Kaskaskia College is committed to assuring effective teaching and learning and will ensure that faculty and instructional staff whose responsibility is teaching college-level credit-bearing courses are qualified in accordance with ICCB and HLC guidelines and can communicate expertise in the subject matter in which they are teaching.
For compliance with HLC and ICCB, expectations for transfer courses are:
Faculty and instructional staff teaching general education courses or non-occupational courses must (1) hold a master’s degree or higher in the discipline or subfield in which they teach or (2) hold a master’s degree or higher in a discipline or subfield other than that in which they teach with a minimum of 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline or subfield in which they teach.
HLC and ICCB expectations for career and technical education college-level certificate and occupational associate degree programs differ in the following ways.
HLC describes that qualifications may be demonstrated in either of the following ways:
- Achievement of academic credentials, progress toward academic credentials, equivalent experience, or some combination thereof.
- Achievement of academic credentials means an academic degree relevant to what they are teaching and at least one level above the level at which they teach.
ICCB expects the appropriate credential in the field (e.g., for welding, AWS certifications) and 2000 hours of work (not teaching) experience in the field being taught and have a way in which this experience is documented.
If faculty and instructional staff are assigned to teach in a career and technical education program that also has transfer courses, qualifications for those teaching transfer courses should meet the general education or non-occupational course requirements.
Faculty and instructional staff who meet the minimum qualifications of HLC and ICCB will be determined to be qualified to teach.
- The minimum qualifications for teaching coursework classified as general education or designed to transfer into a bachelor’s degree at a four-year institution shall be a master’s degree in the discipline or subfield. If the faculty or instructional staff holds a master’s degree in a discipline or subfield other than that in which they teach, they should have completed a minimum of 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline or subfield in which they teach.
- For CTE and occupational faculty and instructional staff teaching associate level courses, a bachelor’s degree in the field or a closely related field and 2,000 hours of non-teaching relevant work experience.
- For CTE and occupational faculty and instructional staff teaching programs that only contain certificate level courses that are not stackable into an associate degree, an associate degree in the field or closely related field and three (3) years of non-teaching relevant work experience.
The following are general guidelines for using other factors to determine faculty and instructional staff qualifications:
For general education and transfer courses:
- Faculty and instructional staff may be determined to be qualified through a combination of academic credentials, training, and professional licensures as evaluated and approved through the equivalent experience process.
- Previous years of classroom instruction do not alone constitute equivalent experience.
For CTE and occupational faculty and instructional staff:
Anything below the bachelor’s degree level for associate programs and anything below an associate degree for certificate programs may be considered for approval through the equivalent experience process.
• Associate degree programs:
- Associate degree in the field or closely related field and three (3) years or more of non-teaching relevant work experience
- Certificate, apprenticeship, national or state-issued license, or an industry recognized credential in the field, and five (5) years or more of non-teaching relevant work experience
- No degree/certificate and ten (10) years or more of non-teaching relevant work experience
- Faculty and instructional staff teaching in programs that hold national accreditation or have state board mandates must meet either the accreditation or state board expectations for credentials and at least 2,000 hours of non-teaching relevant work experience
• Certificate programs
- Certificate, apprenticeship, national or state-issued license, or an industry recognized credential in the field, and five (5) years or more of non-teaching relevant work experience
- No degree/certificate and ten (10) years or more of non-teaching relevant work experience
- Faculty and instructional staff teaching in programs that hold national accreditation or have state board mandates must meet either the accreditation or state board expectations for credentials and at least 2,000 hours of non-teaching relevant work experience
Faculty and instructional staff making progress toward required academic credentials may be assigned teaching responsibilities with prior approval when appropriate progress is current and consistent. Documentation of progress includes:
- Academic progress plan approved by the academic dean and Vice President of Instructional Services
- For a transfer or general education course, a minimum of 9 graduate credit hours completed in the discipline is required for consideration of approval of an academic progress plan
- Routine submission of transcripts validating progress towards minimum requirements
- Approval of licensing boards as required
Faculty and instructional staff teaching non-credit courses will have credentials appropriate to the course taught.
Application materials for full-time faculty, professional managerial facilitators, adjunct, and dual credit faculty are forwarded to the appropriate instructional dean for evaluation of qualifications. Faculty and instructional staff will be evaluated based on the defined minimum position qualifications as designated in this procedure.
If faculty and instructional staff do not meet the minimum qualifications, the following will occur:
- The academic dean, with input from appropriate faculty in the discipline, will evaluate the applicant’s credentials using the equivalent experience form.
- If additional documentation and materials are needed to evaluate for equivalent experience, Human Resources will contact the applicant to request documentation and material as requested by the dean.
- Equivalent experience is defined as experience that is commensurate with achievement of academic credentials such that it qualifies an instructor for instruction in the field or discipline. This could include a minimum threshold of experience, research and/or scholarship; recognized achievement; and/or other activities and factors. Previous years of classroom instruction do not alone constitute equivalent experience.
- If it is determined that the applicant meets the minimum instructor qualifications using the equivalent experience process, the academic dean and Vice President of Instructional Services will indicate on the Instructor Approval Form the courses the applicant is approved to teach within the respective area(s).
- The original application packet, records used for equivalent experience, and approval form are then returned to the Human Resources office. Instructional Services notifies the applicants, informing them of their approval status.
- Original application materials and applicable records used as part of the equivalent experience approval process for all approved faculty and instructional staff are kept on file in the Human Resources office.
Faculty and instructional staff personnel files will be reviewed at a minimum, every three years as part of the faculty evaluation and/or dual credit site visit process to ensure that instructors maintain the qualifications necessary for the course(s) being taught. Faculty and instructional staff may be requested to submit updated documentation, resumes, and/or training needed for compliance. Faculty deemed to meet teaching qualifications prior to January 1, 2024, will be granted continued approval.
Replaces Faculty Credentialing Procedure 3.11P
Approved April 24, 2017; August 18, 2017; September 13, 2023