Murray State College
Faculty Credentialing Review Process

Statement

In order to meet the college’s mission, MSC must employ a cohort of qualified faculty.  MSC adheres to the credentialing requirements of the Higher Learning Commission and other external creditors.  In keeping with generally accepted standards throughout the country, the minimum educational training expected of all members of the faculty is a master’s degree with the equivalent of a major in their teaching field at both the undergraduate and graduate levels of teaching or a master’s degree with 18 graduate hours in the subfield that the instructor will be teaching. Occasionally, it is necessary to make an exception to this standard in technical occupational fields.  Faculty members employed in technical programs are also expected to have had industry experience in the area they teach. These standards apply to all faculty, both full-time and adjunct.

Faculty Credentialing Review Process

The following review process will be used to meet the needs of the college, the Higher Learning Commission, and other programmatic accreditors.

1. Each course must be reviewed for course type, transferability, and content. Appropriate faculty teaching credentials must be identified before the course is added to the catalog or schedule.
2. Before a faculty position is advertised, it must be reviewed by the Division Chair and the Vice President of Academic Affairs to determine the required faculty qualifications. No faculty member will be offered a position until their credentials have been reviewed and approved by the VPAA.  Faculty members who do not meet the required qualifications for a current instructional position may be asked to complete additional coursework to remain employed.

1) Submission and Verification of Documents

1. 1. a) Before a faculty position is advertised, a job description with the appropriate credentials will be submitted and approved by the VPAA. The Dean will submit credentialing requirements to the VPAA for verification and alignment of degree content using established MSC policies and procedures
   2. b) Faculty are required to keep updated official transcripts of college work on file in the Human Resources Office. Transcripts must show all earned college credits, both graduate and undergraduate.  When faculty members earn additional credits, records should be provided to supplement other information on file.
   3. c) Newly hired employees are required to provide official transcripts. Official transcripts should be sent directly from the institution to the MSC Human Resources Office.
   4. d) Once official transcripts are received by HR, an email will be sent directly to the employee and Division Chairperson and/or Dean noting the transcripts have been received. The department will inform the employee if additional documentation is required.
   5. e) Faculty with advanced degrees from foreign institutions must have their credentials evaluated and translated by a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) approved organization prior to beginning work with MSC. Original documentation must be submitted prior to hire date.
   6. f) Upon request to hire a new faculty member, credentials are reviewed using the Certification of Credentials and Qualifications Form (CCQ) along with appropriate transcripts. This form is submitted to the VPAA.  A PAF will not be produced until faculty credentials have been approved.
   7. g) The Human Resources Office maintains official personnel records. All information is available to the faculty member or the designated representative by written request of the faculty member.

Credential Table Review & Updating Process

1. The Faculty Credentials Table will be reviewed annually by the Assistant Vice President, Dean, and Program Chairs or when new courses are added to the catalog.
2. Concerns brought forward among faculty subject matter experts, Program Chairs, Deans, or the VPAA will be resolved by a special committee named by the VPAA. The committee will be made up of at least two faculty members and two Departmental heads, along with representatives from Academic Affairs.

III.           Faculty Qualifications

MSC adheres to the following academic credentialing requirements for all members of the faculty.

1. Academic faculty teaching transfer courses must be able to provide official documentation of a master’s degree in the teaching discipline or a master’s degree with at least 18 graduate hours in the teaching specialty sub-field.
2. Faculty positions in developmental studies (reading, writing, and math) and English as a Second Language (ESL) require documentation of at least a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 12 undergraduate hours in the teaching field.
3. Qualifications for teaching occupational/technical courses in applied science programs include at least three years of related work experience and a minimum of an associate’s degree in the teaching field. Faculty are required to document work experience with an updated resume/CV. Department chairs and deans are required to verify relevant experience prior to hire.
4. To ensure consistency, following the appropriate levels of credentials review, the VPAA will determine eligibility for hire. Initial hire paperwork will be reviewed and signed by the VPAA. The final authority for hiring decisions resides with the college president.

Faculty members hired to teach in subject areas with a shortage of qualified applicants who do not meet the credential requirements will be required to complete that degree within a time period determined by the VPAA. All faculty members not meeting the minimum requirements must have a Faculty Degree Plan of Study on file and be actively making progress toward completion of that plan.

IV .      Tested Experience Exception

Tested experience can potentially substitute for an earned credential or portions thereof under the following conditions:

1. The experience must be outside the classroom and in real-world situations.
2. The experience must be relevant to the discipline in which the faculty member is teaching.
3. The experience must have breadth and depth.
4. There must be well-defined documentation that demonstrates when such experience is sufficient. The CCQ form must document this experience.
5. In programs that have accreditation, the chair of this program must ensure that these exceptions comply with the programmatic accreditation standards as well as with HLC assumed practices.