Academic Policies and Procedures

Curriculum Development

SPECIFIC DUTIES OF FACULTY INCLUDE:

Consider changes in the curriculum, including the addition or deletion of courses, changes in majors, minors, or areas of concentration, and the creation of diploma or degree-granting programs
Consider all curriculum changes and development in keeping with the educational objectives of the seminary
Make recommendations to the Board of Directors concerning all matters relating to curriculum development. The final decision regarding curriculum development and changes rests with the ETS Board of Directors

THE PROCEDURE FOR ADDING OR DELETING A COURSE IS AS FOLLOWS:

A proposal for adding or deleting any course should be presented in writing to the Academic Dean at least two weeks prior to the faculty meeting when the proposal will be discussed
In cases where a new course (or courses) is being proposed each course proposal must include the following:
- The course title and number, the credit hours, and any prerequisites
- The school mission statement and a brief explanation of how the proposed course(s) is relevant to the mission of the seminary
- A catalog description and purpose statement for the course
- A statement of the general and behavioral objectives of the course
- An outline of the topics to be covered
- Instructional methods, activities, and evaluation
- Suggested textbooks and supplementary reading lists
In cases where the deletion of a course is being recommended, the rationale for the deletion should be provided in writing
The Academic Dean shall review all proposals and consult with the Administrative Committee prior to the faculty meeting when such proposals shall be considered
If approved by the Administrative Committee the proposal(s) shall be discussed and voted upon by the faculty. Any amendments proposed at the general faculty meeting must be referred back to the Administrative Committee unless adopted by a unanimous vote
If approved by the faculty, the proposal(s) shall be presented to the Board of Directors, which shall make the final determination on all proposed changes.
Once the procedure has been completed the course(s) will be added or deleted from the school prospectus

New Majors, Minors or Concentrations

Proposals for new majors, minors, or concentrations shall follow the same procedure as new course proposals. All such proposals shall include:

An explanation of the purpose and need for the proposed program of study
A list of other required courses and electives in the proposed program
A plan for assuring the effectiveness of the proposed program of study
A projection of staffing and of the proposed program’s impact on the budget

Course Syllabi

Once a course has been approved for addition to the curriculum, the course proposal becomes the official syllabus for the course. The official syllabus must be kept on file in the school office, and it must be updated as changes occur in the course.

Transfer of Undergraduate Credits

Credit can be accepted for transfer from other schools and Extensions of the Church of God European Theological Seminary only with the approval of the Academic Dean. For that purpose, it must meet the following criteria:

It must be from an accredited school, e.g. accredited by the European Council for Theological Education at level B (Bachelor equivalency, EQF Level 6) or meet the prescribed criteria as outlined in the accrediting manual, or be denominationally certified (Church of God) at the BA level
It cannot exceed two-thirds of the credits required for completion of the program of studies
It must be applicable to the prescribed curriculum

Student Records

The Seminary keeps all student records and correspondence on academic files. These records become and remain the property of the European Theological Seminary. This includes the application, recommendations, transcripts, correspondence, and a Seminary transcript. These become part of the permanent file.

Academic Facilities

The European Theological Seminary is blessed with beautiful and functional facilities for instruction, research, worship, and living accommodation for single students and staff. The chapel has a seating capacity of over 300 persons. The library holds approximately 17,000 sources in English and German. Computers and online services, such as the ATLA database are available to faculty and students. The proximity of other libraries in the greater Stuttgart area allows for extensive research, notably the University Library of Tübingen which permits students to make use of one of the largest theological collections in the world.

Student services include a dining room serving regular meals during school terms and student accommodation with single and multiple occupancy rooms, as well as a spacious student center and recreational room; patios and terraces, a beautiful green, and many areas for walking provide ample opportunity for relaxation and social interaction.

Withdrawal from School

Although students may withdraw from classes by notifying the Academic Dean, withdrawal from school may only be possible by notifying both the Academic Dean and the President. Fees are chargeable according to a sliding scale included in the School Catalog.

Accreditation

The European Council for Theological Education formerly the European Evangelical Accrediting Association (EEAA), in 2005 accepted the Seminary’s Diploma program for accreditation at level B (equivalent to a vocational Bachelor of Theology, B.Th.). THE ECTE cannot accredit degrees but can guarantee educational equivalence. This is now classified by the ECTE as a learning opportunity in the European Quality Framework at level 6 (EQF Level 6). The Seminary has been approved for many years by the educational authorities of the State of Baden-Württemberg (Germany) as a private school for professional training in Church Ministries. It is also authorized under German law to enroll international students after approval of the local immigration department.

At the undergraduate level, ETS does not enjoy degree-granting privileges from any governmental agency or from a university in Europe. However, the training and academic work of the seminary is acknowledged by all International Council of Evangelical Theological Education (ICETE) theological schools for transfer of credits or acceptance to further studies.

