Academic Regulations

Click on these links to learn more.

• Academic Advising
• Registration
• Credit Hours
• Transfer of Credits
• Other Requirements
• Guarantee
• Graduation Requirements
• Grading
• Class Attendance
• Exemptions
• Academic Probation
• Plagiarism
• Transcripts
• FERPA Notice

Academic Advising
All students are required to have an academic advisor who will counsel them in planning their course of study. In most cases, this will be the Director of Lay Degree Programs. Prior to beginning their coursework, students should work out a plan of study with their advisor. Prior to registration each term, students shall be responsible for consulting with their advisor to confirm the proper selection of courses.

Courses are offered during the summer, Fall Semester, and Spring Semester. Weekend courses are available in fall, spring and summer on campus. Several courses are offered in online, Web-hybrid, and intensive formats; see Weekend/Part-Time Options for more detail. Degrees are formally granted only at the annual graduation in May.

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Registration
Upon acceptance into a degree program (or as a non-degree student) and after consulting with their academic advisor, students may register for classes, using the registration forms that are sent out each term. All registrations must be received at least four weeks prior to the first class meeting. As enrollments may be limited, early registration is encouraged as soon as the official registration period begins.

Late registrations will be accepted only in exceptional circumstances and, in all cases, a $100 late fee will be assessed. Registrations will not be official until payment is arranged for all outstanding fees from a previous term. Students who need temporary housing arrangements are encouraged to make reservations through the Office of Theology Administration when registering.

Students may drop or add courses at any time during the first week or first weekend of a course with the permission of the instructor and the Academic Dean. Courses may not be added thereafter.

Courses may be dropped with the permission of the instructor and the Director of Lay Degree Programs or the Academic Dean up to the deadline specified in the official school calendar. For courses dropped after the first week or weekend, students will be charged a prorated fee for the portion of the class taken (see Tuition & Fees). You can obtain the forms to alter a course load from the Office of Theology Administration.

The permission of the Academic Dean and the instructor is required before a student may enroll in a course for more or less credit than that stated in this catalog.

To be considered full-time, students must be enrolled in at least nine semester hours of credit each semester and may register for as many as 15 credit hours. Students who wish to take more than the 15-hour limit are required to maintain at least a 3.5 GPA and obtain permission from the Academic Dean.

Any student enrolled for fewer than nine hours during the fall or spring semesters is considered part-time.

The School of Theology reserves the right to withdraw any course listed among its course offering, to restrict course enrollment or to cancel a course if there are fewer than five registrants.

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Credit Hours
In keeping with standard academic practice, instruction at Saint Meinrad School of Theology is measured in terms of credit hours. Each credit hour is equivalent to approximately 50 minutes of formal instruction and two hours of out-of-class student work per week per semester (thirteen to fourteen weeks). Alternative-format courses (weekend courses, web-hybrid courses, etc.) are designed to be roughly equivalent to this standard.

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Transfer of Credits
Credits earned at other accredited theological seminaries or graduate schools of theology may be applied toward a Saint Meinrad School of Theology degree if the following conditions are met:

1. The student earned a grade of “B-” or above; and
2. The course is comparable to one taught at Saint Meinrad School of Theology or, in the School’s judgment, complements the educational objectives of the student’s degree.

As a general rule, transfer credits may not exceed one-third of the 48 credits required for either degree. A maximum of 3 transfer credits of related but non-theological coursework may be accepted, at the School’s discretion.

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Other Requirements
At least half of the student’s required credits must be taken on the Saint Meinrad campus. Independent studies, online courses and transferred credits are considered non-campus courses.

Students may take up to two Web-hybrid courses as on-campus credit; additional Web-hybrid courses will count as off-campus credit. Students may take up to 15 credits in the online and/or independent-study format, with a maximum of nine of those credits being independent studies.

Only one independent study per division area (philosophy, systematics, biblical/historical, etc.) is allowed. Degree requirements must be completed by the end of the tenth year from the date of first enrollment.

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Guarantee
Any student who enrolls in a degree program is guaranteed the right to complete that degree according to the stated requirements at the time of enrollment. If new requirements are established or a new program inaugurated, students already enrolled will have the option to change to the new program. No student will be required to change programs if the student is still within the approved time limits of the program in which the student first enrolled.

