Congratulations to Southeast Technical's Radiography program for attaining JRCERT accreditation

What is the JRCERT and why does it mean so much to the Radiography program? 

JRCERT stands for the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology, the most prestigious national programmatic accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and Council for Higher Education Accreditation. 

Radiography instructor Patty Hiddinga was thrilled when the JRCERT announced this fall that the college's radiography program has been awarded an 8-year term of accreditation, the highest award that a program can get.

"Getting the credential was quite a process. In order to become accredited we had to do a self-study by meeting six standards which include 53 separate objectives," she explains. "The standards range from 'Integrity' - making sure that we follow fair and equitable academic practices - to 'Resources' - ensuring that we have sufficient resources to support the quality and effectiveness of the educational process." 

The other four standards are in Curriculum and Academic Practices; Health and Safety; Assessment; and Institutional/Programmatic Data.

After the college submits the self-study, the JRCERT representatives visit the campus to verify that the assessments are accurate. "Last May they came for two days and interviewed all of our students, clinical sites, staff, and administrators," Patty says. It is quite an intense process. Getting the accreditation ensures students that the education they receive during the program meets the gold standard in the medical industry. 

The site visit findings were submitted to the JRCERT Board, which voted on September 9 to grant the accreditation.

"We were awarded a program capacity increase and can now take 28 students; we have 15 excellent clinical sites in southeast Minnesota, southeast Wisconsin and in Iowa. Radiography is a rewarding field and an excellent career. For students, the return on investment is huge. Entry level wages start at more than $20 an hour and the need for radiographers will increase 22% in the next 4 years" Patty concludes.

For more information, visit the Southeast Technical Radiography program page.

Winona DECA students active with Chicken-Q fundraiser, American Red Cross blood drive

On November 1, the Southeast Technical - Winona student chapter of DECA held a successful "Chicken-Q" fundraiser at the VFW in Winona. More than 200 meals were served, and 20 meals were donated to the Salvation Army in La Crosse.

DECA President Austin Lubinski says that the purpose of the fundraiser was to offset future chapter expenses, especially travel costs to state and national DECA competitions. "We had a lot of help with this event. AMVETS helped with cooking chicken, and I’d like to give a shout-out to Steak Shop Catering and Food Service," he said.

DECA also arranged a blood drive in on the Winona campus on November 18.

DECA member James Elvidge reported: "We were able to save 123 lives with our blood drive. That's 41 pints of blood donated - each pint can save 3 lives. DECA members, sales and marketing students, and Student Senators helped out and gave blood. Thank you to Southeast Technical for hosting our blood drive every year and to the maintenance staff who always handle moving and set up of all the furniture."

James added, "The American Red Cross sent a great team to this event! They showed appreciation and gave thanks to all of us."

Support our Students: Give to the Max on Nov. 13

It’s not complicated. The cost of attending college is going up every year. Even with tuition freezes, our students struggle to pay for getting an education. But what can we do to help?

The answer is simple: Give to the Max on November 13!

Donations to Southeast Technical Foundation directly help our students by providing scholarships, so they can pay for tuition, books, fees, and the other expenses they incur as they strive to improve their lives through education. These scholarships reduce our graduates' student debt and help them as they move into the future.

This year, Southeast Technical is actively participating in Give to the Max Day on Thursday, November 13. Join thousands of Minnesotans as we ignite generosity and raise millions of dollars for nonprofits and schools across the state. Make a donation to Southeast Technical Foundation on November 13 and be part of Minnesota's annual day of giving! 

Donations made on Give to the Max Day will:

• help us earn a matching gift of $2500
• give us a chance to win one of the $1,000 prizes that will be awarded to participating non-profit organizations on Give to the Max Day
•  enter Southeast Technical Foundation to win the "Golden Ticket," a $10,000 prize! 

Red Wing Gives