GENERAL

Lebanon Baptist Seminary provides instruction designed for preparation of missionaries, pastors, youth directors, Bible teachers, church planters, evangelists and other Christian workers. The Seminary seeks a balance between academic classroom work and practical field work in order that the graduate will be well prepared for an effective ministry.

Supervised field instruction is required of all students during their course of study. Each student is to maintain active participation in an evangelistic local church. Required church attendance provides platform challenge. There are ample opportunities for personal fellowship with effective Christian workers.

The prescribed programs consist of class and external courses. Most class courses and intensive modules will be offered every third year. External courses may be chosen at any time during the year.

SCHOOL YEAR

The Seminary operates an academic year based on three semesters, fall, spring, and summer. The first semester starts at the beginning of October, the second starts in February. Summer school is scheduled for modules, workshops, and exams for external courses.

It is expected that all assigned work will be submitted on time. Only in extenuating circumstances may the faculty grant permission to complete late work. In the case of illness or family emergency, a student may request permission to reschedule an examination. A fee will be charged for all exams taken at other than scheduled time. An unexcused absence in an exam results in failure in that exam.
 
REGISTRATION PROCEDURES
 
On-Campus Students

Prior to the beginning of each semester, on-campus students are required to complete the registration process. No person is registered until all tuition and appropriate fees are paid.

Specific dates are assigned for registration each semester. Students registering for classes after deadline are charged for late registration. No student may register for on-campus classes after the second week of classes.

External Students

The following procedures show the general steps which an external student takes to begin work at LBS.

After acceptance.

The student will receive a First Course Order Form. To enroll for an external course, the student must submit that form with the appropriate tuition and fees.

The student will also receive a Status Sheet with all transfer hours noted on it. The student should then take courses which will satisfy the requirements of the particular Status Sheet.

The student must submit the final submission for a course within 4 months (2 months for the Workshop). This time frame should be kept in mind when the student submits the preliminary submissions. After the course has been evaluated, the evaluator will return the graded course. When ordering the next course, the student should give the Book Service the number and title of the course.

The student should keep in touch with his or her class instructor, especially if any problems develop.  

ADVISORS
 
Upon acceptance into an academic program, the student is assigned to a faculty advisor. The advisor is only to guide, assist, and counsel the student throughout the academic program.

After the student is accepted, the advisor will have access to the general information provided by the student on the application. The advisor will also have access to the student's prior academic history and entrance and test scores. From this information, particular courses can be recommended.

The faculty advisor will maintain continuing current information concerning the student's academic program and his progress. Both the student and the advisor are to maintain current Status Sheets showing the student's progress. The advisor is available through consultation to assist the student in reaching his or her academic goals.
 
STATUS SHEET
 
The individual degree program (Status Sheet) is an important tool. Understanding its usefulness is basic in planning and fulfilling an ordered process of studies. Students are required to maintain an up-to-date status sheet throughout their degree program.

A Status Sheet specifically expresses the requirements for graduation for each degree program.

After acceptance, the student receives the appropriate Status Sheet. It reflects the total hours required for the degree as well as the credits needed in each appropriate subject area, including the required courses.

If transfer credits have been accepted, they are recorded in given subject areas with the number of hours for each course.

It is the student's responsibility to fulfill the requirements of the Status Sheet; the advisor only provides guidance. The course work selected (other than the required courses) must fulfill the academic requirements and should be in accordance with the student's own needs. Options may be available as to where a particular course could be placed on the Status Sheet. In such a case, the student should contact his or her advisor and discuss the options. This will also ensure that the student and the advisor have identical course placements. A copy of the completed Status Sheet must accompany an Application for Graduation.

MODES OF CREDIT
 
Students may earn credit toward a degree through the following modes:

External Courses

External Courses are not simply correspondence courses. They are oriented toward analyzing the material found in various texts.

External courses are designated to be completed in approximately the same amount of time required to complete on-campus courses. External courses encourage students in self-discipline by requiring them to set their own goals for time management in relation to their other priorities.

Examinations are proctored on campus for students living in Lebanon and Syria. In other countries, or in the remote parts of Syria, examinations must be proctored by a person not related to the student (see "Proctor").
On-Campus Studies (-I)

On-campus semester courses normally take 48 class hours. Some courses may require more class hours for practical application, oral presentation, and exams. Thus the number of class hours may be up to 60.

Seminary Studies (-S)

Seminars combine both on-campus and external studies. A student will meet with a professor for approximately 9 hours of interface time, and then the student will complete the reminder of the work externally.

Modular Studies (-D)

Modular studies are held approximately for 40 hours of interface time in one week. They require a one-month advance registration. Pre- and post-assignments are required. All work must be submitted within 90 days after the end of the module.

Alternate Studies (-A)

Alternate study may be defined as study as study (being pursued for course credit), which is not under the direct supervision of Lebanon Baptist Seminary but is deemed equivalent to standard course work conducted by the faculty of LBS. However, it is the right of LBS to decide whether to accept credits for courses completed at other institutions and to decide how many credits to be given per course. In all cases, cumulative credit through Alternate Study is limited to 9 hours for the AA program, 18 hours for the BA program, 15 hours for the M.Div. program and nothing for the MA program.
 
