after October 20, 2002 while LUCC is not accredited by CCE.
• Should LUCC be granted accreditation by the CCE at any time in the future, students who have completed their final academic year in the program and receive the Doctor of Chiropractic degree from LUCC subsequent to its new accreditation date will be considered to have met the professional education requirement for licensure in NYS.
• Students at LUCC may transfer to a school offering a licensure qualifying chiropractic program registered by New York State or accredited by CCE and receive a degree from the school. NYS will consider the professional education requirement for licensure satisfied only if the student completes at least the final year (24 semester hours minimum) in the licensure-qualifying or accredited program as required in the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education in NYS.
• Students at LUCC who transfer to and graduate from a school offering a program that is not accredited by CCE will not have their professional education reviewed or considered by NYS unless they complete at least one additional academic year (24 semester hours minimum) in a chiropractic program registered by the New York State Education Department or accredited by CCE in accordance with the policy already established for applicants licensed in other states who graduated from unaccredited programs. The policy and procedures for this route are outlined below:

Graduates of Unaccredited Programs

In addition to meeting all other requirements for licensure by endorsement (sometimes referred to in other states as "reciprocity"), applicants for New York State licensure in chiropractic who are licensed elsewhere, but who received a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from an unaccredited program, may meet the professional study requirement by completing the following steps (contingent on staff recommendation and approval by the Board of Regents in each case):

1. Contact the administrator in charge of Academic Affairs for a college of chiropractic registered by the New York State Education Department and/or accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE).
2. Submit to that administrator your entire transcript from the unaccredited chiropractic program you completed and any other information requested to determine your level of knowledge and clinical proficiency. Such information should include any postdegree coursework, such as that completed for a specialization credential like the Diplomate of the American Board for Chiropractic Orthopedics.
3. Following his/her review of your preparation, the administrator will determine what additional coursework you need to achieve the level of knowledge and clinical proficiency expected of current graduates of the accredited college. (Note: The administrator may determine that challenge or exit examinations or some other measures determined appropriate by the college are necessary to substantiate your knowledge and clinical proficiency in one or more areas of competency.)
4. The administrator must attest to your completion of the equivalent of one additional academic year acceptable to the New York State Board for Chiropractic at the accredited chiropractic college, including the specified studies. This year must represent no less than 24 semester credit hours,* or the equivalent for programs using trimesters or quarters. The 24 semester hours may be represented by courses completed within the college's current curriculum, completing challenge or exit examinations, continuing education course work, or other measures acceptable to the college, all of which must be graded and reported on the college's official transcript.

After completing the required combination of course work and other measures for a total of 24 semester credit hours, request the administrator to submit directly to: Division of Professional Licensing Services, Chiropractic Unit, Education Building, 2nd Floor, Albany, NY 12234

1. an official transcript of your studies at the college, including any transfer credits granted by the college, and which total no less than 24 semester credit hours. It would be helpful to include course descriptions of the additional courses completed; we reserve the right to request additional description or a syllabus of any course listed on the transcript; and
2. a letter signed by the administrator attesting that the preparation you completed, as documented on the transcript and taken together with the courses from the unaccredited program, constitutes the level of knowledge and clinical proficiency expected from a current graduate of the accredited program.

Inquiries should be directed to the Office of the New York State Board for Chiropractic at (518) 474-3817, ext. 450 or e-mail chirobd@mail.nysed.gov.