The role of a site visitor in programmatic accreditation

The Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) is the only organization the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) recognize to accredit traditional and distance delivery educational programs in radiography, radiation therapy, magnetic resonance, and medical dosimetry. According to the council, “accreditation is the primary means of assuring and improving the quality of higher education institutions and programs in the United States.”¹ The USDE identifies the on-site evaluation that a team of peers performs as part of the primary accrediting activities vital to the accreditation process.² Peer review in accreditation is based on the fundamental assumption that quality in higher education is best served through a process that enables peers of the institution to make the judgments essential to ensuring and advancing the quality of higher learning.³