Qualitative Insights on the Past, Present and Future of a Michigan Intercollegiate Consortium for MRI program delivery

With declining state and local funding, Michigan community colleges are striving
to develop innovative strategies to keep pace with the rapid technological advancements
that are changing the needs of workforce training. The field of medical imaging is no
exception. While community college radiography programs have been the mainstay of
meeting employer needs for staffing radiologic technologists, technology has evolved the
“rad. tech.” profession into highly specialized niche careers that include magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), cardiac/vascular interventional
imaging, mammography, and others, each requiring a skill set beyond that acquired in
established radiography programs. That being said, the distinct nature of each
specialization limits enrollment capacity, making these specialty programs costprohibitive
for colleges to offer in traditional and competitive silos.
The MiRIS Consortium, a group of five Michigan community colleges and one
university, responded to the challenge by forming a partnership to support quality and
sustainable MRI programming, expanding the capacity of each individual partner college.
To address the replication potential of the MiRIS Consortium, the purpose of the
study was to understand the key elements contributing to the development and
sustainability of this particular intercollegiate partnership.
The research approach assumed a qualitative case study of the MiRIS Consortium
over the development phase of the partnership and the first year of the MRI program.
Three academic deans and six program directors from partner institutions were
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interviewed to glean personal accounts of their experiences. A comprehensive document
analysis was also conducted to augment the interview data.
The findings revealed the central focus of the partnership was in establishing an
equitable financial model that would sustain over time. Another clear outcome from the
study was the importance of pre-established relationships among individuals at the
program level in bringing the colleges together with a common vision. It was from these
individuals, the role of a champion emerged to provide leadership across the partnership
and within individual partner institutions. The value of the Consortium’s efforts had
implications to an array of individuals, to organizations, and to the state’s economic and
education goals, while serving as a model for replication by others.