Instructors of Record and Faculty Credentials

OFFICIAL DIVISIONAL POLICY

Policy regarding Instructors of Record and Faculty Credentials at the College of Charleston

1.0 Purpose

The College of Charleston (hereafter, “the College”), to ensure employment of competent faculty members qualified to accomplish the mission and goals of the College, subscribes to the principles established by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (hereafter, “SACSCOC”), as presented in Comprehensive Standard 3.7.1 of the Principles of Accreditation. The divisional policy in support of this purpose is provided here, along with those procedures for justifying and documenting each instructional faculty member’s teaching qualifications. This divisional policy is maintained by the Office of the Provost and is available on the Office’s website. Academic program directors, department chairs, and academic deans will be consulted before any substantive changes are made to this divisional policy and will be notified when revisions are posted. The Provost and the Provost’s designees are responsible for the management of this divisional policy and for maintaining faculty credentials files to document compliance and our decisions on individual faculty credentials. All program directors, department chairs, and academic deans are responsible for compliance with this divisional policy and its related procedures.

2.0 Assignment of Instructors

Department chairs and/or program directors are responsible for ensuring that at least one Instructor of Record (hereafter, "IR”) is assigned to each credit-bearing course section in their departments and/or programs by the start date of the academic term and that all individuals contributing to instruction for each course (whether an Instructor of Record or Non-Instructor of Record) are listed on each credit-bearing course section.

This requirement, together with the guidelines outlined below, ensures the integrity of our institutional data by accurately reflecting the instructional responsibility in all course sections and allowing for:

  • Reporting of accurate and complete institutional data at local, state, and national levels;
  • Consistency in internal data for comparative analysis across programs, departments, and schools;
  • The ability to account for the instructional activity of adjunct and roster faculty and graduate teaching assistants;
  • Accountability in the assignment of midterm and final grades, in attendance verifications, and in academic dishonesty and grade appeal processes; and
  • Integrity in faculty credentialing and auditing of faculty credentials data, as expected by SACSCOC.

2.1. Assignment of Instructors of Record

The Instructor(s) of Record are defined as the faculty members responsible for the development and implementation of the syllabus, including course content, coverage, and quality of instruction, as well as the achievement of student learning outcomes and assignment of final grades, except that the faculty responsible for managing an academic program may agree to certain uniform features of course syllabi in an academic program. All IRs must be appropriately credentialed to teach at the College in accordance with the guidelines outlined in Section 4.0. Each course section in Banner (or any successor software system) must be assigned to at least one Instructor of Record. All instructors for a course providing day-to-day instruction must be coded with a percentage of session and responsibility in Banner (or any successor software program). The total percentage of responsibility for a course must equal 100%. These guidelines on instructor assignments are applicable to all College of Charleston credit-bearing courses, including contract, joint program, online, concurrent enrollment, and study abroad courses. These guidelines do not impose requirements on visiting lecturers who are speaking in a small number of meetings of the course.

2.2. Assignment of Multiple Instructors of Record

In the case of multiple instructors, assignment of the percentage of responsibility, percentage of session, and assignment type, when applicable, must be determined in each academic unit in accordance with the following guidelines.

  • All instructors for a course providing day-to-day instruction must be coded with a percentage of session and responsibility in Banner (or any successor software program). The total percentage of responsibility for a course, divided among the instructors assigned to the course, must equal 100%.
    • For team-taught courses, the percentage of responsibility must be adjusted to reflect the percent of effort each IR provides to the course. Typically for courses with two instructors, each is assigned 50% of responsibility.
    • For mid-term replacements, the percentage of responsibility must be adjusted to reflect the percent of session time each IR provides to the course. Typically, this calculation is based on the number of class sessions the replacement instructor teaches.
  • If one of the instructors is serving in a role other than a regular primary instructor of record, they will be coded with an appropriate assignment type.1 The assignment type indicates the instructor’s
    role (e.g., supervisor, assistant) and how Course-Instructor Evaluations will be assigned

