The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools (SACS), which grants KSU its essential institutional accreditation, focuses heavily on institutional compliance with the accreditation criteria pertaining to meeting the minimal faculty credentials to teach at the college level and having on file evidence that documents compliance. The specific requirements are reflected in the following excerpts from the Faculty Credentials Guidelines (2006, 2018).

All full-time and part-time faculty who do not meet the minimum degree requirements as outlined in the table below MUST have an approved SACS Faculty Credentials Compliance Form on file before being assigned to teach a course.

Teaching Assignments & Minimum Degree Requirements

Baccalaureate Courses Require

• Doctorate or master’s degree in the teaching discipline OR
• Master’s degree with a concentration (at least 18 graduate semester credit hours) in the teaching discipline.

Graduate or Post-baccalaureate Courses Require

• Earned doctorate in the teaching discipline or related field OR
• Terminal degree in the teaching discipline or related field.

The Commission recognizes that in unusual cases institutions may appropriately include as graduate faculty members those who have demonstrated exceptional scholarly or creative activity, or professional experience, but who may not possess the required academic credentials. There also may be an occasion when a new graduate discipline is in its formative stage in higher education and there are no faculty members available with academic credentials in the discipline. In either case, when an institution presents evidence of competence or academic credentials other than the doctorate in the discipline for its graduate faculty, it must justify the employment of such faculty.