ACADEMIC INFORMATION |
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ORIENTATION: All students enrolled in a certificate or graduate academic program are required to attend a new Student Orientation during their first year of enrollment in a program. Students will become acquainted with the academic programs, policies and procedures, administrative and faculty personnel, basic study and writing methods, including the SLTS Style Guide. Please consult the 2007-2008 Calendar of Important Dates for specific dates of Orientation. ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT: At Salt Lake Theological Seminary we desire to meet the academic and personal needs of each student. For this reason, students are encouraged to consult the Academic Dean with questions regarding their programs of study and to ensure that they are pursuing the most appropriate programs for their personal and career goals. The Registrar will aid students in planning a course of study to complete the degree requirements and will inform students on a regular basis of their progress toward their degree. During their first year of study students entering graduate programs are required to complete the 16PF Assessment, which analyzes individual aptitudes and giftedness. REGISTRATION: Students wishing to take classes, whether admitted to a specific program or not, can register for courses online, in person, or by calling. All students are expected to register for classes by the registration deadline as indicated in the 2007-2008 Calendar of Important Dates. Students registering after the designated registration deadline will be charged a late registration fee. TEXTBOOKS: Textbooks are available for purchase through the seminary’s online book-service. A deposit must be paid in order to secure the purchase. The seminary places book orders three weeks before the beginning of the semester to allow availability of the books before classes begin. The remaining amount due on the order must be paid before textbooks can be given to the student. Students who choose to not order books from the online bookstore will be responsible for acquiring their own textbooks. SYLLABI: Syllabi for courses taught each term will be posted on the Salt Lake Theological Seminary web site at least two weeks prior to the first day of classes. Students should go to the web site and review the syllabi for classes in which they plan to be enroll in order to find out whether they need to read course materials prior to their first classes. CREDIT HOURS: Courses are assigned credit hours. For Salt Lake Theological Seminary courses, this means that a one (1) credit hour course meets for a total of at least fifteen hours per semester. A student should be prepared to spend two to four hours in study, reading, completing assignments, and preparing for exams outside of class for every hour that the class is held. FULL TIME/PART TIME: Students wishing to complete their academic program in accordance with the degree duration described in the Academic Catalog should expect to take 30-39 credit hours per academic year depending on their program. For external purposes (e.g. Veterans Educational Benefits, F-1 student visas, etc.), full-time study is defined as nine graduate credit hours or 12 non-graduate (certificate) credit hours per semester. ATTENDANCE: Students are expected to attend all sessions of each class. Each instructor will establish attendance requirements that will be enforced by the seminary. All graduate students will also be assigned and encouraged to attend a faculty-student partnership group for the duration of their course of study. GRADES: Grades are based on the course requirements established by the course instructor as stated in the course syllabus. The instructor will assign a grade for work done at Salt Lake Theological Seminary following the Grading Policy published in the Academic Catalog. Students will receive final grades for courses no later than six weeks after the deadline for all coursework. ASSIGNMENT EXTENSIONS AND INCOMPLETE COURSEWORK: Due to illness or demonstrated emergency, students taking a course for credit may request assignment extensions for up to 30 days, except for assignments due on the last week of the term. Students unable for similar reasons to complete these assignments (including the final exam), or whose extenuating circumstances do not allow them to finish other assignments within a 30-day extension period, may request to be given an "I" (Incomplete) for that grading period. Application for Incompletes must be made to the Registrar, signed by the Instructor, and submitted by the last day of class, accompanied by the appropriate fee. However, the instructor has the right to refuse any extension or incomplete, or to reduce the course grade for any late work, if this is stated in the course syllabus. Note: Students will not be able to register for classes in future semesters if they have incompletes in two or more courses. GRIEVANCE PROCESS: If a dispute regarding assignment of a grade, evaluation of academic performance, or a personal grievance cannot be resolved in private discussion between the student and the faculty member, the student may appeal in writing to the Academic Dean. If the grievance involves the Academic Dean, the matter will be referred to the President. Failing resolution, the Academic Dean (or President) will convene a Grievance Committee composed of one member of the Board of Trustees, two members of the faculty, and one student. This committee will be chaired by the convener. The Grievance Committee will establish, execute, and report to the Faculty Forum in the case of an academic grievance, or to the President in the case of a personal grievance, for considering the grievance as expeditiously as possible. The appropriate body in consideration of the report will make a decision on the grievance. This decision will be final. ACADEMIC PROBATION: Students enrolled in academic programs at Salt Lake Theological Seminary are required to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) for