On September 26, 2022, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences (SCNM) evolved to Sonoran University of Health Sciences. Our School of Naturopathic Medicine and School of Nutrition is now the College of Naturopathic Medicine and College of Nutrition. Additionally, our Sage Foundation has returned to it’s original name of Sage Foundation for Health.
Exploration of the move to become a university began in 2018 as we recognized the institution was growing beyond its status as college. With new academic programs, expanded research, and enhanced service to the community, our institution truly is a university.
Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences was not purchased or merged with any other institution. We changed our name to Sonoran University of Health Sciences to better serve our students and alumni, as well as represent our growth and expansion of educational programs, clinical care, research, and community service.
Sonoran University of Health Sciences is accredited institutionally by the Higher Learning Commission. The Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine is programmatically accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education. We are additionally licensed by the Arizona State Board of Private Postsecondary Education. Our accreditation and license status was not impacted by the name change to Sonoran University of Health Sciences. [1]
Our first 30 years as Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences remains an important part of our history. We have a few ways that we will connect our transformation to our history. The institutional seal includes the leaf from the N from the SCNM logo. We also have a nod to the historical leaf within the new institutional logo. We are exploring the possibility of a physical timeline on campus that will detail the rich history of our first 30 years.
We understand there are strong connections to our history as a single degree-granting institution focused on naturopathic medicine. Our institution has grown. We are a multi-program institution and we continue to become a larger entity – this larger entity has space to continue the rich history with our College of Naturopathic Medicine while adding space for new programs within our College of Nutrition and future colleges. Naturopathic Medicine continues to be a vital part of our institution.
We engaged in a detailed process with our branding partner, twoxfour, which began by conducting focus groups with alumni, students, faculty, staff, partners and donors, and trustees. The data collected built a picture of the institution and twoxfour then used the picture to propose possible names. Our branding committee helped to narrow the options down to five which were shared with the community via survey. The survey was used to narrow down to two names and additional research was conducted on the two names to determine which would best serve the institution moving forward and the Board of Trustees voted to approve Sonoran University of Health Sciences on December 6, 2021.
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If you graduated June 2022 or earlier:
December 2022 or later graduates:
If you decide to use Sonoran University of Health Sciences, you may also choose to call out “College of Naturopathic Medicine” or “College of Nutrition.”
Yes, your diploma that says Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences is still a valid document. If you wish to obtain a Sonoran University diploma, we will share information about how to do that as soon as our partner, Parchment, is prepared to print them.
Sage Foundation is a Trade Name/DBA (Doing Business As) name for the foundation. As Sonoran transitions to Sonoran University, our foundation will return to using our legal name, Sage Foundation for Health. The Tax ID number will be the same.
Tax ID numbers will not be changing. Sonoran University has the same tax ID number as SCNM, and Sage Foundation for Health is the same as Sage Foundation. You will receive a year-end statement for all gifts throughout 2022 in early 2023. This statement will provide you all the details you need to include for any gifts to Sage Foundation, Sage Foundation for Health, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, and/or Sonoran University of Health Sciences on your 2022 taxes.
Our Tax ID will not change so there is no deadline by which you should update your legal documents. If you are ready to update the documents, you can simply change the reference to Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences to “Sonoran University of Health Sciences” with the same Tax ID Number.
Please call to Kayte Nettles if you have questions at 480-858-9100
No, similarly to the tax ID, the QCO (Qualifying Charitable Organization) code for Sage Foundation will not change based on our name change.
Our Medical Center and Neil Riordan Center for Regenerative Medicine on campus, as well as, our community health centers will remain the same as we continue the transition to Sonoran University of Health Sciences.
As you complete new patient paperwork, you will now see Sonoran University branding on the paperwork.