2.3. Assignment of Non-Instructors of Record

Non-Instructors of Record (hereafter, “NIRs”) are typically Graduate Teaching Assistants (hereafter, “TA-NIR”) teaching undergraduate courses under the supervision of an IR. In limited cases, faculty members or other individuals may be appointed as an NIR for undergraduate courses and, in exceptional cases, appointed to assist as an NIR on graduate courses. All NIRs must be assigned a supervising IR for each course being taught. The Instructor of Record should be appropriately credentialed for the course, and there must be an NIR-IR Agreement on file for each section each academic term. When NIRs are appointed, assignment of the percentage of responsibility, percentage of session, and assignment type, when applicable, must be determined in each academic unit in accordance with the following guidelines.

  • All individuals assigned to a course, including IRs and NIRs, providing day-to-day instruction are coded with a percentage of session in Banner (or any successor software program). Typically 100% of session is given to each IR and NIR. The total percentage of responsibility assigned to the instructors for a course must equal 100%.
    • In Banner, the IR for a course is given 100% of responsibility and an appropriate assignment type if they are supervising the NIR. The assignment type indicates the instructor’s role (e.g., supervisor of an NIR) and how Course-Instructor Evaluations will be assigned.
    • In Banner, the NIR for a course is given 0% of responsibility and is assigned a supervising IR who is given an appropriate assignment type as noted above.

3.0 Faculty Qualifications and Assignment of Program Directors

For the director of each major in a degree program, the SACSCOC Principles of Accreditation require that the institution assign responsibility for program coordination, as well as for curriculum development and review, to persons academically qualified in the field. At the College of Charleston, these responsibilities are held by a department chair or academic program director who should meet the credentials guidelines outlined below and who is appointed and serves in accordance with the Divisional Policy on Academic Curricular Program Directors. In the case of an interdisciplinary program or a department housing two or more degree programs that are not strongly related, a program director might not be academically qualified in each teaching discipline. In that case, additional faculty who play a lead role in the advising of students and the development and review of curriculum should be identified on the program director credentials form. See Section 5.2 and 5.3 for guidelines on faculty credentials for program directors. Directors of academic minors and certificate programs should meet the same criteria for academic program direction.

4.0 Faculty Credentials

When making hiring decisions and instructional assignments, the College gives primary consideration to the highest earned degree(s) in the faculty member’s teaching discipline(s) in accordance with the credential guidelines outlined below. The College also considers competence, effectiveness, and capacity to contribute to effective teaching and student learning outcomes in the teaching discipline. Additionally, where the highest earned degrees are not sufficient to warrant credentialing, the College considers relevant undergraduate degrees, additional graduate degrees outside the teaching discipline, related work experiences in the field, professional licensure and certifications, continuous documented excellence in teaching within the assigned discipline, or other demonstrated competencies and achievements (including honors and awards) that contribute to effective teaching and student learning outcomes in the discipline.

There are two means by which an individual may be qualified to serve as an instructor of record for credit-bearing courses or a program director at the College of Charleston:

  • by academic credentials (degrees and/or coursework) alone, or
  • by alternative qualifications other than (or in addition to) academic credentials that are appropriate for teaching particular courses.2

These guidelines apply to all faculty appointed to direct academic programs and to all Instructors of Record for credit-bearing courses that count towards any College of Charleston program, degree, or certificate. They apply to all program directors and all full-time and part-time instructors of record regardless of rank or pay status, location of the program or course offering, or mode of delivery. All Zero Pay faculty members, faculty employed by other universities and teaching College of Charleston credit-bearing courses in joint programs, and faculty teaching College of Charleston credit-bearing courses in concurrent enrollment and/or study abroad programs must be credentialed by the College in accordance with these guidelines.

For faculty members teaching courses that are cross-listed across disciplines or programs, the faculty member must be credentialed for both versions of cross-listed courses. In many cases, the credentials may be met by academic qualifications for the course in the faculty member’s usual teaching discipline and by course-specific alternative qualifications for the cross-listed course. Additional information on cross-listed courses is available at College Policy 7.6.9, “Course Numbering Policy.”

