Academic Policies

Orientation (for new students), (Re)Orientation (annually for all students), and First Year Frameworks at The Seattle School are both required and essential for incoming students. During these times of programming, students will have opportunities to address practical issues, such as getting student IDs, updating contact information, using the library, and other systems of support. They will have time to connect with fellow students, staff, faculty, and their Listening Lab Leaders to begin orienting to what it means to be a student at The Seattle School. 

First year students are strongly encouraged to make advising appointments with the Academic Office during the registration period. Upper level students are welcome to make advising appointments with the Academic Advisor.

A student who has not met their financial obligations to The Seattle School for previous classes by the registration date for the following term will be unable to register for courses. They will be able to register for courses once their financial obligations are met. If outstanding financial obligations are not met by the third week of the subsequent term, the student will be assigned to an inactive status. 

Courses with enrollments of less than six students during open registration may be canceled and, if so, students will be informed. A student who needs a required canceled course for graduation may arrange for an Independent Study with assistance and approval from the Dean of Teaching & Learning and Registrar/Associate Dean of Academic Administration.

When selecting required courses please be sure to choose the correct section for your modality. Low-residency students should select courses ending with an “O” (online) or “R” (residency). On-campus students should select courses ending with an “S” (Seattle). You may also see courses ending with “D” (dual). These classes are taught partly on-campus and partly online over the course of the term. Courses ending in “H” are hybrid. For these classes, on-campus students attend in the building, low-residency students attend online, and all students register for the same section. Courses ending with a “T” are travel residencies. Elective courses that are only offered in one format are open to all students regardless of modality provided that the student is able to attend the class in the modality it is offered in (i.e., accommodation will not be made for non-local students to take an on-campus section of an elective course remotely).

Students are responsible for knowing and understanding academic policies and procedures of The Seattle School. Not knowing these policies as presented in The Seattle School publications is not a valid reason for granting any exceptions to established policies. 

Please see the Student Handbook for full details on how to request academic accommodations. 

The Seattle School desires to be responsive to the needs of the student in all areas of their life. The school has established policies and procedures in both academic and financial areas, as well as personal, moral, ethical, and spiritual development as indicated in this catalog. These policies and procedures are intended to cover most circumstances that arise, but it is recognized that there are situations that warrant special individual consideration.

A student who feels that their situation warrants an exception to academic or financial policies or regulations is encouraged to file a petition with the Academic or Student Financial Services Office, respectively. Academic and Financial Petition Forms can be obtained on the school’s website at www.theseattleschool.edu.

An Academic Petition Form is submitted to the Academic Office. The Registrar may request more information either in person or in writing. The Registrar will then submit the appeal to the Academic Policies Committee with recommendations for action. It is the responsibility of this committee to consider the following student issues:

• Request for an extension beyond dates established by institution.

• Reasons for dropped courses which resulted in automatic failure.

• Suspension as a result of disciplinary action.

• Exemptions from other institution policies as noted in the catalog.

The student has the right to appeal the decision of the Academic Policies Committee in writing to the Dean of the Graduate School. A letter of appeal must be submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School within 30 days of the decision of the Academic Policies Committee, failing which, no appeal shall be considered. The Dean will consider the information that has been provided by the Academic Policies Committee and by the student, and any other information that may be relevant to the appeal in deciding whether to uphold the decision of the Academic Policies Committee, to impose a different penalty, or not to impose a penalty at all. Decisions of the Dean of the Graduate School are final.

For full details on the Academic Honesty policy, please see the Student Handbook. 

An active student with degree seeking status may enroll in courses for audit. An audit student is considered a participant in the class and must meet normal attendance requirements to receive transcript notation. Completion of assignments or examinations is at the professor's discretion. An audited course does not contribute toward degree requirements and any student who wishes thereafter to receive degree credit for the class must repeat the course with all work graded contemporaneously. A student may not audit Listening Lab, practicums or internships, and the Registrar reserves the right to restrict registration for audit in other courses. 

A student may change from one Master’s Degree program to another Master’s Degree program or apply to a second Master’s Degree by completing the Change/Adding of Degree Program Form and obtaining the written recommendation of the following:

• A faculty member specific to the student’s desired program

• The Registrar

• For specific Concentration admissions please see the Registrar’s office.

