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JRCERT Update

Zelna, Schans

information about how each element is performed, as of administration—should consider taking courses
well as electronic or paper samples to follow. related to educational leadership or administration.
Not only should the assessment plan be included in
the transition package, so should samples of the tools Curriculum, Administration, and Accreditation
required to obtain the data. If, for example, program New program directors need to understand the cur-
satisfaction is 1 of the required measures, a survey can riculum of the programs, including the order of the
be used to assess graduates’ opinions. And although courses, numbers of full-time faculty and part-time
the program director is responsible for conducting the instructors needed to teach, and clinical personnel
survey, collecting the information, and analyzing the needed to assist with clinical education.
data, others—faculty, advisory committee members, In addition to teaching responsibilities, the program
and other interested parties—have a say in the analy- director is responsible for student recruitment, admis-
sis and actions taken to ensure that changes made sion, and graduation requirements, a task that can
to the curriculum and program are appropriate and consume a considerable amount of time. Having the
agreed on. cooperation of other faculty members can help with the
Other tactics new program directors can use to ease distribution of duties in these areas.
the transition include: Program directors also are responsible for building
ƒ Reaching out to colleagues within the institution the accountability reports for accreditation. JRCERT-
or within the profession for assistance. accredited programs undergo a program review at the
ƒ Holding individual meetings with faculty mem- end of an accreditation award, which is determined by
bers to determine how they see their roles in the the JRCERT board of directors. If a program is given
department or what their short-term and long- an 8-year award, for example, a 4-year interim report is
term goals include. required.
ƒ Scheduling department meetings, on a routine
basis, with a clear agenda. Assistance
ƒ Asking faculty members for agenda items for dis- Although the role of program director can be
cussion or action. demanding, the benefits often outweigh the drawbacks.
ƒ Streamlining data collection that serves both pro- There are a number of ways to operate a program and
grammatic and institutional review processes. numerous resources and suggestions to aid an individu-
al’s transition into the role.
Learning New Tasks A number of succession planning resources that out-
Finances line steps for success are online. Using key words such
A new program director must learn a wide vari- as department chair resources or succession planning can
ety of new tasks. One of the greatest is dealing with yield a number of links to relevant information.
the budget for the institution’s radiography depart- The JRCERT website includes valuable informa-
ment. A master’s degree is required of those who tion about the accreditation process, the Assessment
serve as directors in Joint Review Committee on Center, and accreditation-specific program resources
Education in Radiologic Technology-accredited such as modules, checklists, and position statements. The
programs. However, if the individual’s degree does JRCERT also has web-based and face-to-face resources to
not include in-depth instruction on budget devel- help program directors with programmatic accreditation,
opment and oversight, he or she can reach out to assessment of student learning, and program effectiveness
the institutional leadership (eg, dean, provost) and outcomes. Accreditation and outcomes assessment work-
2
finance department for guidance in understanding shops are offered during the year, at various localities, that
the budget process. Faculty members who are inter- explain how to submit accreditation and assessment docu-
ested in taking on leadership positions—such as ments. Lastly, the JRCERT staff is available via phone or
program director, department chair, or higher levels email to answer questions that arise.

RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY, November/December 2017, Volume 89, Number 2 197
Reprinted with permission from the American Society of Radiologic Technologists for educational purposes. ©2019. All rights reserved.