Carolina Evangelical Divinity School

• Master of Arts • Master of Divinity • Doctor of Ministry
• Academic Policies • Course Descriptions

Academic Standing - A student must have a grade point average of 2.0 or higher to be considered in good standing. Students whose grade point average drops below 2.0 will be placed on academic probation. See Probation below.

Advising - Students will be provided progress sheets at the end of each half-semester and should consult the Director of Student Records or the Vice President for Academics as they plan their remaining studies. Courses that are "passed over" will not be offered as Facutly Directed Research. The student will have to delay graduation until the divinity school offers the course again.

Appeal of Grades - Students may appeal a decision believed to be unfair. Every effort will be made by the divinity school faculty and administration to resolve the concern. The proper procedure for an appeal is: 1) the concern must be put in writing and given to the faculty or staff member involved, 2) the concern, if not resolved to the student's satisfaction, may be appealed to the Vice President for Academics, and 3) the Vice President for Academics may, should he/she deem it necessary, take the concern to the President whose decision will be final. Failure to follow these steps will negate the appeal. An appeal of a grade must be made in writing within thirty days after the grade has been issued to the student via a Progress Report.

Assignments - Research papers, projects, and other assignments are to be turned in to the professor by the due date. All written work must be submitted before the final week of the half-semester. Examinations will not be taken if all course requirements have not been satisfied.

Attendance - Regular attendance is expected at all classes. Students will be allowed one absence, without penalty, per course. Additional absences will lower the student's final grade for the course. Professors will not accept assignments which are missed due to an absence and will repeat an examination only when the absence was due to an emergency.

Audit - A student may audit a course but must register for the course as an auditor (not for credit). Normal attendance requirements must be met in order to receive transcript notation. An auditor is expected to be a regular participant in the course though written assignments and examinations are not required.

Calendar - The academic year is divided into semesters: Fall (A & B), Spring (A & B), and Summer.

Commencement - Commencement Ceremonies are held the third weekend in May. Students receiving diplomas who live within two hundred (200) miles of High Point are required to participate and other students are encouraged to attend. See Graduation below.

Course Addition - A student may add a course up to one week after the first day of the course.

Course Cancellation - The divinity school reserves the right to cancel courses that have fewer than five students pre-registered.

Course Load - The normal course load is nine to twelve hours per semester (9 hrs. = full time, 6 hrs. = 1/2 time, and 3 hrs. = less than half time). Students who are employed twenty or more hours per week should not take more than nine hours per semester.

Course Sequence - Students should enroll in required courses prior to selecting courses that will comprise their concentration.

Course Withdrawal - Students must complete the appropriate form when dropping a course. The withdrawal is not official until the Director of Student Records has signed the form. Courses may not be dropped after the fourth full week of classes.

Credit - Courses are valued in semester hours, with most courses being three semester hours. One semester hour equals approximately fifteen contact (class) hours. Each contact hour is fifty minutes in length. Typical classes at CEDS are four clock hours in length, which is equivalent to 5 contact hours. Students are expected to spend ten clock hours preparing for each week's class.

Dismissal - Students who fail to achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 for two consecutive probationary semesters will be dismissed from school. Ordinarily, students dismissed from school because of unsatisfactory academic progress will not be readmitted. Students who apply for readmission must present evidence that the cause or condition which led to the dismissal has been remedied. The evidence must be satisfactory in the judgment of the Vice President for Academics, who will work with appropriate admissions and/or administrative committees in determining whether to readmit the student.

Examinations - Examinations are to be taken at the times scheduled in the syllabus. Postponement of an examination must be requested in writing. Professors may reschedule the examination for a student if the stated reasons for the request are valid.

Faculty Directed Research - Students may gain permission to enroll in a regular course through independent study. Because students lose the benefits of classroom interaction with the professor and other students, Faculty Directed Research is granted only for extenuating circumstances. Consideration is given to the student's academic record, availability of a course supervisor, and the student's reasons for requesting an independent study. Normal tuition fees apply in addition to a Faculty Directed Research Fee. Petitions for Faculty Directed Research must be submitted to the Director of Student Records.

Grade Point Average - Grade point averages are computed as follows:

A = 4.0
A- = 3.7
B+ = 3.3
B = 3.0
B- = 2.7
C+ = 2.3
C = 2.0
C- = 1.7
D+ = 1.3
D = 1.0
D- = 0.7

Grades - Grades are determined as follows:

A = 97-100
A- = 95-96
B+ = 93-94
B = 87-92
B- = 85-86
C+ = 83-84
C = 77-82
C- = 75-76
D+ = 74
D = 71-73
D- = 70
F = 0-69
WP = Withdraw Passing
INC = Incomplete
WF = Withdraw Failing

Graduation - The minimum grade point averages for graduation are 2.50 (M.Div.) and 3.00 (M.A.). Applications for graduation are available from the Director of Student Records and are due in the Director of Student Records Office by January 15th. Applications must be submitted with the Graduation Fee in order to be considered for recommendation by the faculty to the Board of Trustees. Students will not be allowed to participate in commencement ceremonies until they have completed all coursework and met all financial obligations to the divinity school. Those students who complete their coursework during the Fall Semester will have their diplomas and transcripts so dated and will participate in the May Commencement ceremonies.