The student must be in good academic standing in their current degree program(s) with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.7. No students will be allowed to change degree programs or add another degree program before they have successfully completed the following first year courses:

• IDS 501 Intersections: Interdisciplinary Inquiry & Psychological Frameworks 

• IDS 502 Intersections: Biblical Traditions & Theological Formations

• IDS 520 Listening Lab Part I

• IDS 521 Listening Lab Part II

When adding a second degree program, only half of the credits from the shorter degree (the one with less total credits required for graduation) may be used to fulfill credits for the second degree program, regardless of which program the student was originally enrolled in. In order to complete the MATC and MACP degrees, the student would need 86 credits. If you are interested in completing more than one degree program at The Seattle School, please see the academic office for the list of required classes, residencies, and electives for combining degree programs. 

Certificate students interested in applying to a Master’s Degree program at The Seattle School should contact admissions@theseattleschool.edu for next steps.

The attendance policy at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology is student centered and rooted in transformational learning. We believe learning happens in community. To be part of The Seattle School as a student or as a member of the instructional team means one is a vital contributor to our learning collective. Your membership in our co-created learning community invites active engagement, preparedness, collaboration, discussion, and faithful presence. Whether on-campus or online, active engagement necessitates personal and focused presence in scheduled synchronous classes and labs. Individual courses may also include participation and/or engagement in grading rubrics as it relates to course learning outcomes. Please see individual course syllabi for the specifics pertinent to each class. 

*Please note that lab courses (i.e. IDS 520/521, IDS 503/504/505, CSL 530/531/532, CSL 553, etc.) have particular attendance policies.

A course change (adding and/or dropping a course) by a student after the completion of the second week of the term is assessed a $25 fee per change. Courses dropped after the second week of the term will receive a grade of withdrawal (W), and require a completed drop request form available in the Academics Office. Courses dropped after the sixth week will receive a grade of withdrawal while failing (WF), and require a completed drop request form available in the Academics Office. Specific change dates for each academic term are outlined in the academic calendar. 

It is the student’s responsibility to drop a class(es) before the end of the add/drop period. Students will be financially and academically responsible for all courses they are registered for on Populi. 

Course change deadlines for intensive courses differ and are listed below. All intensive course drops require a completed drop request form available in the Academics Office. 

Two Day Intensives 

A student may drop the course before the course begins with no academic record. A course dropped during the first class session receives a withdrawal (W) grade. A course dropped after the end of the first class session receives a withdrawal failing grade (WF).

Three or more Day Intensives

A student may drop the course before the course begins with no academic record. A course dropped during the first or second class session receives a grade of W. A course dropped after the end of the second

class session receives a grade of WF.

Recordings of online and on-campus lecture courses will be made available only to students who need them as part of an academic accommodation. Recordings of classes, regardless of modality, will not be made available to the general student population. This policy aligns with the Course Attendance & Presence policy which encourages “live” attendance at all courses with the exception of emergencies. Students may not record any class lectures or sessions without written permission from the course instructor(s). 

This form may be used to request one time access to recordings of classes in the event that an emergency or crisis situation necessitated missing class. Emergency/crisis situations might include: medical emergencies for yourself or your immediate family, significant political unrest in proximity to your home, etc. Please note that this only applies to classes that are already being recorded. Lab classes are never recorded. 

Rooted in our belief that learning happens in community, all courses across modalities include synchronous elements that bring instructors and learners together for live engagement. Each course, regardless of modality, provides a minimum 30%, up to 100%, of course instructional time through synchronous instructional time.

Courses at The Seattle School consist of both instructional time led by faculty and outside course work that learners do independently. Per accreditation requirements, we define instructional time as 15 hours per credit and outside coursework time as 30 hours per credit. 

Instructional Time constitutes proactive interaction between instructors and learners, wherein information delivery, guided engagement, and dialogue are structured toward the achievement of course learning outcomes.

Outside Coursework Time constitutes the work learners do on their own to be prepared for instructional time and to complete assignments. 

Guidelines for Instruction and Coursework Estimates

To support instructors’ course design and to help frame student expectations, this list of course time-per-credit outlines the general guidelines for course workloads. Page counts stand in for estimated time spent as it correlates to project work/viewing time, etc. Writing is inclusive of papers, formal Discussion Board posts, presentations, final exams, etc. Reading is inclusive of assigned coursework media: course texts, films, podcasts, etc.