PROGRAM TIME LIMITATIONS
 
The time limitations for the following degrees are effective upon acceptance by LBS into the particular degree program.
Institute Diploma 4 years

A.Th. 5 years
B.Th. 10 years
M.Th. 3 years
M.Div. 8 years

Any student exceeding these program time limitations must reactivate and will be required to complete degree program under the published guidelines set forth in the catalog in effect when he/she exceeded the limitation deadline.
 
CLASS ATTENDANCE (On-Campus Courses)
 
The student attending modules or seminars must attend all meetings.

The student attending on-campus classes is required to attend at least 80 % of the class meetings for each course in which he/she is enrolled. Any student who misses more than 20% of the meetings may receive an 'F' except in extreme circumstances subject to the approval of the professor and the Dean.

Absences should occur only for important and necessary reasons.
 
The student is held responsible for absences due to late registration. Consequently, a student is not permitted to enroll for a course after the second week of on-campus classes.

A professor will report to the Dean of Students any student who:

Habitually comes in tardy or leaves early.
Misses the whole class session three weeks in succession.
Misses 20% or more of the classes for a particular course.

Each professor will employ the following rules for determining absences:

Only tardiness of less than 15 minutes may be counted as a tardy.
Three tardiness count as one absence.
Tardiness of more than 15 minutes counts as one hour of absence.
 
GRADING SCALE
 
Undergraduate

91-100 A
81-90 B
71-80 C
60-70 D
Below 60 F

Graduate

95-100 A
88-94 B
78-87 C
70-77 D
Below 70 F

GRADES, GRADE POINTS, & GRADE POINT AVERAGE
 
All work is graded by letters which are interpreted as follows (including grade points for each semester hour):

GRADE

A: Excellent: 4
B: Good: 3
C: Average: 2
D: Poor: 1
F: Failure: 0
S: Satisfactory
U: Unsatisfactory
N: Audit
WP: Withdrew Passing
WF: Withdrew Failing: 0
W: Withdrew
 
S-- This grade is given primarily for credit through Alternate Studies.  It reflects hours being earned toward graduation but has no hearing on the student’s Grade Average (GPA).
U-- This indicates THAT additional work must be done to receive a passing grade.  A “U” will become an “F” in 60 days if the work is not satisfactorily completed in that time period.
N-- This grade is assigned only to those who audit a class.  No arrangements may be made at a later date to change the grade to one allowing course credit.
WP--This indicates that the student is withdrawing as passing.  This grade has no bearing on the student's GPA.
WF-- This indicates that the student is withdrawing as passing.  This grade of 'WF' will be calculated as part of the student's GPA.
W-- This indicates that the student has officially withdrawn from school.  'W' is not calculated as part of the student's GPA.

The faculty may record a plus or minus after each passing grade where appropriate. This recording will be placed on the student's permanent record but will in no way affect the student's GPA. Only courses taken at LBS are used in computing a student's GPA.

A change in recorded grade may be made by an instructor only with the approval of the Dean. The Dean will recognize as justification for a change of grade only the fact THAT the professor made a grade calculation or recording error. A request for such change must be made in writing.
 
COURSE LOAD
 
Flexibility is permitted in the use of on-campus, external courses, seminars, modulars, and alternate course studies for a variety of interests and opportunities for ministry preparation.
 
WORK IN OTHER INSTITUTIONS
 
Students are not permitted to transfer credit from work completed at other institutions when the work is done concurrently with the work done at LBS unless permission is granted in advance by the student's advisor and the Dean.
 
ADD/DROP PROCEDURES
 
When courses are dropped, LBS will follow the refund policy stated under 'Refund Policy'.

A full refund of tuition will be given when a course is cancelled by the institution.

No classes may be added after the second week of classes.
During the first week, courses may be dropped with the approval of the professor. These courses will not be recorded on the student's transcript.

Courses dropped after the first week but before the eleventh week will be recorded as 'WP' (Withdrawal Passing) or 'WF' (Withdrawal Failing), depending on the student’s grade at the time the course is dropped.

All courses dropped in the last four weeks of a term will be recorded as failures, except in extreme circumstances subject to approval of the professor and the Dean.
 
WITHDRAWAL FROM SCHOOL
 
If a student finds it necessary to withdraw from school, the student must notify the Registrar's Office in writing.

In order to withdraw from school, the student must have made satisfactory financial arrangements with the Business Office.

No withdrawal becomes official until each of the requirements listed above has been satisfied. Failure to make official withdrawal may disqualify the student for reactivation at later time.
 
ACADEMIC PROBATION, SUSPENSION, AND DISMISSAL
 
The student will be notified of any action involving probation, suspension, or dismissal in writing by the Registrar's Office.

Probation

If at the end of a semester, a student fails to maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA, he or she will be placed on academic probation.

Suspension

While on probation, if a student fails to maintain a 2.0 GPA in any semester, he or she will be suspended for 1 semester.

Dismissal

Upon reaching the point of being suspended the second time, the student will be dismissed from school.

A student who has been dismissed may not make application to reactivate for at least one year.
 
