A. Class attendance
Regular attendance at class lectures and seminars is required.
B. Examinations
Final examinations are required in all core courses; these examinations are normally given during the exam period on the day assigned by the Director of Admissions and Records for the Theology and Pre-Theology programs. Adequate notice will be given students concerning examinations, quizzes, and other requirements of the courses.
C. Term Papers
The student is expected to prepare term papers in accord with an approved system of notation and bibliography. The Seminary suggests the method and format found in the most recent Chicago Manual of Style, which is otherwise known as Turabian. Refer to Kate Turabian, ed. Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Eighth Edition: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing) (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2013).
D. Academic Honesty
The Seminary and the MAM/MTS Programs take the matter of cheating, plagiarism, improper use of material, failure to give credit for work cited or used in a term paper (or other assignment), and other forms of academic dishonesty very seriously, viewing them as grave offenses which call for the most serious sanctions.
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary (http://www.merriam-webster.com...) defines plagiarism as the act of plagiarizing, which is:
"to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own : use (another's production) without crediting the source, or to commit literary theft : present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source".
In case of suspected dishonesty, the faculty member will speak to the student first. If the faculty member is unconvinced by the student’s explanation, he or she will report the incident to the Academic Dean. A Disciplinary Board may be convened by the Rector to address the issue.
E. Audiotaping Policy
Audiotaping of classes at St. John’s Seminary is not permitted without express permission from the instructor, and instructors reserve the right to prohibit such recordings. In the event that the instructor grants such permission, the instructor will announce to the class, or audience, that the session is being audiotaped. Unless expressly stated otherwise by the instructor, participants obtaining permission to record classes must implicitly agree (1) that the recordings will be used only for academic review and preparation related to the class, (2) that such recordings will not be distributed to, or shared with, persons who are not members of that course of a particular term, (3) that such recordings will not be placed on the Internet, and (4) that all such recordings will be destroyed at the completion of the course by those participants in possession of them. Failure to abide by these conditions will result in the loss of permission to audiotape classes and disciplinary action.
F. Withdrawal from a course
Students may withdraw from a course up until the fifth week of class with no approval and no record on their transcript. After the fifth week of classes, a withdrawal from a course will be recorded on the academic
transcript of the student. The student must petition the Academic Dean to withdraw from a course after the
fifth week. The notation WA indicates an Academic Withdrawal approved by the administration. A WF, or
Withdrawal Failing, will be recorded for students who fail to petition the Academic Dean for withdrawal after
the fifth week of classes.
G. Incomplete Grades
An “Incomplete” is recorded when the student does not fulfill a major requirement of the course before the beginning of the examination period or has not taken the semester examination. In such cases an "Incomplete" is recorded rather than a failure only when the student has obtained prior permission of the Academic Dean or the Director of the M.A.M. and M.T.S degree programs as well as the consent of the professor to delay completion of the required work. The work must be made up by the end of the subsequent semester; otherwise, the grade becomes an “F”. The Director of Admissions and Registrar will record an "Incomplete" only when specific notification from the Academic Dean or the Director of the
M.A.M. and M.T.S degree programs is received.
H. Leave of Absence Policy
To maintain status as a degree candidate, all seminarians or students in the Master of Arts,
Master of Arts in Ministry, and the Master of Theological Studies degree programs must
be enrolled continuously each fall and spring term until graduation unless one petitions
the Director of Intellectual Formation/ Academic Dean and is granted a leave of absence.
A seminarian or student may petition for a leave of up to two semesters at a time. Should
one’s circumstances be grave and require additional leave beyond the two semesters, one
must re-petition for an extension. Only under grave circumstance will such an extension
be granted.
Tuition is not charged in any semester where a student has been granted leave for the
full semester. When a student petitions for a leave after the start of a semester, tuition is
refunded according to the refund schedule provided in the Saint John’s Seminary Catalogue.