One credit hour 

15 hours of instructional time; Minimum of 5 hours synchronous “live” instruction

30 hours of outside coursework time

Writing: 10-15 pages written

Reading: 500 – 700 pages

Two credit hours

30 hours of instructional time; Minimum of 10 hours synchronous “live” instruction

60 hours of outside coursework time

Writing: 15 -20 pages written 

Reading: 750 – 1050 pages

Three credit hours

45 hours of instructional time; Minimum of 15 hours synchronous “live” instruction

90 hours of outside coursework time

Writing: 20-25 pages written 

Reading: 1050 – 1400 pages

Courses are not able to be changed in credit load (i.e. a student may not request to take a 3 credit course for 2 credits etc.). Additionally, courses offered for credit are not able to be changed into Individualized Research courses in order to amend the credit load. Please also see the Individualized Research and Independent Study policies in this Academic Catalog for more information. 

Certificate students taking the course in a non-credit track will still be expected to attend class regularly and appropriately engage during class meeting times, but they will not be given extensive assessment or detailed faculty feedback, they will not be given a grade in the course, and they will not be offered graduate academic credit. That said, non-credit students should still be assessed for learning in a formative, big-picture sense. 

Some credit courses and noncredit learning events (e.g. seminars, workshops, etc.) may be taken for personal enrichment (Community Audit) apart from graduate credit. Currently enrolled, degree-seeking or non-degree seeking students are not eligible for Community Audit courses. Some courses are space-limited and/or experiential, and are not available for Community Audit enrollment. The Registrar reserves the right to limit enrollment in any course. 

The Seattle School also offers Continuing Education Units (CEU). A student requesting CEU units must request the units at least one week before the class starts by using the CEU Request Form and paying $30 per seat hour they want to have reported. A letter is provided to the student upon completion of the course or learning event. The student is also responsible for any other associated course fees and/or tuition charges.

In order to graduate from The Seattle School, a student must:

• Complete the prescribed course of study within the time limitation and achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.7.

• Non-credit certificate students must have an attendance rate of 80% or higher and successfully complete all assignments. 

• Meet Residency attendance requirements (for Low-Residency students only)

• Remove any admission provisions.

• Be enrolled as a current student.

• Settle all financial obligations including payment of the graduation fee. A student who has not paid their account in full will not have access to any student services including transcript, diploma, or enrollment for a second degree.

• File an Intent to Graduate form with the Academic Office at least three months prior to their anticipated graduation date (Master’s Degree students only).

• Receive the recommendation of the faculty and approval by the Board of Trustees for graduation.

• MACP students must complete 40 hours of individual Psychotherapy as noted in the Psychotherapy Requirement Policy document available on the website. 

• Please note that participating in the commencement ceremony does not constitute conferral of a degree. The Registrar/Associate Dean of Academic Administration will complete degree audits after each academic term for those students who have filed an Intent to Graduate form. Students who have met all of the graduation requirements will be awarded degree posted transcripts and an official diploma.

Completed degrees are recorded each term. All degrees are conferred on the last day of the trimester in which the student completes their degree requirements. A degree is granted when the Registrar confirms the completion of all academic requirements, and the student receives the recommendation of the faculty and approval by the Board of Trustees for graduation. 

STATEMENT OF INTENTION 

This policy serves as a guide unto wise and disciplined use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). This AI technology is evolving rapidly and will play an increasingly important role in scholarship and professional life. As such, disciplined learning to leverage and steward generative AI tools with integrity is an emergent skillset. Students are engaged in graduate studies to become people of wisdom, who can practice, embody, and inculcate their disciplined knowledge contextually with individuals, groups, and within the locale(s) they serve. Machine learning will not lead their groups, sit with clients, or expose oppression. Course assignments at The Seattle School are designed for students to develop ways of being (often described as the “the life of the mind”), equipping them to serve God and neighbor through transforming relationships. As such, a student’s goal is never to simply complete an assignment but to participate in the holistic process of becoming the kind of person who can thoughtfully engage the learning prompts. The school’s expectation is that students will employ the use of generative AI tools in service of their personal and professional development, not so that AI tools can complete their learning engagements. 

STUDENT POLICY

Student use of ChatGPT and similar large language model AI content generators does not automatically equate to academic misconduct at The Seattle School. However, these technologies may not be used to generate content for assignments that is then presented as student work, without proper citation, under any circumstances. This is considered academic misconduct (i.e. plagiarism and/or cheating) on the part of the student. If generative AI is used for an assignment, it should be properly cited and the extent of its use should fall within the parameters stated in the course syllabus. With the exception of academic misconduct, the use or prohibition of generative AI tools is a course-level decision. It is the student’s responsibility to read the syllabus for each course and understand the particular expectations of the instructor. 