4.1 Teaching and Program-Director Qualification by Academic Credentials

When determining acceptable qualifications for faculty to teach their assigned courses, our primary considerations are the teaching discipline and the faculty member’s highest earned degree. The College further considers other qualifications and employs the following credential guidelines:

  • Faculty teaching baccalaureate courses should hold a doctoral or other terminal degree in the teaching discipline or a closely related discipline,3 a master’s degree in the teaching discipline, or a master’s degree or higher with a concentration in the teaching discipline, including a minimum of eighteen (18) graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline. In the absence of a completed master’s degree, a concentration may be established through official documentation confirming that (1) as part of the instructor’s doctoral or terminal degree program, the equivalent of a master’s degree was achieved, and (2) at least eighteen (18) graduate hours in the teaching or a related discipline have been successfully completed.

  • At least twenty-five percent (25%) of the discipline courses in each baccalaureate major should be taught by faculty members holding the terminal degree, usually the earned doctorate, in the teaching discipline. The method for calculating the 25% threshold in each major program shall be approved by the Provost or the Provost’s designee, in consultation with the Office of Institutional Research, Planning, and Information Management and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Strategic Planning.

  • Faculty teaching graduate and post-baccalaureate coursework should have an earned doctorate or terminal degree in the teaching discipline or a closely related discipline. Effective with the 2016 Fall Semester, faculty teaching any graduate coursework, including service on graduate theses committees, should be certified as graduate faculty of Type I or Type II in accordance with the graduate faculty definition provided in the Faculty/Administration Manual.

  • Faculty responsible for directing baccalaureate programs should hold a doctoral or other terminal degree in the program discipline or a closely related discipline, a master’s degree in the program discipline, or a master’s degree or higher with a concentration in the program discipline, including a minimum of eighteen (18) graduate semester hours in the program discipline.

  • In the case of an interdisciplinary baccalaureate program or a department housing two or more programs, the faculty member responsible for directing the baccalaureate program(s) might not be academically qualified in each of the relevant disciplines. In such cases, additional faculty who play a lead role in the advising of students and the development and review of the curriculum (i.e., additional “lead faculty”) shall be identified for each discipline or program in which the director is not academically qualified.

  • Faculty responsible for directing graduate and post-baccalaureate programs should hold a doctoral or other terminal degree in the program discipline or a closely related discipline (or, for interdisciplinary programs, at least one of the relevant disciplines) and qualify for graduate faculty status and a director’s appointment under conditions specified in the Faculty/Administration Manual.

  • In the case of an interdisciplinary graduate program or one in a department that houses two or more disciplines, the faculty member responsible for directing the program might not be academically qualified in each of the relevant disciplines. In such cases, additional terminally-degreed graduate faculty who play a lead role in the advising of students and the development and review of the curriculum in the graduate program should be identified.

  • In disciplines where a non-doctoral degree is widely considered the terminal degree, the chair or program director and the dean are responsible for articulating the basis for designating other related degrees as terminal degrees. These agreements are codified in memoranda that require approval of the pertinent dean(s) and the Provost. Any disagreement regarding terminal degree status shall be resolved by the Provost. The decision of the Provost in such matters is final.

  • In programs where there are additional disciplinary designations that are very close to the program’s discipline, the chair or program director and dean are responsible for articulating the basis for designating other disciplinary titles as appropriate for teaching in the program discipline.4 These agreements are codified in memoranda that require approval of the pertinent dean(s) and the Provost. Any disagreement regarding the appropriateness of specific degree titles or disciplinary designations shall be resolved by the Provost. The decision of the Provost in such matters is final.

  • In some cases, particularly for credentialing in interdisciplinary programs, academic “specialization” in a second discipline is an important component of credentialing. An instructor is understood to have a “specialization” in a discipline if they have a combination of one or more of the following in that discipline (containing at least eighteen graduate credit hours or the equivalent): an additional graduate degree; an earned graduate-level concentration, displayed on the transcript; at least eighteen earned graduate credit hours; a doctoral dissertation; or a documented scholarly record.

