Minimum Course Qualifications

Minimum course qualifications designate the minimum necessary education and experience to teach the course. Additional desired qualifications may be added to a position posting in the “preferred education” and/or “preferred experience” sections.

Procedural Steps:

1. Verify that the minimum qualifications listed for a course on the Minimum Course Qualifications form meets the external requirements for instructional standards.

a. Lower Division Collegiate courses, per Oregon Administrative Rules and Oregon Community Colleges Handbook and Planning Guide; the following minimum standard applies: OAR 589-008-0100 (1)(b) Institutional standards for instructor qualifications. Standards for teachers of lower division collegiate courses must include a master’s degree in a subject area closely related to that in which the instructor will be teaching. However, in subject areas in which individuals have demonstrated their competencies and served in professional fields, and in cases in which documentation to support the individual's proficiency and high level of competency can be assembled, the master's degree requirement may be waived by the college president or substituted according to the community college’s personnel policy - Faculty Certification procedure.

b. Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses, per Oregon Community Colleges Handbook and Planning Guide, “[d]etermination of qualifications rests with the individual college and may vary ​between lower-division transfer, career technical education, developmental education, and community education/other reimbursable courses.” As such, standards for teachers of professional/technical courses include advanced degree(s), service in the profession, appropriately documented competencies, such as industry certification, journeyman card, other awards deemed appropriate to professional/technical course outcomes, and/or as recommended by the instructional manager and approved by Academic and Student Affairs leadership.

c. Adult Basic and Secondary Education (ABSE) courses, per the State of Oregon, any programs supported with WIOA Title II funds instructors “must have at least a Bachelor’s degree in the content area or related field" (CCWD, ABS Policy Manual, 2019, Pg. 4)

d. English as a Second Language courses, per the State of Oregon, any programs supported with WIOA Title II funds instructors “must have at least a Bachelor’s degree in the content area or related field" (CCWD, ABS Policy Manual, 2019, Pg. 4). In addition, per the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA Section 2, Pg. 2) the following standards for Intensive English Program (IEP) faculty apply:

• Faculty Standard 1: Faculty members have education and training commensurate with their teaching assignments.
• Faculty Standard 2: Faculty have experience relevant to teaching students at the postsecondary level in their areas of assignment and demonstrate an ongoing commitment to professional development.
• Faculty Standard 3: Faculty who teach English demonstrate excellent proficiency in English. In language institutions where languages other than English are taught, faculty demonstrate excellent proficiency in the languages they teach.

e. Upper Division Collegiate Applied Baccalaureate courses, per Oregon Administrative Rules, the following minimum standard applies: OAR 589-008-0100 (4)(b) The school shall ensure that all teachers are individually qualified by education and experience to give expert instruction or evaluation in their specialties. Unless an exception is approved by the college’s President because of sufficient compensatory qualification Faculty Certification Procedure, teachers shall be qualified for the various levels of instruction or evaluation as described below, with degrees earned from schools that are accredited by a federally recognized accrediting agency. (4)(c) A person who does not hold the appropriate level and major degree as stated in subsection (A) through (C) of this paragraph may demonstrate qualification by showing at least 12 semester or 15 quarter credits in the field at a level higher than the current teaching assignment combined with an appropriate depth of relevant professional experience in the field, as evidenced on a resume. Teaching experience cannot be used to replace professional experience if this option is exercised, except for teacher education programs. (4)(c)(A) Teachers in programs leading to degrees in the fine arts, including but not limited to art, music, dance, cooking, theater, photography, writing and other programs involving a significant creative element, may demonstrate qualifications with a documented combination of academic and creative work. (4)(c)(B) Standards applicable to bachelor's degree programs: A teacher within a program offering bachelor's degrees ordinarily shall possess a graduate degree appropriate to the subject taught or evaluated except that compensatory nonacademic qualifications such as an appropriate depth of relevant professional experience in the field, will be more readily accepted by the President in programs leading to occupational degrees, professional licensure, or within the fine arts. (4)(c)(C) A teacher of an academic or scientific discipline within an occupational or professional degree program ordinarily shall possess the appropriate degree in the discipline rather than a non-disciplinary occupational or professional degree. However, lower-division undergraduate courses may be taught by those with non-disciplinary degrees who have demonstrable and extensive acquaintance with the discipline.

f. Other external standards. Minimum qualifications must meet minimum requirements for program accreditation and external programmatic certification, if applicable.

2. The Dean, or Dean’s designee, originates the form as a result of one of the below initiating events. In the following circumstances, a new or updated minimum qualifications form must be completed.

a. New course. Because every active course is required to have a currently signed and dated Minimum Course Qualifications form, every new course must have a completed Minimum Course Qualifications form before being activated and before individual faculty members are certified to teach the course - Faculty Certification Procedure.

b. Revised course. Curriculum in a course is revised with substantive change in the content and/or scope which necessitates a change in Minimum Course Qualifications will require an updated minimum qualifications form. Revisions in subject code, course number, and/or title also necessitate the completion of an updated minimum qualifications form even if there are no changes made to the qualifications.

c. Recommended 5-year review and update. The form on file is dated more than 5 years ago. Minimum qualification forms should be reviewed at least every 5 years to ensure that the qualifications have been reviewed and determined to be applicable in a recent time frame.

3. The Dean reviews, approves, signs, and submits the Minimum Course Qualifications form to Academic and Student Affairs (ASA).

• During the review, the Dean verifies the PT accrual family to which the course belongs, or if a new or change to accrual family is necessary, faculty in the division/department will determine, with concurrence from the Dean, the new or updated accrual family for the course.
• Dean provides clarification of PT accrual family status, along with the form, to ASA for review.

4. Upon review, approval, and signature of AVP/VP in ASA, the completed form is housed in ASA, both hard copy and electronic, and copies are provided to Division and HR.

• If/when there is a central electronic document database, ASA will be responsible to assure the final approved form is housed in the database and all other stakeholders will access the current form in the database.