An auditorium packed with hundreds of people fell silent as incoming President Ben DeSpain read a three paragraph letter from the Council on Chiropractic Education, containing the news.

The council revoked the Marietta University's accreditation in June, and refused to grant an appeal of the decision last month. Without accreditation, graduates of the school cannot get licenses to practice in many states.

"After careful and complete consideration of the eligibility requirements stated in the CCE standards, as well as the compliance concerns noted to you in earlier correspondence on this subject and after thorough discussion of various aspects of the entire matter, the determiniation has been made that (Life University) is not eligible to apply for CCE acreditation at this time," stated the letter from Joseph Brimhall, chairman of the CCE's Comission on Accreditation.

The letter means the school cannot reapply for accreditation until June 2004, said Life spokesman Will Hurst. Following that timeline, the soonest the college could regain its status would be January 2005.

It is not entirely clear at this point why the CCE made the decision it did.

Still, DeSpain delivered a speech full of hope and optimism, saying Life University will fully recover.

"We have not yet begun to fight here at Life, but today we begin," DeSpain said. "I believe this institution has a rendezvous with greatness that has yet to be attained."

DeSpain said Life University could chose to fight back by going to court, either to seek an injunction or "shift the responsibility" at this point to the CCE.

"We could force them to prove they've acted responsibly and in compliance with their own regulations," DeSpain said, triggering a thunderous round of applause from the crowd. "We will do that though? I don't know."

Ultimately however, DeSpain said students could chose to take some time off from school, wait it out and return when things are resolved, or simply transfer to another school and possibly return to Life University in a few years.

Students had a range of reactions to the news, some saying they planned to stick it out, others saying they have already made arrangements to go to another college.

"I'm glad Dr. DeSpain was up front with us," said 28-year-old South Carolina native Anthony Jones. "I plan to stay in the program. I chose Atlanta. I have friends and family here. This is the institution I chose and I'm going to see it through. It will take time, but everything will turn around."

But 30-year-old Robert Wood has already made alternative plans.

"Most likely I'm going to Sherman [College of Straight Chiropractic] in April," he said. "Unless something miraculous happens between now and then."