  • In very limited cases, graduate students with eighteen earned graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline can teach more independently, provided that teaching is limited to 100-level introductory courses and is coupled with direct supervision by a faculty member experienced in the teaching discipline, regular in-service training, and planned and periodic evaluations. Such graduate students may teach as a Teaching Assistant Instructor of Record (hereafter “TA-IR”) and must be credentialed as a faculty member teaching baccalaureate courses, with the sole exception being that they may not yet hold an earned master’s degree.

 

4.2 Certification by Alternative Qualifications

While primary consideration is given to academic credentials earned in the teaching or a related discipline, in exceptional situations, qualifications other than academic credentials may be suitable for teaching or directing a particular academic program. Consideration of other non-academic teaching qualifications, either in conjunction with or in lieu of academic credentials, is made on a case-by-case basis. Such cases should be exceptional and compelling and should show substantial and significant evidence of professional progress and ability related to the faculty member’s instructional assignment.

In considering alternative qualifications, the College considers competence, effectiveness, and capacity to contribute to effective teaching and student learning outcomes in the teaching discipline, including as appropriate, relevant undergraduate degrees, additional graduate degrees beyond the teaching discipline, a documented scholarly record in the teaching discipline or a closely related discipline, related work experiences in the field (including successfully securing and executing grants or professional contracts), professional licensure and certifications, continuous documented excellence in teaching within the discipline, or other demonstrated competencies and achievements (including honors and awards) that contribute to effective teaching and student learning outcomes in the discipline. The statement on the Statement of Alternative Faculty Qualifications form, to be presented as a narrative justification and/or bulleted list, must address as many of these as apply to a particular situation.

4.3 Qualifications for Librarians and Special Courses

  • Faculty librarians must hold a master’s in library sciences or library information sciences degree, or possess other credentials consistent with appointment as faculty librarians. Credentialing for faculty librarians with instructional duties also follows the credentials guidelines for the teaching discipline, as outlined above.

  • Faculty teaching Honors courses (courses with an “HONS” prefix) that are associated with an academic program should be credentialed to teach in the corresponding disciplinary or interdisciplinary program (e.g., Honors Biology corresponds with Biology). Honors courses that do not have an academic program associated with them should be credentialed via alternative qualifications. These cases are typically interdisciplinary courses and/or special topics courses that are associated with two or more disciplines. Documentation should be collected and reviewed by the Dean of the Honors College and certified by each chair or program director and dean responsible for one or more of the corresponding disciplines.

  • Faculty teaching First-Year Experience seminars (courses with “FYSM,” “FYSE,” “FYSR,” and “FYSS” prefixes) that are associated with an academic program should be credentialed to teach the corresponding discipline(s) (e.g., FYSM “World History of Food” corresponds with History). Credentials documentation should be certified by the chair or program director and dean responsible for the relevant discipline(s). First-Year Experience seminars that do not have a single academic program associated with them should be credentialed via alternative qualifications. These cases are typically interdisciplinary courses that are associated with two or more disciplines. Documentation should be certified by each chair or program director and dean responsible for one or more of the corresponding disciplines.

  • Physical Education Activity courses (courses with a “PEAC” prefix) are credit-bearing undergraduate courses (e.g., Aerobics, Martial Arts). Enrolled students earn undergraduate credit and are limited to counting eight credit hours of PEAC coursework towards a College of Charleston baccalaureate degree. Faculty teaching PEAC courses should hold a master’s degree or higher with eighteen (18) or more hours in physical education or a related discipline or have alternative qualifications appropriate to the physical activity being taught. Alternative qualifications should include demonstrated proficiency or appropriate certification for the particular physical education activity of the course.

  • Learning Strategies (EDLS 100) is a not-for-credit course that covers techniques for becoming a more proficient learner. Faculty teaching sections of EDLS 100 should possess a master’s degree in a discipline related to human development, counseling, psychology, social work, education, sociology, or a related discipline, or should have completed a minimum of eighteen (18) graduate credit hours in one or more of the relevant disciplines. Documentation should be certified by the supervisor for EDLS course sections.

