KU Procedures for Faculty Spoken English Competency
Spoken English Language Competency Verification Process
To comply with KBOR Policy, hiring units must complete the spoken English language competency verification process for all new hires for positions with instructional responsibilities.
Once a candidate is selected and the unit is ready to extend an offer, the hiring unit department chair or dean should complete the appropriate verification form to affirm spoken English language competency based on the interview process.
If the candidate is deemed to lack proficiency based on the interview process, they are required to achieve a minimum score of 50 on the Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK), 22 on the spoken English section of the Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT), or 7 on the spoken English section of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) to be eligible for hire.
Spoken English Language Competency Policy Guidelines for Hiring Units
Spoken English language competency verification is required prior to extending an initial offer of employment for all faculty positions with instructional responsibilities, other than those exempted below.
Verification of spoken English language competency is not required if (a) all teaching for the position (as reflected in the position description) will be conducted primarily in a language other than English (including sign language) or (b) the position is a visiting professor position of one year or less.
Spoken English language competency verification is required only for initial appointments. Verification is not required for contract renewals or for re-hires of individuals who have previously held instructional positions at KU (including GTA positions) if their spoken English language competency was verified at the time of initial appointment.
For positions with a contract term of longer than one year (i.e., tenure line faculty, teaching professors, professors of the practice, clinical professors, lecturers with a contract term of more than one year), candidates must complete an oral interview with at least three members of the university community, including at least one student. Following the interview, the department chair or dean of the hiring unit must complete the Spoken English Language Competency Verification Form to indicate the names and roles of the members of the interview committee and the committee’s evaluation of the prospective faculty member’s spoken English language competency. This form must be submitted prior to submitting the request for verbal offer to HR / Faculty Affairs.
For positions with a contract term of one year or less (i.e., instructors, lecturers with one-year contracts), candidates must complete an oral interview with their prospective supervisor (e.g., department chair or dean). Following the interview, the department chair or dean of the hiring unit must complete the Spoken English Language Competency Verification Form – Short Term.
If the prospective faculty member is not deemed proficient in spoken English based on the oral interview, the prospective faculty member will be required to complete formal spoken English language testing and meet score requirements as described in KBOR policy. Testing can be conducted at no charge by the KU Applied English Center (AEC). Testing can take place in person or virtually. To arrange testing, the chair or dean of the hiring unit should contact the AEC Director. Once testing has been completed, the hiring unit should report the prospective faculty member’s test score to the Office of Faculty Affairs at facultyaffairs@ku.edu.
Prospective faculty members who are unable to demonstrate spoken English competency through either interview or formal testing will not be offered an appointment unless the Provost agrees to a specific waiver.
Oral interviews can take place in person or through mediated means (e.g., phone or videoconference). Conversations taking place as part of an existing interview process can be used to evaluate spoken English language proficiency.
The goal of the oral interview process is for interviewers to make a good faith effort to assess the prospective faculty member’s spoken English language competency in a global sense (i.e., do you understand this person and would the average student understand this person?). Most of the time the answer will be a clear “yes”. In the case of a prospective faculty member with errors or challenges in being understood, interviewers should ask themselves whether the errors are significant enough to impede communication.
Factors to consider when evaluating spoken English language competency include word choice, grammar, pronunciation, stress and intonation, and speech rate. Interviewers should consider whether the prospective faculty member’s spoken English language competency is sufficient to successfully perform core instructional tasks such as defining concepts, answering questions, giving instructions, and conversing with students in small group or individual settings (e.g., during office hours).