Thank you for your interest in Alexandria Technical & Community College’s Concurrent Enrollment program.
Credentialing
All instructors teaching an ATCC concurrent enrollment course are approved through an application process like what our on-campus faculty go through. Concurrent enrollment instructors must meet the Higher Learning Commission’s requirement of having the same minimum credentialing requirements at ATCC’s on-campus instructors by September 2025. Any partner teachers that are provisionally approved will not be allowed to teach past that point if they have not met the credentialing requirement. For most disciplines, ATCC requires instructors to have a Master’s degree in the discipline or have a Master’s degree in any field with at least 18 graduate credits in the discipline. To determine the credentialing requirements of a specific course, visit Minnesota State Faculty Credentialing to view the credentialing fields.
For questions related to credentialing requirements, you may contact ATCC’s Director of K-12 Initiatives at pseo@alextech.edu or 320-762-4545.
Credentialing Resources
High School Instructor Application Process
New high school partner teachers must complete the concurrent enrollment high school instructor approval process below.
ATCC’s Concurrent Enrollment Program High School Instructor Approval Process:
- Interested high school counselor or administrator (high school contact) reaches out to ATCC’s Director of K-12 Initiatives to express interest in getting teacher credentials reviewed.
- Director of K-12 Initiatives provides New Instructor Packet to high school contact or high school teacher.
- High school teacher completes ATCC’s High School Concurrent Enrollment Instructor Application form and attaches unofficial copies of undergraduate and graduate transcripts. The teacher or high school contact returns credential paperwork to Director of K-12 Initiatives for credential review.
- Director of K-12 Initiatives requests additional paperwork (if incomplete) or directs credential paperwork to ATCC’s academic dean for credential review (if complete).
- ATCC’s academic dean reviews credentials according to Minnesota State Faculty Credentialing guidelines for approvals. If necessary, the Faculty Division Chair may be consulted. The academic dean may choose to:
- approve credentials. The high school teacher is fully qualified to teach ATCC courses in their approved credential area.
- deny credentials. The high school teacher is not qualified to teach ATCC courses but may, with permission, submit a Faculty Credentialing Plan to achieve full credentials.
- grant conditional approval. The teacher is permitted to teach during the timeframe listed on the Faculty Credentialing Plan but no longer, unless given the option to submit a Faculty Credentialing Progress Report to achieve full credentials
- Director of K-12 Initiatives communicates the decision to the high school contact and teacher.
- If the Director of K-12 Initiatives indicates the teacher does not presently meet credentialing criteria but may submit Faculty Credentialing Plan, the teacher is responsible for seeking out graduate programs, filling out the Faculty Credentialing Plan with attached course descriptions, and submitting documents to the Director of K-12 Initiatives.
- If fully credentialed, granted conditional approval, or on an approved Faculty Credentialing Plan, the high school teacher must complete the Concurrent Enrollment New Instructor Orientation found in Brightspace and begin the course preparation and alignment process.
New Instructor Orientation
All new Concurrent Enrollment High School Instructors are required to attend the New High School Instructor Orientation and Training. Each instructor will be assigned an ATCC Faculty Liaison who will assist the instructor in developing the course, creating a syllabus, and identifying suitable textbooks and resources. To meet the National Alliance for Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships requirements, the Faculty Liaison paired with the new instructor will also attend the orientation to allow for course-specific training prior to the start of the course. Faculty Liaisons must cover course philosophy, curriculum, syllabus, pedagogy, and plan a paired assessment for the course with the instructor. Faculty Liaisons will also visit the high school classroom at least once during the academic year (twice the first year) and collaborate with the instructor throughout the year.
The mandatory New High School Instructor Orientation and Training typically occurs in August. Specific dates will be provided to high school instructors upon their approval. New instructors must also complete the online Concurrent Enrollment New Instructor Orientation found in Brightspace. Use your StarID and password to login to Brightspace to access the Concurrent Enrollment course and complete the online orientation. If you do not know your login information, contact the Director of K-12 Initiatives.
Professional Development
Per National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) accreditation standards, Alexandria Technical & Community College is required to provide annual discipline specific professional development to all high school concurrent enrollment instructors.
Professional development may look different for each instructor. Some disciplines may host their high school instructors on campus to sit in on classes and spend time as a group discussing topics such as course content, course delivery, assessment evaluation, and/or research and developments in the field. Other disciplines may attend an event or training, provided it is a meaningful discipline specific professional development.