UT Dallas’ SACSCOC Project

Credentialing

Faculty Credentials

UT Dallas employs faculty qualified to teach in their academic disciplines and to meet the mission and goals of the University. UT Dallas determines the qualifications of faculty members based on the highest earned degree in the academic discipline but also considers a number of other factors to certify the faculty members, including:

  • Record of research
    • Federally funded
    • Privately funded
    • Unfunded
  • Professional achievement (creative productivity and/or publications)
  • Related work or experience in the field
  • Other degrees earned
  • Awards and honors
  • Licensure or certification
  • Continued and documented excellence in teaching
  • Competence, effectiveness, and capacity to contribute to effective teaching and student learning outcomes

Click here for the Faculty Credentialing Form (WORD)
Click here for the Faculty Credentialing Form (PDF)

Faculty Qualifications Guidelines

The general guidelines for faculty credentials are as follows:

Teaching Assistants

  • Master's degree in the academic discipline or no fewer than 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline
  • Direct supervision by a faculty member experienced in the teaching discipline
  • Regular in-service training
  • Planned and periodic evaluations

Faculty teaching general education courses at the undergraduate level

  • Doctorate or master's degree in the teaching discipline or master's degree with a concentration in the teaching discipline (minimum of 18 graduate semester hours)
  • UT Dallas will review requests for individual faculty in specific disciplines to teach common core courses if the graduate degree includes the use of the course material in the discipline (for example, Engineering or Science faculty who are assigned to teach general education mathematics courses)

Faculty teaching baccalaureate courses (outside the general education core)

  • Doctorate or master's degree in the teaching discipline or master's degree with a concentration in the teaching discipline (minimum of 18 semester hours)
  • UT Dallas will review requests for an exception in the event of an emergency

Faculty teaching graduate and other post-baccalaureate courses

  • Earned doctorate or other terminal degree in the teaching discipline
  • Earned doctorate or other terminal degree in a teaching discipline affiliated with the teaching discipline of the course being taught
  • UT Dallas will review requests for an exception on an individual basis, based on the other factors listed above in the first paragraph

Faculty Credentialing Procedures

The Qualifications for Instructional Personnel form (also known as the Faculty Credentialing Form) may be required for:

  • Newly hired faculty
  • Faculty members who do not hold the doctorate or other terminal degree
  • Members of the faculty with a visiting appointment
  • Members of the faculty with a research appointment
  • Members of the faculty with a clinical appointment
  • Members of the faculty with an in-practice appointment
  • Members of the faculty with a research scientist position
  • Members of the faculty with an adjunct or ad joint appointment
  • Members of the faculty with a lecturer appointment
  • Members of the faculty with a senior lecturer appointment
  • Other university personnel whose primary appointment is not teaching

Members of the tenure-system faculty who have an earned doctorate or other terminal degree in the teaching discipline may be certified for an individual class permanently. Non-tenure system faculty who have an earned doctorate or other terminal degree may also be certified for an individual class permanently. Members of the faculty who do not have an earned doctorate or other terminal degree in the teaching discipline will be reviewed periodically for qualifications to teach individual courses.

The credentialing form should be completed by the department or program offering the course, the department or program head must sign the form to indicate his/her recommendation of the appointee, the dean or his/her representative must sign the form to indicate the dean's approval of the appointee, and a member of the Provost's Office will review the form and associated documentation to certify the appointee's qualification to serve as the instructor of record.

The Academic Affairs certifying official may indicate:

  • the appointee is qualified to teach
  • the appointee is not qualified to teach
  • the appointee is awarded a grace period to submit additional documentation

Faculty Credentialing Form

  1. Indicate the name of the appointee assigned the class
  2. Indicate the appointee's NetID
  3. Indicate the Course Prefix and Course Number(s)
  4. Indicate the appointee's classification
  5. Indicate the appointee's status (Full- or Part-time)
  6. List the relevant degree information, showing the highest degrees earned, with the discipline, institution's name and date of award.
  7. As possible, indicate if the degree is a terminal degree and if official copy of the transcript(s) have been send to the Office of the Provost, Academic Credentials, AD 42
  8. If the appointee's relevant highest degree is not a doctorate or other terminal degree in the academic discipline, provide evidence of qualifications that qualify the appointee to teach the courses assigned
  9. Provide copies of documents, including, but not limited to, transcripts, CVs, Personal CVs, current licenses or certifications, honors or awards
  10. Have the form signed by the program or department head and the dean or the dean's designee
  11. Send the form and supporting documents to Faculty Credentials, Campus Mail Station AD42, or email electronic documents to facultyrecords@utdallas.edu

Click here for the Faculty Credentialing Form (Word)
Click here for the Faculty Credentialing Form (PDF)

Guidelines for the Review of Qualifications

The guidelines for the review of qualifications for faculty or other instructional personel are in accordance with the guidelines of various accrediting agencies including but not limited to:

  • The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (www.abet.org)
  • The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (www.asha.org)
  • The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (www.naspaa.org)
  • The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (www.sacscoc.org)

Updated June 2015