THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

TO:	The Honorable the Members of the Board of Regents
FROM:	Johanna Duncan-Poitier
COMMITTEE:	Higher Education and Professional Practice
TITLE OF ITEM:	Middlesex County College: Permission to Operate in New York State
DATE OF SUBMISSION:	September 30, 2003
PROPOSED HANDLING:	Approval (Consent Agenda)
RATIONALE FOR ITEM:	Middlesex County College needs Regents permission to offer courses to its students at clinical facilities in New York State
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goals 3 and 4
AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

SUMMARY:

 

Middlesex County College, Edison, New Jersey, is a public community college established in 1964.  It offers an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) program in radiography education on its main campus.  It seeks Regents permission to use Staten Island University Hospital, Staten Island, as a location at which it would offer five clinical courses.  Middlesex County College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.  Its radiography education program is approved by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Board of X-ray Examiners and is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology. Regents permission is required, pursuant to §224 of the Education Law, for the College to operate in New York State.

 

The A.A.S. program in radiography education is a two-year program that combines didactic and clinical courses and prepares graduates for entry-level positions as x-ray technologists.  Graduates are eligible to sit for the examination of the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists and are eligible to apply for licensure in New Jersey or New York.  The program enrolls a total of 64 students.

 

Because some of the College’s students are New York residents, it seeks to also offer five clinical courses of the program at a facility that would be more convenient for them than the seven hospitals outside New York used by the College.  No more than four students would be placed at the Hospital each year; all would be New York residents.

 

 

Two institutions responded to a canvass of all degree-granting institutions in New York City regarding this proposal.  New York City College of Technology objected, indicating that New York residents seeking to become radiographic technologists should instead attend a New York institution such as New York City College of Technology, Bronx Community College, or Hostos Community College.  Given that Middlesex County College, however, is seeking permission to offer five clinical courses for only a limited number of students, New York City College of Technology has withdrawn its objection. The withdrawal of this objection includes a statement that they would object, however, if Middlesex County College sought to move its full program into New York State.

 

Long Island University (L.I.U.) objected on the grounds that the new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) certificate program at L.I.U. - C.W. Post might need to place its own students in Staten Island, and that the placement of four Middlesex students at Staten Island University Hospital would infringe on C.W. Post’s potential clinical sites. L.I.U. requested that the Regents hold a hearing on the proposal; however, the statutory right to request a hearing exists only for proposed actions to approve master plan amendments under §237 of the Education Law. This authority does not extend to actions on requests for permission to operate under §224.  Staten Island University Hospital's representative stated that the Middlesex radiologic education students would not rotate through MRI clinicals and would not, therefore, be in conflict with future MRI student rotations. The hospital also noted that no college or university in New York has, to date, contacted the Hospital to establish an agreement to offer clinical courses in radiologic education nor do they have an agreement with LIU to offer clinical courses in MRI.  L.I.U. has subsequently withdrawn their objection indicating “that their concerns about the clinical courses that Middlesex proposes to offer in Staten Island, New York, have been resolved.”

 

Staten Island University Hospital has concluded a clinical education agreement with the Middlesex County College. The agreement provides that the Hospital determine the specific days, hours, and work assignments of the students. It specifically reserves the Hospital’s right to “accept students from other educational institutions for its clinical training program."  Under those circumstances, the presence of four Middlesex students each year should have no effect on New York institutions, if authorization is granted.

 

Recommendation:  I recommend that the Regents take the following action:

 

VOTED, that Middlesex County College, Edison, New Jersey, be authorized, effective October 9, 2003, to use Staten Island University Hospital for placement in five clinical courses of up to four students annually who are enrolled in its A.A.S. program in radiologic education, during a period beginning immediately and ending on October 31, 2006.