Academic policies and procedures

Academic Policies and Procedures Manual
Registration
Credit hours
Grading
Policies on extensions
Continuationof study at AMBS
Colloquia credit
Transfer credit
Guidelines for registration for independent study
Credit by examination
Ministry and mission experience credit
Residency requirements
Time limits for degree completion
Policy regarding graduation
Transfer of credit between MDiv and MA degrees
Student academic petitions
Auditing courses
Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974

Academic Policies and Procedures Manual

The Academic Policies and Procedures Manual, available to students and faculty at AMBS Central, contains all policies and procedures that apply to study at AMBS. This section of the catalog contains only selected information that will be most helpful in registering for and completing classes and in pursuing a program of study.

Registration

Dates and deadlines for course registration are announced in the academic calendar published in the spring for the upcoming year. Registration after the deadline is subject to a $50 fee. Changes in registration may be made without charge during the first two weeks of the semester or the first three days of a two-week course. A $25 charge is applicable for changes made after that time.

Courses dropped within the first four weeks of a semester or the first three days of a shorter course do not appear on the student’s permanent record. A grade of Withdraw (W) is recorded on the permanent record if a course is dropped during the fifth through tenth weeks of a semester or on the fourth or fifth day of a shorter course. A student who drops a course after the tenth week of a semester or after the fifth day of a shorter course will receive an NC (for No Credit) on his or her permanent record.

If a tuition refund applies, it will be given to the student according to the published rates.

All changes in registration require the approval of the student’s academic adviser and are processed through the registrar’s office.

Credit hours

A semester hour is the unit of credit granted. Hours for each course are determined by the frequency of meeting and assignments required. Three hours of supplementary work each week are expected for every credit hour the course is assigned.

The normal student load per semester is four courses at three credit hours each, and possibly a one-hour colloquium. Degree-seeking students also take a one-hour MDiv or MA seminar or colloquium during certain semesters.

Students carrying fewer than nine semester hours are classified as part-time students. A student may petition the academic dean for permission to carry a fifth three-hour course, but permission to do so will be granted only in exceptional cases.

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Grading

Grades are assigned either by a standard letter grade system or by a pass/fail system. Professors indicate the usual grading plan for each course in the course syllabus. A student may request a change in the grading plan within the first two weeks of a semester or the first three days of a shorter course by completing the appropriate forms with approval from the professor, adviser, and registrar. For courses counting toward a degree, no more than one third of the courses normally evaluated by letter grades may be taken as pass/fail.

Standard system

Grades are assigned the following numerical values for the purpose of computing Grade Point Average (GPA).

The lowest passing grade that will earn a student credit for a course is C-.

Grades not calculated into GPA are:

• I (Incomplete)
• P (Pass)
• IP (In Progress)
• W (Withdraw)

A W appears on a student’s record if he or she needed to withdraw from a course for personal illness or emergency, family illness or emergency, or a situation beyond a student’s control.

Pass/fail system

• P .... passing work of C- or better
• F ..... failing work

A student must have a minimum GPA of 2.50 per semester to continue studies at AMBS and to graduate.

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Policy on extensions

All course requirements are to be completed no later than the due date set by the professor, or by the last day of exams, whichever is earlier. Posted due dates for work related to distance education courses may in some cases extend beyond the last day of exams. With the professor’s consent, a student in an emergency may hand in work up to one week after the end of final exams. If the student does not turn in his or her work by this deadline, the student’s work will be graded with the unfinished work counting as zero toward the final grade in the course. If, before the last day of class, a student recognizes the need for an extension, he or she may petition the professor and academic dean for an extension, either of whom may deny the request. Requests must be made in writing, using the Request for Extension form available through the AMBS Web site, and must be submitted with signatures by the end of the business day on the last day of class for the term.

