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Comprehensive Standards 3.7.1 Faculty Credentials
The institution employs competent faculty members qualified to accomplish the mission and goals of the institution. When determining acceptable qualifications of its faculty, an institution gives primary consideration to the highest earned degree in the discipline in accordance with the guidelines listed below. The institution also considers 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. For all cases, the institution is responsible for justifying and documenting the qualifications of its faculty.   

Judgment of Compliance: Compliance

Narrative:

SVCC, a comprehensive community college, employs competent instructors in adequate number to meet the mission and goals of the College. Before an instructor is hired, the appropriate administrator reviews credentials and other qualifications of the applicant and measures them against the credential guidelines of SACS as well as the VCCS-29 guidelines for appointments in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). Where the College uses faculty who lack some of the formal credentials, explanations and justifications are filed and for this report noted in the Roster of Instructional Staff. Items such as professional certifications, honors and awards, and related work experiences that add to the more formal credentials are part of the evaluation of qualifications process.

As with a large number of community colleges throughout the nation, because of limited funding to employ additional full-time teaching faculty, SVCC has relied on a large number of part-time adjunct faculty to assist in the delivery of instruction. For the past several biennia, the VCCS has submitted as a legislative initiative a request for additional funding for the employment of additional full-time teaching faculty for its member colleges. The VCCS goal of 80% of its instructional program being taught by full-time faculty has not been reached. However, SVCC was the fifth highest VCCS college in production of FTES taught by its full-time faculty (SCHEV ROIE Report 2004). While the College uses only people who are qualified, the institution recognizes that some formal credentials of our part-time instructors need to be strengthened. To facilitate this, the college will add to its roster of credentialed adjuncts by financially supporting graduate work for those seeking additional graduate credit. The college will also publicize for the recruitment of a larger pool of qualified adjunct faculty from which the institution may choose for future part time instruction.

Supporting Documentation

Documents

 Source Location for Further Information

SCHEV ROIE Report 2004- System & Institution Measures

 State Council of Higher Education in Virginia
Roster of Instructional Staff

Fulltime Faculty - Fall 2004

Adjunct Faculty - Fall 2004

Fulltime Faculty - Spring 2005

Adjunct Faculty - Spring 2005