The information below is excerpted in part from:
The Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement (2004)
The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southwestern Community College employs competent faculty members qualified to accomplish the mission and goals of the institution. When determining acceptable qualifications of its faculty, SCC gives primary consideration to the highest earned degree in the discipline in accordance with the guidelines listed below. The institution also considers competence, effectiveness, and capacity, including, as appropriate, undergraduate and graduate degrees, related work experiences in the field, professional licensure and certifications, honors and awards, continuous documented excellence in teaching, or other demonstrated competencies and achievements that contribute to effective teaching and student learning outcomes.
Faculty qualification guidelines:
- Faculty teaching general education courses at the undergraduate level: doctor’s or master’s degree in the teaching discipline or master’s degree with a concentration in the teaching discipline (a minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline).
- Faculty teaching associate degree courses designed for transfer to a baccalaureate degree: doctor’s or master’s degree in the teaching discipline or master’s degree with a concentration in the teaching discipline (a minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline).
- Faculty teaching associate degree courses not designed for transfer to the baccalaureate degree: bachelor’s degree in the teaching discipline, or associate’s degree and demonstrated competencies in the teaching discipline.
- Faculty teaching developmental education courses not designed for transfer to the baccalaureate degree: Master’s degree in discipline, in related discipline, or in Education with a concentration in the discipline, or Bachelor’s degree in discipline or in related discipline with at least two years of teaching experience in discipline or other demonstrated competencies.
- Faculty teaching diploma courses in a program not designed to lead to a degree: Diploma in the teaching discipline, or appropriate combination of comparable coursework in the discipline, professional certification/licensure, training, work-experience and demonstrated competencies in the teaching discipline.
- Faculty teaching certificate courses in a program not designed to lead to a degree: Certificate in the teaching discipline, or appropriate combination of comparable coursework in the discipline, professional certification/licensure, training, work-experience and demonstrated competencies in the teaching discipline.
These guidelines are minimum requirements for employment. Posted qualifications for a specific faculty position may be higher depending upon the unique requirements of that position and the needs of the College.
