Life University Student Concerns Over New Attendance Policy 

Petition to Life University Administration
Subject: Concerns Over New Attendance Policy 

Dear Life University Administration,

We, the undersigned students, are writing to express serious concern regarding the recent shift toward a stricter, mandatory in-person attendance policy. This move appears to contradict the values and promises promoted through Life University’s Life Flex program, which remains featured on the official website: https://www.life.edu/academic-pages/life-flex/

Key Concerns:

1. Misalignment with Life Flex Messaging
   Life Flex promotes freedom and flexibility in how students attend classes—whether in-person, remote, or on-demand. This flexibility has been a major recruiting point that influenced many of us to choose Life University over other chiropractic colleges. Changing this approach without transparent input from the student body undermines the expectations we enrolled with.

2. Impact on Clinic Students
   Students in the legacy curriculum who are actively seeing patients may now be forced to choose between clinical responsibilities and class attendance. This risks delayed progress or clinic failure for students who were already working under a demanding schedule.

3. Erosion of Professional Learning Autonomy
   Doctoral students deserve to be treated as professionals capable of managing their time. A rigid attendance mandate shifts focus away from improving instructional quality and places undue emphasis on physical presence.

4. Ineffective One-Size-Fits-All Approach
   Lecture classes often exceed 100–160 students. Not all students thrive in large lecture halls, and removing remote or asynchronous options eliminates essential learning tools—especially the ability to rewatch lectures, which has been quietly phased out without explanation.

Proposed Compromise and Requests:

• Reinstate the 70/30 attendance model for lecture-based courses.

• Maintain stricter expectations for laboratory courses (e.g., one unexcused absence).

• Restore recorded lecture access as a permanent, required resource.

• Honor the Life Flex model by offering meaningful remote and flexible options for students who cannot consistently attend in person. This includes students in the clinic and those with health, family, or logistical challenges.

• Instead of hosting another town hall, conduct a school-wide, anonymous student survey to gather honest feedback about how students learn best, what challenges they face, and how the current instructional model can be improved.

• Provide a clear, evidence-based explanation for this policy shift, including any data linking in-person attendance to improved board scores or academic performance.

Many of us chose Life University specifically because of the flexibility and progressive learning environment it advertised. Upholding that commitment is essential to maintaining trust, enrollment integrity, and academic excellence.

Sincerely,
Justin Leslie
Doctor of Chiropractic Program, Quarter 3
On behalf of Life University students

Attached: Student Signatures and Optional Comments