Student grades will be posted on Populi within one week of receipt of grades from faculty. Grades will not be released over the phone or email. 

Practical Classes are defined as Listening Lab, Pre-Internship, Counseling Internship, and Apprenticeship.

All practical courses are assigned a grade of CR (credit given) or NC (no credit given). If a student receives an NC grade in Listening Lab Part I or II, or Pre-Internship Counseling Practicum, they will need to repeat that course until they receive credit to advance to the next course.

Listening Lab Part I & II is one course that must be taken over two consecutive trimesters. At the conclusion of Part I, the Listening Lab Leader, in conjunction with the Faculty Director, will review the progress of all the Listening Lab students. Students who are in good standing in the course will receive a grade of IP (in progress) on their fall transcripts and be allowed to maintain registration in  Listening Lab Part II for winter trimester. Those students who are not in good standing will receive a grade of NC (no credit) and will be required to repeat Part I and Part II the following year. At the successful conclusion of both Part I and Part II, the student will also receive a CR grade for Part II and one term credit each for fall and winter trimesters will be awarded on the student’s transcript.

Since Listening Lab Part I & II is a two trimester courses and must be taken consecutively, if a student completes Part I with good standing in the course but is unable to finish Part II due to any reason, academic related or not, they will receive an NC (no credit) for both Part I and Part II and will be required to repeat both parts the following year.

It should be noted that even though registration and payment for Part I and Part II are done separately in order to accommodate financial aid and billing requirements, it is considered one course to be completed over two trimesters and so grading and credit assignment are handled accordingly.

The grading scale for all course assignments receiving letter grades is as follows:

A - Represents an unusually competent paper that clearly makes its argument, contains extraordinary style,

cleverness of argumentation, and/or thoroughness of research. 

B - Represents a competent and thorough response to the assignment.

C - Represents a paper that is less than competent by a clear failure to communicate or to support

arguments.

The grading scale for all courses receiving letter grades is as follows:

A 95-100 4.0 Excellent – superior achievement of course objectives

A- 90-94 3.7

B+ 87-89 3.3

B 83-86 3.0 Good – competent and commendable achievement of course objectives 

B- 80-82 2.7

C+ 77-79 2.3

C 73-76 2.0 Poor – less than competent achievement of course objectives

C- 70-72 1.7

F 69 or below Failing – unacceptable achievement of course objectives

This grading scale is posted in all course syllabi and is used in the submission of final grades for a course (reflected on a student’s transcript). All courses, unless noted otherwise, are required to give letter grades.

Students must earn a grade of 2.7 (B-) or higher in each required course for their degree or for-credit certificate program (please see the individual degree program requirements located in this catalog). This requirement does not include courses that are counted as electives in the student’s degree program. Required courses that are awarded grades below 2.7 must be repeated successfully (earning a 2.7 or higher) and will not count as having met any prerequisites for future courses until the successful grade has been earned. 

All practical courses are assigned a grade of CR (credit given) or NC (no credit given). 

In order to pass non-credit courses, students must have an attendance rate of 80% or higher and successfully complete all assignments. Students taking courses not-for-credit must successfully complete all course work. Students who do not successfully complete any course in the sequence will be withdrawn from the certificate program and will need to reapply in a subsequent year.

If a student receives an NC grade in Listening Lab Part I or II they will need to repeat that course until they receive credit to advance to the next course. Please see the additional information regarding Listening Lab under Grading for Practical Classes (above).

Concerns regarding grades (including pass/fail courses) are to be resolved between the student, assistant instructor (if applicable), and faculty member. Students should first seek resolution by contacting the faculty member to dispute the grade within 30 days of grades being posted. The instructor has 15 days to respond to the student. Students and instructors are encouraged to meet to discuss the grade concern. If resolution is not obtained through conversation, a student has 60 days from when the grade was posted to complete a formal grade appeal. 

