A C A D E M I C    P O L I C I E S

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Retention of course work
Course assignments and exams are important educational tools that help assess academic performance. Instructors should return work to students in a timely manner. Instructors have the option of allowing students to see graded work, but then collecting it again. When this is done, instructors are asked to keep the work for at least three months before disposing of it to provide opportunity for review and discussion.

Students who wish to have assignments and exams returned to them after they have left campus are responsible to purchase an envelope from the receptionist, address it, and see that it is delivered to the course instructor. One envelope is required for each course. The instructor is responsible to place graded course work in the addressed envelope and return it to the receptionist for mailing.



Admission Requirements
Rosedale Bible College admits students whom it believes will benefit from the spiritual and educational emphasis of the school and who will make a positive contribution to campus life. The primary criteria for admission are a personal commitment to Christ and a willingness to cooperate with the guidelines of the school. For exceptional cases, the admissions committee, in consultation with the faculty collegium, may choose to accept a student who does not yet have a personal commitment to Christ.

The admissions office can take action on an applicant's file when the application form has been completed, at least two completed references have been returned, the appropriate fees have been paid, and applicable high school and college transcripts as well as a signed covenant from the student handbook are in the file. High school graduation or a GED is required for normal admission; others may be admitted on academic probation.
Application Deadlines
Applications received less than three weeks from the beginning of classes will be assessed a late fee in addition to the normal application fee.

Applications for admission will be accepted up to three weeks before the beginning of classes for Canadian citizens and up to two weeks before the beginning of classes for U.S. citizens. Applications received after these deadlines will be processed for the following term or semester.

Exceptions to these deadlines can be made at the discretion of the academic assistant in consultation with the academic dean.

Re-Enrollment
Students re-enrolling after missing a semester or term, or after a summer break, are considered returning students unless they have been absent for more than two academic years. Students absent for more than two years must submit the entire application packet required of new students, high school transcripts excepted.

Returning students may register for classes if they have a signed student covenant for the current year on file and their financial account is current. Registrations for students returning after a summer break has occurred require approval of the admissions committee.

Registrations for returning students will be accepted up to the Tuesday of the week preceding the beginning of the term or semester for which acceptance is requested.

Exceptions to this deadline can be made at the discretion of the academic assistant in consultation with the academic dean.



Home-schooled applicants
Rosedale Bible College affirms the values which lead some families to educate their children at home, and welcomes applications from students who have been home-schooled. Students who have completed the equivalent of four years of high school simply follow the normal application process.

RBC also welcomes students who are at least seventeen years old to study at RBC either part time or full time during their senior year of high school. In such cases, the admissions committee gives extra attention to personal references in an attempt to assess the student's maturity and preparedness to join the RBC community.



Enrollment in Academic Programs
Every student enrolled at Rosedale Bible College who does not specify their program will be initially enrolled, by default, in the One-Year Certificate in Biblical Studies program.



Earning a second degree
Students may earn only one Associate in Biblical Studies degree at Rosedale Bible College. When a student desires to take additional courses following graduation from the degree program (e.g., fulfilling the requirements for an additional concentration), the additional coursework is noted on the official transcript, but no additional diploma or certificate is awarded.



Curricular Exceptions
Students desiring to make course substitutions to meet program requirements are required to complete the Academic Petition Form available in the academic office. The academic dean approves substitutions on a course-by-course basis.



Graduation Requirements
A diploma or certificate will be granted upon satisfactory completion of the required courses in one or more of the school's programs, and upon satisfactory completion of required Ministry Formation hours. At least a "C" average (i.e., a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher) is required. Transfer students must earn a minimum of 18 credit hours at RBC to graduate. A graduation fee is due at the beginning of the final term of study. Diplomas and certificates are not released until all bills are paid.



Graduation with honors
Students who complete the degree program with a grade point average of 3.75 or higher graduate with honors. Students graduating with honors are recognized in the following ways: honors cords at graduation, an honors dinner planned by the academic dean, and the designation "with honor" in the printed graduation program and in the verbal presentation of the graduate during commencement.



Academic eligibility for extra-curricular ministries
Students participating in extra-curricular ministries supervised by the college (e.g. music ensembles, drama groups, technical teams) are expected to maintain a grade point average of at least 2.0.
Directors of extra-curricular ministries are expected to consult with the academic office before finalizing their selection of student participants. Situations in which a student's GPA falls below 2.0 will be handled on a case-by-case basis by the academic dean, in conjunction with the director of the extra-curricular ministry.



Academic credit for drama productions
Students may receive up to one hour of credit for each term or semester they participate in a dramatic production. The academic dean, in consultation with the director of the dramatic production, determines who is eligible to receive credit and how much they should receive.



Freshman Forgiveness
A student who earns a course grade of "D" or lower during his or her first 18 credit hours may repeat the course under the freshman forgiveness policy. Prior to earning 60 hours of credit, the student may apply in writing for this provision. The course grade earned in the first attempt remains on the student's record, but only the grade earned during the second attempt is used in calculating the grade point average.



REACH Credit

1. Students who have completed the REACH program may request academic credit for their REACH experience from the Registrar's office at RBC. The request for credit must be made within three years after the completion of the REACH program.
   
   
2. Students requesting credit should present written verification from the REACH office specifying the dates of participation and the location of the field experience.
   
