SMRT Signals • November 2017 • Vol.6 Issue 3

INFORMATION FOR YOU

Transitioning from Faculty to a Program Director

Because continuity of an educational program is critical to the success of the students within the program, it would be ideal if a program faculty member could transform into an experienced program director at the wave of a magic wand, giving him or her an immediate understanding of the new job. Unfortunately, what often happens is that the person transitions into the position without preparation or instruction and has to learn the job on the job. Fortunately, there are ways to ensure a smooth transition.

Creating a Smooth Transition

One of the most effective ways to ensure a smooth transition is to have program directors create succession plans while they are still in office that allow adequate time for mentoring their replacement. The incoming program director would spend time shadowing the incumbent program director at meetings and during budget and schedule planning before taking over.

Another way to avoid the rocky transition a sudden, unexpected shift in position from program faculty to program director might cause is to have all faculty play a part in a program's planning and decision-making process. This inclusive and cooperative approach provides transparency to the position and helps ensure that if the program director position vacates—whether because of resignation or retirement—someone will be able to step in, even temporarily, to ensure that the program continues to run smoothly.

Ideally, new program directors will have a book or electronic repository that lays out the elements of their new role. Absent that, resources are available from other sources. For example, Kelly notes 3 key points from Transition From Faculty to Administrator that will help ensure a smooth and successful transition¹:

1. Understand why you want to do it.
2. Understand your new role.
3. Give yourself time to learn the job, and monitor your progress and satisfaction.

New program directors might start their new jobs by familiarizing themselves with their institutions' master plan. Every program should have a master plan that lists and describes the minimum elements necessary for an accredited radiologic science program to function and should include items such as:

• Course syllabi.
• Faculty scheduling.
• Program policies and procedures.
• Budget planning.
• Assessment and accreditation information.
• Faculty position descriptions.

The master plan must be accessible by all program faculty, who should review the plan frequently to maintain familiarity with the necessary elements.

A new program director also might create a transition package that includes a monthly checklist of obligations to his or her programmatic accreditors, department, and institution. In addition to including the required elements, the package should include information about how each element is performed, as well as electronic or paper samples to follow.

Not only should the assessment plan be included in the transition package, so should samples of the tools required to obtain the data. If, for example, program satisfaction is one of the required measures, a survey can be used to assess graduates' opinions, and the program director is responsible for conducting the survey and analyzing the data. Moreover, although the program director collects the information, faculty, advisory committee members, and other interested parties have a say in the analysis and actions taken to ensure that changes made to the curriculum and program are appropriate and agreed upon.

Other tactics new program directors can use to ease the transition include:

• Reaching out to colleagues within the institution or within the profession for assistance.
• Holding individual meetings with faculty members to determine how they see their roles in the department or what their short-term and long-term goals include.
• Scheduling department meetings, on a routine basis, with a clear agenda.
• Asking faculty members for agenda items for discussion or action.
• Streamlining data collection that serves both programmatic and institutional review processes.

Learning New Tasks

Finances

A new program director must learn a wide variety of new tasks. One of the greatest is dealing with the budget for the institution's radiography department. A master's degree is required of those who serve as directors in Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology-accredited programs. However, if the chosen individual's degree does not include in depth instruction on budget development and oversight, he or she can reach out to the institutional leadership (eg, dean, provost) and finance department for guidance and help in understanding the budget process. Faculty members who are interested in taking on leadership positions—such as program director, department chair, or higher levels of administration—should consider taking courses related to educational leadership or administration.

Curriculum, Administration, and Accreditation

New program directors need to understand the curriculum of the programs, including the order of the courses, numbers of full-time faculty and part-time instructors needed to teach, and clinical personnel needed to assist with clinical education.

The program director also assumes responsibility for the recruitment, admission, and graduation requirements for the students in the program. This task can take a considerable amount of time on top of teaching responsibilities. Having the cooperation of other faculty members can help with the distribution of duties in these areas.

Program directors are responsible for building the accountability reports for accreditation. JRCERT-accredited programs undergo a program review at the end of an accreditation award, which is determined by the JRCERT board of directors. If a program is given an 8-year award, for example, a 4-year interim report is required.

Assistance

Although the role of program director can be demanding, the benefits often outweigh the drawbacks. There are a number of ways to operate a program and there are numerous resources and suggestions to aid the individual who is transitioning into the role.

A number of succession planning resources are online that outline steps for success. Using key words such as department chair resources or succession planning can yield a number of links to relevant information.

The JRCERT website includes valuable information about the accreditation process, the Assessment Center, and accreditation-specific program resources such as modules, checklists, and position statements. The JRCERT also has web-based and face-to face resources to help program directors with programmatic accreditation, assessment of student learning, and program effectiveness outcomes.² Accreditation and outcomes assessment workshops are offered during the year, at various localities, that explain how to submit accreditation and assessment documents. Lastly, the JRCERT staff is available via phone or email to answer questions that arise.

Loraine D Zelna, MS, R.T.(R)(MR), is faculty member, former chairperson of the Medical Imaging Department for Misericordia University in Dallas, Pennsylvania. She also is a member of the JRCERT board of directors.

Bette Schans, PhD, R.T.(R), FASRT, is director of Assessment and Accreditation Support for Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Colorado. She also is second vice chair of the JRCERT board of directors.

References

1. Kelly R. The transition from faculty to administrator. Faculty Focus Special Report. http://www.jsums.edu/academicaffairs/files/2012/08/Transitioning-from-Faculty-to-Administrator.pdf?x19771.
2. 2. The Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology website. https://www.jrcert.org/sites/jrcert2/uploads/documents/Assessment_Resources-May_2016.pdf.