  • Professional Development in Education courses (courses with an “EDPD” prefix) are taken through the College of Charleston’s Office of Professional Development in Education and are designed for K-12 teachers to improve instructional strategies and engage in content enrichment opportunities. While these are credit-bearing, they do not count towards the completion of any College of Charleston academic degree or certificate. EDPD courses are designed solely for practitioners to enhance instruction, and enrollment is available only through the Office of Professional Development in Education. Faculty teaching EDPD courses must hold a terminal degree in the content area or an equivalent discipline or must hold a master’s degree with eighteen (18) or more hours in the course curriculum area, accompanied by approved alternative qualifications to teach at the graduate level. Alternative qualifications should include demonstrated proficiency and/or appropriate certification in the instructional strategy or content enrichment opportunity taught. In considering alternative qualifications, greater weight will be given to professional experience in the course subject matter than is typical for graduate courses.

4.4 Qualifications for Non-Instructors of Record (Non-Faculty Credentials)

All Non-Instructors of Record should be assigned a supervising Instructor of Record for each course being taught. The Instructor of Record should be appropriately credentialed for the course, and there should be an NIR-IR Agreement on file for each section each semester. NIRs are typically Graduate Teaching Assistants, and in limited cases, other NIRs with or without faculty rank may be assigned to assist with coursework as a NIR as described below.

  • Graduate Teaching Assistants teaching as Non-Instructors of Record (“TA-NIRs”) must be current graduate students in good standing in a related College of Charleston program and must be appropriately supervised by a faculty member experienced in the teaching discipline who provides training and curricular materials, along with close oversight of the delivery of that curriculum, and who is responsible for the final assignment of grades in the course.

  • Non-Instructors of Record without CofC faculty rank (“AN-NIRs”) are appointed in limited cases to assist with undergraduate coursework, and in exceptional cases, they may be appointed to assist as an Adjunct-NIR on graduate coursework. AN-NIRs are neither students nor faculty, and they should be closely supervised by a faculty member experienced in the teaching discipline who provides training and curricular materials, along with close oversight of the delivery of that curriculum, and who is responsible for the final assignment of grades in the course. Adjunct-NIRs must be credentialed in the same manner as instructors of record with the understanding that if they do not meet the minimum standards, a Statement of Alternative Qualifications should be filed documenting their qualifications.

  • Non-Instructors of Record with CofC faculty rank are Instructors of Records for their primary discipline and may occasionally be appointed to assist as a Non-Instructor of Record in a secondary discipline. These faculty NIRs are coded with the appropriate assignment type on the courses within their secondary discipline. They should be credentialed in the same manner as instructors of record with the understanding that if they do not meet the minimum standards, a Statement of Alternative Faculty Qualifications should be filed documenting their qualifications. They should be closely supervised by a faculty member experienced in the teaching discipline who provides training and curricular materials, along with close oversight of the delivery of that curriculum, and who is responsible for the final assignment of grades in the course.

5.0 Documentation and Certification of Credentials

The chair or program director is responsible for collecting credentials documentation and initiating the certification of credentials process for each faculty member prior to his or her service as an Instructor of Record for any credit-bearing courses in the department or program. Guidelines for the documentation and certification process are outlined below.

5.1 Documentation for Faculty Credentials

Each faculty member shall submit or have submitted to the relevant department or program the relevant credentials documentation, prior to beginning his or her service as an instructor of record for any credit-bearing courses in the department or program. However, the department chair or program director shall be responsible for the timely preparation of all applicable forms, as listed below.

The following comprise a complete credentials packet:

  • Certification of Credentials for Undergraduate Teaching and/or Certification of Credentials for Graduate Teaching form, as appropriate, for each anticipated teaching discipline,
  • Official transcript(s) of the highest degree earned and/or transcript(s) pertinent for credentialing the faculty member in the teaching discipline(s),
  • A current curriculum vitae, and
  • If applicable, a Statement of Alternative Faculty Qualifications form and any accompanying documentation (see Section 3.2 for applicability).

