2.1 Definition of Faculty Status

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Full-Time Faculty

Any person hired to teach at least 22 semester hours of coursework or its equivalent during the academic year with the mutual expectation of a continuing appointment is a full- time faculty member. Special assignments, e.g., coaching and play directing, may be written into contracts in lieu of a stated number of hours of classroom teaching or as a percentage of the full-time load. Full-time faculty members may hold tenured, probationary (i.e., tenure- track) or term contracts. All full-time faculty members carry one of the following ranks: Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor or Instructor.

Non-tenured faculty on term contracts are entitled to the rights and are subject to the responsibilities of this handbook, consistent with their status as full members of the faculty. Such faculty are subject to evaluation and supervision by their Area Coordinator and the    Academic Dean/Dean of the Faculty

Part-Time Faculty

Any person hired under a single contract to teach at least 12 semester hours, but less than 22 semester hours or its equivalent of coursework during the academic year, is a part- time faculty member. Part-time faculty members are not eligible for tenure, but they carry one of the four faculty ranks listed in 2.1.1.  Part-time faculty who teach at least 18 semester hours in the 9-month academic year and perform advising or committee work are eligible for all fringe benefits that full-time faculty receive. Part-time faculty participate fully in all faculty meetings and are considered members of that body.  They are also entitled to the rights and are subject to the responsibilities of this Faculty Handbook.

Adjunct Faculty

Any person hired to teach one or more courses on a semester basis is an adjunct faculty member. Adjunct faculty members are hired as the need arises; therefore, they have no expectation of a continuing contract and are neither eligible for tenure nor fringe benefits. Faculty members desiring adjunct teaching responsibilities following retirement may submit proposals for this purpose to the Area Coordinator and the Academic Dean/Dean of the Faculty. Adjunct faculty members are assigned academic rank based on education and experience. An adjunct faculty handbook is available.

Special Appointment Faculty

Emeritus: Faculty members retiring from Wilmington College are eligible for appointment to emeritus status. A faculty member must have had faculty rank at the College for a minimum of ten years to be eligible for emeritus status. Privileges of emeritus faculty include office and mail space when available and participation as feasible in academic ceremonies, including processions at convocations and commencement exercises, and admission to most campus events.

Visiting: Individuals appointed to fill a temporary position, e.g., a vacancy resulting from a leave or an illness of a regular faculty member, are called visiting faculty members. They are assigned one of the four faculty ranks based on educational credentials and experience and the term "visiting" precedes the rank, e.g., Visiting Assistant Professor of History. Visiting faculty members, although possibly full-time with some fringe benefits, are not eligible for tenure and have no expectation of reappointment. However, years spent in a visiting appointment may be counted as years in rank (for promotion) or years of service (for tenure and/or sabbatical) if a visiting appointee is subsequently hired into in a regular full-time position.

Administrators with Faculty Rank

Administrators with appropriate academic credentials may be given faculty rank and may be promoted based on teaching, scholarly activities and community service, but they are not eligible for tenure. A tenured faculty member who is assigned to an administrative position, however, may retain that tenure and may return to the faculty for teaching after adequate planning for the return takes place. The Tenure, Promotion and Review Committee recommends these appointments to the President who makes the appointment and submits a report to the faculty.

  1. Librarians: Professional librarians (holders of the nationally recognized terminal degrees in the field) are classified as administrators and as such are subject to the provisions of the Administrator's Handbook. They may be eligible for faculty rank.
  2. Student Resource Center Personnel: These individuals are also classified as administrators and as such are under the provisions of the Administrator's Handbook. They are also eligible for faculty rank.
  3. Coaches: Coaching is an administrative function and coaches who are not full-time faculty members will receive administrative contracts. Coaches who are not faculty members are not eligible for faculty rank.
  4. Laboratory Assistants: Individuals hired as laboratory assistants are classified either as student workers or as support staff.

Determining Qualified Faculty/Faculty Credentialing Policy

It is the policy of Wilmington College to certify the credentials of all faculty [i.e., full time, part time, adjunct and visiting/ tenured, probationary (tenure-track) or term contracts (non-tenure track] as defined by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Per the HLC, “qualified faculty members are identified primarily by credentials, but other factors, including but not limited to equivalent ‘tested’ experience, may be considered by the institution in determining whether a faculty member is qualified.”

Faculty Credential Guidelines

The institution employs competent faculty members qualified to accomplish the mission and goals of the institution. When determining acceptable qualifications of its faculty, the institution gives primary consideration to the highest earned degree in the discipline or subfield in accordance with the guidelines listed below.

  1. Faculty teaching baccalaureate courses must possess an academic degree relevant to what they are teaching, hold a doctor's or master's degree in the teaching discipline or subfield or master's degree with a concentration in the teaching discipline (minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline).
  2. Faculty teaching general education courses at the undergraduate level must hold a doctor's or master's degree in the teaching 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, the faculty member should have completed a minimum of 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline or subfield in which they teach.
  3. Faculty teaching graduate and post-baccalaureate course work should hold the terminal degree determined by the discipline and have a record of research, scholarship or achievement appropriate for the graduate program.

