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COTC follows the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) guidelines for credentialing and hiring faculty. Educational transcripts and a resume or CV will be reviewed by COTC Academic Affairs to assess an applicant’s qualifications based on Higher Learning Commission (HLC) guidelines.

HLC guidelines vary depending on whether an instructor will teach career and technical courses or general education courses.

Career and Technical Education Course Teaching Qualifications

Faculty teaching in career and technical education college-level certificate and occupational associate degree programs should hold a bachelor’s degree (or higher) in the career field and/or have a combination of education, training and tested experience.

General Education Course Teaching Qualifications

Faculty teaching general education courses, or other non-occupational courses, hold a master’s degree or higher in the discipline or subfield. If a faculty member holds a master’s degree or higher in a discipline or subfield other than that in which he or she is teaching, that faculty member should have completed a minimum of 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline or subfield in which they teach. 

Dual credit instructors: HLC recognizes that many high school teachers possess tested experience beyond their years in the classroom that may account for content knowledge for the dual credit courses they may teach. These teachers may have gained relevant experience while working in other sectors or through professional development or other relevant experience that now informs their teaching. They may be active in professional organizations and learned societies through presentations and publications on topics relevant to the dual credit courses they may teach. In combination with other credentials and/or tested experience, they may be able to provide direct evidence of their students’ achievement on college-level tests that reflects a level of teaching and learning akin to a college classroom. However, evidence of students’ achievement, on its own, is not sufficient to demonstrate minimal qualifications. (Higher Learning Commission)