A formal grade appeal may be appropriate if students have evidence (or believe evidence exists) that the instructor’s grading was arbitrary and capricious, and that they graded in ways that were not applied when assigning grades for other students in the class. Formal grade appeals may only be made for final course grades and if the student and instructor cannot come to an agreement about the grade dispute. To appeal a course grade formally:

1. The student may submit a formal grade appeal to the Dean of the Graduate School. The written statement should describe

   • the action being appealed

   • the grounds upon which the appeal is based, and any evidence

   • the resolution being sought

   • any background information that the student deems pertinent to the case, including previous attempts to resolve the disputed grade with the instructor

2. The Dean of the Graduate School will review the appeal and consult with the instructor to determine whether the evaluation of the student’s performance was fair and reasonable, or if the instructor’s conduct in assigning the grade was arbitrary or capricious. The Dean will inform the student of the decision in writing within 30 days of the appeal. The decision of the Dean is final.

For guidance through the process or resources on crafting a formal appeal letter, please contact the Registrar.

Each course syllabus indicates all due dates for required course work. Due dates are final and changes are only at the discretion of the instructor. In the case of serious illness, family emergency or other extenuating circumstances, the instructor may grant an extension of any portion of but not more than six weeks from the end of the term to complete course assignments. Extension requests must be submitted to the instructor in writing via the Incomplete Contract form on the website no later than the last day of the term.  Non-credit certificate students are not eligible for Incompletes.

A temporary grade of I (incomplete) is entered in the student's academic record until a final grade is determined. When the student completes the coursework and submits it to the instructor, the instructor completes a Grade Change Form indicating the new grade. The Academic Office processes the new grade and the student will be able to view the grade change via Populi. Students who are requesting Incomplete grades should also be aware of the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) implications outlined in this catalog. 

The Dean of Teaching & Learning, in consultation with the proposed course instructor, may grant permission for a student to enroll in a regular course through independent study. Independent study should not be undertaken solely for personal convenience, but only because of extenuating conflicts that prevent the student from taking the course when it is normally offered. Requests for independent study must be submitted to the Academic Office no later than 30 days prior to the first day of the term the student is applying for. Requests submitted after this date will be considered for the subsequent academic term.

For a 1 credit course, the student completes the assignments as required in the syllabus plus an additional 1 credit of work. 1 credit of work is equivalent to a 10 page paper and reading 2 books totaling 500 pages. 

For a 2 credit course, the student completes the assignments as required in the syllabus plus an additional 1 credit of work. 1 credit of work is equivalent to a 10 page paper and reading 2 books totaling 500 pages. 

For a 3 credit course, the student completes the assignments as required in the syllabus plus an additional 1 credit of work. 1 credit of work is equivalent to a 10 page paper and reading 2 books totaling 500 pages. 

When approved as a course of study by the Dean of Teaching & Learning, each student may not exceed the following number of Independent Study AND/OR Individualized Research credits in their chosen program of study:

• MATC – 2

• MACP – 4

This is also to be inclusive of transfer courses (independent study courses PLUS transfer courses cannot exceed the limit of 15 credits. Please see the Credit Transfer policy outlined in this catalog for more information.) Independent Study courses also cannot include all courses in a required series, (i.e., CSL 544 & 544; CSL 542 & 543, etc.)

The Dean of the Graduate School, in consultation with a proposed course instructor, may approve an individualized course of research. This elective permits students to design and pursue personalized courses. The course numbers for individualized research courses are generally listed on the transcript with a 580 numeration. No more than 2 individualized research credits will be granted for each degree program. To be eligible for approval, the study must not replicate a course normally offered in the regular program. The student must be maintaining an overall grade point average of at least 3.0 in the degree program.

Individualized research credit may be granted to a student with the following requirements:

• Student submits a proposal to an appropriate faculty member and the faculty member agrees to grant individualized research credit.

• A sample syllabus is developed by the faculty member and student and submitted to the Registrar.

• Final approval is granted through the Dean of the Graduate School.

• Requests for individualized research must be submitted to the Academic Office no later than 30 days prior to the first day of the term the student is applying for. Requests submitted after this date will be considered for the subsequent academic term.

Please see the Integrative Portfolio Handbook for all policies and details. 

Some of the degree programs at The Seattle School have an internship and/or a practical course requirement. The student will be expected to follow the internship or practical course guidelines that are fully described in the internship handbook. This includes meeting all the prerequisites and course requirements. Please refer to the individual degree program internship handbooks for more information. 

Leave of Absence

A student who does not intend to enroll in courses at The Seattle School in a given term may apply for a Leave of Absence (LOA) by completing a Withdrawal/LOA Request Form or notifying the Registrar in writing. Upon approval by the Registrar, the student is then considered to be on LOA. The maximum length of time allowed for a LOA is three consecutive terms. A student may request an extension to their LOA, in writing, to the Registrar.

