Student Responsibilities

Students at ILT have primary responsibility for their academic progress and the timely completion of their program. Students should:

• Invest the time and energy necessary to demonstrate that they value theological competence and the ability to interpret the Scriptures and the texts of the Christian tradition.
• Maintain a respectful working relationship with their academic advisor and make and keep at least one appointment per semester with him or her.
• Know and follow the requirements for their program as set forth in the academic catalog in effect when the student was admitted.
• Create a class schedule that demonstrates informed educational choices. Read and respond to all official communications connected to ILT and explore and use available student resources.
• Notify their advisor when they receive any grade lower than a B, when dropping or adding a course, or when their grade point average drops below 3.0.
• Inform their advisor about circumstances that could influence academic performance, e.g., work schedules, illness, family situations.

Course Loads for Full-Time Students

• Certificate courses 9 certificate hours (per semester)
• M.Div. 9–11 credit hours (per semester)
• M.A.R. 9–11 credit hours (per semester)
• S.T.M. 3 credit hours (per semester)
• D.Min. 3 credit hours (per semester)
• Ph.D. 3 credit hours (per semester)

Leave of Absence

Students who wish to take time off from their studies must apply for a Leave of Absence by sending a letter to the registrar detailing their reasons for interrupting their studies. Normally, a Leave of Absence is not granted for more than one calendar year (365 days from the end of the last semester enrolled). A student who does not return to his or her studies after the Leave of Absence is considered to have withdrawn from ILT and will need to reapply in order to be re-enrolled as a student.

Audit Policy

Courses may be audited by any student who is enrolled in one of ILT’s programs or is an Open Studies student. The grade of “Audit” may not be changed to a letter grade.

Independent Study Policy

Students may request faculty or adjunct faculty to lead them in an independent study. Independent studies are of two types: courses listed in the current course catalog and special one-time reading or research courses arranged between a student and an instructor. Courses listed in the course catalog may be taken as independent studies if a student cannot, because of external constraints, take a course when it is regularly offered, or when delaying taking the course until it is offered next would result in unreasonably prolonging the student’s completion of his or her program. Courses requiring practicums, such as homiletics and pastoral care, cannot be taken as independent studies. Before proposing an independent study for a course in the catalog, students should consult with their advisor to explore all possibilities for an alternate schedule or for a course substitution. Special reading or research courses are normally at the 500 level and would be taken by S.T.M. or D. Min. students. All graduate independent studies must be approved by the Dean of Academic Affairs and all certificate independent studies must be approved by the Dean of Educational Ministries.

Adding or Dropping Courses

With the approval of the course instructor, students may add courses until the add/drop date in a term. If approved, the instructor will request the registrar to add the student to the course. Until the add/drop date in a term, students may also drop courses. If students want to drop a class, they must first consult with their advisor. If, after such consultation, the student still wishes to drop the course, the advisor will contact the registrar to drop the class. A course dropped during this period will not appear on a student’s official transcript, though the student will still be liable for 20% of the tuition fee for that course. Financial aid consequences may also apply. The official date of the drop is the date the student drops the course online in Populi, not the date the student stops attending class, even if the student informs the instructor of his or her intention to drop. The deadlines for adding or dropping courses in each term appear in the academic calendar posted on Populi and printed in the catalog.

Withdrawing from Courses

If necessary, students may withdraw from a course after the add/drop date and before the final date for withdrawals (the end of the 10th week of classes in the Fall and Spring Semesters). Students who withdraw from a course during this period must pay full tuition and will receive a “W” for that course on their transcript. Students who wish to withdraw from a course during this period should, in consultation with their advisor, petition the appropriate dean for permission to withdraw without academic penalty. A student who does not withdraw and does not earn a passing grade will receive a failing grade for that course. The deadlines for withdrawing from courses in each term appear in the academic calendar posted on Populi and printed in the catalog.

Grading System

Grades are entered as follows:

Average Score        Letter Grade        Credit Points
93 and above                   A                       4.00
90 to 92.99                      A-                      3.67
87 to 89.99                      B+                     3.33
83 to 86.99                      B                       3.00
80 to 82.99                      B-                      2.67
77 to 79.99                      C+                     2.33
73 to 76.99                      C                       2.00
70 to 72.99                      C-                     1.67
67 to 69.99                      D+                     1.33
60 to 66.99                      D                       1.00
00 to 59.99                      F                        0.00

Incompletes

The grade “I” is given for reasons of major illness or other unusual circumstances. All incompletes must be satisfactorily removed by the end of the following semester. If not removed by that day, the grade of “F” is entered into the student’s transcript.

Class Attendance

• The student assumes the responsibility for completing all requirements and for regular class attendance. The process, interaction, and creative responses of the class session and online activities are vital to academic success.
• Absences and tardiness are the mutual concern of the student and instructor. Courtesy suggests a student confer with the course instructor in advance if either of these becomes necessary.

Academic Probation

Students enrolled in graduate or certificate programs may be placed on Academic Probation at the time of acceptance to a program (see policy on Provisional Admission), or at the end of any semester in which their cumulative GPA falls below what is required for their program, or at the end of any semester in which they receive a failing grade. A provisional student must maintain a 2.50 GPA for one year in order to be admitted as a regular student. A student placed on Academic Probation may be restricted to a limited number of credit hours per semester, at the discretion of the appropriate dean. The purpose of a reduced load is to give students a reasonable opportunity to clear probation at the end of the semester by improving the standard of their work.

