Faculty Credentials

 

Policy Purpose

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Qualified, effective faculty members are essential to accomplishing the mission and goals of East Tennessee State University. 

 

  • Policy Statement
    Faculty members at ETSU must be academically and/or professionally qualified to ensure the quality and integrity of its academic programs. Qualifications may be documented by academic degrees or substantial work experiences that contribute to and enhance quality program instruction.  

    The above policy follows the credential guidelines specified by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

  • Authority
     
  • Definitions

    SACSCOC Faculty Qualifications Standard           

    For each of its educational programs, the institution justifies and documents the qualifications of its faculty members (Principles of Accreditation, Section 6, 2.a.)

    Academically Qualified

    Academically qualitied is defined as having the appropriate degree(s) in the discipline for the instruction level.

    Professionally Qualified

    Professionally qualified is defined as having substantial work experience, with supportive competencies and achievements, in the absence of required academic degrees.

  • Policy History

     Effective Date:  March 24, 2017

  • Procedures

    I. Initial Hire

    Appropriate college/school personnel, usually department chairs, verify and justify the competency of each full-time or part-time faculty member and graduate teaching associate at the time of hire according to either academic or professional qualifications as identified below.

    Documentation describing the qualifications of the faculty member includes transcripts, curriculum vitae (including professional experiences), teaching evaluations, and institutional qualification justifications in nonstandard situations. 

    Faculty competency determinations are reviewed by the appropriate dean and approved by the Vice President of Academic Affairs/Vice President of Health Affairs (or designee) as appropriate.

    II. Each Academic Term

    Appropriate personnel verify faculty academic credentials and professional experiences for each course a faculty member teaches on the ETSU Faculty Teaching Credentials System.   Faculty competency determinations are reviewed by the appropriate dean and approved by the Vice President of Academic Affairs/Vice President of Health Affairs (or designee) as appropriate.

    III. Credential Standards

    Baccalaureate Courses

    Academically Qualified Professionally Qualified*

    Doctorate or master’s degree in the teaching discipline (or a related degree as declared and justified by department) from a regionally accredited institution or comparably recognized non-U.S. institution AND Oral and Written English Proficiency

    OR

    Master’s degree with a concentration in the teaching discipline from a regionally accredited institution or comparably recognized non-U.S. institution (minimum of 18 graduate semester credits in the teaching discipline) AND Oral and Written English Proficiency

    Baccalaureate degree in the discipline from a regionally accredited institution or comparably recognized non-U.S. institution AND substantial related work or professional  experience in the field, licensure/certification, and/or documented and demonstrated competencies and achievements that contribute to effective teaching and student learning outcomes AND Oral and Written English Proficiency

    OR

    Extensive related work or professional experience in the field, professional licensure/certification, and/or documented and demonstrated competencies and achievements that contribute to effective teaching and student learning outcomes AND Oral and Written English Proficiency

    Graduate and Post-Graduate Courses

    Academically Qualified Professionally Qualified*

    Doctorate/terminal degree in discipline/related discipline (as declared and justified by department) from a regionally accredited institution or comparably recognized non-U.S. institution

    AND

    Current Graduate Faculty membership

    AND

    Oral and Written English Proficiency

    Master’s degree in the discipline/related discipline (with 18 graduate semester credits in teaching discipline) from a regionally accredited institution or comparably recognized non-U.S. institution AND substantial related work or professional experience in the field, professional licensure/certification, and/or documented and demonstrated competencies and achievements that contribute to effective teaching and student learning outcomes

    AND

    Active Graduate Faculty Status**

    AND

    Oral and Written English Proficiency

    Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy Courses

    Academically Qualified Professionally Qualified*

    Doctorate/Terminal Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline (as declared by department) from a regionally accredited institution or comparably recognized non-U.S. institution

    AND

    Oral and Written English Proficiency

    Academic degree in appropriate discipline from a regionally accredited institution or comparably recognized non-U.S. institution

    AND

    Substantial work or professional experience in the field, licensure/certification, and/or documented and demonstrated competencies and achievements that contribute to effective teaching and student learning outcomes

    AND

    Oral and Written English Proficiency

    *Departments may increase and/or differentiate requirements.

    **Graduate faculty status awarded by the Graduate Council.

    Graduate Teaching Associates

    Graduate Assistant  or Tuition Scholar Instructor of Record Requirements

    The graduate teaching associate will normally have primary responsibility for teaching an undergraduate course for credit and for assigning final grades for said course. A graduate teaching associate shall not have responsibility for teaching a graduate level course.

    Matriculated in a graduate degree program through the ETSU School of Graduate Studies

    AND

    18 graduate semester credits or a master’s in the teaching discipline

    AND

    Enrolled in 5019, Supervised Experience in Teaching (regular in-service and planned and periodic evaluation)

    AND

    Oral and Written English Proficiency

    Graduate Teaching Assistants

    Graduate Assistant  or Tuition Scholar Assisting a Faculty Instructor of Record Requirements

    Teaching assistants usually work to support the efforts of faculty members in specific courses. They will generally not teach a course as the primary instructor, but may be responsible for a section of a lecture course or for a laboratory course under the direct supervision of an experienced faculty member. Responsibilities may also include grading examinations, leading discussion sections, or performing other duties related to the instructional program

    Matriculated in a graduate degree program through the ETSU School of Graduate Studies

    AND

    Direct supervision by faculty instructor of record AND

    Enrolled in 5019, Supervised Experience in Teaching (regular in-service training and planned and periodic evaluation)

    AND

    Oral and Written English Proficiency

     IV. Dissemination of Faculty Credentials 

    The university publishes the degrees of full-time faculty in its catalogs.  The undergraduate catalog includes the entire university faculty, including faculty emeriti, deans, and chairs of excellence, by college or school by indicating faculty name, date of employment, rank, department, and degrees-dates-institutions.  The same information is included in the graduate catalog for full-time faculty with graduate faculty status and those serving as graduate program coordinators.  The Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy faculty listings include the professional and other degrees of each individual. 

    Further, the campus community has access to the Faculty Teaching Credentials System (FTCS).  This system, available only on campus, identifies demographic information, academic and/or professional qualifications, and courses taught for each instructor.  The College of Medicine faculty is not included in the FTCS because the teaching structure is substantially different than the standard instructor-of-record identification.  The system retains historical information and indicates all courses taught by each faculty member across time.

  • Procedure History

    Effective Date:  March 24, 2017

  • Related Form(s)

     Guidelines for Graduate Faculty Appointments

  • Scope and Applicability
    First Column Second Column

    Primary

    Secondary

    Academics

    Employment
Responsible Official Responsible Office

 Provost

 Vice President for Academic Affairs and Vice President for Health Affairs

 

 

 

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