Academic Policies
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Academic Information
Student Records The office of the registrar maintains the permanent academic records of students enrolled at Grace Baptist Bible College. Documents submitted to any employee of Grace Baptist Bible College in exercise of official duties are the property of Grace Baptist Bible College. The permanent academic record contains the history of course enrollment by semester, the grades awarded, and degrees conferred. Student Privacy Statement With certain exceptions, no employee of Grace Baptist Bible College will disclose personally identifiable, non-directory information to any third party without the express written consent of the student. Grace Baptist Bible College guarantees the right of currently and formerly enrolled students to view their maintained educational record within 45 days of a written request, with limited exceptions. Unless otherwise notified by the student in writing, GBBC may publicly disclose directory information including the following: Name Addresses (local, home, and/or billing) Emails (personal and college) Housing assignment Phone numbers (landline and/or cellular) Grade Point Average Degree(s) and major(s) earned Class level Date of graduation or commencement Dates of attendance Academic honors/awards Photographs Enrollment Verification and status (part-time, full-time) Anticipated graduation date Admission Status (prospect, applicant, admitted; degree or non-degree seeking) Parents who desire to access their children’s records must have proper permission, so access is only granted when a FERPA form is properly filled out and on file with the Office of the Registrar. In order to protect the privacy of students, documents detailing any part of student’s academic progress will be sent by email or faxed only by written authorization by the student. Documents transmitted by these formats are neither secure nor official. This includes grade reports, transcripts, and enrollment verifications and status. Request for Transcript The Office of the Registrar issues transcripts within three to five business days after receipt of a signed transcript request form and the processing fee. Grace Baptist Bible College issues transcripts only after all obligations to the College have been fulfilled. Requests for official transcripts may only be made by the student. Request for Enrollment Verification Students who have signed a waiver limiting disclosure of directory information (see prior list) must submit a request for official verification before that information can be released. Students who request such information must contact the Office of Registrar. Enrollment in a given semester is verified only after the end of the drop/add period and may include anticipated graduation information only when the student has reached senior level status. Academic Guidelines Catalog Requirements Graduation requirements correspond to the catalog in effect at the first time of matriculation as a degree-seeking student. Students matriculating for the first time in the summer semester are subject to the catalog of the previous term. Course Load The average course load for a full-time on-campus student is 15 semester hours. The college charges full time tuition for on-campus students enrolled in 12 to 18 credit hours; additional costs are incurred for credits over 18. A student is considered part-time when enrolled in 11 or less credits; tuition for part-time students is calculated on a per-credit basis. Non-degree seeking students are permitted to take a maximum of 18 total credit hours. Additional coursework requires admission as a degree-seeking student. Course Overload Students must petition to enroll in 19 or more credit hours in a given semester by submitting a letter to the Office of Registrar that includes the number of credits desired and the rationale for the request. Overload credits must be approved by both the Registrar and the Academic Dean. The Registrar or the Academic Dean may request a personal interview with the student. Factors that may influence whether permission is granted include the advisor’s recommendation, student’s grade point average, type of credit, and employment requirements. Permission must be granted prior to registration. Class Standing Academic classification is established for all Grace Baptist Bible College degree-seeking students according to the following credits: Credits Earned Class Standing 0-33 Freshman 34-66 Sophomore 67-99 Junior 100 + Senior Academic Advisors As students matriculate into the college for the first time, they are assigned an academic advisor based upon their anticipated ministry track as listed on their admissions materials. Students whose intended ministry track is unknown are assigned an advisor whose teaching responsibilities are within the core curriculum. If students petition to change their ministry track with the Office of the Registrar, their advisor may be changed to someone more knowledgeable of that ministry track. Advisors assist students with major declarations, course planning, and academic concerns in a manner that meets their educational and career goals. It is important for students to maintain regular contact with their faculty advisor to assist them as they progress towards graduation. Students may request to change their academic advisor by submitting an Academic Declaration & Update form to the Office of the Registrar. This change must be approved by the Registrar. Students are the sole individuals responsible for fulfilling all graduation requirements according to the requirements listed in the catalog. In no case are college employees responsible for the failure to meet degree requirements. Faculty Accessibility Grace Baptist Bible College is a teaching