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Iowa law establishes the process for community colleges to plan for the hiring and professional development of faculty and sets minimum qualifications for arts and sciences and career technical instructors. The following documents provide an overview of state standards for instructor qualifications and professional development.
Faculty Qualifications Guidelines
Quality Faculty Plan Requirements and Minimum Faculty Standards Presentation - A presentation on changes to the QFP requirements and minimum faculty standards.
QFP Requirements and Minimum Faculty Standards Response to Questions - The Department of Education's response to questions raised by the Community College Human Resources Directors - released 8/21/08.
Quality Faculty Plans
Quality Faculty Plan Requirements - Community college institutional quality faculty plans guide the hiring and development of community college credit instructors and certain other employee classifications. Each plan is established by the college's quality faculty plan committee consisting of instructors and administrators and are approved by the institution's board of directors.
Quality Faculty Plan Overview - The purpose of the quality faculty plan process is for colleges to guide the hiring and professional development of faculty to ensure competence.
Quality Faculty Plan Committee Membership Requirements - Community college quality faculty plan committees consist of both faculty and administrators and must meet the requirements of Iowa Code 260C.36.
Higher Learning Commission Guidance on Determining Quality Faculty - The Higher Learning Commission's guidance to institutions of higher education on determining and evaluating faculty qualifications.
Revised Guidelines on Determining Qualified Faculty - The following information provides guidance to institutions and peer reviewers in determining and evaluating minimal faculty qualifications at institutions accredited by Higher Learning Commission.
Community College Quality Faculty Plans
Each college's QFP contains, at a minimum, nine components addressing the professional development of faculty and staff, administrative procedures, plan maintenance, faculty and staff orientation and recordkeeping.
Area 1: Northeast Iowa Community College
Area 2: North Iowa Area Community College
Area 3: Iowa Lakes Community College
Area 4: Northwest Iowa Community College
Area 5: Iowa Central Community College
Area 6: Iowa Valley Community College District
Area 7: Hawkeye Community College
Area 9: Eastern Iowa Community College
Area 10: Kirkwood Community College
Area 11: Des Moines Area Community College
Area 12: Western Iowa Tech Community College - Faculty
Area 12: Western Iowa Tech Community College - Credit Adjunct Faculty
Area 13: Iowa Western Community College
Area 14: Southwestern Community College
Area 15: Indian Hills Community College
Area 16: Southeastern Community College
Minimum Faculty Standards
All community college-employed instructors who are under contract for at least half-time or more, and all instructors teaching college credit coursework, are required to meet minimum standards.
Faculty Advisory Committee
The Community College Faculty Advisory Committee, as required by Iowa Code 260C.36 was established to: (1) keep faculty informed of higher education issues, (2) facilitate communication between faculty and the department on an ongoing basis, and (3) to serve as an advisory committee to the department and community colleges on faculty issues.