Faculty Qualifications
Effective: Fall 2017
Version History: spring 2017; fall 2021; policy review confirmed by UCC April 23, 2024, approved by EVCAA June 26, 2024
Policy Owner: Academic Affairs
Policy Contact(s): Jennifer Mencl, Accreditation Liaison Officer
Purpose:
UMD is committed to providing effective, high-quality programs wherever and however our offerings are delivered, which includes all modes of delivery and all locations. This policy is established to ensure the instructors of UMD credit-bearing courses, including all undergraduate, graduate, post-secondary option, and college in the school courses, are appropriately qualified and can be considered experts in the subject matter for courses they teach, which meets required Higher Learning Commission (HLC) standards. This University policy ensures compliance with the HLC Assumed Practice B.2 Faculty Roles and Qualifications and the Commission’s requirement that institutions of higher education verify the qualifications of faculty members.
Scope/Applicability:
The policy applies to individuals in full-time, Regular and Term instructional appointments including tenured, tenure-track, and non-tenure-track faculty positions, and to individuals who assume full teaching responsibilities for UMD on a part-time basis (e.g., adjunct, clinical, and visiting faculty, affiliated teaching specialists, College in the Schools instructors, and UMD Study Abroad Program co-instructors). The policy does not apply to teaching assistants enrolled in graduate programs who are directly supervised by faculty, instructors of “applied” courses (i.e., clinical or practicum-specific courses such as lab-only and internship), and guest speakers in classes.
Faculty will be certified at the point of hire. Graduate faculty will also require periodic review. In all circumstances the recommendation for qualified status must include the signature of the appropriate Department Head and academic Dean.
Qualification Standards:
Qualified faculty members are identified primarily by academic degree credentials, but other factors may be considered in determining whether a faculty member is qualified. Equivalent experience may substitute for an earned credential or portions thereof.
1. Earned Academic Degree Credential: The primary consideration for determining faculty qualifications is the highest earned degree in the discipline or subfield from a regionally, provincially, or nationally accredited institution that meets accepted standards for each unit and its respective disciplines. Official documentation of the credential is required.
a. Instructors teaching undergraduate courses, including College in the Schools (CITS) courses, possess an academic degree relevant to what they are teaching and at least one level above the level at which they teach (i.e., a master’s degree or higher determined by the discipline).
b. Instructors teaching graduate courses hold the terminal degree determined by the discipline and have a record of research, scholarship, creative endeavor, or achievement appropriate for the graduate program. The Graduate Faculty Qualifications Policy details additional requirements.
2. Progress Toward Academic Credential: If an individual does not meet the first qualification standard, the second consideration is demonstrable, current, and consistent progress toward the relevant academic credential for the course level in the discipline or subfield for the course(s) being taught (e.g., an applicant who is ABD and does not have a master’s degree). An applicant who is qualified based on progress toward academic credential will not permanently be qualified on this basis and must become qualified on another basis. If the applicant is hired, they must obtain the academic credential within a predetermined period of time in accordance with the employment contract. Failure to do so will result in the necessary action as stated in the employment contract. Official documentation of the progress toward academic credential is required. When the academic credential is obtained and verified by the college with official transcript(s) and/or other documentation the instructor’s qualification may be changed via a memo from the Dean’s Office to the EVCAA.
3. Equivalent Experience: If an individual does not meet the first or second qualification standards, the third consideration for determining faculty qualifications is the extent to which the person possesses experience deemed commensurate with achievement of the degree credential necessary for the courses being taught. The minimum threshold for equivalent experience is the degree credential at the same level of the courses being taught plus 18 graduate credit hours or the equivalent. For example, an individual with a Master’s degree may teach a Master’s level course when the individual has also earned an additional 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline or subfield being taught or has experience approved as the equivalent to the 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline or subfield being taught.
Equivalency is determined: i) by examining the breadth and depth of the individual’s portfolio of experiences outside of the classroom in real-world situations relevant to the degree level and to the discipline or subfield for the course(s) being taught, and ii) by converting these experiences into equivalent credit hours as explained below. A college or department may establish a set of guidelines that varies from the campus policy with approval from the Dean of the college and EVCAA.
Experiences may include, but are not limited to, certifications, licensures, related non-teaching work experience, and achievements that would contribute to effective teaching and learning outcomes. Equivalent experience may include, but cannot be based exclusively, on years of teaching experience. Appropriate documentation is required of all items presented for consideration.
A master’s degree or higher in a discipline or subfield other than the course being taught (required), plus a combination of the following items are used to determine qualifications based on equivalent experience.
a. Graduate credit hours completed in the discipline or subfield of the course being taught that contribute to the 18-credit minimum.
b. National- or state-issued certification or licensure in the discipline or subfield related to the course being taught: 6 credits maximum.
c. Standardized professional certification or licensure that is related to the course being taught: 6 credits maximum.
d. Documented continuing education to renew certification or licensure listed in 3b and/or 3c that is related to the course being taught: 6 credits maximum.
e. Documented continuing education unrelated to certification or licensure requirements that is related to the course being taught: 18 credits maximum.
f. Documented professional involvement and activities (e.g., employment, published peer-reviewed scholarship, creative work published in appropriately reputable venues, and presentations associated with scholarly or professional organizations) directly related to the development of content expertise in the subject matter of the course being taught: 18 credits maximum.
g. Additional items that do not fall into the previous categories will be considered for CITS courses on a case-by-case basis: 6 credits maximum per item.
h. Qualifications determined using equivalent experience must be appropriate to the level of the course being taught, such that the depth and/or breadth related to an individual’s experience is greater for graduate-level courses compared to upper division courses and for upper-division courses compared to lower-division courses.
i. Any determination to consider additional items and/or allocate a higher number of credits to any item than what is provided in the guidelines listed above must be approved by the collegiate unit Dean where the course is offered and by the EVCAA.
Procedures:
The following steps provide for careful consideration of the faculty qualifications for individuals and courses applicable to this policy.
1. All documentation must be provided with application materials so that the departmental and/or college search committee can determine minimum qualifications using the guidelines within this policy.
2. Prior to extending an employment offer to teach one or more courses, the applicant’s qualifications will be verified by the hiring department in consultation with the respective collegiate unit. For applicants qualified based on equivalent experience, verification must include the portfolio of items used as experience along with the number of equivalent credit hours associated with each item. The Faculty Qualifications Verification Form is completed during this stage and is forwarded with each hiring request for approval. A college or department approved to have different equivalent experience guidelines must use a verification form that is consistent with its guidelines.
3. The Faculty Qualifications Verification Form must be included with the request for faculty hires and for CITS teachers, using the following approval processes:
a. Course(s) offered within an academic department (includes UMD Study Abroad Program co-instructors who are not UMD faculty): Director of Graduate Studies (applicable for graduate courses), Department Head, Dean, and EVCAA.
b. CITS: Department CITS Faculty Liaison for the Course, Department Head, Dean, EVCAA.
This policy will be reviewed five years after its initial implementation and after every revision.