Students remain on Academic Probation for one year. The registrar reviews the records of students on Academic Probation at the end of each semester. Students on Academic Probation whose academic performance does not show clear ability to meet required standards, as indicated by a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher, are suspended. If circumstances warrant an exception, the appropriate dean may waive the suspension and stipulate the conditions under which a student who otherwise would be suspended may continue his or her studies. Students who are suspended for not meeting the requirements of Academic Probation may reapply for admission after one year has passed.

Academic Integrity Policy

ILT expects all of their students to exhibit moral integrity and respect for the educational process. Allegations of academic dishonesty will be adjudicated using the procedure for Student Discipline described in the Student Handbook and may result in penalties ranging from a mark of 0 for an assignment, to failure for the course, to suspension. ILT defines academic dishonesty as follows:

Plagiarism

• Presentation of work that originates from another unacknowledged source as one’s own.
• Presentation of someone else’s ideas, argument, or information verbatim (or close to verbatim) without acknowledgement of the source.

Cheating

• Giving, obtaining, or using, or attempting to give, obtain, or use, unauthorized information or assistance during an assessment or examination.
• Obtaining or conveying, or attempting to obtain or convey, unauthorized information about an assessment or examination question.
• Impersonating someone else or causing or allowing oneself to be impersonated in an examination, or knowingly availing oneself of the results of impersonation.
• Presenting a single piece of work in more than one course without the permission of the instructors involved.

Proctoring Policy

All closed book examinations must be proctored. There are four options for proctoring:

1. An instructor can administer the examination during class time, while viewing each student taking the examination through Microsoft Teams. The instructor makes the examination available to the students at the beginning  of the exam period and the students send the completed examination to the instructor at the end of the exam period.
2. The instructor can ask the ILT librarian to proctor an examination, either during the regular class time or during finals week. In this case, the instructor sends the examination to the librarian, who administers it as described above.
3. The instructor can direct students to contact the ILT librarian to request proctoring of an exam at a time convenient for both. This would normally happen when special circumstances justify allowing a student to take the examination at a different time than the rest of the class.
4. The instructor can request students to find someone who is willing and able to proctor the examination in person. Acceptable proctors include librarians, teachers, employees of testing centers, or anyone who could perform this service in a professional capacity. Family members, congregational members, friends, and one’s own pastor are not acceptable proctors. The student is responsible for paying any fee charged by the proctor. The student supplies the name, position and email address of the chosen proctor to the instructor, who sends the examination to the proctor. At the appointed time the proctor confirms the identity of the student, supervises the administration of the examination according to the instructor’s instructions, and returns the completed examination to the instructor, along with a statement certifying that it was administered under his or her supervision.

Withdrawal

Students who wish to withdraw from ILT are asked to secure the approval of their advisor and the registrar. Students withdrawing from ILT must satisfy the obligations outlined on the withdrawal form. Students absent from courses for two consecutive years must reapply with the Office of Admissions.

Suspension

Enrollment at ILT may be suspended by the President or the Dean of the division in which students are enrolled, in consultation with the faculty. Such action may be based upon conduct on the part of the student judged to be inconsistent with the spiritual, moral, or social character befitting a future minister of the Gospel or for academic reasons. Information provided by the student (in applications or while a student) that is inaccurate, or misleading shall be considered grounds for suspension. Students may appeal their suspension within ten days through the appropriate dean who makes a final determination on the matter.

Graduation

ILT has three official dates for graduation each academic year: December 15, May 15, and August 15. (Actual graduation ceremonies may be held at another date but diplomas will have one of these three dates.) Students who plan to complete their program by December 15 must report their intention by email to the registrar before the first day of classes in the Fall Semester. Students who plan to complete their program by May 15 or August 15 must report their intention by email to the registrar before the first day of classes in the Spring Semester. Students who fail to make this announcement by the stated deadline may not be able to graduate on the date they request.

The registrar reviews the student’s transcript and confirms that the student will be able to complete his or her program within the time frame indicated. The registrar then submits a copy of the degree audit to the appropriate dean. The dean submits the name of the student to the faculty senate, which decides whether appropriate to recommend that the student be granted the degree. The dean forwards the names of recommended candidates to the President and the Board, which votes on whether to grant the degrees or certificates, conditional on the candidates’ completing the following requirements:

• The Registrar certifies that the student has completed all the requirements for a degree or certificate.
• The Librarian certifies that the student is not in possession of any library materials or does not owe any library fines.
• The Controller certifies that the student has paid all tuition and fees.Master of Divinity Graduates must have submitted:
  • A completed Theology and Ministry Questionnaire
  • A Biblical Proficiency Exam retaken during the last term of enrollment
• Master of Arts in Religion graduates must have submitted:
  • A completed Theology Questionnaire
  • A Biblical Proficiency Exam retaken during the last term of enrollment

ILT graduation ceremonies are typically held in the candidate’s congregation or at church gatherings. The graduate should be in contact with the Dean of Student and Religious Life regarding arrangements for the graduation ceremony. ILT administration and faculty will make every effort to ensure that at least one representative of ILT will be present.