TEXAS STATE TECHNICAL COLLEGE STATEWIDE OPERATING STANDARD No. ES 1.11 Page 1 of 5 Effective Date: 2/10/2017 DIVISION: SUBJECT: Educational Services Faculty Credentials AUTHORITY: Executive Action #03-15 PROPOSED BY: TITLE: RECOMMENDED BY: TITLE: APPROVED BY: Original Signed by Elton E. Stuckly, Jr. Vice Chancellor/Chief Operations Officer Original Signed by Elton E. Stuckly, Jr. Vice Chancellor/Chief Operations Officer Original Signed by Mike Reeser Date: 2/10/2017 Date: 2/10/2017 TITLE: Chancellor Date: 2/10/2017 STATUS: Approved by EMC 2/10/2017 HISTORICAL STATUS: Approved by the BOR Executive Committee 03/25/15 Revised 01/2017 Approved by EMC 03/19/15 Proposed New POLICY Texas State Technical College employs qualified, effective faculty to carry out the goals and mission of the institution and ensure the quality and integrity of its academic programs. OPERATING REQUIREMENTS All full-time and part-time faculty members at Texas State Technical College (TSTC) will meet the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) credential requirements, as outlined in the Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement, and with Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) minimum qualification requirements, as outlined in the most current edition of the Guidelines for Instructional Programs in Workforce Education (GIPWE). Degrees and graduate credit hours held by faculty members, whether full-time or part-time, must have been earned at an institution accredited by an accreditor recognized by the THECB.
Page 2 A. Associate Degree Courses Designed for Transfer Faculty teaching general education credit courses at the undergraduate level or associate degree courses designed for transfer to a baccalaureate degree program must have a doctoral or master s degree in the teaching discipline, or a master s degree with a concentration in the teaching discipline (a minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline). B. Associate Degree Courses not Designed for Transfer Faculty teaching associate degree courses not designed for transfer to a baccalaureate degree program must have a bachelor s degree in the teaching discipline, or an associate degree and demonstrated competencies in the teaching discipline. Exceptional cases of professional experience or credentialing in lieu of the above requirements may be considered on an C. Certificate Program Courses Faculty teaching credit courses in professional, occupational, and technical areas that are components of certificate-level programs of study or non-degree diplomas must have specific specialized training in their teaching field and demonstrated competencies in the teaching discipline. Associate degrees in the teaching field or related area are a preferred credential. Exceptional cases of professional experience or credentialing in lieu of the above requirements may be considered on an D. Basic Computation and Communication Skills Support Courses Faculty members who teach support courses in basic computation and communication skills in associate degree and non-degree occupational certificate programs must have a baccalaureate degree and should have work experience which helps them relate these skills to technical areas or teaching experience in a discipline related to their assignments. Exceptional cases of professional experience or credentialing in lieu of the above requirements may be considered on an E. Developmental Programs Faculty members who teach in developmental programs must have a baccalaureate degree in a discipline related to their teaching assignment and have either teaching experience in a discipline related to their assignment or graduate training in
Page 3 developmental education. Exceptional cases of professional experience or credentialing in lieu of the above requirements may be considered on an individual basis by the designated Academic Officer or the Associate Vice Chancellor for Instructional Operations. F. Adult Basic Education, General Equivalency Diploma, English-As-A-Second-Language Courses Faculty members who teach Adult Basic Education (ABE), General Equivalency Diploma (GED), and English-As-A-Second-Language (ESL) courses below the collegiate level must have a baccalaureate degree and should have attributes or experiences which help them relate to the particular needs of the adults they teach. Exceptional cases of professional experience or credentialing in lieu of the above requirements may be considered on an individual basis by the designated Academic Officer or the Associate Vice G. Continuing Education Workforce Education Courses Faculty members who teach in continuing workforce education courses must have special skills training and/or relevant certifications and related work experience or demonstrated competencies in the teaching discipline. An associate or higher degree is recommended. Exceptional cases of professional experience or credentialing in lieu of the above requirements may be considered on an individual basis by the designated Academic Officer or the Associate Vice Chancellor for Instructional Operations. H. Alternative Credentialing Exceptional cases of professional experience or credentialing in lieu of educational preparation must be justified through the alternative credentialing process. Exceptions to stated faculty credentials may be considered in the following cases: a. The faculty member has professional experience and demonstrated contributions to the teaching discipline, which may be presented in lieu of formal academic preparation. b. The faculty member has training in a closely related discipline and the competencies to teach the course objectives were covered in the related disciplines. c. Degrees in the discipline are not readily available in the region. In such cases, the faculty may be approved to teach associate degree courses not designed for transfer, certificate program courses, basic computation and communication skills support courses, and developmental courses if sufficient evidence is provided by the applicant that independently verifies professional experience or credentialing to provide excellence in instruction in the field of study.
Page 4 The evidence provided by an applicant should be detailed work history or documentation from previous employers or military supervisors that describe the applicant s regular assignments or duties, and this information should include enough detail to clearly connect these activities with learning outcomes in TSTC courses. Acceptable evidence of credentialing which may be considered for appointment includes, but is not limited to: Certification in field Professional licensure Professional certifications Professional registry National certifications Apprenticeships Other discipline-related documentation that demonstrates third-party recognition of the applicant s expertise in the field Alternative credentials must be documented on the Faculty Credentials Verification Form (See Attachment A ) and approved by the designated academic officer or the Associate Vice When appropriate, TSTC reserves the right to require a new technical instructor who is credentialed through the alternative process to successfully complete, at a minimum, an Associate of Applied Science in the discipline or a related discipline. I. Faculty Credentials from Non-Regionally Accredited or Foreign Institutions 1. Faculty credentials from non-regionally accredited institutions within the United States will be reviewed for course content and subject area by the appropriate college officials. 2. Faculty credentials from foreign institutions must be: a. Translated to English, if applicable. b. Evaluated for equivalency to United States regionally accredited coursework by a National Association of Credential Evaluation Service (NACES)- approved organization. c. Reviewed by the appropriate college officials prior to hiring. OPERATING PROCEDURES A. Applicants for faculty positions are responsible for submitting transcripts of
Page 5 applicable degrees to Human Resources and, when applicable, supporting documentation, prior to an offer of employment. 1. In cases of credentials from a non-regionally accredited institution, the applicant is responsible for submitting supporting documentation of the institution s accreditation or recognition by other agencies or organizations. 2. In cases of credentials from a foreign institution, the applicant is responsible to provide an official evaluation and translation of their academic credentials by an approved NACES organization. B. Prior to an offer of employment, the Department Chair or hiring manager will verify the applicant s credentials following SACSCOC and THECB guidelines. This process will be documented by the Department Chair or hiring manager, the Division Director, the designated Academic Officer or the Associate Vice Chancellor for Instructional Operations, and Human Resources. C. Official transcripts and all supporting documents shall be recorded and kept on file at Human Resources for each faculty member. D. Additional procedures may be implemented by Instructional Operations or Human Resources to support ongoing operational requirements.