Using Equivalent “Tested” Experience as a Basis for Determining Minimally Qualified Faculty

  1. HLC allows “an institution to determine that a faculty member is qualified based on experience that the institution determines is equivalent to the degree it would otherwise require for a faculty position. This experience should be tested experience in that it includes a breadth and depth of experience outside of the classroom in real-world situations relevant to the discipline in which the faculty member would be teaching.” The institution considers, as appropriate, related work experiences in the field, professional licensure and certifications, other credentials, ABD without a master’s degree, honors and awards, continuous documented excellence in teaching, or other demonstrated competencies and achievements that contribute to effective teaching and student learning outcomes.
  2. When faculty members are employed based on equivalent experience, the institution defines 3 years of experience working in the industry as the minimum threshold of experience necessary. The faculty will also submit a written statement of their tested experience that will be evaluated by the Academic Dean/Dean of the Faculty and Area Coordinator of their discipline, in addition to the Verification of Faculty Credentials form that is used in the appointment process for all faculty.

Verification and Documentation of Faculty Credentials

Documentation of the credentials of all full-time and part-time faculty and main campus adjunct faculty who are instructors of record for one or more courses will be retained by the Office of Academic Affairs. Documentation for Branch campus adjunct faculty will be maintained by the Branch campus administration.

Documentation shall include:

  1. An official academic transcript of highest degree. Official transcripts for the degree used for credentialing must be on file prior to the beginning of the course(s) to be taught. An official transcript is defined as a transcript or other academic record that includes notation that it is official. All transcripts submitted from foreign universities or schools must be evaluated for equivalency to United States accredited coursework by a university approved agency.
  2. Current Resume/ CV. Demonstration of competence per review of professional and work experience, technical and performance competency, records of publication, certification, and/or other qualifications.
  3. The Academic Dean/Dean of the Faculty shall complete a Verification of Faculty Credentials Form for each full time or part time faculty employee at the time of hire. Area Coordinators shall complete the Verification of Faculty Credentials Form for all adjunct faculty with final approval by the Academic Dean/Dean of the Faculty (for main campus adjunct appointments) or the VP of External Programs (for branch adjunct faculty). The form will demonstrate sufficient evidence that the credentials of prospective full time/ part time or adjunct hires meet WC policy. The Academic Dean/Dean of the Faculty will complete the form for all full time or part time faculty hires.
  4. Faculty employed based upon tested experience will also submit a statement of their experience in addition to the above.

Approved by Faculty 11/9/2015 
Approved by the Board of Trustees, April 2016

Qualifications for Initial Appointment to Academic Ranks

It is the policy of Wilmington College to recruit and appoint faculty members who are well qualified and hold the doctorate or other appropriate terminal degree whenever possible. Special attention is given to each candidate's potential for teaching and scholarly excellence and for contributing to the College community. The Academic Dean/Dean of the Faculty and the President, in consultation with the appropriate Area Coordinator, determines the initial academic rank of each faculty member based on the minimum expectations set forth below. All faculty teaching in the graduate program will have joint appointments in the related undergraduate program.

Revision Approved by Faculty Council 11/2017

  1. Instructor: Minimum qualifications include a master's degree in the teaching field and some teaching experience, e.g., part-time college-level, graduate teaching assistant and/or supervised teaching practicum.
  2. Assistant Professor: Minimum qualifications include completion of a master’s degree or substantial completion of work toward the doctorate (ABD) or other appropriate degree as defined by the letter of appointment, and three years of college-level teaching experience or its equivalent. Three years of full-time college- level teaching experience or its equivalent are required of faculty without terminal degrees.
  3. Associate Professor: Minimum qualifications include the doctorate and six years of college-level teaching experience or its equivalent. Under certain circumstances individuals without a terminal degree might qualify for associate professor, but their life and career would have to show unusual excellence in teaching, scholarship and service. It is unlikely that one could be initially appointed to this rank.
  4. Professor: Minimum qualifications include a doctorate, or other appropriate advanced degree as defined by the letter of appointment, and seven years of teaching experience at the associate professor level or its equivalent, with exceptional attainment in teaching, scholarship and service to profession, College and community.
  5. Minimum Qualifications for Part-Time Faculty:
    • ​​​​​​​Instructor: Master's degree or at least three years of teaching experience or its equivalent.
    • Assistant Professor: Master's degree and more than two years of fulltime college-level teaching experience or its equivalent.
    • Associate Professor: Doctorate degree and more than five years of teaching experience or its equivalent.
    • Professor: Only available to individuals having held that rank as a fulltime faculty member at Wilmington College or a similar institution.  Part-time faculty who hold faculty appointments in other institutions are employed only with the approval of those institutions. Normally, such faculty are given equivalent rank at Wilmington College.
    • Area Coordinators, who make requests in writing to the Academic Dean/Dean of the Faculty, initiate main campus supplemental contracts. Such contracts are usually preceded by a "letter of appointment" detailing the assignment. Contracts are usually mailed within two weeks of the first day of classes, after it has been determined that a class of adequate size exists. Normally the minimum enrollment for a 100- or 200-level course is 10 students and for a 300- or 400-level course is 7 students.