the successful completion of their program and to maintain acceptable academic standing. The minimum GPA requirement is 3.0 for the Masters programs (Master of Arts and MDiv). Matriculated students whose cumulative GPA falls below this minimum will be notified by the Registrar that they have been put on academic probation for the next semester of study. Students placed on probation will be required to meet with the Academic Dean with the aim of setting the student on a program of academic recovery. The number or credit hours for which a student is allowed to register may be limited and specific remedial courses of instruction may be required until the academic probation status is lifted. If during the semester of academic probation the student fails to attain the program’s minimum GPA requirements, he or she may be dismissed from the program. When the student’s cumulative GPA reaches the program’s minimum requirement, the academic probation status will be removed. Under some circumstances, students who have been dismissed from their academic program may apply to the Admissions Committee for re-enrollment into the program after one academic year has passed. Applicants must demonstrate that they will be able to make satisfactory progress toward the removal of academic probation. Successful applicants will then be admitted into the program on academic probation and will be given one semester to raise their GPA to the minimum requirement. If a student withdraws or is dismissed during this process, the student will receive only the refund due according to the Refund Policy of the Academic Catalog. COURSE RETAKES: Students who have received a failing grade in a course that is required for the completion of their program are required to retake the course. This involves registering and paying tuition and fees for the course a second time. Both course registrations will appear on the student’s official transcript in the semesters they were taken, however the lower grade received will not affect the student’s GPA. Only one retake will be permitted per course. COURSE CHANGE: Students may drop courses, change credits in a variable credit course, or change from credit to audit or audit to credit status no later than the date published in the 2007-2008 Calendar of Important Dates for normal format courses and prior to the second day of class for intensive format courses. Students wishing to withdraw or change status must complete and submit a Course Change Request form and the appropriate fee. Students who wish to make any of these changes after the deadline in any semester may do so only with the permission of the Academic Dean. ACADEMIC LEAVE OF ABSENCE: For various reasons students may find it necessary or prudent to suspend their studies for a period of time. Students in such circumstances must initiate the following process in order to maintain their student status in good standing: (1) File an Academic Leave petition with the Registrar providing the reason(s) for the request, and agreeing to pay continuation fees each semester ($135 for graduate students and $35 for non-graduate students) or to request a waiver. (2) The Registrar will attach a current progress sheet and forward the petition to the Academic Dean providing an opportunity for academic review and appropriate pastoral care. (3) Petition for academic leave may be granted for a period of up to one year, and is renewable upon further petition for one additional year. (4) Graduate students are encouraged to continue meeting with their faculty partnership groups during an academic LOA or make an arrangement for occasional and regular contact with the Academic Dean. WITHDRAWAL: Students who do not enroll for 3 consecutive terms and who have not been approved for LOA will be considered to have voluntarily withdrawn from the seminary. CHANGE OF ACADEMIC PROGRAM: Students who have been accepted into an academic program at Salt Lake Theological Seminary but desire to change to another program at the seminary must notify the Academic Dean and Registrar of their intent by filling out a Change of Program form. Authorization to change to another program is always at the discretion of the Academic Dean. Courses taken in one program may not transfer to another academic program. Students are encouraged to study the course requirements for each program as outlined in the Academic Catalog before attempting to change programs. Course credit cannot be transferred between certificate and graduate level courses. TERMINATION OF STUDY: Students wishing to terminate their program of study at Salt Lake Theological Seminary for whatever reason should notify the Registrar. Students currently enrolled in coursework are entitled to receive any refund due according to the Refund Policy of the Academic Catalog. TRANSCRIPTS AND SYLLABUS COPIES: Students may request official transcripts or course syllabi for individual purposes or to be sent to an institution by contacting the Registrar and paying the appropriate fee. TRANSFER CREDITS: Students who have already done academic work at an accredited academic institution may be granted transfer credit with the approval of the Academic Dean. Such credit will be given only for courses considered relevant to the program being pursued and of equivalent academic standard. Undergraduate credits may be transferred to Certificate programs and graduate credits may be transferred to Graduate programs, however, credits may be subject to a transfer ratio to make them equal to credits taken at Salt Lake Theological Seminary. Application for transfer must be accompanied by the student’s official transcript from the school at which the course was initially taken, as well as a course syllabus and possibly assignments or exams from the course. Minimum grades are required for credits attempting to be transferred. The maximum number of transfer credits varies according to each program:
Transfer of
credits from Salt Lake Theological Seminary to another educational
institution is always at the discretion of the receiving institution.
