Faculty Credentialing Policy

Authority: Academic Affairs and Enrollment Management
Date Enacted or Revised: Enacted September 2015; Revised March 2018; August 2019; August 2021; January 2022; July 5, 2022; November 29, 2022; October 9, 2023

The mission of McNeese State University defines it as primarily a teaching institution; therefore, the institution seeks faculty whose academic credentials, certifications/licensure, work experience, and expertise support the institution’s teaching mission as well as the quality and integrity of the academic programs. The institution adheres to guidelines established by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) regarding faculty credentials.

Guidelines for Faculty Credentials 

  1. General Education Course Instructors: Faculty teaching undergraduate general education courses must have an earned doctorate or master’s degree with at least 18 semester hours of graduate credit in the teaching discipline or related teaching discipline. The teaching discipline may not necessarily be determined by the course prefix (e.g., AGEC, COMM, EDTC, OSBC, etc.) but what a reasonable person would conclude as a requisite background for the course’s instructor based on the student learning outcomes.
  2. Undergraduate Course Instructors: Faculty teaching undergraduate courses that are applicable toward an associate or baccalaureate degree must have an earned doctorate or master’s degree with at least 18 semester hours of graduate credit in the teaching discipline or a related teaching discipline.
  3. Graduate Course Instructors: Faculty teaching graduate courses must have an earned doctorate or terminal degree in the teaching discipline or a related teaching discipline. Information about graduate faculty membership can be found on the Doré School of Graduate Studies website.
  4. Graduate Teaching Assistants: Graduate teaching assistants must have an earned master’s degree in the teaching discipline or 18 semester hours of graduate credit in the teaching discipline, direct supervision by a faculty member experienced in the teaching discipline, and planned, periodic evaluations.
  5. Lab Instructors:
    1. For lab courses that are a component of a regular course and contribute over 50% of the course grade, the faculty teaching the lab must meet regular credentials as noted above (doctorate or master’s degree with at least 18 semester hours of graduate credit in the teaching discipline or a related teaching discipline).
    2. For lab courses with a separate grade for the lab component, the faculty assigning the grade must meet regular credentials (doctorate or master’s degree with at least 18 semester hours of graduate credit in the teaching discipline or a related teaching discipline).
    3. For labs that serve as supplemental instruction to a course, the lab instruction, coordination, or proctoring may be covered by an assistant with an appropriate baccalaureate degree and/or professional licensure in the teaching discipline or a related teaching discipline under the supervision of an appropriately credentialed faculty member. Undergraduate students may assist in lab coordination and proctoring but may not assign grades.
  6. Online Course Instructors: Prior to teaching the first online course for McNeese State University, faculty teaching online courses must present documentation to their department heads indicating completion of appropriate training to deliver online instruction (see Online Course Policy).

Responsibilities 

President, Provost, and Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness

The president is the designated authority for hiring faculty at McNeese. The Office of Human Resources and Student Employment collects and maintains personnel documentation such as original transcripts, certifications, licensure, or other justification for each faculty member. The provost and the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness review transcripts and pertinent documentation for each faculty member as part of the hiring process.

Deans and Department Heads

Deans and department heads are responsible for ensuring all faculty members are qualified to teach each of the courses to which they are assigned. All documents needed to demonstrate appropriate qualifications such as transcripts, certifications, licensure, etc. should be reviewed to ensure the faculty is academically qualified to teach the courses assigned and submitted to the Office of Human Resources and Student Employment with the McNeese State University Hiring Plan documentation or Visiting Lecturer Appointment Letter. Graduate coursework or certifications may justify appropriate preparation to teach courses with learning objectives related to the coursework/certification. Deans and department heads must compile documentation to justify cases where faculty with credentials in a related field are approved to teach courses. The determination of related fields rests with the department and college and is approved by the provost and Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness.

  • Prior to a faculty member teaching a course they have not previously been approved by the dean to teach, the department head must examine the course description and student learning outcomes and determine if the faculty member is qualified according to SACSCOC guidelines to teach the course.
  • If necessary, additional documentation to justify faculty qualifications must be submitted to the Office of Human Resources and Student Employment prior to the term the course is taught for the first time.
  • The Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness generates the faculty roster and uses personnel file documentation to qualify faculty to teach courses. Deans must ensure appropriate documentation is submitted to the Office of Human Resources and Student Employment for each faculty member.

Faculty

It is the responsibility of prospective faculty to provide the University with all the documentation needed to verify credentials. The documentation includes, but is not limited to, a curriculum vita; information regarding training/certification to teach online courses; appropriate licenses or certifications; and verification of work related to teaching experience (as needed). Official transcripts should be submitted directly to the Office of Human Resources and Student Employment from the issuing institution, The cost to obtain documents required is borne by the prospective faculty member. The University may periodically request updated documents to maintain credentialing files.

  • Transcripts from foreign universities: Prospective faculty submitting transcripts from foreign universities or schools must have the coursework evaluated for equivalency to United States-accredited coursework by a University-approved agency. The prospective faculty member is responsible for the cost of the evaluation. McNeese typically accepts evaluations by World Education Services (www.wes.org) or Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (www.ece.org).
  • Transcripts from institutions without USDOE-approved institutional accreditation: The hiring of faculty whose qualifying degree is from an institution in the United States without USDOE-approved institutional accreditation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Specific colleges or departments may have guidelines that prevent hiring faculty from institutions without USDOE-approved institutional accreditation. Should a dean and department head consider such a credential, significant additional criteria beyond the usual must be documented and submitted to the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness for review and consideration.

Guidelines for Justification of Alternative Teaching Credentials

When reviewing qualifications for specific teaching responsibilities, McNeese gives primary consideration to the faculty member’s academic preparation as specified by SACSCOC and/or the discipline’s programmatic accrediting agency.

While academic credentials in most cases may well be the standard qualification for faculty members, other types of qualifications may prove to be suitable. Appropriate and complete documentation, including a matrix matching course student learning outcomes with specific competencies, must provide compelling evidence for qualification.

Other indicators of competence and appropriate qualifications for documentation may include:

  • Undergraduate and graduate degrees and coursework (in addition to the highest degree earned) are closely related to the teaching discipline.
  • Number of graduate credit hours earned in the teaching discipline or a related teaching discipline.
  • Professional licensure and certifications applicable to the teaching discipline.
  • Possession of national recognition/commendations in the teaching discipline.
  • Documented successful work-related experience in the field, including length of service, complexity of work, and closeness of work performed to the course’s student learning outcomes.
  • Scholarly publications in the teaching discipline (other than “vanity” press publications as determined by the department/college);
  • Honors and awards;
  • Continuing professional development; and/or
  • Other extraordinary excellence or competence in the discipline along with demonstrated success in teaching.

Communication

This policy is distributed via the University Policies webpage.