Lansing Community College
Procedure Details

Procedure Title: Faculty Qualifications - Establishment of Minimum for a Course
Procedure #: AA.005
Revision #: 005

Unit Responsible: Academic Affairs
Individual Responsible: Academic Affairs Project Manager

Effective Date: 08/15/2025
Initial Approval Date: 01/11/2019
Last Review/Update Date: 08/15/2025
Next Review Date: 01/01/2025

*Does this procedure support a Board Policy? Yes
If yes, identify: 3.160-Program Review

Board policies can be found at: LCC Board of Trustees Policy Page

*Does this procedure support HLC criteria and/or Assumed Practices? Yes
If yes, identify: 3C, B2

HLC Criteria can be found at: HLC Accreditation Criteria
HLC Assumed Practices can be found at: HLC Assumed Practices

*Does this procedure support a State or Federal Regulation? No
If yes, identify: N/A

*Note: Standard Operating Procedures should be in furtherance of some LCC policy and/or accreditation criteria, even if the relationship is not direct. Assistance in determining this information can be obtained from the Academic Procedure Advisory Committee (APAC) and/or the Accreditation Liaison Officer.

Faculty Qualifications - Establishment of Minimum for a Course, BP 3.160

1. Purpose

To establish minimum faculty qualifications required for any credit-bearing course at Lansing Community College (LCC).


2. Scope

Applies to any credit-bearing course offered at LCC.


3. Prerequisites

The requirements for minimum qualifications of faculty were established in 2016 and amended in 2018 to include equivalent experiences and alternative credentials. 

In the 2015 – 2016 Academic year, program/department heads reviewed all courses offered by LCC, regardless of type or modality, to define appropriate qualifications for teaching each course. Administrators collected input from faculty, who reviewed the learning outcomes from each course and recommended to Academic Affairs the minimum qualifications to teach the courses. This information was reviewed, and approved faculty qualifications are maintained by Academic Affairs.

For purposes of establishing minimum faculty qualifications for each course, the courses were organized into the following categories:

  1. General education and transfer courses that typically and readily transfer into bachelor’s degree programs
  2. Career, Technical and Occupational courses from occupational programs in Arts & Sciences (A&S), Health & Human Services (HHS), and Technical Careers (TC)
  3. Performance courses, for example, Art, Music, Dance, Theatre, etc.
  4. Performance courses in non-performance programs (for example, creative writing courses in ENGL)
  5. 3rd Party Accreditation courses that lead to certification or licensure (primarily in occupational programs, for example, many programs in HHS and TC)
  6. ESOL and Developmental courses in mathematics, reading, and writing
  7. Non-credit courses conducted through Community Education & Workforce Development (CEWD)

Minimum Qualifications for a Faculty Member 

Qualified faculty members are identified primarily by academic credentials from an accredited institution of higher education, but other factors, including but not limited to equivalent experience, may be considered in determining whether a faculty member is qualified.

  1. For Teaching Faculty, including dual enrollment faculty, who teach General Education courses, minimum requirements are:
    1. Teaching Faculty should hold a master’s degree in the discipline or in a specific sub-discipline in which they teach and/or for which they develop curricula.
    2. If a faculty member holds a master’s degree or higher in a discipline or sub-discipline other than that in which they are teaching, the faculty member is expected to have completed a minimum of 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline or sub-discipline in which they teach. 
    3. Equivalent experience may be used in lieu of the 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline or sub-discipline in which they teach, provided the individual has both a bachelor’s degree in the discipline or sub-discipline in which they teach and formal licensure/certification in the discipline or sub-discipline in which they teach. Formal licensure/certification includes state and/or national board licensure/certification exams (e.g., a teaching certification) in the college-level discipline or sub-discipline, or a graduate certificate in the discipline or sub-discipline.
  2. For Teaching Faculty, including dual enrollment faculty, who teach in career and technical education (CTE) courses, minimum requirements are:
    1. Teaching Faculty in CTE college-level certificate and associate degree programs (primarily Associate of Applied Science) must:
      1. Hold a bachelor’s degree in the teaching discipline or field; OR
      2. Have a combination of education, training, equivalent experience, or alternative credentialing that equate to a bachelor’s degree; OR
      3. Use equivalent experience when an academic degree or credential does not exist.
    2. Developmental coursework is not eligible for transfer and falls under this category for determining minimum faculty qualifications.
  3. For Academic Professionals and Faculty who do not teach but are employed in service areas that support student learning, requirements are:
    1. Academic Professional and Faculty should possess the appropriate academic credentials and experience necessary to satisfy the roles and responsibilities identified on the job description for the respective job.
    2. Non-instructional faculty who have regular or intermittent teaching responsibilities must meet the minimum faculty qualifications identified above for the specific coursework they deliver.

Note: Verification of individual faculty qualifications is governed by SOP AA.004 Faculty Qualifications – Verification of Individual Minima.