Standard Withdrawal

A student may withdraw from all courses in a given term and retain their degree status, without academic penalty, up to six weeks into the term. Withdrawal from courses requires completing a Withdrawal/LOA Request Form. Upon approval by the Registrar the student is then considered to be on LOA. The student is still responsible for tuition as outlined in the Tuition Refund Policy. Please also see the Withdrawal and Return of Title IV Funds policy for financial aid implications of withdrawal. 

A student will be automatically considered withdrawn if they have not registered for courses for the previous three terms and they have not been approved for an extension to their LOA by the Registrar.

For a withdrawn student to be reinstated in a degree program at The Seattle School, they must apply through the Admissions department for reinstatement. If the student has been inactive for more than three academic terms, they must complete their degree under current admission and academic requirements.

Hardship Withdrawal

Hardship is considered to be an incapacitating illness or injury requiring extensive recuperation or a significant personal emergency such as a death in the immediate family. Verification of the hardship is required. Hardship withdrawals may be considered for individual classes or all classes in a given term.  

Petitions for hardship withdrawal should be made directly to the Registrar via the Academic Petition form. The Registrar will confer with the Academic Policies Committee (APC) for a decision on the petition. Approved petitions will be granted “W” grades for any withdrawn classes; however, submission or approval of the petition does not equate to an automatic approval for financial accommodation (i.e. tuition refunds). When reviewing the petitions, the Registrar and APC will consider all pertinent information for decision-making, such as course participation (attendance, online activity, coursework submission, exam, etc.), meeting with advisors, notes from the medical provider (if applicable), etc.  Students will be notified of the petition decision within 21 days from the date of submission via their official school email. 

Please note that students will still be subject to Department of Education rules in regards to Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and Title IV funding per the policies in the Academic Catalog. Granting of hardship withdrawals affects internal policy penalties only.  

Students experiencing medical hardship are also encouraged to seek advising regarding potential academic accommodations with the Supervisor of Accessibility & Vocational Programs.  

Suspension

When a student is suspended for any reason (financial, conduct or academic) they will receive written notification stating the terms of the suspension from the Registrar. If the suspension decision was not related to failure to make satisfactory academic progress, the student may appeal the suspension decision per the academic appeals policy in this catalog. 

Readmission

A student wishing to be readmitted after they have been suspended for Code of Conduct or Academic Integrity violations from The Seattle School must apply to the Admissions Department for approval by the Dean of the Graduate School. Application cannot be made within three terms of the suspension. The application should indicate how the student intends to finish their academic career successfully and should identify any activities completed during the student’s absence from The Seattle School that will enable future success in the program. The student will be advised, in writing, of the decision of the Dean of the Graduate School. If the petition is denied, the letter will include suggestions for reconsideration.

The MACP degree is offered in two modalities: on-campus and low-residency. Students who experience significant changes in life-circumstances (e.g., cross-country moves, acute illness, etc.) may request a change in modality ONCE during their time in the program using this MACP Modality Change Request form. 

The low-residency program is space-limited and seats are not guaranteed. Requests will be assessed on a first-come, first-served basis as space permits. To make a request students must be in good academic standing in their current degree program, with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.7. No students will be allowed to request a modality change until they have successfully completed the following first year courses:

• IDS 501 Intersections: Interdisciplinary Inquiry & Psychological Frameworks

• IDS 502 Intersections: Biblical Traditions & Theological Formations

• IDS 520 Listening Lab Part I

• IDS 521 Listening Lab Part II

Please note that any change in modality is comprehensive and persistent: the change impacts ALL of the student’s required courses for the remainder of their time in the program. If a student requests a change of modality while a term is currently in progress, and their request is approved, the change will take effect for the following term. In other words, changes in modality will not change a student’s course enrollment for the current term.

If a student has already changed modalities once and feel that they need to switch again, they MUST submit an Academic Petition in order to do so.

The student will register and pay tuition for the course a second time. Both courses will appear on the transcript in the term in which they were taken (this applies to both elective and required course repeats). However, credit will not be granted more than once and the highest grade achieved will be retained for GPA calculation. Only one repeat is permitted per course.

A student may choose to repeat an elective course, subject to regular restrictions and limitations, in an effort to achieve a higher grade when a grade of C+ or lower was earned.

