Faculty Credential Policy

Custodian of Policy: Provost & Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Relevant Minnesota State System Policy: 3.32 Faculty Qualifications

Relevant HLC Policy: CRRT.C.10.010 Assumed Practice B.2 Faculty Roles and Qualifications and CRRT.B.10.010 Criteria for Accreditation 3.C Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources, and Support

Effective Date: Spring 2024

Last Review: Fall 2023

Next Review: Fall 2030

Policy

An individual offered employment as a faculty member, or any individual assigned to perform faculty work, shall meet the established minimum qualifications as indicated below. This includes faculty in tenured, probationary, fixed term, adjunct, dual credit, or any other position in which they deliver course content for credit. Minimum qualifications will meet the guidelines and assumed practices set forth by the Higher Learning Commission. A faculty member is determined to meet minimum qualifications if they satisfy one of the following.

1. A doctorate or terminal degree in a discipline relevant to what they will be teaching, or
2. For the teaching of undergraduate courses
   1. A master’s degree in a discipline relevant to what they will be teaching, or
   2. A master’s degree in any discipline and at least 18 credits at the graduate level in a discipline relevant to what they will be teaching, or
3. Progress towards the academic credentials above that is demonstratable, current, and consistent. A faculty member may meet minimum qualifications using progress towards academic credentials for a maximum of two years, after which they will need to meet the minimum qualifications on another basis.
4. Equivalent experience, as determined by the departmental faculty in the relevant department and confirmed by the administration, which is determined through a minimum threshold of experience; research and/or scholarship; recognized achievement in the field; and/or other activities and factors as qualifying the faculty member for the instruction at a level equivalent to a credential above. Previous classroom experience, however, does not alone constitute equivalent experience.
5. Specialized expertise, as determined by the department faculty in the relevant department and confirmed by the administration, which is determined through a minimum threshold of experience; research and/or scholarship; recognized achievement in the field; and/or other activities and factors as qualifying the faculty member for the instruction of specific courses. Specialized expertise may not be used to determine minimum qualifications for a faculty to teach all courses in a program. Previous classroom experience, however, does not alone constitute specialized expertise.

For faculty meeting minimum qualifications through academic credentials, Human Resources and the relevant dean will verify credentials upon a faculty member’s hire and file in the faculty member’s personnel file. For faculty members meeting minimum qualifications through progress towards academic credentials, the relevant dean will monitor and keep a record of the progress, in coordination with Human Resources. For faculty members meeting minimum qualifications through equivalent experience or specialized expertise, the relevant dean will work with the departmental faculty to determine the appropriateness of the experience or expertise, will document the departmental determination, and will maintain a record in coordination with Human Resources.