The new norm is that all instructors at community colleges must have at least a master’s degree, ACC trustees learned Tuesday night. OVER THE last year the academic affairs office has discussed introducing a new course format to faculty and students. The hybrid course flips the format of a typical class.
Jon Marshall, vice president of academic affairs, explained to Allen Community College board members the new standards set by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and Higher Learning Commission.
As popularity in dual credit hours rose in high schools the NCA/HLC began noticing inconsistencIes for staff credentials at different colleges.
“They believe if English composition is taught online, onsite or in a different state, it should be the same and the faculty credentials should be the same,” Marshall said.
At the end of June the new language for the policy was approved.
Faculty teaching general education courses must now hold a master’s degree or higher in the discipline or subfield they are teaching.
If a member holds a master’s degree or higher in a discipline or subfield other than that which he or she is teaching, that faculty member should have completed a minimum of 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline in which they teach.
This will affect ACC at every level — part-time, full-time, online and adjunct.
“We do have some folks that have a bachelor’s degree but not a master’s or a master’s but not in the field they are teaching,” Marshall said.
Marshall and his staff will analyze staff transcripts and work out a plan with staff who do not meet the credentials. They have been given a deadline of Sept. 1, 2017 but plan to have this settled by August of 2016.
“This is hard to talk about but I feel that the faculty was acceptable to it,” Marshall said.
A hybrid course is when two-thirds of a course is taught online and one-third in the classroom.
A traditional classroom setting has a teacher presenting a lecture in the classroom with students taking notes followed by them doing their homework on their own time.
With the flipped format a student will access the course’s concepts outside of the classroom through online learning. The student then engages in onsite activities such as discussion and demonstration of their learning with the teacher and classmates.
Marshall said a majority of staff already teaches in such a blended fashion and feels confident they have the capability to teach in the new format. The plan is to integrate the newly designed format into the course schedule next year.
“We plan to build and design these courses this year and introduce five to six hybrid course offerings in the fall semester of 2016,” Marshall said.
An additional five to six courses will be offered in the spring semester of 2017 and another additional set will be introduced in the fall of 2017 along with the courses offered from the previous fall semester.
“The intention isn’t to replace our existing courses but to add to our options,” Marshall said. “We really believe we can make this work and we have studied this and have gone about it in a methodical way.”
IN OTHER NEWS
— The board approved the budget for the 2015-16 academic year. The budgeted general fund was approved at $10,215,966. The assessed valuation is $100,256,525.
Teachers now required to hold master’s degrees