This policy applies to degree-seeking students only. Satisfactory academic progress is measured by both the quality and quantity of academic work at the end of each trimester. The Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Academic policy requires a student to maintain a 2.7 grade point average (GPA), for both term and cumulative. In addition, the following policies apply:

• Students must successfully complete 70% of their attempted course load. Grades of Incomplete (I), Withdraw (W) or Withdraw Failing (WF) will be included in the course load and are not considered successfully completed courses. Students who are enrolled in approved transfer courses at another school concurrently with courses at The Seattle School will have all courses counted towards their attempted course load. 

• A student not successfully completing 70% of their attempted coursework or receiving a term or cumulative GPA below a 2.7 during one term will receive an academic warning within two weeks of the final submission final grades from the Academic Office stating that the student has failed Satisfactory Academic Progress. 

• If a student does not maintain a 2.7 cumulative or term GPA or successfully complete 70% of their attempted coursework for a second term, the student is placed on academic probation. A student placed on academic probation will be notified in writing by the Academic Office within two weeks of the final submission of grades. Each student placed on probation will be required to meet with the Registrar to develop a plan to improve their GPA above the minimum required (e.g., retaking courses with low or failing grades, taking fewer courses each term, attending the writing workshop). If the student makes satisfactory academic progress during the subsequent term they will be removed from academic probation.

• A student who does not meet SAP may lose their Financial Aid eligibility. For Financial Aid implications please see the Financial Aid SAP policy located in this catalog.

• Upon a third SAP failure, a student may be suspended. A decision to suspend a student will be communicated to the student within two weeks of the final submission of grades. If a student is suspended for failure to make satisfactory academic progress, they will not be allowed to enroll in classes for a minimum of three terms.

• The student may appeal a suspension decision by submitting a written letter of appeal to the Dean of the Graduate School within 30 days of receiving notice that they have been suspended from The Seattle School. The student must demonstrate to the Dean that exceptional circumstances were involved and provide evidence indicating that they can raise the grade point average within one term. If the Dean of the Graduate School fails to approve the petition, the student is required to withdraw from classes for a minimum of three terms. The Dean may also request that the student fulfill other requirements while suspended.

• A student wishing to be readmitted after they have been suspended for failure to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress must apply to the Admissions Department for approval by the Dean of the Graduate School. Application cannot be made within three terms of the suspension. The application should indicate how the student intends to finish their academic career successfully and should identify any activities completed during the student’s absence from The Seattle School that will enable future success in the program. The student will be advised, in writing, of the decision of the Dean of the Graduate School. If the application is denied, the letter will include suggestions for reconsideration.

The Seattle School will make good faith efforts to provide reasonable religious accommodations to students who have sincerely held religious practices or beliefs that conflict with a scheduled course or program requirement. Students requesting religious accommodation should submit a written request to their instructor with at least three (3) weeks notice. Any absence resulting from a religious accommodation does not excuse students from course requirements or information reviewed during missed classes. Students are responsible for obtaining materials and information provided during any missed class. The student shall work with the instructor to determine a schedule for making up missed work. 

The Seattle School offers four degree programs in a Low-Residency model, which involves periodic in-person intensive instruction, along with independent or remote coursework in between those residential intensives. In other words, students attend weekly courses online, then, two to three times per year they come to campus for retreat-like weekends. These retreats consist of formation, disciplinary and interdisciplinary teaching, and community building with other low-residency students.

Low-Residency MACP students are required to attend a total of four (4) residencies. All MATC students are required to attend a total of four (4) residencies. Dual-degree students enrolled in both degree programs are required to attend a total of six (6) residencies.

If a student needs to miss a residency for an extenuating circumstances (death in the family, acute illness, etc.), they may file an academic petition using the Academic Petition Form to request two (2) things: 

• To reduce the number of residencies required for graduation AND 

• To still be allowed to enroll in the course even though they will miss the associated residency. 

Students who register for a residency course (those that end in “R”) and do not attend the residency in full, will be withdrawn from the course immediately following the residency and will need to register for and engage the course and associated residency in a future term.

Course work for a degree offered by The Seattle School must be completed within the established time limit as measured from the date of entry to the degree program. A student is expected to complete the program requirements within the time limits given below. Students who attend The Seattle School on a part-time basis should be monitoring their progress towards degree completion. If a student requires additional time to meet the degree completion requirements, they must appeal to the Academic Policies Committee a minimum of two trimesters before the end of the statute of limitations in order to be awarded additional time. Additional coursework may be required for students who exceed the time limit. 

