Accreditation

Accreditation Information

The CSI Radiologic Technology Program is officially recognized by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) as an accredited radiography program.

Specialized accreditation awarded by the JRCERT offers institutions significant value by providing peer evaluation and assuring the public of quality professional education in the radiologic sciences.

Here are some important facts taken from the JRCERT pamphlet: A Student's Guide to JRCERT Accreditation:

• The JRCERT educational standards are developed and accepted by professionals in the radiologic sciences.
• The JRCERT is the only organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) to evaluate and accredit education programs in radiography and radiation therapy.
• Graduation from a JRCERT accredited program assures that students will be eligible to practice in all 50 states.
• Graduates from a JRCERT-accredited program assures that students are competent to manage the delivery of radiation, a potentially dangerous substance, and possess the knowledge, skills, and attributes to provide safe, high-quality patient care.

Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology

The program's current accreditation award is eight (8) years. General program accreditation information and the current accreditation award letter can be found at https://www.jrcert.org/programs/college-of-southern-idaho/ 

Accreditation Award Letter

Mission

Goals

The goals established to achieve this mission include:

• Measuring program effectiveness on an ongoing basis.
• Producing clinically competent students.
• Producing students with problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
• Producing students who can effectively communicate and interact with patients and staff.
• Producing students and graduates who behave ethically.

Curriculum

This is a 22-month program spanning five semesters of continuous education and training, including one 8 week summer session. Students follow the regular college semester and vacation schedule. The program is measured at 72-semester credits, including 1,170 hours of clinical education while rotating through 3 south-central Idaho hospital/clinic imaging departments.The professional radiologic technology portion of the curriculum includes: BIOL 105 or BIOL 227/228, RADT 101, 102, 151, 151L, 152, 153, 162, 162L,163, 164, 165, 180, 181, 182. The program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology and follows the curricular guidelines of the American Society of Radiologic Technologist Radiography Curriculum and in conjunction with the "need to know" American Registry of Radiologic Technologists Radiography Examination Content Specifications, and the ARRT Didactic and Clinical Competency Requirements.

View the detailed 22-month curriculum.

NOTE: All students are required to be currently credentialed as a Certificated Nursing Assistant (CNA) "or" Emergency Medical Technician prior to enrollment into RADT Clinical Education I. Certification or licensure in a health-related field such as MEDICAL ASSISTANT, LPN, RN, SURG TECH, DENTAL ASSISTANT, DENTAL HYGIENE, etc. may substitute for this CNA or EMT requirement.

NOTE: Students planning on transferring and obtain their baccalaureate degree in Imaging Sciences from Lewis and Clark State College or Boise State University are encouraged to take the Biol 227 / 228 Anatomy and Physiology course sequence for 8-semester credits and MATH 143 College Algebra for 3 credits. BIOL 227 / 228 are classified as "General Education Core Courses." By taking BIOL 227, the student also meets the 4 credit Gen Ed degree requirement.

Resources

Subjects for the radiography program are taught in the new Health Sciences and Human Services building, where a state of the art digital/analog radiography teaching classroom/laboratory is located.

Valuable resources also include some of the finest diagnostic radiography departments in the Rocky Mountain area that can be found at St. Luke's Magic Valley Regional Medical Center, Twin Falls; Cassia Regional Medical Center, Burley; St. Luke's Jerome, Jerome; North Canyon Medical Center, Gooding; St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center, Ketchum; Minidoka Memorial Hospital, Rupert; St. Luke's Elmore, Mt. Home; Mountain Home Air Force Base Hospital, Mtn. Home. These superb clinical agencies provide excellent practical experiences for CSI student radiographers under the supervision of Registered Technologists in Radiography to achieve competence in required radiographic procedures.

Program Effectiveness Data

The Radiologic Technology Program's 5 Year Average Annual Performance Effectiveness Data is designed to show (1) the average completion rate, (2) the average credentialing examination first-time pass rate, and (3) the annual job placement rate. This information is also available on the JRCERT website.

6.1 The program maintains the following program effectiveness data:

• five-year average credentialing examination pass rate of not less than 75 percent at first attempt within six months of graduation,
• five-year average job placement rate of not less than 75 percent within twelve months of graduation, and 
• annual program completion rate.

Explanation:

Program effectiveness outcomes focus on issues pertaining to the overall curriculum such as admission, retention, completion, credentialing examination performance, and job placement.

