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.