Master of Arts in Theology & Culture 3 years

Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology 5 years

Students who enroll in an additional degree program while enrolled in another degree program will be allowed the time limits for both degree programs. 

• Students who complete one degree and then begin work on a subsequent degree will be judged to have begun a new degree. 

• Students who change degrees prior to completing the previous degree will be judged to have begun their degree with their initial coursework.

• Approved leave of absences and withdrawals per the Withdrawal/Leave of Absence policy in this catalog do not count in the calculation of the overall statute of limitations for degree completion. Students must complete the Withdrawal/Leave of Absence Request form located on the school website in order to have their absences approved. Students who do not complete this step are considered to be on unapproved absence and the time away will be counted towards their statute of limitations.

A student who has completed relevant graduate level studies prior to enrollment at The Seattle School may request consideration from the Academic Services Office for the transfer of credit within two terms after admission into a degree program. The Seattle School will consider appropriate transfer credit from fully-accredited, graduate level institutions.

For credit to be granted the previous work must parallel course content (80 percent or higher equivalence), as judged by comparison of typical course syllabi. The official transcript must indicate a grade of B (3.0) or higher. Language courses can be transferred with a grade of B- (2.7) or higher. Course work must have been completed within five years of the application for transfer credit. An application is not complete unless an official transcript unopened by the student is provided to the Academic Office. The Registrar makes a final decision with input from appropriate faculty as needed. 

A student enrolled in any of the degree programs may transfer in a maximum of 15 semester credit hours counting towards the required credits for graduation. The total number of transfer credits approved is entered on The Seattle School transcript but are not considered in the grade point average computation.  Transfer credits may not be applied to certificates. 

Please note that core first year courses at The Seattle School are especially unique to The Seattle School and transfer credits from other institutions replacing these courses are not accepted. 

Any active student who desires to take courses applicable to their degree program at another institution must have the approval of the Academic Services Office prior to enrolling for such courses. The same transfer credit requirements apply to active students.

Note for Low-Residency students seeking transfer credit: residency related courses (i.e., those ending in “R”) that otherwise meet the transfer credit requirements named above may only be transferred in if they are completed prior to the student’s enrollment in The Seattle School. If a low-residency student wishes to take a residency related course elsewhere during their degree program (i.e. after enrollment), they must both request for the transfer credit approval as noted above, and also petition to be exempt from the associated residency prior to enrolling in the course elsewhere. Please see the Residency Requirements for Low-Residency students policy in this Catalog for further details. 

Students who successfully complete Unit 1 CPE training at a hospital in a program accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) will be eligible to receive general elective credit. Students will be awarded:

• 4 elective credits if the student completes the CPE training in addition to their internship/field experience.

• 2 elective credits if the student completes CPE training in conjunction with their internship/field experience.

These credits will be awarded upon:

• The review and approval of the student’s final synthesis paper by the Professor of Practical Theology.

• Letter of successful completion from the supervising chaplain.

Students wishing to transfer The Seattle School credits to other schools prior to or after completion of a degree program at The Seattle School are responsible to ascertain the acceptance of credit by the receiving institution. Sometimes there is not an adequate fit in the curriculum or standards between two schools and credits will not transfer. Students should always contact the Registrar’s office at the school in question to determine whether credits from The Seattle School will transfer to that institution. By working closely with advisors at The Seattle School and other institutions, the student can maximize the likelihood of receiving credit for The Seattle School courses at other institutions. 

Students are guaranteed seats in required courses, in their declared modality. Other courses may have a limited number of seats, and access to these courses is only available first come, first served through this waitlist policy and process. Courses with a limited number of seats will have a waitlist available via populi. Students may add themselves to the waitlist at any point prior to the waitlist closing date:

• The waitlist close date for regular weekly courses will be sent out by the Registrar’s Office following registration opening. Waitlists will close no later than the end of the add/drop period for the upcoming term as noted on the Academic Calendar.

• Waitlists for travel courses close one month prior to the start of the term or the travel date (whichever is earlier).

While the waitlist is open, students will be added as seats become available. After waitlists close (per the schedule noted above) students will be notified by the Registrar’s office that no seats are currently available. Please note that being on a waitlist does not guarantee a seat in a class.