Procedure 4.4.1: Faculty Qualifications Procedure

Effective Date: Tue, Feb 12, 2008

HCC Full- and Part-Time Faculty Credentials Guidelines

In keeping with SACS COC faculty credentials evaluation guidelines, HCC faculty hold one or both of the following mandated competencies:

  • the required level of formal education appropriate to the teaching discipline and academic level and/or
  • "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"

In either or both of the above situations, HCC justifies and documents all faculty qualifications and maintains appropriate, secured documentation.

Faculty Teaching Undergraduate General Education Courses

All full- and part-time faculty meet the following minimum qualifications guidelines. These HCC guidelines are in keeping with SACS COC recommendations for instructing undergraduate general education courses:

Faculty teaching general education courses at the undergraduate level: doctorate 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). Or an undergraduate or graduate degree and "competence, effectiveness, and capacity, including, as appropriate, 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".

Associate in Arts, Sciences, and General Education Faculty

All full- and part-time faculty teaching associate degree courses (associate in arts, science, and general education), designed for transfer to a four-year institution, meet the following qualifications guidelines. These HCC guidelines are in keeping with SACS COC recommendations:

Faculty teaching associate degree courses designed for transfer to a baccalaureate degree: doctorate 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). Or an undergraduate or graduate degree and "competence, effectiveness, and capacity, including, as appropriate, 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".

Associate in Applied Sciences Faculty

All full- and part-time faculty teaching associate in applied science degree courses not designed for transfer, meet the following minimum qualifications guidelines. These HCC guidelines are in keeping with SACS COC recommendations:

Faculty teaching associate degree courses not designed for transfer to the baccalaureate degree: associate’s degree and demonstrated competencies in the teaching discipline. Higher degree in teaching or teaching-related discipline preferred.

Diploma and Certificate Faculty

All full- and part-time faculty teaching diploma and certificate courses meet the following minimum qualifications guidelines. These HCC guidelines are in keeping with SACS COC recommendations:

Faculty teaching diploma and certificate degree courses not designed for transfer to the baccalaureate degree: educational equivalent of the program level in which they are instructing and documented competencies. Higher degree in teaching or teaching-related discipline preferred.

Developmental Faculty

All full- and part-time faculty teaching developmental courses meet the following minimum qualifications guidelines. These HCC guidelines are in keeping with SACS COC recommendations:

Faculty teaching developmental courses not designed for transfer to the baccalaureate degree: bachelor’s degree in the teaching discipline or bachelor's degree in a related discipline with demonstrated competencies in the teaching discipline. Higher degree in teaching or related-teaching discipline preferred.

Faculty Waivers: All Transfer and Non-Transfer Programmatic Course Offerings

Prior to employment, any faculty member lacking the above stipulated minimum academic qualifications must provide evidence of:

  • documented work experience or
  • competency in the teaching area.

Prior to College administrators approving an instructional waiver, the following waiver procedures are undertaken:

  • faculty experience and competency records are carefully screened by HCC's human resource personnel in conjunction with department chairs and program managers
  • experience and competency records are filed in the:
    • faculty member’s employment file and
    • departmental office files in which the faculty member teaches.
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