college; full-time faculty members are participatory members of the campus community. As such, students should find it easy to connect with their professors and advisors outside of class. Each semester, full-time faculty prominently post near their office door a weekly schedule of at least 10-15 office hours (held sometime between 7:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays), during which the faculty member is accessible to students. Adjunct faculty make themselves available for student contact to the maximum extent possible. Course Registration & Enrollment Information Registration for New & Former Students New or former students, who are degree-seeking or non-degree seeking, must register for courses on or before registration day which occurs at the beginning of each semester. Please see catalog calendar for specifics on date and time. Pre-registration for Continuing Students Continuing students, who are degree-seeking or non-degree seeking, pre-register for their next semester courses during the semester prior to their continued enrollment. Eligibility to pre-register is limited to those students who have no unreconciled obligations, financial or otherwise. Academic advisors are available to assist students in their preparation for pre-registration and must clear students to register for those courses. After interaction and advisor approval, students may register online during the dates provided by the Office of the Registrar. Continuing students who seek to register after the end of the pre-registration period are assessed the $50 dollar late registration fee. Grading System A+ 100-99 A 98-95 – Superior Work A- 94-93 B+ 92-91 B 90-87 – Above Average B- 86-85 C+ 84-83 C 82-79 – Average C- 78-77 D+ 76-75 D 74-72 – Below Average D- 71-70 F 69-0 – Failure WP Passing at the time of withdrawal from class/college; Student’s GPA is not affected WF Failing at the time of withdrawal from class/college; Student’s GPA is affected in the same manner as an ‘F.’ I Incomplete; Student’s GPA is not affected; after six weeks, grades still incomplete will automatically be recorded as failures P Passed Credit Academic credit is awarded according to a 4.0 system. One credit is awarded for each class hour for a semester. Quality points are awarded using the following scale: 4 points for each credit hour of “A” work 3.7 points for each credit hour of “A-” work 3.3 points for each credit hour of “B+” work 3 points for each credit hour of “B” work 2.7 points for each credit hour of “B-” work 2.3 points for each credit hour of “C+” work 2 points for each credit hour of “C” work 1.7 points for each credit hour of “C-”work 1.3 points for each credit hour of “D+” work 1 point for each credit hour of “D” work .7 points for each credit hour of “D-” work 0 points for each credit hour of “F” work Grade point averages (GPA) are determined by dividing the total quality points by the total credit hours. Adding & Dropping Courses Beginning on the first day of classes, all students may add or drop courses for a period of five days (or as specified on the Academic Calendar). Students may not add courses after the drop/add period. Classes dropped during this period do not appear on the student’s transcripts. Withdrawal Procedures After the conclusion of the drop period, students may withdraw from the course by completing the “Registration & Schedule Update” form. Course withdrawals after the drop period are recorded as a “WP” or “WF” (withdrawal passing or withdrawal failing, respectively). “WP” has no effect on grade point average; “WF” is treated like an “F”. A student may not withdraw from the course after the tenth week of a semester class. Students who choose not to follow the correct withdrawal procedures may receive an “F” for the course involved and may incur continuing costs. Transfer of Credit The following three guidelines are used to determine the general acceptability of transfer credit: 1. The educational quality of the institution. Grace Baptist Bible College approves transfer credit from colleges or universities that are accredited by agencies approved by the Department of Education. 2. The equivalency of the nature, content, and level of the courses. This means courses under consideration must parallel requirements to the respective Grace Baptist Bible College program of study and course content and work must be comparable. 3. Only 75% of the Bible; Exegesis, Theology, & Christian History curriculum at GBBC may be transferred in from other colleges or universities. The following criteria govern the transfer of credit. 1. An official transcript from each institution attended must be submitted to the Office of Admission prior to acceptance. Upon acceptance as a degree-seeking student, the Registrar will evaluate the transcript(s) submitted and issue a transfer credit evaluation to the prospective student. Transfer credits are applied to the student’s transcript upon enrollment. 2. The Registrar evaluates credit for transfer from institutions accredited by agencies recognized by the Department of Education. GBBC may choose to accept transfer credits from institutions that have not sought accreditation, but the following criteria will be used to evaluate such credit: (1) The course work has been taught by faculty who are qualified by education and/or experience to teach at the appropriate degree level; (2) the course content is comparable as demonstrated by college catalog, course syllabi, and grading standards. In some cases, such credits may be conditionally accepted for transfer based upon earning a 2.0 cumulative GPA at the completion of the first semester (or 12 credits) at GBBC. 3. The Registrar serves as the final authority in evaluating credit for transfer. In special instances, students may submit supplemental course material (syllabi, catalog descriptions, etc.) to the Registrar for their review. Supplemental information must be received prior to the beginning of the following semester. Upon evaluating this information, additional credits may be awarded. 