Faculty Credentialing Guidelines

UT Tyler follows SACS' credentialing guidelines for all of its faculty in order to ensure that all faculty have the academic requirements, experience and training to teach at the level to which they are assigned. UT Tyler's policy pertains to all classroom faculty--tenured and tenure-track, lecturers, adjuncts, clinical faculty, visiting faculty, and teaching assistants who are the teacher of record.

To ensure that all faculty possess the correct credentials, the Provost's office maintains the physical records (may be electronic scans) on every faculty member. These records will include transcripts, c.v., letters of offer, letters of recommendation, pre-tenure and post-tenure reviews, letters of promotion and tenure, and any memorandum required to document exceptions to the standing requirements. In addition, the Provost's office maintains an electronic database of all faculty.

Before any appointment is made to the faculty, the department chair, dean and Provost's office will verify that the appointee's credentials meet the credentialing policy.

If a faculty member does not meet the University's minimum requirements, alternative certification must be documented. It will be the responsibility of the department chair and the dean to document in detail the specific alternative qualifications held by the instructor.  These qualifications may include specialized diplomas or certificates, licensure, professional experience, teaching experience, scholarship and research in the field, or other demonstrated competencies.  The documentation of exceptions will be forwarded to the Provost’s Office where the material will be reviewed and approved. The credentialing file must be completed before an instructor may begin teaching a class.

Each summer, the Provost's office will audit all faculty records to ensure that current faculty have the required documentation in their files. If documentation is missing, the faculty member and the dean will be notified. The faculty member will be responsible for having any missing materials sent to the Provost's Office.