To maintain sufficient faculty members, colleges have first distinguished participating and supporting faculty as well as faculty qualifications, including scholars academics (SA), practice academics (PA), scholarly practitioners (SP), instructional practitioners (IP), and additional (A).
Faculty who are qualified as SAs must hold a research-based doctoral degree in the area in which they teach. The intellectual contribution requirements for SAs are differentiated based on teaching level.
If faculty cannot meet the minimum requirements, they are allowed one extra years to publish a journal article. Journal faculty are given three extra year to meet the minimum journal publication requirements.
Faculty who are qualified as PAs must hold a research-based doctoral degree in the area in which they teach. There is no minimum publication requirement. PA's teaching credentials must be defined and approved by the Faculty Promotion and Evaluation Committee at the department level.
Faculty who are qualified as SPs must hold a master's degree or meet the minimum intellectual contribution requirement, which is to publish at least one journal article within a five-year period. SPs are further qualified based on their contribution to and experience in specific professional areas and community education.
Faculty who are qualified as IPs must hold a master's or above degree but are not held to intellectual contribution requirements. IPs can be considered qualified if they hold an executive position in business or in government offices or hold a professional certificate (such as a CPA license). Accounting-firm partners, lawyers, or professionals with other expertise may also be qualified to teach at the university level.