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Graduation Requirements
Saint Meinrad School of Theology does not guarantee the award of a degree to a student. Rather, the award of a degree is conditioned upon the student’s (1) fulfillment of all academic requirements, and (2) satisfaction of all financial obligations to Saint Meinrad.

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Grading
At the end of each term, a report of academic achievement is sent to all students. The quality of work done, as shown by classroom participation, papers, tests and examinations, is recorded in letters having these official interpretations and quality point values:

Quality Points:

A student who receives an “F” earns no credit for the course and must repeat the course if it is required. A student who receives two “Fs” in one semester, or who fails a required course twice, will be dismissed for poor scholarship. If a failed course is repeated (or, because of limited course availability, its equivalent core course) and a passing grade is earned, the “F” will show on the transcript, but will not be computed in the cumulative grade point average.

I or Incomplete: An “I” is automatically changed to an “F” if work is not completed within six weeks after the course concludes.

W — Withdrew from course.

DF — Grade deferred (Applies only to 70:100 - MTS Concluding Exercise (see Master of Theological Studies requirements for details).

Grades for all weekday courses are due to the Registrar’s Office one week after the last day of class. Grades for weekend courses are due to the Registrar’s Office three weeks after the last day of class.

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Class Attendance
As a general rule, students are expected to attend all classes, with the professor determining the specific regulations for class attendance. For weekend courses, students may miss up to one full class day, provided the student has sought and been granted permission from the Director of Lay Degree Programs and professor and has arranged for additional assignments to make up for lost class time.

Legitimate reasons for missing class are ministry commitments, health and family emergencies, and inclement weather. If weather or emergency results in a student missing more than one full class day, the Director of Lay Degree Programs, in consultation with the professor, will determine on a case-by-case basis whether and how a student may complete the course.

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Exemptions
A student may petition for exemption from any required course by using forms available from the Office of Theology Administration. When an exemption is granted, only the course requirement is satisfied. No credit hours are granted.

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Academic Probation
A student is placed on academic probation if:

1. The student has received an “F” as a final course grade, and/or
2. The student’s grade point average falls below 2.0.

A student is removed from academic probation when the failed course has been repeated and passed (if it is a required course for graduation) or when the cumulative grade point average reaches 2.0. A student who fails a required course twice, or who does not raise the cumulative grade point average above 2.0 within three consecutive semesters, will be dismissed for poor scholarship.Students on academic probation will not receive financial aid for the duration of their probation.

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Plagiarism
Saint Meinrad School of Theology is committed to creating an intellectual environment in which both faculty and students participate in the free and honorable pursuit of knowledge. Therefore, all work submitted by students is presumed to be their own. Any violation of academic integrity—cheating, plagiarism or collusion—is considered a serious offense.
View Statement on Academic Integrity.

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Transcripts
Transcripts may be requested from the Office of the Registrar. Requests must be signed by the alumnus/a. Phone or e-mail requests cannot be honored. Official transcripts must be sent directly to the designated school or organization. A $5 fee is charged for each transcript.

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FERPA Notice
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:

1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education record within 45 days of the day the School receives a request for access. Students should submit to the Registrar, Academic Dean or other appropriate official written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The school official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the school official to whom the request was submitted does not maintain the records, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate. Students may ask the School to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate. They should write the school official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate. If the School decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the School will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by Saint Meinrad School of Theology in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee such as disciplinary or grievance committee or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the School to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA are:

   Family Policy Compliance Office
   U.S. Department of Education
   400 Maryland Avenue, SW
   Washington, DC 20202–4605

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act requires that Saint Meinrad School of Theology, with certain exceptions, obtain written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from a student’s education records. However, Saint Meinrad School of Theology may disclose appropriately designated “directory information” without written consent, unless the School has been advised in writing in the registrar’s office to the contrary. A student may file a written restrainer with the registrar requesting that disclosure of this information not be made without written permission.

Directory information includes, but is not limited to, the information in the Registry: name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, home parish, affiliation and class listing. Date/place of birth, major field of study, dates of attendance, degrees, honors, parents’ names and address, along with your photograph, are also considered directory information although they are not listed in the Registry.

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