Faculty Credentials and Qualifications

SACSCOC Requirements

In compliance with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), LSU ensures that all instructional faculty (full-time, part-time, and teaching assistants) have met the established standards to teach based on the content and the level of each credit-bearing course assigned as an Instructor of Record (IoR). The Faculty Credentials and Qualifications Manual provides a comprehensive resource outlining the required qualifications and supporting documentation. In addition, faculty serving in a program coordinator capacity must meet specified qualifications as well. The Instructor Eligibility job aid assists with the entry and approval process. LSU policy and procedure is guided by SACSCOC Standards. LSU SACSCOC liaison is Dr. Jane Cassidy. 

Instructor Eligibility

Instructor Eligibility (formally faculty credentials) in Workday houses all credential information for anyone teaching courses on campus. In order to assign the instructor of record, the employee must first have a current academic appointment. Additionally, the employee must be credentialed via the Instructor Eligibility task which is loaded by an Academic Credential Specialist. This role may be requested via myLSU’s Workday Security Access Request.

Please note, faculty teaching graduate courses must have graduate faculty status which is maintained by the Graduate School. 

Alternative Credentials 

If the prospective IoR is qualified to teach based on credentials other than academic degree(s) or if the academic credential is not in direct alignment with the course(s) (e.g., emerging fields of study, interdisciplinary), the Alternative Credentials process via Workday must be completed. The Alternative Credential should be loaded before the credential can be approved in Faculty Credentials or the IoR can be assigned. Alternative Credential submissions must be reviewed and approved by the college’s designated associate dean (listed below). To ensure this step, the applicable associate dean should be added as an approver. 

Associate Deans (by College)

College of Agriculture: Allen Rutherford
College of Art & Design: Kristen Kelsch Mauch 
E.J. Ourso College of Business: Helmut Schneider
College of the Coast & Environment: John White
College of Engineering: Marwa Hassan
Graduate School: Matthew Calamia
College of Human Sciences & Education: Arend Van Gemmert 
College of Humanities & Social Sciences: Lori Martin
Paul M. Hebert Law Center: Andi Carroll
Manship School of Mass Communication: Meghan Sanders
College of Music & Dramatic Arts: School of Music- Trey Davis; School of Theatre- Kristin Sosnowsky
College of Science: Justin Ragains
College of Veterinary Medicine: Tammy Dugas

The following SACSCOC standard addresses faculty credentials and qualifications:

6.2 For each of its educational programs, the institution:

• Justifies and documents the qualifications of its faculty members. (Faculty qualifications)
• Assigns appropriate responsibility for program coordination. (Program coordination).