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
 
Plagiarism

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, 2d College Edition, plagiarism is defined as taking and using "as one's own the writings or ideas of another". Plagiarism shall include failure to use quotation marks or other conventional markings around material quoted from another source. Plagiarism shall also include paraphrasing a specific passage from a source without indicating accurately what that source is. Plagiarism shall further include letting another person compose or rewrite a student’s written assignment.

Falsifying Information

Forging a proctor's name.
Submitting another's work as one's own.
Providing false or misleading documentation.

Other Forms of Academic Dishonesty

During examinations, academic dishonesty shall include referring to written information not specifically condoned by the instructor or syllabus. It shall further include receiving written or oral information from a fellow student or proctor.

Academic dishonesty shall include stealing, buying, selling, or transmitting a copy of any examination.

Any student proven to have committed any of the above will receive an “F” for the course and will receive an academic warning. If the student is proven to have been guilty a second time, he or she will be dismissed.
 
PROCTOR
 
A proctor is one who supervises the student as he/she takes examinations and verifies the integrity of the testing process. The proctor may not live at the same home address as the student, nor be a relative, nor be enrolled in the same level or lower degree program.
 
ACADEMIC APPEALS
 
Any student desiring to appeal a grade received may, within 30 days of the grade being given, do the following:

An on-campus student must make an appointment with the professor of the class to discuss the issue. An external student must telephone the professor involved to discuss the issue.

After discussing the issue with the professor, the student must submit a written request to the professor for re-evaluation of the grade in question.

If the issue is not resolved satisfactorily, the student must address a written appeal to the Academic Dean.

The decisions of the Academic Dean are final.

If the student desires to make an academic appeal based on extenuating circumstances, the following should be noted:

Consideration will be given to students who demonstrate in writing extenuating circumstances that hinder the completion of, or require withdrawal from, and on-campus class or on-campus classes. Other modes of study for completion of the on-campus classes will be included in the consideration.

Extenuating circumstances will include, but not be limited to the following: death in student's immediate family, crisis with a student's employment, prolonged serious illness of a student or a student's immediate family member, a student suffering a natural disaster, a military student's deployment or work.

In all cases which affect a student's immediate family member (except in the case of the death of a student's immediate family member), the phrase"immediate family member" will include a student's spouse, child, father, mother, father-in-law, or mother-in-law. In the case of the death of a student's immediate family member, the phrase "immediate family member" will, in addition to the preceding, also include a student's brother or sister.
 
NON-ACADEMIC APPEALS
 
Any student desiring to appeal non-academic decisions may, within 30 days of the decision, do the following:

Request in writing a hearing with the immediate supervisor of the individual or individuals involved along with all parties present.

If action is not satisfactory, request in writing a hearing with the Academic Dean and those individuals present in the original meeting.

If action is still not satisfactory, request in writing a hearing with the President and those individuals present in the second meeting.

The decision of the President is final.

REPEATING A COURSE
 
LBS follows a non-punitive course of remediation in which a student who fails a course is allowed to repeat that course to remove the 'F' from his or her transcript. Only the repeated course grade will appear on the transcript and will be calculated in the GPA.

The transcript will indicate, however, that the course was repeated. Also, the original grade will be retained in the student's academic file.
 
MAKE-UP POLICY
 
On campus students are expected to take all quizzes, tests, and examinations and to submit all papers and assignments on the day and hour announced. Exceptions may be made in the case in the case of serious illness or a death in the family, but the responsibility rests with the student to make arrangements with the professor to make up work.

For those parts of a course submitted or taken late for reasons other than serious illness or a death in the family, make-up privileges are at the discretion of the professor.
 
GRADUATION
 
Graduation Requirements

Institute Program: Satisfactory completion of all the ten courses required.

A.Th., B.Th., M.Th., and M.Div. Degree Programs
Satisfactory completion of the semester hour and course distribution requirements of the degree program.

A minimum GPA of 2.0.

Graduation Procedures
 
Students planning to graduate within 12 months must follow the procedures listed below:

It is the student's responsibility to request an Application for Graduation.

All applicants living in Lebanon and Syria must attend the commencement exercises held in Ayn Najem when appointed. Applicants living outside the area of mandatory attendance are strongly encouraged to attend.

All fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.

Along with the Application for Graduation, the student must submit the appropriate graduation fee and a completed copy of his Status Sheet. This Status Sheet will be reviewed and verified by the Registrar's Office.

To avoid a late charge, the deadline for submitting an Application for Graduation and appropriate fee is April 1 of the year in which the student plans to graduate. A late fee of $50 will be charged on all applicants submitted after April 1. No applications will be processed after June 1. Delivery of diplomas in time for the commencement exercises is guaranteed only if applications are received by April 1.

A student may receive a Letter of Completion before the date of commencement exercises if he/she meets the following criteria. The diploma itself will be dated and awarded in the day of commencement.

TRANSCRIPTS
 
Transcripts are released only to the student or to another institution at the student's written request. Official transcripts are sent only to other institutions, not to the student. Transcripts will be provided for a fee of $5.00 for each address to which the transcript is sent.

A transcript will not be released until all accounts are paid in full.