Faculty Certification

Type

Procedure

Category

Academics

Department

Academic and Student Affairs

Phone

(541) 463-5344

Primary Contact

Grant Matthews

Contact Email

Responsible Executive Authority

Provost and Executive Vice President

Purpose

The purpose of this procedure is to assure that all faculty members have a current certification form on file listing all courses they are currently certified to teach. This procedure applies to all Lane courses, except continuing education courses Instructor Application and Qualifications: Continuing Education procedure.

Narrative

The Faculty Certification Form designates the course(s) for which a faculty member is certified by the College to teach.

Procedural Steps:

1. Based on an initiating event listed below, the Dean, or Dean’s designee, identifies the course(s) for which a certification is needed for a faculty member.

In the following circumstances, a new or updated faculty certification form must be completed.

a. Recommended 5-year review and update

  • Faculty certification forms should be reviewed, updated as necessary, and acknowledged by signature at least every 5 years by all faculty members. This affirms that the certifications have been reviewed and determined to be applicable within a recent time frame. For convenience, this could be completed in conjunction with the faculty member’s developmental evaluation.

b. New faculty member hiring

  • When new faculty members are hired, both full-time and part-time, a new faculty certification form must be completed and submitted to HR prior to the faculty member being assigned to course(s).

c. New course

  • Before faculty can be assigned to a new course, the Dean must certify faculty member(s) for the course by updating the appropriate faculty member(s) certification form(s).

d. Revision to Minimum Course Qualifications

  • If the Minimum Course Qualifications for a course change, the Dean will review the qualifications of faculty members certified for the course to determine whether faculty members remain qualified. The Dean and affected faculty will meet to discuss the changes and make any necessary updates to the faculty member’s certifications.

In the following circumstance, a new or updated faculty certification form may be completed as determined by the Dean.

e. Faculty member request

  • The faculty member may request the Dean to review their certifications. The faculty member will provide documentation of additional or new qualifications for additional course certifications.

2. The Dean verifies that the faculty member meets the minimum education and experience indicated on the current Minimum Course Qualifications for the course by reviewing transcripts, resume/CV, and/or other documentation.

3. The Faculty Certification form designates the courses that the Dean is certifying the faculty member to teach and for which the faculty member meets the minimum course qualifications.

4. The Dean, or Dean’s designee, identifies courses which have been deactivated or for which the faculty member is no longer qualified. 

a. If a faculty member no longer meets the minimum course qualifications as a result of a change in the minimum course qualifications, the following applies: 

  • Faculty members who have taught a course within the previous three years will have one year to meet new minimum course qualifications, and may continue to teach the course for the intervening year, pending recertification.
  • Faculty members certified previously who have not taught the course within three years will lose certification immediately, and in order to be recertified must provide documentation that meets the new minimum course qualifications. 
  • Consider whether Alternative Certification is appropriate (see below #5).

5. Alternative Certification.

a. 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;

b. The Dean, or Dean’s designee, originates the Alternative Certification, reviews the faculty member’s qualifications, completes the form, provides reasons for the recommendation for alternative certification, and attaches substantiating documentation.

c. Follow the remaining procedural steps below, with the addition of Presidential approval for Alternative Certification.

6. The Dean reviews, approves, signs, and submits the Faculty Certification or Alternative Certification form and any necessary accompanying documentation to Academic and Student Affairs (ASA).

7. Upon review, approval, and signature of AVP/Provost in ASA, the completed form is housed in ASA, both hard copy and electronic, and copies are provided to Division and HR. This becomes the official, updated faculty certification on file.

  • 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.

Date Adopted

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Date Last Reviewed

Tuesday, September 14, 2021