Procedures: Minimum Qualifications for Instructional Staff
Policy on the minimum qualifications for instructional staff, including the general standard and the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) standards.
Policy
Minimum Qualifications for Instructional Staff
Policy Number
UW-1010Responsible Office
Data, Academic Planning & Institutional ResearchType
University PolicyRationale/Purpose
This policy establishes a university-wide standard for the appointment of instructional staff in courses taught for academic credit at UW–Madison, and as such complies with the Higher Learning Commission’s Criteria for Accreditation.
Policy
- Individuals who teach courses offered for UW-Madison credit must have instructional appointments consistent with that role during the term of instruction.
- The qualifications of instructional staff are evaluated primarily on the basis of earned degrees in a field or subject area relevant to the courses taught, obtained from academic institutions that are accredited by regional higher education associations and/or professional accrediting organizations, or the equivalent quality of university or college in countries outside the U.S.
- All instructional staff must have a terminal degree, or a degree at least one level higher than the degree for which the course is taught, i.e., a master’s degree or greater is required of instructional staff to teach a course that counts toward the bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. or terminal degree is required for a course that counts towards a master’s or higher level degree. There are cases where the norm in the discipline otherwise includes instructional staff with specialized degrees, e.g., J.D. holders teaching Ph.D. students in law, or an M.F.A. holder teaching Ph.D. students in the arts; or when the accreditation standards of the profession require otherwise.
- Instructional staff teaching in graduate programs must hold a terminal degree determined by the faculty to be appropriate to the discipline and must have a record of research, scholarship, or achievement appropriate for the graduate program.
- In some cases, instructional staff who do not possess the academic credentials described above can be appointed to teach courses if they hold at least a bachelor’s degree and are determined by the hiring authority to be otherwise qualified, e.g., significant contributions in the field, substantial experience. Permission to employ instructors in this category is the purview of the academic unit and is subject to approval of the school or college in which the course(s) is taught.
- Academic units, in consultation with the school/college, must define the minimum threshold of experience for alternative qualification, and establish alternative processes for documenting alternative qualifications, evaluating, and supervising these instructors.
- Other factors that may be considered relevant to being “otherwise qualified” may include, but are not limited to:
- Substantial graduate-level academic coursework and/or methodological training in the discipline.
- Related research experience in the industry and/or the private sector.
- Practical experience in the art, business, legal, or political sector.
- Relevant clinical experience.
- Demonstrated competence or fluency in a language other than English and demonstrated ability to teach that language.
The university expects academic units and the schools/colleges to rarely use this provision. The decision to hire an instructor under this provision must be made with the best interests of the students and the university in mind and must preserve the integrity of the educational experience at UW-Madison.
External References
Approval Authority
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic AffairsPolicy Manager
Vice Provost for Data, Academic Planning & Institutional ResearchContact
Associate Director, Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research -- Michelle Young, MEYOUNG@WISC.EDU, (608) 262-2143Effective Date
03-17-2016Source: View policy UW-1010 in the UW-Madison Policy Library
Procedures
A. Objective
This policy aims to create a university-wide standard for the appointment of instructional staff in courses taught for academic credit at the UW-Madison. Such a standard will set common expectations for instructor qualifications at UW-Madison. In addition, it is being promulgated to meet the new accreditation standards adopted by the Higher Learning Commission in June 2015.
B. Applicability
This standard will apply to all UW-Madison staff who teach with appointments as faculty or instructional academic staff, including limited-term appointments, defined here collectively as “instructional staff”. It will not apply to graduate students who receive appointments as teaching assistants or as lecturers-SA (Student Assistant) and work under the direct supervision of a member of the faculty or instructional academic staff. In cases of instructors (including graduate student teaching assistants) who are supervised by faculty or qualified academic staff, the institution will note both supervisor and instructor of record. Individuals who teach courses offered for UW-Madison credit must have instructional appointments consistent with that role during the term of instruction.
C. General Standard
Qualifications for instructional staff will be judged primarily on the basis of earned degrees in a field or subject area relevant to the courses taught, obtained from academic institutions that are accredited by regional higher education associations and/or professional accrediting organizations, or the equivalent quality of university or college in countries outside the USA.
As a default standard, all instructional staff will have earned a terminal degree, or a degree at least one level higher than the degree for which the course to be taught can be counted. (For example, a Master’s degree is required to teach a course that counts toward the bachelor’s degree, and a Ph.D. is required for a course that counts towards a Master’s degree. Exceptions may include cases where the norm in the discipline is otherwise (for example, J.D. holders teaching Ph.D. students in Law, or M.F.A. holders teaching Ph.D. students in the arts); or when the accreditation standards of the profession require otherwise.)
Instructors teaching in graduate programs should hold a terminal degree determined by the faculty to be appropriate to the discipline, and have a record of research, scholarship or achievement appropriate for the graduate program.
In some cases, instructional staff who do not possess the academic credentials described above can be appointed to teach courses, if they possess at least a bachelor’s degree and are determined by the hiring authority to be otherwise qualified by possessing substantial tested experience. In these cases, permission to employ instructors in this category will be the purview of the department in which the courses are taught, subject to approval of the relevant school or college.
Departments, in consultation with the relevant school/college, will define the minimum threshold of experience for alternative qualification, and will establish alternative processes for documenting alternative qualifications, evaluation instruction by, and otherwise supervising, these instructors.
Other factors that may be considered relevant to being “otherwise qualified” may include, but are not limited to:
- Substantial graduate-level academic coursework and/or methodological training in the discipline
- Related research experience in industry and/or the private sector
- practical experience in the art, business, legal, or political sector
- relevant clinical experience
- demonstrated competence or fluency in a language other than English and demonstrated ability to teach that language
It is the expectation of the institution that the decisions to hire instructors under this provision will be relatively rare, and made in light of providing students with the best possible learning experience.
These guidelines are informed by new accreditation standards adopted by the Higher Learning Commission in June 2015; they are promulgated to meet these standards.