District Instructors

District instructors interested in teaching Heartland courses through the College NOW program must meet the qualifications outlined in the Dual Credit Quality Act as follows:

• For general education and transfer elective courses: a minimum of a master’s degree with 18 graduate hours in the academic field of study or discipline.
• For career technical education courses: a minimum of 2,000 hours of work experience and the appropriate recognizable credential depending on the specific field.

An instructor may qualify for a dual credit professional development plan according to the following qualifying conditions: 

• has earned a master's degree in any discipline and has earned 9 graduate hours in a discipline in which he or she is currently teaching or expects to teach; or
• is a fully licensed career and technical education instructor who is halfway toward meeting the institution's requirements for faculty in the discipline to be taught; and
• agrees to demonstrate his or her progress toward completion (which must be within three years), as outlined in the professional development plan.

*Be sure to discuss your interest with pertinent personnel at your high school or career center. You may also access our Partnership Procedures for more information about dual credit course selection and approvals.

District 540 secondary instructors pre-approved to teach dual credit courses for the first time through an early college partnership agreement with Heartland must complete a series of orientation activities and paperwork as outlined below:

Post-Approval Paperwork

After course requests have been confirmed by your school, approved new instructors will be prompted by the Early College Office to complete the following documents and submit using the secure upload link provided.  

Orientation Sessions

RSVP Form for Sessions I & IV

Session I: General Overview - Scheduled Zoom Session

• Wednesday, April 9, 2025, 8:00-9:00am OR
• Thursday, April 10, 2025, 3:00-4:00pm  

Attendees will learn more information about Heartland, College NOW, and dual credit instructor expectations. This is a virtual session hosted via Zoom. You will get to choose the session that works best for your schedule and receive login information. After completing Orientation Session I, you will be prompted to complete the District Instructor Agreement. 

Session II: Curriculum & Assessment Alignment - Scheduled by academic department

An appropriate HCC academic department dean or liaison will schedule this session and connect with instructors based on approved dual credit courses. Attendees will receive pertinent HCC curriculum details and syllabus requirements.

Initial syllabus drafts are due in Simple Syllabus by Friday, May 9. For instructions to get started, see the Syllabus Requirements Checklist.

Session III: Learning Management System (LMS) Training - Asynchronous Training

The purpose of this training is to introduce you to the Canvas learning management system. All dual credit instructors at Heartland are required to use Canvas in their courses, including the Canvas gradebook. This helps ensure accurate record-keeping and allows us to provide a more consistent educational experience for students.

• Please use this link to self-enroll in the Canvas Orientation course. 
• After selecting the link, you will be asked to log in with your Heartland credentials (@heartland.edu email address and password). This will bring you to the “Enroll in TLC | Canvas Orientation” page.
• Select the blue “Enroll in Course” button in the upper-right corner to join the course.
• Then, select the “Go to Course” button.
• Read the instructions on the course homepage and watch the video.

After completing the training, you will be prompted to submit the information needed to compensate you for the training. Questions? Email HCCTLC@heartland.edu. 

Session IV: Records Management - Scheduled Zoom Session

• Wednesday, August 27, 2025, 8:30-9:30am OR
• Thursday, August 28, 2025, 3:00-4:00pm
• Thursday, January 22, 2026, 8:30-9:30am if needed for new Spring 2026 instructors 

Attendees will learn how to access class rosters, enter grades, and information about FERPA rules for managing records. You will get to choose the session that works best for your schedule.

We're glad to have you back! See important reminders and due dates for HCC dual credit courses below:

Course Syllabus

Complete your Fall 2025 or Yearlong course syallbus in Simple Syllabus by Friday, May 9. For instructions to get started, see the Syllabus Requirements Checklist. 

Contact HCCTLC@heartland.edu or EarlyCollege@heartland.edu for help with Simple Syllabus. Reach out to your academic area contact person for any curricular-specific questions.

Have you completed the mantatory Canvas training for dual credit instructors?

The purpose of this training is to introduce you to the Canvas learning management system. All dual credit instructors at Heartland are required to use Canvas in their courses, including the Canvas gradebook. This helps ensure accurate record-keeping and allows us to provide a more consistent educational experience for students.

• Please use this link to self-enroll in the Canvas Orientation course. 
• After selecting the link, you will be asked to log in with your Heartland credentials (@heartland.edu email address and password). This will bring you to the “Enroll in TLC | Canvas Orientation” page.
• Select the blue “Enroll in Course” button in the upper-right corner to join the course.
• Then, select the “Go to Course” button.
• Read the instructions on the course homepage and watch the video.