For existing faculty members intending to serve as Instructor of Record in a discipline not previously taught by that faculty member at the College of Charleston, the chair or program director for the academic program may request a copy of the transcript from the Office of the Provost for his or her use in preparing the remainder of a credentials packet. While the Office will also have curriculum vitae on file, a current vita should be obtained if a Statement of Alternative Faculty Qualifications is necessary or if the existing vita is more than two years old.

U.S. Degrees:

Degrees earned in the United States must be from an institution regionally accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Non-U.S. Degrees:

For foreign degrees, a U.S. equivalency evaluation must be provided by an agency that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or is approved by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), such as World Education Services (WES) or Global Credential Evaluators (GCE). A document equivalency is typically sufficient for faculty with a terminal degree in the teaching discipline, although the College can require a course-by-course evaluation, at our sole discretion, when deemed necessary to review a faculty member’s qualifications. Effective with the 2016 Fall semester, a course-by-course evaluation is typically necessary to credential a faculty member without a terminal degree. Additionally, any documentation that was originally issued in a foreign language must be translated by an appropriate external agency. In cases where the degree-granting institution provides only one official copy of the document, as is sometimes the case with foreign diplomas, the faculty member may choose to use an evaluation agency that prepares the evaluation report using copies of the documents. If the evaluation is prepared using copies of the documents, the faculty must present the original(s) to the chair or program director, who may make a copy(ies) and attach a statement certifying that s/he viewed the original(s).

Official Transcripts and Equivalency Documentation:

All transcripts and equivalency documents must be official, must be issued to the College of Charleston, and must demonstrate that the degree has been awarded.5

An official transcript is defined as a transcript or other academic record that includes notation that it is official. Each individual official transcript must meet the authentication criteria based on the issuing institution’s standards. The transcripts must possess all of the following: a) the issuing institution’s official seal; b) signature of the appropriate authorizing agent, preferably the institution’s registrar; c) the institution’s official letterhead or stationary; d) the institution’s watermark or other identifier; and e) date of issue. The transcript should clearly indicate that it was issued directly to an employee of the College working in a leadership or administrative capacity for the academic program or department. When that is not the case, prior to submission of the transcript to the Office of the Provost, the College of Charleston recipient should sign and date the transcript and include the envelope to validate that it was received sealed directly from the granting institution.

Electronic transcripts are acceptable as long as these are received from the university granting the degree or through a third party authorized by the degree-granting university to broker such transactions and that expressly takes the responsibility for verifying the identities of both the issuing institution and the receiving institution. The College of Charleston recipient should print the transcript and sign, date, and note that the official transcript was received electronically. A record of this electronic transaction shall be provided and kept in the faculty credentials file to prove that the transcript was received directly from the issuing institution or through an appropriate third party.

Unacceptable documents include:

  1. Copies of paper transcripts,
  2. Transcripts faxed, scanned, or marked “COPY” or unofficial,
  3. Transcripts issued to students (which is discernible by “issued to student” printed on the transcript or by the student’s address printed on the transcript unless presented with evidence that the College of Charleston recipient received it in a sealed envelope from the granting institution), and
  4. Copies of foreign transcripts (as discussed above) that have not been duly notarized.
Statements of Alternative Qualifications:

In cases where additional/alternative qualifications are required, the Statement of Alternative Qualifications presented on the Statement of Alternative Faculty Qualifications form must address how the candidate’s alternative qualifications relate to the specific course(s) to be taught, by linking the demonstrated qualifications of the faculty member to the course description(s) and learning outcomes, and must provide dates for all qualifying activities. The form must be accompanied by a vita, official transcripts, and other pertinent documentation (e.g., licensure or certification documents). At any time, should the courses to be taught change, this statement and the associated documentation must be updated.

Additional Documentation:

Faculty members teaching in disciplines that require professional licensure and certifications must acquire and maintain documentation of those credentials. Such documentation should be placed in the credential file in the Office of the Provost upon both initial appointment and following renewal of the credentials.