Honors – Three academic achievements will be recognized during commencement ceremonies: Summa Cum Laude (3.90 to 4.00), Magna Cum Laude (3.70 to 3.89), and Cum Laude (3.50 to 3.69).

Inclusive Language - Recognizing that God calls men and women to ministry, the divinity school requests all members of the community to use language that is respectful and inclusive in the classroom, in academic papers, and in personal conversations.

Incomplete - Students have thirty (30) days from the end of the half-semester to complete work for which they were given an extension by the professor. When course requirements are not met in that thirty-day period the final grade will be converted to an "F" and counted as hours attempted in computing the grade point average for the half-semester. The request for an extension must be made in writing and include the reasons for which additional time is needed. A fee will be charged for the extension if granted.

Leave of Absence - A student may petition for a leave of absence for one calendar year. An approved leave of absence secures the student’s standing in the program during the leave of absence. A leave of absence is granted only to students in good standing. Students who do not enroll for two consecutive semesters without prior approval will be considered to have withdrawn from their degree program. Students considering withdrawal from the divinity school, regardless of reason, should meet with the President to begin a formal withdrawal process.

Limitations - All requirements for the Master of Arts degree must be completed within four years of the student's first course with the divinity school. The Master of Divinity degree must be finished within six years of the initial enrollment.

Papers - Students are required to use the latest edition of Kate Turabian's, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. Professors will not accept papers which do not comply with this policy. Proper format, grammar, and spelling will factor into the grade the student receives for the paper. Papers are expected to be submitted on-time, as scheduled by the course professor. All papers are expected to be new work and cannot be submitted twice at CEDS.

Plagiarism - For written work to demonstrate scholarship and integrity, documentation must be given for all ideas, paraphrasing, and quotations. Failure to do so is viewed as a very serious offense. Any assignment containing plagiarized material will be graded "F" and placed in the student's file. A future occurrence, if determined to be deliberate, will result in dismissal from the divinity school. Cheating in any form will be treated in the same manner as plagiarism.

Pre-registration - Currently enrolled students must pre-register for the next half-semester at least thirty (30) calendar days before the semester begins. Because class rosters must be established and textbooks secured, late registrations will be assessed a $25 charge.

Probation - Students who fail to achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 will be placed on probation for one semester. Students who achieve a grade point average of 2.00 or better during the probationary semester, but have not achieved the required cumulative grade point average of 2.00, may continue on probation for one more semester.

Progress Reports (Grades) - Progress Reports are placed in student mailboxes within two weeks of the end of each half-semester. The Progress Report will contain the final grade for each class the student completed during the prior half-semester.

Registration - Registration must be completed within one week of the first day of class. A late fee will be assessed thereafter.

Repetition - Students are permitted to repeat courses they have failed. Both the "F" and the subsequent grade will stand in the student's permanent record and be computed in the grade point average.

Residency - The final thirty hours of a student's degree program must be completed at Carolina Evangelical Divinity School. Courses taken at other seminaries or graduate schools after enrollment in CEDS must have prior approval from the Director of Student Records.

Rights - Students have the right to review all files and data comprising their permanent records at the divinity school and the right to a hearing for the purpose of challenging the contents of those records if corrections and amendments are not made to their satisfaction. The only information that will be given out concerning students will be directory information as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1994 unless an individual student has specifically waived his or her rights. Students with questions about their rights within this Act are urged to contact the President.

Status Changes - The Director of Student Records Office should be notified immediately when a student changes his/her name, marital status, local or permanent address, telephone number, and email address.

Tardiness - Classes will begin at the announced time. Because tardiness is disruptive and deprives the professor of valuable teaching time, three late arrivals will be considered an unexcused absence.

Transcripts - Transcripts will be provided when requested in writing. Requests should be sent to the CEDS Director of Student Records.

Transfer Credit - Students transferring to Carolina Evangelical Divinity School must request transfer of previously earned graduate credits. To qualify for consideration, courses...

Must have been taken at schools accredited by associations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
Must parallel divinity school courses.
Must have been taken within ten years of enrollment at CEDS.
Must have earned a grade of "C" (2.0) or higher.

Transfer credit will not exceed fifty percent (50%) of the Master of Divinity requirements at CEDS. Applicants to the Master of Arts program will be required to complete at least thirty (30) semester hours at the divinity school. No more than fifty percent (50%) of the credits from a previously earned degree will be accepted for transfer.

CEDS cannot guarantee that course credit earned at the divinity school will transfer to other educational institutions. However, the divinity school is a member of HETA (Higher Education Transfer Alliance). Information concerning the alliance and the transferability of credits between members can be found on the web at www.chea.org/heta.

• Master of Arts • Master of Divinity • Doctor of Ministry
• Academic Policies • Course Descriptions