Handbook of Operating Procedures > Series 300 Faculty and Academic Policies > 3.1.1 Faculty Qualifications

3.1.1 Faculty Qualifications

A. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish minimum qualifications for the hiring of faculty.

B. Persons Affected

All employees whose responsibility includes teaching credit courses. 

C. Definitions

D. Policy

The University of Texas at Tyler will hire highly qualified faculty, consistent with guidelines established by SACSCOC and professional associations. UT Tyler will give primary consideration to the highest earned degree in the discipline. UT Tyler will also consider 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.

E. Procedures

The degree requirements below are the minimum degree requirements that may be used when hiring faculty. Any exceptions to the degree requirements noted below must be justified and approved by the Dean of the college (for part-time faculty and graduate teaching assistants who are instructors of record) and by the Dean of the college and the Provost for full-time faculty.

1. Faculty teaching general education or baccalaureate courses must hold a doctorate or master’s degree in the teaching discipline or master’s degree with a minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in the discipline being taught.
2. Faculty who hold a terminal degree from a college or university outside of the United States, and the transcript was issued in a language other than English, must provide a foreign evaluation report from a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) approved evaluator prior to the first day of the teaching assignment. 
3. Faculty teaching graduate and post-baccalaureate course work must hold an earned doctorate/terminal degree in the discipline taught or a related discipline.
4. Faculty who do not meet the academic requirements outlined in 1. and 2. above and cannot present other persuasive evidence of qualifications, as defined in D. Policy, will not be assigned to courses for which they are not qualified.
5. Graduate teaching assistants who are instructors of record must have a master’s in the teaching discipline or they may have 18 graduate semester hours in the discipline taught, be under direct supervision by a faculty member experienced in the discipline, receive regular in-service training, and undergo planned and periodic evaluations.

F. Responsibilities

The Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs is responsible for the administration of this policy.

G. Review

The Divisional Head for this policy is the Provost.  This policy shall be reviewed every five years or sooner if necessary by the Office of Human Resources and the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs.

H. Reference Documents

U.S. Department of Education Network for Education Information – Recognition of Foreign Qualifications

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Comments on International Credentials