5.2 Documentation of Credentials for Program Directors

Depending on supervisory reporting lines, the department chair or dean is responsible for initiating the credentialing process for each new academic program director or department chair. In addition to documentation required by Section 5.1 to credential the new chair or program director as a faculty member, the initiator should submit the following:

  • Academic Program Director Certification of Credentials form,
  • A current curriculum vitae, and
  • An official transcript (for any pertinent degree for which an official transcript is not already on file).

5.3 Certification of Credentials for Faculty and Program Directors

The chair or program director is responsible for initiating the certification of credentials process for each faculty member prior to his or her service as an instructor of record for any credit-bearing courses in the department or program. Credentials forms and associated documentation are then reviewed by the school dean, and if approved, forwarded to the Office of the Provost for review by the Provost or the Provost’s designee. In cases where the faculty member is qualifying via academic credentials, this constitutes the final review. In cases where the faculty member is being certified via alternative qualifications or a combination of academic credentials and alternative qualifications, the file must be reviewed by the College’s SACSCOC Institutional Liaison as well. Any dispute regarding the acceptability of alternative qualifications shall be resolved by the Provost. The decision of the Provost in such matters is final.

All forms and associated documentation should be reviewed, fully approved, and on file in the Office of the Provost prior to the beginning of the course(s) to be taught. When an existing faculty member is expanding or switching into a new teaching discipline, including teaching a course that is cross-listed in a discipline for which the faculty member has not previously been approved, the chair or program director should submit new credentials forms and an updated curricular vita prior to the onset of the teaching in the new discipline. Additionally, and near the beginning of each academic semester during the regular academic year, the Office of the Provost shall provide for review by the SACSCOC Institutional Liaison a listing of faculty with their full instructional assignments and credentials information.

6.0 Appendices to Policy

The appendices for this policy shall be updated periodically by the Office of the Provost. Such updating shall not constitute a revision of the policy.

7.0 Policy Manager and Responsible Department or Office

Provost (or Provost’s designee),

Office of the Provost,

Academic Affairs Division

8.0 Departments/Offices Affected by this Policy

All academic schools, departments, and programs.

9.0 Procedures Related to this Policy

None.

10.0 Related Policies, Documents or Forms

Faculty/Administration Manual

SACSCOC Principles of Accreditation

College Policy 7.6.9: Course Numbering Policy

Academic Affairs Banner Guidelines

Divisional Policy on Academic Curricular Program Directors

Form for Certification of Credentials

Form for Academic Program Director Certification of Credentials

11.0 Review Schedule

Approved: August 2006

Revised: January 2016

Revised: July 2016

Revised: August 2016

Next Review Date: October 1, 2021

1 Assignment types include: ISIR (IR supervising an NIR), IAST (an assistant to the IR, not a supervisor), ISUP (a supervisor to the IR), and 2DSP (an IR who is serving as the NIR for this course). The most common assignment type is ISIR, which is used to indicate that the faculty member is providing supervision of a non-instructor of record rather than day-to-day instruction, recognizing that they are still providing course oversight and are grading students in the course. The corresponding NIR is given zero percent of responsibility in Banner and is evaluated by students on Course-Instructor Evaluations. The supervising IR is not evaluated. See Academic Affairs Banner Guidelines for more information.

2 Certification by alternative qualifications does not apply to graduate teaching assistants.

3 See appendix for a list of College of Charleston teaching disciplines identified by name and CIP code.

4 See appendix for a list of degrees considered terminal degrees for each discipline and a list of disciplines considered equivalent for each program. Please note that the chair or program director is responsible for the initial determination of terminal degrees in a given discipline and whether a particular discipline is sufficiently related to the teaching discipline, with review and approval of the Dean and Provost required.

5 In cases where the faculty member is a permanent faculty member with a partner institution in a joint graduate program, a copy of an official transcript supplied by the partner institution is acceptable, provided it is accompanied by a signed memo from the graduate dean or SACSCOC liaison for the partner institution, affirming that an official transcript, adhering to these guidelines, is on file at the home institution.