4. CEU’s, vocational, technical, developmental, remedial, and military courses or courses graded on a pass/fail scale are generally not eligible for transfer. Credits awarded on the basis of institutional or competency exams are not eligible for transfer. 5. Only courses with grades of “C” and above will be considered. Grades and Grade Point Averages do not transfer. Assessment Exam Grace Baptist Bible College administers this exam at the beginning and end of our academic curriculum. This exam aims to assess our students in the four distinct areas of our curriculum (Bible, Exegesis, Theology, and Church History). The first segment is given when the student enters Grace Baptist Bible College, then the second segment is taken at the beginning of their last semester. Student Classifications Seniors are those students who have a reasonable prospect of graduation during the College term then in progress and have received a letter from the Faculty inviting them to enter the senior class. Auditors are those students who do not wish academic credit. Full-time Students are those who take 12 or more credits hours in a semester. Part-time Students are those who take 1 to 11 credit hours in a semester. Graduation Requirements Student Responsibility Students alone bear the responsibility for completing all degree requirements. Faculty advisors, the Registrar, and other administrators are available to counsel students in their progress toward degree completion, but the responsibility remains with the student. Application for Graduation By the midterm advisement of the semester prior to the expected graduation (see school calendar for specific dates), a student anticipating degree completion must submit to the Office of the Registrar a completed graduation application. A student is not eligible to graduate unless application is made. The application is specific to the semester of graduation; failure to complete coursework in that semester requires reapplication. Graduation Requirements Upon recommendation of the faculty and with the approval of the Board of Trustees, the degree of Bachelor of Biblical Studies is conferred upon students who have met the following requirements for graduation: • Satisfactory completion of the minimum total semester hours required for their ministry core. • Satisfactory completion of all general education requirements, all Bible requirements, and all exegesis, theology, and church history requirements within the core curriculum. • Maintained a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher overall. • Shall have given evidence of high Christian character and conduct in accord with the standards of the college. He/she shall agree with the doctrinal position of the school. • Settled all financial obligations and returned all equipment and library materials to the College. • Received a decision of eligibility for graduation from the Faculty. Commencement The commencement ceremony is held each May. Eligibility to participate in Commencement is limited to those who have completed all degree requirements. Graduation (i.e. conferral of degree) occurs only upon fulfillment of all degree requirements and is dated at the end of the term in which the final degree requirements are completed. Graduation Honors Grace Baptist Bible College graduates will be honored for high cumulative academic achievement: Latin Honors/Cumulative GPA Summa cum laude: 3.85-4.00 Magna cum laude: 3.60-3.84 Cum laude: 3.30-3.59 Honors Students Dean’s List Names of full-time students are placed on the Dean’s List when their grade point average for the semester is 3.3 or higher. Academic Discipline and Administrative Withdrawals Academic Warning Notices At the approximate midpoint of each semester, any student in jeopardy of receiving a grade of “D” or “F” will receive an academic warning notice from the instructor of the course. The student must discuss the warning with his/her advisor. Academic Probation At the end of any given semester, all degree-seeking students must meet the minimum grade point average of 2.0. Any student who fails to attain this required GPA is placed on academic probation. Students earning a grade point average of 2.0 or above in a subsequent term will be removed from academic probation. Students on academic probation may be placed on academic suspension unless they achieve the minimum term grade point average of 2.0 in the following term. Academic Suspension Degree-seeking students who earn a GPA below 2.0 for two consecutive semesters may be placed on academic suspension. The normal duration of suspension is one semester, and the student must submit proper application for readmission to the Office of Admissions. Such readmission is not automatic and will be dependent upon demonstration of significant productive activity during the period of suspension. Dismissal At times it becomes necessary to dismiss students from the college for various unanticipated non academic reasons. GBBC always desires to correct issues before they reach the dismissal stage. Recommendations for dismissal may come from the faculty, the Barnabas Committee, the administration, or local church pastors. Decisions regarding dismissal are always serious, carefully deliberated, and never made lightly. The process for dismissal begins with the Barnabas committee which will make every effort to resolve the issue. Final dismissal votes are made by the full faculty and those with faculty status in the administration. © GRACE BAPTIST BIBLE COLLEGE 2009 |
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