 

4. Responsibilities

  • Academic program faculty – Responsible for recommending the qualifications for instructors and for collaborating with Academic Affairs to ensure compliance with LCC requirements, Higher Learning Commission (HLC) guidelines, and, when needed, third-party accreditation.
  • Division representative – Responsible for submitting any Faculty Minimum Qualification Recommendation form through the 5-Star Ticket System.
  • Associate Dean or Program Director – Responsible for evaluating any minimum qualification recommendation for approval or denial.
  • Division Dean – Responsible for evaluating any minimum qualification request for approval or denial.
  • Academic Affairs Project Manager (AAPM) – As designee for the Provost, responsible for overseeing this Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), for evaluating any minimum qualification recommendation for final approval or denial, for maintaining and updating the master course spreadsheet in the workspace listing the minimum qualifications to teach each course at LCC, and for notifying Human Resources (HR) of any changes made to minimum faculty qualifications for a course.
  • Academic Affairs Project Coordinator (AAPC) – Responsible for overseeing 5-Star ticket process and for notifying the AAPM of Provost approval of new course.
  • Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO) – Responsible for informing the AAPM of changes to HLC guidelines and for consultation as needed.
  • Human Resources (HR) – Maintaining updated faculty qualifications for job descriptions.


5. Procedure

Establishment of Minimum Faculty Qualifications for New Courses:

  1. The ALO will routinely monitor HLC communications regarding changes to the Assumed Practices that impact faculty qualifications guidelines, and inform the AAPM as necessary.
  2. Prior to a new course proposal being sent to the Curriculum Committee (CC) for review and approval, if the qualifications for the new course are recommended to be different from the qualifications for other current courses of the same subject, the appropriate Division representative submits the Faculty Minimum Qualification Recommendation form through the 5-Star Ticket System for the Academic Affairs Project Manager (AAPM) to review the recommended minimum faculty qualifications needed to teach this course.
  3. In accordance with the HLC criteria and LCC procedures, and in consultation with the ALO as necessary, the AAPM reviews the submitted Faculty Minimum Qualification Recommendation Form.
    1. If recommended faculty qualifications do not comply with LCC requirements and HLC guidelines, or if other questions arise, the AAPM will work with the academic program to correct any problems.
    2. If recommended changes to existing faculty qualifications comply with LCC requirements and HLC guidelines, the AAPM approves the changes.
  4. The new course proposal then moves through CC approval processes toward Academic Senate review and Provost approval or denial. 
  5. Upon Provost approval of the new course, the AAPC, on behalf of the Chair of the CC, informs the AAPM.
  6. The AAPM then adds the course and approved required credentials to the master course spreadsheet in the workspace listing the minimum qualifications needed to teach each course at LCC.
  7. When changes are made to the faculty qualifications spreadsheet, the AAPM notifies HR so that HR can update their records.

Revision of Minimum Faculty Qualifications for Existing Courses:

  1. Program Faculty may recommend that the minimum faculty qualifications be revised for an existing course or courses by completing a Faculty Minimum Qualification Recommendation form through the 5-Star ticket system. The form is located on the landing page of the 5-star ticket linked above.
    1. The form must include justification and, when necessary, documentation for the qualification recommendations.
  2. The appropriate Associate Dean or Program Director reviews the minimum qualification recommendation for approval or denial.
  3. If the minimum qualification recommendation is approved by Associate Dean or Program Director, the Division Dean then reviews it for approval or denial.
  4. If the minimum qualification recommendation is approved by the Division Dean, the AAPM, in accordance with the HLC criteria and LCC procedures, and in consultation with the ALO as necessary, reviews the submitted Faculty Minimum Qualification Recommendation Form.
    1. If recommended changes to existing faculty qualifications do not comply with LCC requirements and HLC guidelines, or if other questions arise, the AAPM will work with the academic program to correct any problems.
    2. If recommended changes to existing faculty qualifications comply with LCC requirements and HLC guidelines, the AAPM approves the changes.
  5. After approving the minimum faculty qualification recommendation, the AAPM updates the master course spreadsheet in the workspace listing the minimum qualifications to teach each course at LCC (N:\AA-Division\Div-Office\Faculty Member Qualifications\Fac Elig to Teach) so that going forward the new minimum faculty qualification will be used to hire faculty for existing course(s).
  6.  When changes are made to the faculty qualifications spreadsheet, the AAPM notifies HR so that HR can update their records.

6. Reference


7. Definitions

Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO) – The individual identified by LCC to serve as a contact point with the Higher Learning Commission, in addition to the College’s President. The ALO is expected to be aware of HLC requirements and to guide the College’s efforts in relation to compliance. 

Equivalent Experience (per HLC) – Equivalent experience means experience that is commensurate with achievement of academic credentials such that it qualifies an instructor for the instruction. This could include through a minimum threshold of experience; research and/or scholarship; recognized achievement; and/or other activities and factors. Equivalent experience may differ by discipline or program. Previous years of classroom instruction do not alone constitute equivalent experience.