The designation Incomplete is recorded until the final grade is received. An extension normally shall not be longer than six weeks. One extension to an extension may be possible, with good cause, but would require the approval of the professor and the academic dean. The final grade will take into account any unusual circumstances and the additional time allowed. Grade reductions apply only to uncompleted units of work rather than to the total semester’s work. Extensions without grade reductions may be granted if there are emergency factors or if research requirements go beyond the semester/term. Apparent disregard for time management is considered a negative factor in determining whether a grade reduction should apply. If a student fails to make arrangements for an extension prior to the last day of class, or if the request is denied, incomplete work could result in the recording of an NC (No Credit) on the student’s permanent record. In such a case, the student will be required to take the course again to receive credit for it.

Without the approval of the academic dean, students will not be allowed to register for courses in the following term if they have any incomplete course outstanding.

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Continuation of study at AMBS

A student may continue studies if he or she meets the following conditions:

The student maintains satisfactory progress—a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 2.5—in his or her course work. A student whose GPA falls below 2.5 is placed on academic probation and has one semester to raise his or her GPA to the required level.

The student maintains commitments assumed upon admission to AMBS, as stated under “Admission requirements.” Social, emotional, or spiritual problems that are not being met constructively or behavior that brings the above commitment into question will be cause for review or continued enrollment.

The student fulfills all financial obligations to the seminary.

Students will not be allowed to enroll in subsequent terms if they have not paid their bills or made satisfactory arrangements to do so.

Colloquia credit

Students may accumulate up to six credit hours during a three-year MDiv program and up to four hours during a two-year MA program by registering in colloquia. No more than two credit hours may be obtained by any student in one kind of colloquium (unless the degree program requires it).

Transfer credit

Credit for courses taken at another graduate institution accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada may be transferred to AMBS, provided the courses fit into the particular degree program. Only courses with a grade of C or better and completed within 10 years prior to enrollment at AMBS are eligible for transfer. No more than half of the credits required for a degree may be transfer credits.

Exceptions to the time limit for transfer credits, allowing older work to be accepted, may be made by action of the Curriculum Committee in unique cases.

Transfer credits will be applied to the student’s record after the student has completed 12 hours of AMBS credits.

Under certain circumstances, courses from a non-accredited institution may be reviewed by the Curriculum Committee who can give approval for transfer of the credit. The academic credentials of the professors and the syllabi will be the determining factors. Work beyond the requirements of the non-accredited seminary may be required to meet AMBS standards and fulfill requirements.

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Guidelines for registration for independent study

Independent studies allow students to pursue areas of special interest, as well as courses not offered at a given time. To be eligible for an independent study, a degree-seeking student must have successfully completed at least 12 credit hours of study at AMBS and be in good academic standing. Registration, available through the AMBS Web site, should be completed according to registration deadlines listed on the academic calendar. The regular conditions for withdrawal and extension apply. Normally, a student may register for no more than two independent studies per academic year.

Independent studies are not available for courses offered during the current semester or the semester immediately preceding or following the current semester. Exceptions must be approved by the academic dean. ( See more in the Academic Policies and Procedures Manual.)

Private music instruction

Private music instruction can be arranged as an independent study for many instruments used in Christian worship. A student who requests this instruction will pay $40 per credit hour plus the cost of the lessons. This may be taken for one credit hour per semester.

Credit by examination

Students who have done extensive study in the area of a required AMBS course may request to earn credit by examination. The petition form is available on the AMBS Web site. The student will secure the appropriate signatures on the form and pay the stated catalog fee for credit by examination. If the student fails the examination, no refund will be given and a grade of F will be entered on the permanent record. If the student later registers for the course and earns a passing grade, the new grade will replace the former grade of F.

Ministry and mission experience credit

Ministry and Mission Experience credit may be granted toward the MDiv degree for up to nine hours of credit. A maximum of six (6) hours of credit may be granted toward the MAPS or MACF. No such credit is available toward the MATS. ( See more in the Academic Policies and Procedures Manual.)

