Life University’s President
Brian McAulay, D.C., PH.D.

Throughout his expansive higher education career as president, chief academic officer and executive vice president at both chiropractic colleges and multi-campus university systems, Dr. Brian McAulay has brought not only extensive expertise to the institutions he serves but also an unwavering commitment to a collaborative approach that engages all stakeholders in meeting challenges and driving solutions.

As the only chiropractic leader who holds a Ph.D. in management, has been named a Fellow of the American Council on Education (ACE) and has chaired numerous regional accreditation site teams, Dr. McAulay has demonstrated a career-long passion for results-oriented leadership, strategic planning and academic innovation. Building enrollment and addressing both accreditation and financial challenges have often been top priorities in the institutions he has served.

Dr. McAulay melds a strong connection to the chiropractic profession with experience in launching and building enrollment in new health sciences programs at an array of higher education institutions. He led a successful private chiropractic practice for 13 years and went on to serve as Interim President of Sherman College, President of Parker University, President of Argosy University in Dallas, Vice Chancellor of the multi-campus South University system, Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Palmer Colleges and Provost for Life University.

Dr. McAulay has served as President and Chair of the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC); Chair of the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) Admission Standards Committee; Site Team Chair for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS); a Board of Trustees member for New Zealand College of Chiropractic and Life University; and as an independent higher education consultant for Boards of Trustees and chancellors. He also completed the Harvard University New University Presidents Program and Institute for Educational Management.

Dr. McAulay is often described as a collaborative and transparent leader with extraordinarily high energy and commitment. He is consistently respected for his high standards of service, integrity and ethics, and he is known as someone who is clear about expectations. Dr. McAulay encourages skillful people to manage to high standards without interference. He is excited by the drive and potential of committed students and is dedicated to helping them succeed, fostering an environment where innovation, critical thinking, and personal growth thrive.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) from the University of Toronto, Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) from Pennsylvania College of Chiropractic and Doctor of Philosophy in Business and Management (Ph.D.) from Temple University. He has taught extensively in chiropractic settings and in graduate business programs.

His research on the Theory of Work Commitment has been published in The Social Sciences Journal and Organization Studies, and he has contributed to numerous chiropractic journals and conferences, including the Journal of Chiropractic Humanities and the World Federation of Chiropractic and Association of Chiropractic Colleges Joint Conference.

He shares the commitment of every Life University student, alumni, faculty, staff and Board of Trustees member to the foundational value of Lasting Purpose: To live an inner-directed life, to give, to do, to love, to serve, out of a sense of abundance.