A31 – Academic Credentials and Designations for Instructional Positions

Originator: Vice President, Academic and Research
Approver: Senior Academic Committee
Effective: February 14, 2012
Replaces: New

1. Preamble

The College is committed to attract, recruit, retain and promote the most qualified people to achieve its academic mission and vision. To that end, Instructional Staff shall possess or obtain minimum Academic Credentials and Designations as prescribed by RRC Polytech.

2. Policy

The College will ensure that Instructional Staff are fully qualified to maintain the integrity of the curriculum and to support, sustain and advance the teaching and learning, applied research, and scholarly activity environment required for an institution of higher education with an applied focus.

Academic Credentials required of Instructional Staff will vary from program to program in relation to the knowledge, experience, teaching and research needs of individual programs. Instructional Staff will be expected to have practical, practitioner-based experience in their field of teaching.

Within this context, the College values advanced academic degrees.

The academic credentials, designations and experience required for Instructional Staff will be defined to ensure the highest quality of education for the occupation as well as to meet the relevant accreditation standards.

The standard minimum qualification for teaching in a bachelor degree program will be a Master’s degree in the discipline or related field. The College desires to have Instructional Staff in degree programs that hold the terminal degree in the discipline, which often would be a PhD.

Alternative combinations of Academic Credentials, occupational/professional designations and experience qualifications combined with demonstrated and documented professional competence in the field may be considered, or required, for Instructional Staff teaching specialized courses or for supervising practical experience components at the College.

Instructional Staff teaching in fields where a Designation is expected will be required to hold and maintain that Designation.

3. Definitions

An “Academic Credential” is a certificate, diploma, degree, academic transcript, or other document, issued by a recognized institution of higher education that provides evidence of or demonstrates completion of a particular course of study or academic credit resulting in the issuance of documentation of the successful completion of that course of study or credit.

A “Designation” is a professional certification, trade certification, or professional designation earned by a person to assure qualification or to warrant competence or expertise to perform a specific job or task. Such Designations are subject to the standards of and oversight of professional or regulatory bodies or associations, duly constituted and acting to safeguard the public interest, normally through government laws, for professional certification, trade certification or professional designation.

“Instructional Staff” are personnel whose primary assignment is instruction.

4. Principles

4.1

The College is committed to ensuring that Instructional Staff teaching in all programs hold appropriate qualifications, including appropriate Academic Credentials.

4.2

The College is an institution of higher education offering a comprehensive range of applied learning from apprenticeships, to certificates, to diploma and advanced diplomas and to bachelor degrees; thus there will be a variation in the type of Academic Credentials and designations required for Instructional Staff.

4.3

The College has an emphasis on applied learning and the curriculum is generally workplace related and aligned with industry, business and the community; thus it is necessary for Instructional Staff to have substantive practitioner based experience.

4.4

The College will ensure that its students are provided with instruction of the highest quality directly related to their field of study; thus it is essential that Instructional Staff possess the Academic Credentials and workplace experience necessary to ensure competence with the field.

4.5

The College is committed to ensuring that students have access to appropriate and favourable articulation agreements that enable them to pursue further education beyond the College; thus qualifications of Instructional Staff should accommodate articulation and credit transfer.

4.6

The College is committed to providing Instructional Staff with the andragogical knowledge and skills required to teach in an adult context. Accordingly, each instructor shall be required to attain the Certificate in Adult Education.

5. Procedures

5.1

The required Academic Credentials and other Designations for Instructional Staff will be identified for all instructional recruitment and selection processes and explicitly stated on all job postings.

5.2

Upon selection or appointment to an Instructional Staff position within the College or selection or appointment to a new Instructional Staff position within the College, an individual must provide verification by the granting institutions of the highest Academic Credential and/or Designation achieved to the Human Resources Services. If any such Academic Credential and/or Designation is/are subject to renewal; the individual in an Instructional Staff position is required to resubmit verification at every renewal period. If a new designation or credential is received, the individual is responsible to advise Human Resource Services or their immediate supervisor.

5.3

The College will retain all such documentation in Human Resource Services.

Related Policy and Documentation

Collective Agreement
A30 – Instructional and Academic Staff Selection