Iowa § 260C.48 - 260C.48 Standards for accrediting community college programs.

§ 260C.48. 260C.48 Standards for accrediting community college programs.

1. The state board shall develop standards and rules for the accreditation of community college programs. Except as provided in this subsection and subsection 4, standards developed shall be general in nature so as to apply to more than one specific program of instruction. With regard to community college-employed instructors, the standards adopted shall at a minimum require that community college instructors meet the following requirements: a. (1) Instructors in the subject area of career and technical education shall be registered, certified, or licensed in the occupational area in which the state requires registration, certification, or licensure, and shall hold the appropriate registration, certificate, or license for the occupational area in which the instructor is teaching, and shall meet at least one of the following qualifications: (a) Possess a baccalaureate or graduate degree in the area or a related area of study or occupational area in which the instructor teaches classes, or possess a baccalaureate degree in any area of study if at least eighteen of the credit hours completed were in the career and technical field of instruction in which the instructor teaches classes. (b) Possess an associate degree in the career and technical education field of instruction in which the instructor is teaching, if such degree is considered terminal for that field of instruction, and have at least three thousand hours of recent and relevant work experience in the occupational area or related occupational area in which the instructor teaches classes. (c) Have special training and at least six thousand hours of recent and relevant work experience in the occupational area or related occupational area in which the instructor teaches classes if the instructor possesses less than a baccalaureate degree in the area or related area of study or occupational area in which the instructor is teaching classes and the instructor does not meet the requirements of subparagraph (2). (2) For purposes of subparagraph (1), subparagraph divisions (b) and (c), if the instructor is a licensed practitioner who holds a career and technical endorsement under chapter 256, subchapter VII, part 3, relevant work experience in the occupational area includes but is not limited to classroom instruction in a career and technical education subject area offered by a school district or accredited nonpublic school. b. Instructors in the subject area of arts and sciences shall meet either of the following qualifications: (1) Possess a master’s degree from an accredited graduate school, and has successfully completed a minimum of twelve credit hours of graduate level courses in each field of instruction in which the instructor is teaching classes. For purposes of this subparagraph, “accredited” means that a graduate school meets the standards established by an accrediting agency recognized under 34 C.F.R. pt. 602 and by Tit. IV of the federal Higher Education Opportunity Act, Pub. L. No. 110-315. (2) Have two or more years of successful experience in a professional field or area in which the instructor is teaching classes and in which postbaccalaureate recognition or professional licensure is necessary for practice, including but not limited to the fields or areas of accounting, engineering, law, law enforcement, and medicine. 2. Standards developed shall include a provision that the full-time teaching load for an instructor in arts and sciences courses shall be fifteen credit hours per semester, or the equivalent, and the maximum academic workload shall be sixteen credit hours per semester, or the equivalent. An instructor may also have an additional teaching assignment if the instructor and the community college administration mutually consent to the additional assignment and the total teaching load does not exceed twenty-two hours of credit per semester, or the equivalent. 3. Standards developed shall include provisions requiring equal access in recruitment, enrollment, and placement activities for students with special education needs. The provisions shall include a requirement that students with special education needs shall receive instruction in the least restrictive environment with access to the full range of program offerings at a college, through, but not limited to, adaptation of curriculum, instruction, equipment, facilities, career guidance, and counseling services. Thu Dec 11 19:22:06 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Section 260C.48 (35, 0) §260C.48, COMMUNITY COLLEGES 2 4. Standards relating to quality assurance of faculty and ongoing quality professional development shall be the accreditation standards of similar accredited institutions of higher education that are consistent with the standards established pursuant to this section and the faculty standards required under specific programs offered by the community college that are accredited by other accrediting agencies. For purposes of this subsection, “accredited” means that an institution of higher education meets the standards established by an accrediting agency recognized under 34 C.F.R. pt. 602 and by Tit. IV of the federal Higher Education Opportunity Act, Pub. L. No. 110-315. 90 Acts, ch 1253, §50; 90 Acts, ch 1254, §3 C91, §280A.48 C93, §260C.48 93 Acts, ch 82, §7, 8; 2002 Acts, ch 1047, §8, 9, 20; 2007 Acts, ch 214, §23; 2008 Acts, ch 1181, §29, 30; 2011 Acts, ch 20, §9; 2014 Acts, ch 1013, §15; 2015 Acts, ch 29, §39; 2015 Acts, ch 48, §1; 2020 Acts, ch 1031, §1; 2020 Acts, ch 1121, §64, 70; 2021 Acts, ch 76, §52; 2021 Acts, ch 80, §141; 2022 Acts, ch 1011, §8, 9; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §2556 Referred to in §260C.36, 260C.47 Thu Dec 11 19:22:06 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Section 260C.48 (35, 0)