Faculty Credential Levels and Minimum Qualifications

Policy Owner: Chief Academic Officer

Policy Statement:

According to the Guidelines of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) qualified faculty members are identified primarily by credentials, but other factors, including but not limited to equivalent experience and credentialing, may be considered. Instructors must possess an academic degree relevant to what they are teaching, and at least one level above the level at which they teach, or when equivalent tested experience is established. All persons considered for employment by the college as faculty are expected to show concern for the quality and totality of the educational experience and demonstrate evidence of, or potential for, effective teaching.

Policy Rational:

Institutions must ensure that faculty members who deliver college content are appropriately qualified to do so, following the guidelines established by the HLC published September 2020. The guidelines apply to full-time faculty, adjunct faculty, and instructors of dual credit/concurrent credit courses.  Per HLC, college credit by means of dual credit arrangements must ensure the quality and integrity of such offerings and their comparability to the same college credit offered on the institution’s main campus and/or other locations. As such, the faculty members teaching dual credit courses should hold the same minimal qualifications as required by the institution of its own faculty. These expectations extend to all concurrent/dual credit faculty.