Classroom Procedures

SYLLABUS DISTRIBUTION

All essential information such as changes in methods of student evaluation, specific assignments, due dates, etc. shall be distributed to students on Moodle before or during the first week of class. A copy of this individualized version of the syllabus file should be submitted to the Dean of Studies during the first two weeks of each semester, or no later than the first day of an intensive course.

CLASS REGISTERS

The Dean of Studies shall finalize class registers on Moodle immediately after the last day to drop or add a class. The teacher should carefully check the class roll and a corrected copy, with the teacher’s signature, should be returned to the Dean, along with the individualized version of the syllabus. The corrected official class register sheet will be used as the grade report sheet for the class. The Dean of Studies will notify teachers when students drop the class or withdraw from school.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

The class attendance policy is explained in the Student Handbook. Some consideration should be given to students who are absent because of ministry and school-related activities.

CLASS DEVOTIONS

Teachers are encouraged to open each class with prayer, Scripture reading or brief devotional comments. The format for this time is left to the individual teacher’s discretion. However, time for class devotions should not be excessive.

GRADING POLICY

The grading of examinations should normally be completed within two weeks of the examination and promptly returned to the students. The grading of research papers should normally be completed within two or three weeks. Final grades at the end of each semester should be completed and given to the Dean of Studies within one week after the last day of the semester.

GRADES – UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

In the undergraduate program all academic and practical courses are evaluated by the individual instructors according to the grading system listed below:

%	Grade	GPA	Decimal value	German Grade
100-93	A	4.0	1,0	1 (excellent)
92-90	A-	3.7	1,3	1-
89-88	B+	3.3	1,7	2+
87-83	B	3.0	2,0	2 (good)
82-80	B-	2.7	2,3	2-
79-77	C+	2.3	2,7	3+
76-70	C	2.0	3,0	3 (average)
69-67	C-	1.7	3,3	3-
66-65	D+	1.3	3,7	4+
64-55	D	1.0	4,0	4 (sufficient)
54-0	F	0.0	5,0	5 (failing)

The quality point system allows for computing the academic standing of the student by multiplying first the quality points obtained in a course by the respective number of semester hours of the respective course and then by dividing the total number of quality points obtained by the total semester hours attempted by the student. The grade point average will be based on the following scale: 4.0 - 3.5 excellent; 3.49 – 3.0 good; 2.0 – 2.99 (average).

GRADE REVIEWS AND ACADEMIC PROBATION

Scholastic records of each student are reviewed at the end of each semester at a meeting of all faculty members. The educational continuance of each student is determined at this meeting. A grade point average of 2.0 is required to progress to the next level or to graduate. Grade point average is calculated by multiplying the number of ECTS for each course by the number of quality points a student has earned, the total for all courses in a semester is then divided by the total number of hours attempted. Failure to attain these standards may lead to a student being placed on academic probation, and if there is still no improvement a student may be dismissed from the seminary.

A grade report will be issued to every student within two months of the end of the semester. If the student is on probation for the next semester, it will be mentioned in the report.

FINAL EXAMINATIONS

A schedule for the final semester examinations is prepared by the Dean of Studies and distributed at the faculty meeting prior to the exam week. Teachers must adhere to this schedule unless the Dean gives permission for exemption.

Cheating in examinations is contrary to the Christian principles of honesty and integrity. The policy for dealing with this is to be found in the Student Handbook. Plagiarism in academic papers is treated in the same way as cheating.

COURSE AND TEACHER EVALUATIONS

Each student taking a course for credit is required to complete an evaluation. This is normally done towards the end of the course.

GRADUATION

A final oral examination is administered by the internship evaluation board at the conclusion of the professional internship. The Examining Panel normally includes the President, the Academic Dean, the Director of Practical Ministries, and a representative of the Church of God, Germany. All requirements for the professional internship shall have been satisfactorily completed, and all fees and accounts must be cleared prior to graduation. Students have five years from the first semester in which to complete their undergraduate studies.

TRANSCRIPTS OF ACADEMIC RECORDS

An unofficial transcript of Academic Records will automatically be issued to each student after completion of all coursework necessary for graduation for the purpose of verifying the progress of the student's studies.

Official transcripts can only be requested by the student. For this purpose, a written request accompanied by a cash payment of the transcript fee (10 Euros) and the indication of the institution to which it should be forwarded must be addressed to the Registrar. No official transcript will be issued before all debts toward the school have been settled. Lee University issues all transcripts of graduate studies.

INAPPROPRIATE LANGUAGE/PHYSICAL CONTACT

No comments or physical contact, which can be regarded in any way as being sexually explicit, will be tolerated by either faculty or students. Violations of this policy will not be tolerated and shall be grounds for dismissal. Sexual harassment in any form must be reported immediately to the school president. Vulgar language by faculty or students is totally inappropriate and should also be reported to the president. These guidelines extend beyond the classroom into all spheres and activities of the school community. Other specific guidelines may be found in the Student Handbook.