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Residency requirements

A student receiving a degree from AMBS must take 30 credit hours on the Elkhart campus in residence or as a commuting student. This is equivalent to one full year of courses. Distance education courses do not count toward these 30 hours. Students who have taken at least 15 hours from AMBS–Winnipeg or
AMBS–Great Plains can take all 30 hours on campus in short-term courses in January or summer school. Students who do not have 15 hours from an extension site must be on campus for at least one semester, preferably the spring semester of the year in which they are graduating.

Time limits for degree completion

MDiv students have seven years to complete their degrees under the plans of study in effect when they were admitted to the degree programs. Master of Arts students have five years to complete their degree under the plan of study in effect when they were admitted to the degree program. Students whose program extends beyond these limits may be subject to the requirements of a new plan of study.

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Policy regarding graduation

Dates for awarding degrees

AMBS awards degrees two times a year: on the commencement date following the close of the spring semester in May, and on December 31, which follows the close of the fall semester. The graduation date appearing on a student’s diploma and on the official record in the registrar’s office will be either May or December of the appropriate year, determined by when a student completed final requirements of his or her plan of study.

A commencement service will be held once a year at the close of the spring semester. All students either completing the degree by that date or approved for completion according to the policy stated below (“Eligibility for graduation”) will be listed in the commencement program for that year and encouraged to participate in the service.

Eligibility for graduation

Candidates for graduation must complete all the requirements for their degrees or certificates before the day of commencement if they are to receive their diplomas at the commencement service.

Students are encouraged to participate in the commencement service if they have specific plans to complete their work by August 31 of that year. These students will receive their diplomas following the December degree posting.

Students who have successfully completed the senior interview or the MA exam or thesis and who have specific plans to complete no more than nine hours of academic work during the following semester or interterm may submit a petition to the registrar to participate in the commencement service. These students will receive their diplomas following either the December or the next May posting.

For students to receive diplomas, they must have no outstanding financial obligations to AMBS or library books checked out.

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Transfer of credit between MDiv and MA degrees

Three full years of academic work are required for the MDiv degree; two full years of academic work are required for the MA degrees. Students wishing to pursue both degrees may apply up to 30 hours from their first degree at AMBS to a second degree.

Student academic petitions

Student petitions requiring process by the Curriculum or Admissions committees prior to the fall semester must be submitted to the academic dean or the registrar by the end of April of the previous spring semester. Those requiring process prior to the spring semester must be submitted by the end of November of the previous fall semester.

Auditing courses

Auditors attend classes for personal benefit in a course in which they are not enrolled for credit. They may be expected to complete readings or assignments designated by the professor in order to participate in class discussions. Auditors may not take examinations or ask professors to evaluate work of any kind. Auditors pay an audit fee per credit hour and an audit designation will appear on their transcripts.

Auditors may change their registration to credit status during the drop/add period of the semester in which they are taken; after that period no change in status can be made. Full tuition and fees apply when a registration changes from audit to credit.

Interested people may audit classes, provided they have enrolled with the registrar and have paid the required fee for each course audited.

The spouse of a full-time seminary student may audit free of charge any course in the curriculum, except practica and internships. The spouse of a part-time seminary student may audit free of charge the courses in which the latter is enrolled. The free audit is limited to one course per semester.

Seminary students may audit one class, free of charge, during the semester in which he or she is enrolled as a full-time student. Registration is required, but no record will be maintained of classes attended on this basis.

AMBS graduates may enroll in any course open to auditors on the AMBS campus in Elkhart for a reduced rate.

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Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974

As amended

In compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, AMBS will:

1. Inform students annually of their privacy rights.
2. Permit students to inspect and review their educational records. (A form for this purpose is available in the registrar’s office)
3. Provide an all-inclusive list of types and location of educational records with titles of officials responsible for those records.
4. Inform students that no personally identifiable information from educational records will be disclosed without prior written consent, except when prior written consent is not required by this act.
5. Maintain records of requests for disclosure of personally identifiable information and permit students to review these records.
6. Provide students with opportunity to seek correction of educational records, if an error has occurred.

The AMBS registrar supervises procedures related to this act.

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