June 2009

Is there still life in Life?

Long-time friend of The Chiropractic Journal, Dr. Guy Riekeman provides an update on Life University in this question and answer session.

We sometimes hear chiropractors wondering how strong Life is today. Are the problems of the past behind you?

Not only are they behind us, but we're engaged in real partnership with our accrediting agencies, working to improve education for students and the people they'll serve.

We want to lead in this area because we understand, perhaps better than anyone, the strength the accreditation process brings to institutions willing to engage in rigorous self-assessment and improvement. I've served for the past two years on the Board of Directors of the CCE. Dr. Brian McAulay, Life's provost, recently chaired a Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) site team visit at another institution and leads a CCE subcommittee on admission standards. And Dr. Rob Scott, vice president for academic affairs, serves on the CCE's Student Outcomes Task Force.

Life holds accreditation, of course, with both the CCE and SACS today, as well as with the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE).

We emerged from our past challenges not only stronger, but with a crystal clear vision for our future and the potential of this institution.

Is your enrollment still growing?

Enrollment took off even before our accreditation issues were resolved when prospective students could see the way the institution was being run, the caliber of people it attracts and our exciting vision for transformative educational experiences.

Enrollment in the College of Chiropractic doubled from Fall 2004 to Fall 2008 and today is the largest in the profession on one campus. We've also seen more than 20% increases in our 11 undergraduate and two master's programs. By the way, we've submitted a proposal to SACS to start a master's in neurology.

Like other colleges, the present economic and other marketplace conditions challenge us to keep enrollment growing. We're working hard to make that happen.

What does it mean to chiropractic students to be part of a larger university campus?

It's a tremendous advantage to students to be part of a multi-degree academic community that supports and challenges them in diverse ways. For example, our DC students become part of a care team with student colleagues in psychology, exercise physiology, sport health science and nutrition and dietetics.

They also benefit from our diverse faculty. DC students learn marketing, business management and finance from professors who specialize in those areas both in terms of their educational and research backgrounds and their professional experiences.

Do you have bricks and mortar projects in the works?

We do. I believe the administration has to support the innovation going on in classrooms and labs with a physical environment that stimulates creativity and collaboration. We're moving forward with our campus master plan with construction of new facilities and "greening" of the campus. We've also signed on to the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment along with 1,000 universities that have committed to reducing their carbon footprint to zero within 10 years.

A multi-story parking garage is under construction right now at the back of the campus that will allow us to green the front where many of our buildings come together. We're pushing cars to the background, moving people front and center, and creating gathering spaces to generate community, facilitate conversation and remove barriers to interaction.

We've begun construction of the largest housing facility on a chiropractic campus with 300 living spaces designed to foster community. We're also creating a child care facility that will reflect our values in chiropractic, education, nutrition and lifestyle. And, we're developing Socrates Cafe that will combine healthy eating and engaging dining experiences and utilize the skills of our nutrition students.

It's exciting to see new facilities go up, but what I find even more exciting is how these projects reflect our institutional values. For example, when we begin construction of the LifeSource Octagon Village for Infinite Thinking, the facility will be the tangible embodiment of our Eight Core Proficiencies and provide the physical space for engaging in the great conversations and debates of our time. We are walking our talk.

Are the Eight Core Proficiencies what you call Eight Ways to Great?

They are, and they're the very heart of Life University. These are the principles and competencies we hold in such high regard they are interwoven throughout the curriculum of every Life student. That's whether they are studying to become a chiropractor, psychologist and life coach, sport scientist, business leader or registered dietitian.

Students are immersed in the topics of Integrity and Citizenship, Learning Theory and Critical Thinking, Communication and Relationship Theory and Skills, Leadership and Entrepreneurship, Contemporary Scientific Paradigms, Belief Systems and Performance, Integrative Change, and Philosophy of Human Existence and Health Care Policy.

We study these critical areas to facilitate students' development as people who can conceptualize change and put it into action. Add to that, our philosophy of vitalism, our history of lasting purpose and our commitment to wellness and this becomes a one-of-a-kind educational process. That's really what we're after at Life -- educating men and women of vision and caring to become the change they want to see in the world.

You have recently led the colleges with your National Board scores; any other areas of excellence?

I could fill the entire newspaper with all the new developments at Life right now. Our faculty have had more research presentations for three years running at ACC-RAC, our reinvigorated men's basketball program made it to the national tournament, and our 2008 Division I collegiate champion and still top-ranked Rugby team is currently undefeated in the Super League, which includes semi-pro players from around the world.

I encourage Chiropractic Journal readers to get reacquainted with us this October at Lyceum where we host 2,500 people for education and fun.

Life University is embracing the highest standards and grappling with the big questions to develop graduates who'll be change agents. We intend to shape the dialogue about how health and human performance is explored and encouraged going forward, and we expect to see our graduates at the forefront of those movements.