Institutions may require course syllabi and assignments for the transfer
courses under consideration. While Salt Lake Theological Seminary does
have a precedent of transferring both graduate and certificate credits
to other institutions, such transfer of prior credits does not guarantee
such recognition in the future. COURSE EXEMPTION: Exemption from biblical language course requirements in the graduate programs at Salt Lake Theological Seminary may be requested on the basis of work done at the undergraduate level. A minimum grade of B+ (3.3) is required for exemption consideration. Application for exemption must be made to the Academic Dean and must be accompanied by the student’s official transcript from the college or university at which the course was initially taken, as well as a course syllabus and possibly assignments or exams from the course. Students may be required to take a proficiency exam. Exemption from a language course does not entail transfer of credit, therefore, alternative courses must be taken to make up the total number of credit hours required for a graduate degree. TAPE RECORDING: Students are permitted to make tape recordings of class lectures and discussions only with the permission of the instructor and only for personal use. If a student uses a recording device without the instructor's permission, Salt Lake Theological Seminary will treat the matter as plagiarism as described in Academic Integrity in the next paragraph ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Salt Lake Theological Seminary expects the highest standards of academic and moral integrity in the completion of all assignments and examinations. Plagiarism is theft. When the thoughts or writings of another person are included in your own presentation, the author must be acknowledged through footnotes or other acceptable means. (See the SLTS Style Guide for an expanded definition of plagiarism.) Students failing to maintain such standards of academic integrity may be subject to dismissal. If dismissed, the student will receive any refund due according to the Refund Policy of the Academic Catalog. GRADUATION: Salt Lake Theological Seminary holds an annual Commencement ceremony at the end of spring semester for graduates from the certificate and graduate programs. Students who expect to graduate should notify the Registrar at the beginning of the spring semester by submitting an Application for Graduation accompanied by the appropriate fee by the published deadline. Please consult the 2007-2008 Calendar of Important Dates for specific deadlines and the date of Commencement. GRADUATION AND EMPLOYMENT RATES: Salt Lake Theological Seminary will track employment of all gradates beginning in 2007. PLACEMENT: The seminary seeks to guide students in the attainment of their professional and personal goals through academic advisement and faculty partnership relationships. The seminary staff is available to assist students as they investigate ministry opportunities and seek to discover the particular place in which God is calling them to serve. The seminary does not guarantee, however, placement or a specific wage or salary level. STUDENT COMMUNICATIONS: Individual student mailboxes are located in the entrance of classroom 201. Students should regularly check their mailboxes to receive returned assignments and important notices from the administrative and academic offices. Students also have the option of receiving e-mail announcements of upcoming events, deadlines, and various aspects of community life.
CONFIDENTIALITY OF STUDENT RECORDS: The Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act of 1974 stipulates that a written institutional policy be
established and a statement be distributed on the procedures protecting
the privacy rights of currently or previously enrolled students. In
accordance with the law, Salt Lake Theological Seminary requires the
establishment and maintenance of procedures and practices that will
uphold the principles of confidentiality described in this policy
statement. The seminary will not disclose student educational records
without written student consent.
POLICY ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT: Salt Lake Theological
Seminary is committed to providing and maintaining a healthy learning
and working environment for all students, staff and faculty members. The
existence of sexual harassment or other forms of sexual discrimination
are incompatible with the basic goals of the seminary and has the effect
of destroying the atmosphere of trust on which the educational process
depends. The seminary is committed to taking action to prevent and
eliminate all such behavior and will hold individuals who engage in such
behavior responsible and subject to disciplinary action. A full copy of
the policy related to this subject, including the process for reporting
and resolving complaints, may be obtained in confidence from the
seminary office or by contacting a grievance officer: Frank Mylar
(801-858-0700) or Evelyn Bossart (801-328-2846). |
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