Saint Vincent Seminary Policy: Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults

Notice of Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity

 The Seminary, reconizing the value of faculty-student relationships, considers the academic advising of students to be an important element of their intellectual formation. Students in the Master of Divinity and Ordination programs are assigned an academic advisor when they begin studies. In subsequent semesters, students who wish to change their academic advisors may contact the Academic Dean.

Master of Arts and Bachelor of Sacred Theology candidates request a faculty member to serve as their academic advisor.

Sharing the same campus, the Seminary and the College take advantage of a mutually beneficial relationship. In some cases, pre-requisite courses can be taken in the undergraduate departments of the College. This is normally done during pre-theology for those in the Ordination Program.

A cooperative arrangement with the Theology Department in the College features some courses available to both undergraduates and graduates. A limited number of highly qualified undergraduates may be admitted to certain graduate courses as special students with the recommendation of the Chairperson of the Theology Department and the permission of the Academic Dean of the Seminary. 

The Academic Due Process Committee exists to deal with academic difficulties between a student and a teacher, especially as these difficulties pertain to grades. The Committee is composed of the Academic Dean, two faculty members appointed annually by the Rector and one student elected annually by the Academic Committee from its membership. An alternate faculty member is elected by the Academic Committee to serve in case a Committee member is a party to the difficulty. The Academic Dean is an ex-officio member of the Committee and serves as its chair.

A student who has an academic difficulty is asked to resolve the difficulty with the faculty member involved. If a mutually acceptable decision can be reached, the matter is settled by the teacher and the student.
In the event that a mutually acceptable decision cannot be reached, the student informs the Academic Dean of the difficulty. The Dean then discusses the matter with the faculty member.

If no resolution can be reached through the intervention of the Dean, the student may ask for a meeting of the Academic Due Process Committee. This request must be made within fourteen days of the Dean’s intervention. The student must present the Academic Dean with a written statement detailing the request for the convening of the Academic Due Process Committee.
Upon receipt of the student’s statement, the Dean shall convene the Academic Due Process Committee, which shall determine if there is reasonable cause to proceed with a hearing. If the Committee determines that no hearing is warranted, the decision of the teacher stands. There shall be no further appeal.

In the event that a hearing is granted, the Committee will review the matter with the student and the faculty member. The Committee, following the hearing, will make a decision in the matter by a simple majority vote. Either the student or the teacher involved may appeal the Committee’s decision to the Rector.

Upon review of the matter, the Rector will make a final decision that is not subject to further appeal.

 In the event that a hearing is granted, the Committee will review the matter with the student and the faculty member.  The Committee, following the hearing, will make a decision in the matter by a simple majority vote.  Either the student or the teacher involved may appeal the Committee’s decision to the Rector.

Upon review of the matter, the Rector will make a final decision that is not subject to further appeal.

 Saint Vincent Seminary assumes that all students come for a serious purpose and expects them to be responsible individuals who demand of themselves high standards of honesty and personal conduct.

Fundamental to the principle of independent learning and professional growth is the requirement of honesty and integrity in the performance of academic assignments, both in the classroom and outside, and in the conduct of personal life. Accordingly, Saint Vincent Seminary holds its students to the highest standards of intellectual integrity. Thus the attempt of any student to present work which he or she has not done or to pass any examinations by improper means is regarded by the faculty as a serious offense. In case of academic dishonesty, the professor, together with the Academic Dean, who confers with the student, decides on the appropriate sanction. Possible sanctions include failure for the assignment, failure for the course, suspension or dismissal.

The Master of Divinity and the Master of Arts degree programs are open to qualified diocesan, religious, and lay students. The Bachelor of Sacred Theology program is open to qualified ordination students. The specific admission requirements for degree programs are listed under each degree.

Persons considering application to the Seminary are encouraged to come to the campus and experience firsthand the environment and the spirit of Saint Vincent.

Acceptance to the Seminary is granted by the Admissions Committee. Applicants are notified of the decision of the Admissions Committee soon after all required documents are received. All correspondence should be addressed to the Academic Dean.

Applicants to the ordination program must already have legal authorization to be in the country for study or be sponsored directly by a religious order or diocese to be considered for admissions into the Seminary.

Academic requirements in effect at the time a student enrolls in the Seminary generally remain applicable to that student. However, the Seminary maintains the right to modify programs and to add or delete courses at any time. Work that was completed before the changes were made will be recognized towards the fulfillment of the requirements. New courses or requirements, however, may be applied to the incomplete portion of the student’s program.

If a student is readmitted to the Seminary, requirements for graduation are determined by the Bulletin in effect at the time of readmission. 

By the decision of the faculty on August 23, 2005, computers may not be used in taking any examinations.

