Definitions

Discrimination

Discrimination is a discrete adverse action taken by a College official against an applicant, student, or employee based on age, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. Discrimination can occur under this Policy in either an employment or an educational context. Discrimination also includes failing to provide reasonable accommodations to a qualified person with a disability or to reasonably accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs or practices, as required by state and federal law.

Harassment

Harassment is unwelcome verbal, visual, physical, electronic, or other conduct based on age, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law that is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive to unreasonably interfere with a person’s ability to participate in or benefit from the College’s education program or activity or to interfere with the terms or conditions of the person’s employment, as judged by a reasonable person in the position of the individual subject to the conduct and considering all the circumstances.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment under Appendix A:

Conduct that is sexual, or on the basis of sex or gender, committed by any person upon any other person, regardless of the sex, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity of those involved which is one of the following:

  • When a College employee conditions the provision of an educational, research, scholarly, or work benefit, or service on an individual’s participation in unwelcome sexual conduct (quid pro quo); and/or
  • Unwelcome conduct determined by a reasonable person to be so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive, that it effectively denies a person equal access to an educational, research, scholarly, or work program, or activity of the College.  Unwelcomeness is subjective and determined by the Complainant (except when the Complainant is below the age of consent). Severity, pervasiveness, and objective offensiveness are evaluated based on the totality of the circumstances from the perspective of a reasonable person in the same or similar circumstances (“in the shoes of the Complainant”), including the context in which the alleged incident occurred and any similar, previous patterns.

Sexual harassment under Appendix B:

Sexual harassment – Conduct that is sexual, or on the basis of sex or gender, committed by any person upon any other person, regardless of the sex, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity of those involved which is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive to unreasonably interfere with a person’s ability to participate in or benefit from the College’s education program or activity or to interfere with the terms or conditions of the person’s employment, as judged by a reasonable person in the position of the individual subject to the conduct and considering all the circumstances. This can take the form of conduct by one or more individual respondents that, for each respondent, meets this definition or it can take the form of a cumulative hostile environment.

See CCS’s full policy, including definitions – Policy On Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, And Sexual Misconduct (Including Title IX).

Faculty Credentials and Equivalent Tested Experience

The College for Creative Studies adheres to The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) guidelines on Determining Qualified Faculty Through HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation and Assumed Practices. These guidelines state that institutions will use credentials as the primary mechanism to ascertain minimal faculty qualifications. HLC recognizes that tested experience also may be considered in determining faculty qualifications.  The following guidelines apply to all faculty members whose primary responsibility is teaching, including part-time, adjunct, dual credit, temporary, and/or non-tenure track faculty.

Credentials

Faculty credentials refer to the degrees that faculty have earned that establish their credibility as content experts and thus their competence to teach that content in the classroom.  Common expectations for faculty credentials include the following:

  • Faculty teaching should have completed a program of study in the discipline or subfield (as applicable) in which they teach, and/or for which they develop curricula, with coursework at least one level above that of the courses being taught or developed. Completion of a degree in a specific field enhances an instructor’s depth of subject matter knowledge and is easily identifiable.
  • Faculty teaching in undergraduate programs should hold a degree at least one level above the program in which they are teaching. If a faculty member holds a master’s degree or higher in a discipline other than that in which he or she is teaching, that faculty member should have completed a minimum of 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline in which he or she is teaching.
  • Faculty teaching in graduate programs should hold the terminal degree determined by the discipline and have a record of research, scholarship, or achievement appropriate for the graduate program.
  • Faculty guiding doctoral education should have a record of scholarship and preparation to teach at the doctoral level. Research and scholarship should be appropriate to the program and degree offered.

Equivalent Tested Experience

According to HLC, “Tested experience may substitute for an unearned credential or portions thereof.” Criterion B.2, Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources, and Support state that “when faculty members are employed based on equivalent experience, the institution defines a minimum threshold of experience and an evaluation process that is used in the appointment process.” Consistent with HLC policy, “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.”

Determining Faculty Credentials or Equivalent Tested Experience

Once a search has been authorized for a full-time faculty position, the Department Chair develops a job description in consultation with the appropriate Dean. Throughout the search process, the CCS Faculty Credential Table should be used to evaluate candidates to determine qualified faculty requirements. The Faculty Credential Table should also be used to assess qualifications for adjunct instructors as well as continuing education faculty. If a candidate does not meet the minimum required credentials as outlined in the table, the rubric for Equivalent Tested Experience should be used to determine whether or not the candidate is qualified in lieu of having the appropriate credential.

DEPARTMENTLEVEL BEING TAUGHTCOURSE LEVELSREQUIREMENT
•ADVERTISING
•ART PRACTICE
•COMMUNICATION DESIGN
•CRAFT AND MATERIAL STUDIES
•ENTERTAINMENT ARTS
•FOUNDATIONS
•ILLUSTRATION
•LIBERAL ARTS
•PHOTOGRAPHY
•PRODUCT DESIGN
•TRANSPORTATION DESIGN
BFA UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE100-400MFA WITH SPECIALTY RELATIVE TO COURSE CONTENT BEING TAUGHT OR OTHER MASTER’S DEGREE WITH AT LEAST 18 GRADUATE CREDIT HOURS RELATIVE TO COURSE CONTENT BEING TAUGHT
ART EDUCATIONTEACHER CERTIFICATION100-400MA WITH STATE TEACHING CERTIFICATION OR MAAE OR MFA IN ART, STUDIO ART, OR ART EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT – GRADUATE LEVELLEVEL BEING TAUGHTCOURSE LEVELSREQUIREMENT
•COLOR AND MATERIALS DESIGN
•INTERACTION DESIGN
•SYSTEMS DESIGN THINKING
•TRANSPORTATION DESIGN
MFA GRADUATE DEGREE500 – 700MFA or PHD WITH SPECIALTY RELATIVE TO COURSE CONTENT BEING TAUGHT OR OTHER MASTER’S DEGREE WITH AT LEAST 18 GRADUATE CREDIT HOURS RELATIVE TO COURSE CONTENT BEING TAUGHT
ART EDUCATIONMA GRADUATE DEGREE500 – 700MFA or PHD IN ART EDUCATION

Equivalent Tested Experience Rubric

Equivalent Tested Experience form.

Higher Learning Commission. (2020). Determining Qualified Faculty Through HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation and Assumed Practices. Retrieved from “Determining Qualified Faculty Through
HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation and Assumed Practices: Guidelines for Institutions and Peer Reviewers”.

Semester Course Listing

The Academic Advising and Registration Office (AARO) produces a fall, winter, and summer semester course listing available on the AARO Campus Office page. The AARO Campus Office page also offers information on the academic calendar and course registration. Tuition and fees information and financial policies and procedures are available on the Financial Aid Campus Offices page. The CCS community may also search for course availability using the Self-Service system.