Attendance & Course Participation
In online courses, progress is not monitored by attendance but rather by regular progress. It is the student’s responsibility to complete assigned work to the course instructor’s satisfaction.
Grade Policies
A student may repeat a course once in which a grade of “D” or “F” is received. All final grades earned will appear on the official transcript, however if a course is repeated, only the most recent grade will be used in calculating the student’s GPA. If a student repeats a course at another institution, the grade received at GATS is the only grade that will be used to determine the GPA. Students must obtain approval from the Registrar to repeat a course and will pay normal tuition prices for courses repeated.
Grading System
Global Awakening Theological Seminary uses a 4.0 grading scale as follows:
NUMBER GRADE LETTER GRADE GRADE POINTS
99-100 A+ 4.00
94 – 98.9 A 4.00
90 – 93.9 A – 3.67
87 – 89.9 B + 3.33
83 – 86.9 B 3.00
80 – 82.9 B – 2.67
77 – 79.9 C + 2.33
73 – 76.9 C 2.00
70 – 72.9 C – 1.67
67 – 69.9 D + 1.33
63 – 66.9 D 1.00
60 – 62.9 D – 0.67
0-59.9 F 0.00
Other notations may appear on transcripts include the following: CR Credit I Incomplete WP Withdrawal in Good Standing WF Withdrawal when Failing
Graduation Requirements
Each candidate for graduation must:
• Complete the entire prescribed curriculum for the chosen degree plan.
• Earn a minimum of a 2.0 grade point average.
• Receive at least “C” grade in all courses.
• Complete a graduation online survey.
• Be recommended for graduation by the core leadership.
• Be current on all financial obligations to the university.
• Attend commencement activities, if possible.
Examinations
All examinations must be taken on the designated date at the designated time set by the course instructor. If an instructor requests a proctor for the exam, then the student must follow the procedures to provide a proctor. If an examination is missed, the student is required to contact the appropriate course instructor who will decide if and how the examination is to be made up. Penalties incurred for such are at the discretion of the faculty member.
Incomplete Course
If a student is unable to complete the requirements for a course, the student should communicate with the instructor prior to the end of the course in order to obtain an “Incomplete.” If the instructor agrees, the student may receive extra time to complete course requirements. Failure to notify an instructor could result in a failing grade.
Leave of Absence due to Military Deployment
Administrators will work closely with students in the U.S. Reserves or in the National Guard who are called to active duty. Prior to being deployed, the student must notify the Vice President of Graduate Academic Affairs (VPAA), the Assistant Dean of the Seminary, or the Vice President of Student Affairs (VPSA) and provide proof of deployment. The VPAA or Registrar will meet with the student in order to ascertain dates and to determine the best course of action for the student. A written record of all decisions regarding the leave of absence will be kept in the student’s file. When a student is activated during the semester, the Leave of Absence can include one or all of the following:
• Students who are nearing the end of a semester may choose to receive an Incomplete in order to have additional time to complete them. If courses are completed, then regular tuition will be charged for that semester.
• Students who leave during a semester will not be penalized academically. A grade of “W” (Withdraw) will be recorded for courses that must be dropped that semester. This grade will not count against a student’s GPA.
• The student will not be financially penalized for the leave of absence. If courses are not completed, any unpaid tuition will be excused for that semester. Any payment made will be credited to the student’s account. When a student returns to the university after completion of the tour of duty, he or she will notify the administration who will notify the registrar’s office. These offices will assist the student with registration and academic advising throughout the degree program.
Allowance for Medical Hardship
There are some situations when a severe illness may force a student to miss more than 20% of the scheduled classes. However, it may be possible to work with the students through recorded material, extra assignments, and private tutoring to enable the student to complete the course. A student should submit a written request to continue a course even though he/she has missed the maximum number of assignments. This should include the doctor’s statement and an expected day of return to class. The instructor and either the VPAA or the Assistant Dean will determine the appropriate action that includes make-up work, home study, recording lectures, or other options. It is important that the VPAA or the Assistant Dean be aware of a student’s overall schedule and abilities so that it can be determined just how many courses can be continued. A written record of all decisions regarding allowances will be kept in the student’s file.
Student Records
Student records and documents are considered the property of the university. Student files contain correspondence and communications between the student, the university, and the public. Information within the file is maintained according to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, as amended. Family of Faith Christian University designates the following categories of student information as public or “directory information.” Such information may be disclosed by the institution for any purpose, at its discretion.
