Andy Sharp / AJC Life University administrator Kim Williams said the school did everything it could do to meet standards.

The brief statement by the Council on Chiropractic Education, in a letter explaining why it revoked the accreditation, feeds mounting speculation, both on- and off-campus, that President Sid Williams is the reason. Further, that his resignation -- or at least a major turnabout in philosophy -- might be all that saves Life University, say graduates, former faculty and some students.

"What the conflict is about is the accrediting body doesn't think anything will change [under him]," said Paul Lapides, a former faculty member.

Even some students and administrators who support Williams, calling him a charismatic leader of original chiropractic theory, believe the loss of accreditation is at least in part, politically motivated.

"There's lots of components," said student Scott Evans. "But a big component is to get him off the throne."

Like many students, Stacey Goodson said Wednesday the accreditation problem is political -- that as "straight" chiropractic's most visible proponent, Williams was an easy target. "You always target the loudest person," Goodson said. "What he's built is huge."

The university follows the "straight" philosophy of chiropractic, the idea that the body has an inherent ability to heal itself once spinal "subluxations," or interferences, are corrected.

Life is not the only chiropractic school that adheres to the traditional approach. Palmer College of Chiropractic, in Davenport, Iowa, also does. Life students on Wednesday said that college had sent recruiters to Marietta.

Critics of Williams say he and his administration, not politics, are to blame for the lost accreditation. The university failed to act on the accreditation concerns in a timely or effective manner, said students who began circulating petitions Wednesday that demand the resignation of Williams.

The petition targets Williams and a host of top-level administrators, including the dean of academic affairs and the dean of the chiropractic school.

Students leading the effort say they hope to get 1,000 signatures, about half the program enrollment. The petition chastises university leaders for demonstrating "controlling and destructive" behavior that has been ineffectual at addressing the challenges facing the chiropractic program." The board of trustees, which meets Friday, may not respond, the students acknowledged.

About 400 students packed into an auditorium Wednesday evening to discuss ways they could help the school regain its accreditation. Some students -- in an often chaotic debate -- suggested soliciting help from elected officials in Washington, while a few openly called for Williams' resignation. Others defended the university and aimed their anger at the accrediting agency.

The Council on Chiropractic Education announced Monday it had revoked the accreditation of the chiropractic program. Accreditation will continue through an appeal, which university leaders announced Wednesday they would pursue. "We did everything they asked us to do," said Kim Williams, an administrator and daughter of the founder. "Everything they asked us to do, we followed to the letter."

Sid Williams did not respond to a request for an interview. The executive director of the Council on Chiropractic Education could not be reached for comment.

Although the accrediting agency cited four deficiencies in its revocation, including the stability and number of staff in the clinical sciences, many observers believe the loss of accreditation is rooted in Williams' philosophy.

Chiropractors believe that good health is the result of uninterrupted nerve function, and concern themselves with adjusting the spine to remove "subluxations." They do not, and legally cannot, prescribe drugs or perform surgery.

But many chiropractors say the practice has moved much closer to the medical mainstream than Williams has supported. Those say that chiropractors are expected to act as primary care providers, knowing how to diagnose symptoms to be able to refer patients to medical doctors if necessary.

Accreditation standards speak to these requirements. A site team from the accrediting agency visited the university in April, and its report cited the university's reliance in diagnosis on spinal subluxations.

Its conclusion cited the good will of the administration in making changes: "The administrative leadership must encourage and empower those people that have the knowledge, experience and professional skills necessary to move the institution into harmony with the standards."

Life simply hasn't kept pace, and it will not under Williams, said John Dull, a chiropractor who is the Georgia delegate to the American Chiropractic Association.

"It's all with the philosophy," he said. "In his heart of hearts, he doesn't believe a chiropractor should be diagnosing anything. But the profession is way beyond that. It all boils down to Dr. Williams not wanting to teach what the CCE wants chiropractors to know."

Staff writer Michael Kolber contributed to this article.