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| Academic Policies |
| Academics > Academic Policies |
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Academic year The Seminary operates an academic year based on two semesters (fall and spring), a January interterm, and a summer term. The fall semester concludes before the Christmas holidays. Interterm courses are scheduled for the month of January. The spring semester begins in late January and ends in mid-May. Evening courses are offered during most semesters. It is expected that all assigned work will be submitted on time. Only in extenuating circumstances may the student be allowed to submit late work or reschedule an examination. A fee will be charged for all exams taken at other than the scheduled time. An unexcused absence in an exam results in failure for that exam. Student academic status Classifications There are three classifications for matriculated students in the Master of Divinity and Certificate of Graduation program: (1) junior, a student with less than thirty-three credits; (2) middler, a student with thirty-three to sixty-four credits; and (3) senior, a student with sixty-five or more credits. The Seminary also employs certain other designations:
Registration Procedure Registration for each semester should be completed within the time designated in the school calendar. A fee is charged for late registration. No student will be enrolled in a class without formal registration. Registration is not complete until the proper fees are paid and the registration forms are approved. A completed registration indicates that the student agrees to comply with all the regulations of the Seminary. Course load The course load of a student (the number of credits a student takes in a given term) may be limited by the administration if it is deemed necessary due to extracurricular demands on the student's time. Course change Any change in registration may be made within a period of two weeks from registration day. A student may withdraw from a course with a “W” or “WF” (depending upon their course grade at the time of withdrawal) up to the end of the ninth week of the semester with the permission of the Dean. Students who withdraw from a course after the ninth week or students who do not follow the correct withdrawal procedure receive and “F” for the course. Seminary withdrawal If it becomes necessary to withdraw from the Seminary, the student must submit a written request to the Dean. Failure to do this will forfeit all possible refunds and constitute failures in every course. See the Seminary Handbook for more information on withdrawal from the Seminary. Auditing Matriculated students of any enrollment category may audit an elective course with the permission of the course instructor, prior to registering for such an audit. A record of the audit is posted to the student's transcript, though no credit is granted for the course. An auditing student must meet standard attendance requirements and must complete all course requirements with the exception of tests, papers, and major projects. Students who fail to meet these expectations will lose their attendance privilege and will not receive an audit notation on their transcript. Senior audits A student may audit any M.Div.-level course in residence or by video, at no tuition cost, after completing the following credit hour requirements: 80 credits (M.Div.); 64 credits (Certificate). Such students are responsible for all normally-incurred fees associated with the course and with enrollment in the Seminary. Grading system Letter grades and grade point average will be delivered to the student after each semester providing all tuition and fees have been paid in full. The following grade designations are used:
W or WF: "Withdrawal" or "Withdrawal Failing" R: "Course Retaken" A, B, C, and D are passing grades. F is a failing grade. Each letter grade range has this evaluation: A = Excellent Work, B = Above Average Work, C = Average Work, D = Acceptable Work, and F = Unacceptable Work. The student's general standing is ascertained by the use of grade points. Grade points are computed by multiplying the number of grade points by the total credits for a course. The general standing-or grade point average (GPA)-is the result of the total number of grade points earned divided by the total number of semester hours taken. Following each academic term, the student will receive an official report of his standing in each course and general standing for that term. Academic honors are given at graduation for Master of Divinity students who have demonstrated consistent higher-level work. Grade point averages which equal 4.0 (A) receive Summa Cum Laude, those which equal 3.7 (A-) or higher receive Magna Cum Laude, and those which equal 3.5 (B+) or higher Cum Laude. Honors are awarded to students who have completed at least two-thirds of their education at Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary; grades earned in transferred classes are not computed into students' GPAs. A student may withdraw from a course with a “W” or “WF” (depending upon their course grade at the time of withdrawal) up to the end of the ninth week of the semester with the permission of the Dean. Students who withdraw from a course after the ninth week or students who do not follow the correct withdrawal procedure receive and “F” for the course. The letter "R" on the transcript indicates that a course has been retaken at a later date and the new grade has been assigned. The previous grade for the course remains on the transcript and is counted in the student’s cumulative GPA. Academic integrity In an academic community such as CBTS, the honesty and integrity of every member of the community is of utmost importance. This standard of integrity, which is applicable to every area of life, is also vital in academic matters. Plagiarism and cheating are examples of infractions which will not be condoned or tolerated at CBTS. Plagiarism is defined as "passing off as one's own the ideas, writings, or opinions of another." Plagiarism is academically dishonest and is contrary to the biblical standards of truthfulness and respect for the property of others. Any course work involving plagiarism will be graded as zero without any resubmission permitted. In light of confusion regarding the forms of plagiarism, the topic is more extensively treated in the Research Methods course required of incoming students. Articles demonstrating the detection and avoidance of plagiarism are also available in the seminary library. Cheating on tests or quizzes is a second type of academic dishonesty. Like plagiarism, cheating violates the biblical prohibition of lying and stealing. Any test or quiz, on which a student is caught cheating, will receive a grade of zero. In each case of cheating or plagiarism the Dean will be notified of the matter. A repeated instances of academic dishonesty on the part of a CBTS student will result in disciplinary action, including the possibility of dismissal from the seminary. Attendance and absences Students are expected to attend all classes. Excused absences are unavoidable conflicts. Each unexcused absence will result in the student’s final grade being lowered one point. No student who misses more than one-fifth of the total class meetings can receive credit for the course. Three tardies equal one absence. See the Student Handbook for more information on attendance and absences. Transcripts Students will receive a free, unofficial copy of their transcript as soon as is possible after graduation. Students may request to have an official transcript issued and sent to whomever they designate for a $4.00 fee. Transcripts will be issued only if all financial obligations have been met. |
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