1. All faculty shall complete an on-line credentialing application to be reviewed by the Chief Human Resources Officer or designee. The application process will require submission of an official college transcript(s), employment verifications of related occupational experience, state and/or national industry licensure/certification, and any other requirements outlined in the system-established minimum qualifications.
2. External Instructors will be required to submit materials (an official college transcript(s), employment verifications of related occupational experience, state and/or national industry licensure/certification, and any other requirements outlined in the system-established minimum qualifications) to document how they meet the minimum qualifications for the credential field(s) in which they will be teaching.
3. The Human Resources Department shall maintain appropriate credentialing documentation on Unlimited Faculty, Temporary Faculty, and External Instructors assigned to teach credit-based college courses and for faculty assigned to perform work as counselors and librarians.
4. Where practicable, Academic Deans shall make a good faith effort to consult with a department chair in the case where there is uncertainty about whether an applicant’s education fits within a given credential field.
5. Faculty will receive notification of the credentialing decision. As noted in the Minnesota State Procedure 3.32.1 Part 7, Subpart D, faculty members in unlimited positions may be assigned available work outside of their granted credential field(s) and shall meet the system-established minimum qualifications except as provided under the following conditions:
1. The college determines the faculty member possesses educational and/or occupational experience(s) appropriate to the assignment; and
2. The assignment is essential to meet unexpected and/or sudden staffing needs, to provide a full workload, or to meet other employment contract obligations; and
3. Written documentation providing the rationale for the assignment of the faculty member is on file at the college.
TFT faculty must meet system-established minimum qualifications, without exception. The college may assign a TPT, Adjunct or External Instructor, without meeting system-established minimum qualifications, if one of the following exception conditions applies:
Emergency staffing situations:
- Illness, accident, or death of a faculty member during the term, resulting in the faculty member being unable to finish teaching the course.
- A failed search for a faculty position, if the position has been advertised at least twice.
- Resignation of a faculty member immediately prior to the start of a term.
- Addition of course sections immediately prior to the start of a term;
- Or immediate deployment in the armed services (an individual may be hired for no more than two consecutive semesters under this exception).
Pending Credentials: Individuals who are close to meeting the minimum qualifications may be hired for no more than two consecutive semesters under this exception.
Special Expertise: An individual with special expertise may be hired to teach specialized courses. There is no time limit on this exception.
Renowned qualifications: An individual who has achieved exceptional status or recognition may be hired to teach appropriate courses in the field of recognition. There is no time limit on this exception.
Emerging Fields: An exception may be made where the program area is so new that the educational preparation requirements and the occupational experience requirements are not yet clearly defined. This exception shall terminate when the system minimum qualifications are established.
6. Faculty appointments under the exception conditions will be requested by the Supervising/Academic Dean. The Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs and the Chief Human Resources Officer will review the request for meeting one of the noted exceptions listed above. Where practicable, Academic Deans shall make a good faith effort to consult with the department chair prior to requesting an exception. The Vice President will give final approval prior to an offer of employment being made by the Supervising/Academic Dean.
7. Documentation of “exception” appointments and the applicable time limits will be maintained and monitored by the Human Resources Department. Information on the number of “exception” appointments shall be provided to faculty leadership on an annual basis.
History:
|
03.2007 |
Adopted and implemented |
|
05.2009 07.2017 |
Technical change, Updated to reflect reorganization to single vice president Technical change, MnSCU/Office of the Chancellor to Minnesota State |
|
05.2020 |
Clarified existing practice, aligned language with Minnesota State policy, added language on exception consultation and reporting. |
