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Policy Contact: Office of Academic Affairs

1. Purpose

   This policy and its procedures facilitate University use of instructional faculty who are academically prepared to teach and advise at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The University places primary importance on academic credentials. When other evidence, such as equivalent experience, is used in lieu of certain advanced degrees, this policy ensures that such experiences include the breadth and depth of experience outside the classroom in real-world situations relevant to the discipline in which the faculty member would be providing instruction.

2. Definitions
    
   1. General Education Courses: those courses which have been approved by the SDBOR to meet one or more of the system general education requirements.
       
   2. Terminal Degree: an advanced degree which is considered to be at the highest level recognized by a discipline. The SDBOR provides a table of approved terminal degrees by program.
       
3. Policy
    
   1. The University will employ only qualified faculty and shall follow the guidelines set forth in SDBOR Policy 4.4.6 and this policy for determining whether the individual is qualified. This policy does not convey rank and is applied to instructor, lecturer, and Professor of Practice hires, both temporary and permanent.
       
   2. The University places primary importance on academic credentials which must be awarded from accredited institutions. When using credentials as a basis for determining minimally qualified faculty, the following levels of preparation apply:
      1. Instructional faculty at the University must have completed a program of study in the discipline or subfield in which they teach, and/or for which they develop curricula.
      2. Faculty members teaching general education courses, or other non-occupational courses, must hold a master’s degree or higher in the discipline or subfield. If faculty members hold a master’s degree or higher in a discipline or subfield other than that in which they are teaching, that faculty member should have completed a minimum of 12 graduate credit hours in the discipline or subfield for which they teach.
      3. Faculty members teaching in undergraduate programs must hold a master’s degree in the program in which they are teaching.
      4. Faculty members teaching in graduate programs must hold the terminal degree determined by the discipline and have a record of research, scholarship or achievement appropriate for the graduate program.
      5. Faculty members guiding doctoral education must have preparation to teach at the doctoral level and a record of scholarship. Research and scholarship should be appropriate to the program and degree offered.
          
   3. If instructors do not hold the appropriate level of degree for the program and course, they may establish eligibility using other credentials and professional experience. When using equivalent experience as a basis for determining minimally qualified faculty, the hiring department/school must provide justification as to how the instructor's experience is equivalent to what would be expected of a candidate hired based on academic credentials as set forth in SDBOR Policy 4.4.6 and Higher Learning Commission Assumed Practices and Criteria for Accreditation. In order to evaluate equivalency, the department/school must provide information about the minimal academic requirements for a traditional hire including highest earned degree, minimum experience, specific knowledge and skills, and types of certification, licensure, or other credentials required or preferred along with an explanation of how the proposed instructor's experience is equivalent to these expectations.
       
4. Procedures
    
   1. When using credentials to determine faculty qualifications, the hiring authority must follow the established SDBOR recruitment method and process.
       
   2. When using equivalent experience to determine faculty qualifications:
      1. The hiring department/school completes the Determining Qualified Faculty: Equivalent Experience Form and submits it to the Dean of the College for review.
      2. If for an undergraduate program or course, upon the Dean of the College’s approval, the form is submitted to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, or designee, for review.
      3. If for a graduate program or course, upon the Dean of the College’s approval, the form is then submitted to the Graduate School for review. Upon Graduate School approval, the form is submitted to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, or designee, for review.
      4. Upon approval by the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, or designee, the hiring department/school and appropriate Dean’s office will be sent a copy of the approved form.
      5. Approvals are awarded on a per course basis. If subsequently the applicant is to teach additional courses, the form must be re-submitted following the same process as outlined above.
      6. Unless underlying credentials change or the requirements for the program or course change, applicants only need to be approved once.
      7. The completed form should be submitted for review and approval prior to hiring.
      8. For temporary hires, the approved form and associated documents must be submitted to Human Resources and placed in the personnel file.
      9. For permanent instructor hires, the approved form must be placed in the personnel file with the hiring materials.

5. Responsible Administrator

   The Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, successor, or designee, is responsible for annual and ad hoc review of this policy and its procedures. The University President is responsible for approval of this policy.

Approved by President on 09/14/2016. Revised 01/26/2024 (clerical). Revised, Approved by President on 09/25/2025.

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