65 underqualified Texas adjuncts fired.

EL PASO, Texas (AP) -- Sixty-five part-time faculty at El Paso Community College have been dismissed after an internal investigation revealed they didn't have the qualifications required to teach.

The teachers were fired because the evaluation showed that the instructors did not meet the requirements set by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which accredits colleges in the South.

The 65 instructors were hired although they did not meet the state standard--a master's degree plus 18 hours of coursework in the discipline they plan to teach--set for community-college instructors.

The association could place the school on probation if it does not correct the problem, and the agency may also revoke its accreditation. That would mean that most colleges and universities would not recognize courses taken at EPCC, and its students would be ineligible for many financial aid programs.

"EPCC absolutely will not lose its accreditation," EPCC Vice President of Instruction Dennis Brown told the El Paso Times. "That's not even an issue."

"I anticipate we (will) have all fully accredited faculty by the time we start fall classes," Brown said. "The fact that we will have all fully accredited resolve the concerns raised by the accrediting association."

The fired instructors taught a variety of courses, including government, English, psychology, speech, writing and remedial reading. Officials said many of the courses were transferable to four-year colleges. EPCC has 19,644 students and 1,355 faculty.

College officials said they thought the instructors were exempt because they had a combination of work and teaching experience and had committed to completing their master's degrees and the required coursework.

In some cases the accrediting association makes such exemptions, but it determined that EPCC administrators had assumed too much flexibility.

"These people were all very close to finishing," Brown said. "We felt that we were OK to use them. They're saying no."

A continuing audit will examine all faculty to ensure they meet the appropriate requirements, officials said.

In the meantime, the college has begun looking for instructors who have the correct credentials to teach classes at the bachelor's and vocational levels. Procedures have been changed to include supervisory review of the applications, said Jim Kimsey, director of personnel services. The association is scheduled to review EPCC policies in October.