10/09/19
NORTH ADAMS, MA—Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, the official teach-out partner
for Southern Vermont College following its closure, is working to ensure that students
in SVC’s Radiologic Sciences program are able to complete their degrees without interruption.
Begun as a collaboration in 2003 between the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center and SVC, the Radiologic Sciences program moved from an associate’s degree to a bachelor’s degree in 2012. Throughout its existence, the Radiologic Sciences program has been highly rated nationally, and it has a cumulative pass rate of 97 percent on the national registry.
“We admire the advancement and the achievements of Southern Vermont Colleges' Radiologic Science program and congratulate the faculty and students who have made it such a success,” said MCLA President James F. Birge. “Our community will benefit from the additional expertise that the radiological faculty will bring to campus. As we look toward the future, and as the teach-out College for the SVC originated-program, we are excited and happy to be bringing these students and faculty on board.”
The Radiologic Sciences faculty members from SVC have joined MCLA’s faculty. Linda Lippacher, who began the program at SVC, continues to lead the program at MCLA; Julie Walsh, who served as an assistant professor at SVC for 11 years, is now the clinical coordinator. Alyssa Dufresne, a graduate of SVC’s Radiologic Sciences program, also teaches in the program.
“MCLA graciously took on the radiology program, which greatly benefits those students who were studying radiology at SVC,” said Lippacher. “There is a current demand for jobs in the health industry, including in radiology. MCLA’s adoption of this program will benefit the local community, providing academic opportunities for students in the area, and providing locally trained employees for area health providers.”
MCLA is working on creating its own curriculum that would capitalize on the strengths of the college and the expertise provided by the SVC faculty. If approved through the MCLA governance process and the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology, the new curriculum could go into effect as early as Fall 2020 and would enroll both existing and new MCLA students. Students completing an approved program would be eligible to sit for the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) Radiography examination.
“It’s part of MCLA’s mission to provide academic programs that meet local and national workforce needs while simultaneously being of interest to current and prospective students,” said Dr. Adrienne Wootters, MCLA’s vice president of academic affairs. “Adopting the radiology program hits all those marks.”