For further policies on computer use and information services, please see the Information Resources and Responsible Use Policy on page 82.

After two semesters of successful studies in the theologate, Master of Divinity students may request admission to either the Master of Arts or the Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree programs.

Master of Divinity students who apply for dual degree status must meet the admission requirements for the degrees, have at least a 3.0 G.P.A. for the M.A. program or a 3.25 for the S.T.B. program and be recommended to the Academic Dean by the Master of Arts Committee or Bachelor of Sacred Theology Committee.

All full-time and part-time students are eligible for scholarships as determined by the administration of Saint Vincent Seminary. A full listing of available scholarships may be found on the Seminary website at www.saintvincentseminary.edu. The Committee must adhere to all stipulations as stated in the various trusts, funds, endowment funds, and scholarship bequests.

Tuition and Fees: Please see the 'Downloads' link under Programs on this website for the most recent information.

Billing: Bills are sent prior to the start of each semester and will be due upon receipt. Failure to pay may preclude the possibility of receiving a degree or honorable dismissal.

Withdrawal/Refund Policy:

• If withdrawing prior to the second day of classes, 100% Refund
• If withdrawing after second day through the first day of third week, 95% Refund
• If withdrawing after first day of third week through first day of fifth week, 40% Refund
• If withdrawing after first day of fifth week, 0% Refund 

Saint Vincent Seminary has adopted the following guidelines with regard to inclusive language:

• that a conscious effort be made to develop the inner freedom needed to relate to all persons with the sensitivity characteristic of our Lord;
• that a conscious effort be made to use inclusive language in all forms of written and spoken communications.

Field Education courses, Introduction to New Testament Greek, and Introduction to Ecclesiastical Latin may be taken on a pass/fail basis. Such courses will carry credit toward graduation but will not be used to compute the student’s grade point average if a “P” is earned. An “F” is computed in the grade point average.

With the Academic Dean’s approval, a student may indicate desire to take one of these courses on a pass/fail basis by filing a form with the Registrar before the date indicated on the academic calendar. After that date a change back to the letter grade option may not be made. Full tuition is charged.

As of August 2012, the following is the official policy of Saint Vincent Seminary regarding the recording of lectures or conversations with faculty members or administrators. According to our legal counsel, Pennsylvania law prohibits the recording of conversations without the prior consent of all parties. The recording of these conversations is treated as a felony violation according to Pennsylvania Statutes. Also, teachers have legal rights to their lectures, and you cannot record them without permission, just as a commercial cannot use a song without permission from the person who wrote the song. The recording of lectures in a classroom or public setting, without the prior consent of the professor, could be a violation of copyright law of the state of Pennsylvania, and may violate federal laws as well. Above and beyond legal realities, there are ethical standards that may be violated by any surreptitious or clandestine recordings of conversations or lectures, especially if these recordings are then distributed to others.

The policy of Saint Vincent Seminary is that it is both illegal and unethical behavior for anyone to secretly record any conversation between individuals, or any classroom or public lecture given in Saint Vincent Seminary, or sponsored by Saint Vincent Seminary anywhere on the Saint Vincent campus, without first having received permission in writing and in advance from the lecturer. All permission agreements should be signed by both (or, all) parties, dated, and should include all agreed-upon terms (for one lecture, for the entire semester, etc.). These completed agreements should be deposited in the Academic Dean’s Office PRIOR TO ACTUAL RECORDING.

Disciplinary, or even possibly legal, action could be taken if this behavior is discovered without the agreement of the lecturer, and especially if the fruits of this behavior are disseminated to others. 

The Seminary makes available a statement informing students of their rights under the “Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974” (The Buckley Amendment). The purpose of this act is to establish procedures that govern access to and release of student records kept by the Seminary. Questions about the access to, and release of, student records should be directed to the Rector or the Academic Dean.

An official transcript is issued upon written request from the student. Transcripts are sent directly to the institution named by the student. The fee for this service is $5.00.

It is the policy of the Seminary to send official transcripts to sponsors of students at the end of each semester. Individual students who object to this practice are expected to notify the Rector in writing no later than ten calendar days into the semester.

The Internet can be a valuable resource for research and education. However, when using the Internet one must be aware that not all material available is of reputable academic quality and representative of Church teaching. The Internet materials used for research must be published by a reputable academic and/or ecclesial establishment. Citation of Internet sources must include the address of the website and its affiliation and be in conformity with Your Guide to Writing Quality Research Papers: For Students of Religion and Theology, Nancy Jean Vyhmeister, (Grand Rapids: Michigan: Zondervan, 2008, Second Edition).

Faculty members have the right to prohibit, limit or restrict the number or proportion of the Internet sources used in any given project.

This is a link to the Seminary's Information Resources Policy.