The JRCERT has developed the following definitions and criteria related to program effectiveness outcomes:

• Credentialing examination pass rate:  The number of graduates who pass, on first attempt, the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) certification examination, or an unrestricted state licensing examination, compared with the number of graduates who take the examination within six months of graduation.

• Job placement rate: The number of graduates employed in the radiologic sciences compared to the number of graduates actively seeking employment in the radiologic sciences. The JRCERT has defined not actively seeking employment as: 1) graduate fails to communicate with program officials regarding employment status after multiple attempts, 2) graduate is unwilling to seek employment that requires relocation, 3) graduate is unwilling to accept employment, for example, due to salary or hours, 4) graduate is on active military duty, and/or 5) graduate is continuing education.

• Program completion rate: The number of students who complete the program within the stated program length. The program specifies the entry point (e.g., required orientation date, final drop/add date, final date to drop with 100% tuition refund, official class roster date, etc.) used in calculating the program's completion rate. When calculating the total number of students enrolled in the program (denominator), programs need not consider students who attrite due to nonacademic reasons such as: 1) financial, medical/mental health, or family reasons, 2) military deployment, 3) a change in major/course of study and/or 4) other reasons an institution may classify as a nonacademic withdrawal.

Categories, Goals, and Outcomes

Analysis of the following Program Effectiveness and Student Learning Outcome Data allows the program to identify strengths and areas for improvement to bring about systematic program improvement for accomplishing the mission of preparing graduates for entry-level employment as ARRT Registered Technologists in Radiography. This analysis also provides a means of accountability to communities of interest, including the CSI Radiologic Technology Program Advisory Committee (CSI HSHS and CTE Instructional Deans, HSHS Department Chair, CSI Rad Tech Program Director/Instructor, CSI Rad Tech Program Clinical Education Coordinator/Instructor, CSH HSHS Career Advisor, a CSI HSHS department faculty representative, a CSI Career Services representative, 2 service area Radiology Managers, CSI Rad Tech Clinical Instructor, 2 medical imaging industry sales/service representatives, the CSI HSHS Allied Health Professions instructor, freshman and sophomore student representatives) and CSI Administrators, Staff, Faculty, Clinical Affiliate Registered Technologists, current and prospective students, accreditors like the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology, the Idaho State Division of Career and Technical Education, and the public. The current Outcome Assessment Plan for the CSI Radiologic Technology Program includes the following 5 categories, 5 goals, and 17 outcomes:

Category I: Graduate Performance

Goal I: Program effectiveness will be measured on an ongoing basis.

Outcomes: (1) Enrolled students will complete the program, (2) Graduates will pass the ARRT exam in radiography on the first attempt, (3) Graduates will be employed within six months of graduation. (4) Graduates will receive a quality education, (5) Employers will be satisfied with the hard technical performance of graduates.

Category 2: Clinical Performance

Goal 2: Students will be clinically competent.

Outcomes: (1) Students will demonstrate they have the clinical skills of a radiographer, (2) Students will demonstrate they have the employability skills of a radiographer.

Category 3: Problem Solving and Critical Thinking Skills

Goal 3: Students will possess problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Outcomes: (1) Students will demonstrate critical problem-solving skills performing a variety of challenging radiography procedures, (2) Students will demonstrate basic analog and digital image analysis.

Category 4: Communication Skills

Goal 4: Students will communicate and interact with patients and staff.

Outcomes: (1) Students will provide appropriate patient instructions that prevent repeats due to motion prior to making an x-ray exposure, (2) Students will be effective critical communicators in the clinical setting.

Category 5: Professional Growth and Development

Goal 5: Students and graduates will behave ethically.

Outcomes: (1) Students will adhere to ethical standards of practice, (2) Employers will be satisfied with the overall personal skills (i.e., safety, flexibility, creativity, communication, professionalism) of graduates.

Outcome Assessment Plans

The following Outcome Assessment Plans have been reviewed and approved by the CSI's Radiologic Technology Program Advisory Committee and are made available here to be shared with communities of interest and the public.

• Class of 2023
• Class of 2022
• Class of 2021
• Class of 2020
• Class of 2019
• Class of 2018
• Class of 2017
• Class of 2016
• Class of 2015
• Class of 2014
• Class of 2013
• Class of 2012
• Class of 2011
• Class of 2010
• Class of 2009
• Class of 2008