• Category I: Name, address, phone number, attendance dates, student classification, e-mail address.
• Category II: Previous institution(s) attended, major field of study, awards, honors, and graduating information.
• Category III: Past and present participation in officially recognized activities, date and place of birth.
• Category IV: Grade reports and interim class evaluations by ID number.
In addition to the directory information listed above, educational record information includes disciplinary and financial records. Currently enrolled students who are not classified as dependents of a parent (as defined in Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Service Code of 1954) may decide to withhold disclosure of any category of information under FERPA. If the student is classified as a dependent, the parent(s) claiming the student as a dependent can have educational record information released without authorization of the student. Upon matriculation, students will sign an authorization releasing any or all categories of educational records of directory information to specific people or groups. To change disclosure authorization while continuing as a student, written notification must be received in the Registrar’s Office prior to the second week of each semester. The complete policy on disclosure of educational record information is found in the Family of Faith Christian University Policies and Procedures Manual.
Academic Integrity
Students must maintain a high level of academic integrity. It is important that a student attributes quotes and ideas to the appropriate sources. Also, students should complete their own work for all assignments. If in doubt, a student should contact the course instructor.
Plagiarism
The word plagiarism comes from the Latin word for kidnapper and literary thief and is defined as using the ideas or words of another as one’s own. Plagiarism is a serious offense that can be grounds for failure of a course or even expulsion. Plagiarism includes, however is not necessarily limited to, the following:
• direct copying without citation;
• paraphrasing or summarizing the ideas of another without citation;
• presenting as one’s own research paper one that has been purchased or obtained in some way from another source.
All information except “common knowledge” and the student’s own thoughts must be documented. Common knowledge is information that most educated people know, although they might have to remind themselves of certain details by looking up information. If the student is uncertain whether it is knowledge held in common or knowledge learned from research, he should credit the source. A student’s own thoughts include the student’s own ideas, conclusions, and opinions drawn from research. If plagiarism is detected, the instructor will report the incident and present the evidence to the Assistant Dean of the Seminary who will use this information to determine if any other violations have occurred by the same student. The instructor will provide the student an opportunity to write a paper that would be of acceptable quality to the instructor. The paper would receive a grade of “0”, but would be counted as having been submitted. If the student fails to submit a paper in the time as determined by the instructor, the student will have the paper appear as “incomplete” and the policy for incomplete work will be applied. Furthermore, the Assistant Dean and faculty member will work with and counsel the student for a period of one semester. Counseling will involve regular contact and a Bible study using standard topic guidelines. The student will submit a written apology to the core faculty and to the individual faculty in which the violation occurs. Additionally, the student will be required to participate in counseling assigned by the core faculty. If the instructor feels the violation warrants more than the above and/or for repeated offenses by the same student, a quorum of core faculty members will be assembled to consider the incident. Upon a majority vote, the following actions may be taken by the faculty:
• Single violations that the faculty determines warrant more than the minimum penalty could result in failure of the course, probation, suspension, or expulsion.
• For more than one incident that occurs in the same semester (same or different classes), the minimum penalty will usually apply.
• The faculty may determine that failure of one or all of the courses is warranted.
• For more than one incident that occurs in different semesters, the general penalty would be failure of the course in which the second violation occurs.
• If repeated violations occur after counseling and warning, the faculty may elect to suspend or expel the student.
Cheating
Cheating is the act of copying someone else’s answers to a test or a quiz in a class for a grade. It can also involve any other form or misrepresentation in an attempt to improve the position of the student. This could include, but is not limited to such things as copying the answers of another student on a test or quiz, providing false statements regarding amount of material read during the semester, and possession of and/or use of “cheat sheet” during a test or quiz. After the instructor determines that cheating has taken place, the instructor will contact the student(s) involved and explain what has been discovered. The instructor will provide the student a chance for defense. If the defense is unacceptable, the instructor will assign a grade of “F” for that assignment with no opportunity for retaking it. The student will be required to submit a written apology to the faculty and to the individual faculty member for the class in which the violation occurred. Additionally, the student will be required to participate in counseling. Repeated violations will be dealt with by majority vote of a quorum of core faculty members. This can lead to such further actions as probation, suspension, or expulsion.