Faculty Credential Requirements

Faculty Credentialing and Qualifications

Glen Oaks Community College ensures that all instructors meet rigorous academic and professional standards established by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Faculty qualifications are reviewed on a course-by-course basis to support high-quality instruction and student success.

Glen Oaks Community College (GOCC) fully adheres to Higher Learning Commission Assumed Practice B.2 for faculty qualifications. The College verifies faculty qualifications through the evaluation of appropriate academic credentials and tested experience. These qualifications may differ depending on the type of coursework being taught.

Only academic degrees and certificates granted from regionally accredited institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education will be considered. Official transcripts and other credentialing documents must be on file with the College.

Faculty Qualification Standards

Faculty qualifications are evaluated based on the type of course being taught. At Glen Oaks Community College, faculty generally qualify to teach through one of the following pathways:

Transfer or General Education Courses

Faculty teaching courses that may transfer to a bachelor’s degree program must meet one of the following qualifications:

  • Hold a master’s degree or higher in the primary discipline or subfield of the course(s) they teach.

  • Hold a master’s degree in another discipline and have earned 18 or more graduate credit hours in the discipline in which they teach.

  • Hold a master’s degree in another discipline, be working toward 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline, and have an approved progress toward academic credentials plan.

Occupational and Career-Technical Courses

Faculty teaching career and technical education (CTE) or occupational programs may qualify through a combination of academic preparation and significant professional industry experience.

Typically, faculty teaching in occupational certificate or applied associate degree programs should hold:

  • A bachelor’s degree in the field, and/or
  • A combination of education and equivalent professional experience.

Additional Industry Experience Requirements

Faculty teaching in programs approved for Perkins funding must have a minimum of:

  • 4,000 hours of paid, recent (within the last 10 years), relevant non-teaching work experience in the appropriate field.

Additional academic degrees, licenses, or certifications may also be required depending on program accreditation standards and industry expectations.

General Education or Other Non-Occupational Courses

GOCC requires all faculty teaching general education or other non-occupational courses to have either achieved academic credentials or be making progress toward academic credentials for the courses or disciplines in which they teach.

Academic Credentials

“Achievement of academic credentials means that an instructor possesses an academic degree relevant to what they are teaching and at least one level above the level at which they teach, except in programs for terminal degrees. In terminal degree programs, an instructor possesses the same level of degree.”

“In the context of general education courses, or other non-occupational courses, achievement of academic credentials typically means that an instructor holds a master’s degree or higher. Generally, this degree is in the discipline or subfield in which the instructor is teaching. If an instructor holds the degree in a discipline or subfield other than that in which they are teaching, the individual has completed a reasonable amount of coursework in the discipline or subfield in which they teach, as defined by the institution.”

(HLC, Institutional Policies and Procedures for Determining Faculty Qualifications)

Progress Toward Academic Credentials

“Progress toward academic credentials means demonstrable, current, and consistent progress toward the academic credential(s) deemed relevant by the institution for an instructor to be qualified. It is expected that an instructor who is qualified as a result of progress toward academic credentials will not permanently be qualified on that basis; rather, the instructor will eventually be qualified on another basis.”

(HLC, Institutional Policies and Procedures for Determining Faculty Qualifications)

Faculty seeking approval based on progress toward academic credentials must submit a plan for review by the department and the Chief Academic Officer.

If approved, the instructor will be qualified to teach for that specific academic year. If satisfactory progress toward 18 graduate credit hours continues, the instructor will remain approved under this provision. If satisfactory progress is not made, the instructor will no longer be approved to teach under this qualification.

Occupational Courses

Faculty teaching in career and technical education certificate programs and occupational associate degree programs may qualify through academic preparation and/or relevant professional experience.

“Equivalent experience means experience that is commensurate with achievement of academic credentials such that it qualifies an instructor for the instruction. This could include through a minimum threshold of experience; research and/or scholarship; recognized achievement; and/or other activities and factors.”

(HLC, Institutional Policies and Procedures for Determining Faculty Qualifications)

Equivalent experience varies by discipline and is determined or reviewed on a course-by-course basis. Previous years of instruction do not constitute equivalent experience.

In addition, all faculty members teaching in programs approved for Perkins funding must have a minimum of 4,000 hours of paid, recent (within the last 10 years), and relevant non-teaching work experience in the appropriate field.

Additional academic degrees, licenses, or certifications may be required depending on program accreditation standards and industry expectations.

Credentialing Documentation Procedure

Candidates for faculty positions must ensure that all documentation used to qualify them to teach is submitted to Human Resources.

Failure to provide documentation in a timely manner, or falsification or misrepresentation of credentials, may result in withdrawal of teaching assignments and termination.

Credential documents must be on file with Human Resources prior to the start of the teaching assignment and are maintained in the faculty member’s permanent electronic personnel file.

Documentation Requirements

Transcripts

Faculty members must submit all official transcripts of academic coursework and degrees to the Human Resources Office.

Faculty who have completed college or university coursework outside of the United States must obtain a complete evaluation of their foreign transcripts from a certified third-party evaluation agency recognized by either:

  • The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), or
  • The Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE).

Official transcripts and equivalency evaluations will be maintained in the employee’s electronic personnel file.

Related Work Experience for Tested Experience

References regarding the faculty member’s work experience may be submitted for review and consideration.

If the faculty member is self-employed, letters of reference should be obtained from one or more clients who can verify the nature and scope of the work performed.

Additional documentation that may be accepted includes:

  • State sales tax documents
  • Assumed name certificates filed with the county clerk’s office
  • Published articles referencing the faculty member’s work experience

Non-Teaching Work Experience for Perkins-Approved Program Faculty

Faculty teaching in programs approved for Perkins funding must have a minimum of 4,000 hours of paid, recent (within the last 10 years), and relevant non-teaching work experience in the field.

A current resume with sufficient detail documenting relevant experience is required.

Other Documentation

If professional licensure, certifications, awards, or other demonstrated competencies are used to qualify a faculty member to teach in a related field, official copies must be included in the faculty member’s permanent personnel file.

If licenses or certifications have expiration dates and are used for qualification, updated documentation must be provided to the Human Resources Office each time a renewal is received.

Online Courses

Glen Oaks Community College is approved by the Higher Learning Commission to offer online programs.

A standing College committee, the Online Learning Advisory Team (OLAT), was established to guide online learning at the College (per Faculty Senate CBA, Article XIII.F).

Faculty must:

  • Complete required training
  • Receive approval from the Vice President of Academics
  • Remain qualified to teach in the online learning environment

Orientation guidelines are established by the College in consultation with OLAT. All new online instructors must complete the online faculty orientation prior to being assigned an online course.

The College, with input from OLAT, evaluates the quality of online courses and may make recommendations regarding the continued use of a course or the faculty member teaching the course. Final decisions regarding approval or continuation of online offerings are made by the College.