Council on Naturopathic Medical Education

The Council on Naturopathic Medical Education is the programmatic accrediting agency for naturopathic medical education by the doctorate granting naturopathic institutions in the United States and Canada, by the American and Canadian national naturopathic professional associations, and by the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners. The organization was founded and approved by Secretary of Education William Bennett in 1987 and is recognized as the accrediting agency for programs leading to the Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree (N.D. or N.M.D.). The CNME also approves postdoctoral residency programs in naturopathic family practice and naturopathic primary care.

History of accreditation
In 1987, the U.S. Secretary of Education approved the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME) as an accrediting agency for the full-time schools. As with acupuncture and chiropractic schools, this recognition was not based upon the scientific validity of what is taught but on such factors as record-keeping, physical assets, financial status, makeup of the governing body, catalog characteristics, nondiscrimination policy, and self-evaluation system. NCNM, Bastyr, and Southwest became accredited.

In 1999, the U.S. Department Of Education staff and the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) asked U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley to deny CNME's application for renewal of recognition. The recommendation was based on evidence that CNME did not respond appropriately to violations of its standards at Southwest College. The staff report and testimony at a NACIQI meeting indicated that in 1997 and 1998, the school underwent an administrative upheaval that had nearly led to its closure. Several officials resigned or were abruptly fired, classes were suspended for two weeks, and the school's bank accounts were temporarily frozen after the school's chief financial officer was fired. CNME testified at the hearing that it had closely followed the situation and urged school officials to correct the problems. However, the Department of Education staff and a majority of NACIQI members concluded that CNME had failed to issue a timely order to show cause why Southwest should not have its candidacy for accreditation ended.

In January 2001, Riley agreed that CNME's approval should not be renewed. Three of the schools remained accredited and the fourth was a candidate for accreditation by recognized regional accrediting agencies that are not health-related. Although Riley's decision may make have made it more difficult to promote licensing, it received almost no publicity. Riley's decision could not be appealed, but CNME was free to reapply, which it did.

In June 2003, The National Advisory Committee recommended that the U.S. Secretary of Education approve CNME's application.

See also