   
3. Credit for participation in REACH is graded on a pass/non-pass basis. The academic dean assigns this grade based on the written recommendation of the REACH administrator.
   
   
4. Students may request REACH credit from RBC only after earning at least 18 credit hours either prior to or following participation in REACH. Tuition for REACH credit is twenty percent of the standard tuition rate, payable at the time the credit is granted.
   
   
5. Up to 6 credit hours of REACH credit may be earned for the following courses:
   

Independent study
A student may take a course as an independent study under the following circumstances:

• The student maintains a GPA of 2.0 or higher
• The course is a required course for graduation
• A student is unable to take the course because of a schedule conflict with another required course
• The instructor agrees to teach the course as an independent study
• The student masters essentially the same material he/she would in a normal class
• The student pays the normal tuition fee
• The student has obtained permission from the academic office

For courses outside the area of program concentration, instructors have the option of grading on a pass/nonpass basis.

Requests for exceptions to these general policies will be considered by the academic dean.



Satisfactory Academic Progress
In order for a student to receive Title IV, Ohio, or Rosedale Bible College financial aid, a student must demonstrate satisfactory academic progress (SAP) towards graduation as determined by Rosedale Bible College. Rosedale Bible College's standard meets or exceeds the minimal requirement set forth by the Dept. of Education and the Ohio Board of Regents. In order for a student to receive Title IV and Ohio funds they must:

• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher.
• Be enrolled in the one-year certificate program or the two-year associate degree program.
• A student is eligible for title IV aid for 150% of the required credit hours for any program.
• At any given point 67% of a student's attempted credit hours must be within their program of study in order to maintain SAP.

If a student's cumulative grade point average falls below 2.00 they will be placed on academic probation. Once on academic probation, a student may receive Title IV, Ohio, and Rosedale Bible College financial aid for an additional 12 credit hours. If after attempting 12 credit hours the student is still not making SAP, he or she will no longer be eligible to receive any financial aid funds. If a student who has lost eligibility achieves a CGPA of 2.00 or higher they will once again be eligible for Title IV, Ohio, and Rosedale Bible College financial aid funds.

Any student who is denied title IV funds due to the lack of SAP may appeal in writing, detailing any mitigating circumstances, to the financial aid administrator. This letter will be reviewed by the financial aid committee and they will provide a written response to the student detailing their final decision.



Refunds
Students who terminate their time at RBC during the first week of a term or semester will receive a 90 percent refund of tuition, room and board. The refund will be reduced by 20 percent each week thereafter. No refund will be given after the end of week four. Tuition refunds for course withdrawals follow the schedule outlined above.



Course changes
The academic office must approve course changes. The deadline for submitting changes is 4:00 p.m. on the first Friday of semesters, and 4:00 p.m. on the second day of classes during the winter term.



Withdrawal from courses
Students who withdraw from a course after the normal deadline for finalizing course selection, and before the beginning of the next to last week of classes, will receive a "W" on their transcripts. After that point, students may withdraw from a class only with special permission from the academic office. Students should be aware that withdrawal from a course may cause them to no longer meet residence requirements.



Full classes and academic probation
Students on academic probation will generally not be allowed to take courses for which there is a waiting list. There may be exceptions made for persons with a reasonable probability of graduating, who need a particular course for graduation. Otherwise, classes with waiting lists will be reserved for students in good academic standing.



Transcripts
Requests for transcripts from RBC must be made to the academic office in writing, and must include the student's signature. Requests may be submitted electronically so long as they include a facsimile of the required signature.

Students requesting that transcripts be sent to a third party must include the name and address to which the transcript is to be sent. The first two official transcripts are free; additional official transcripts are $3.00 each. Unofficial transcripts are free upon request.

No transcripts will be released for students who have unpaid fees or loans in default.



Credit transfer
Credits may be transferred to RBC from colleges and institutions on a case-by-case basis as approved by the academic dean and as they apply toward completing a program of study at RBC. Students desiring to transfer academic credits from other institutions are required to complete the Credit Transfer Request Form available in the academic office. Transferred credits must be at or above a grade level of "C."



Plagiarism
Plagiarism is using another persons' ideas or thoughts without acknowledging that they are borrowed from someone else. It may range from copying an entire work to copying a small portion of a work without indicating clearly the source. Plagiarism is intellectual dishonesty and is a serious academic offense.

Students can easily avoid plagiarism by indicating clearly where they obtained their information. Instructors are expected to watch for plagiarism, to take it seriously when it occurs, and to notify the academic office. Depending on the seriousness of the offense, the consequences may range from giving a failing grade for the assignment to giving a failing grade for the course.



Academic Probation
Students who have attempted at least twelve credit hours and whose cumulative GPA has fallen below 2.0 will be placed on academic probation. A student on academic probation has failed to make satisfactory academic progress (SAP), which may impact eligibility for financial aid. The student on probation must meet weekly with the academic dean or with an advisor appointed by him. The advisor may require that the student provide information about the student's study patterns and progress being made on class assignments. The academic dean, in consultation with the dean of students, may choose to limit the student's involvement in extra-curricular activities.

A student remaining on academic probation for longer than one semester may be dismissed from the college for a 6-month period. Students who seek re-admission after a dismissal period are required to meet with the academic dean who may impose special readmission requirements. Students who have been dismissed for academic reasons for the second time may be denied admission to the college at the academic dean's discretion.

A cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher will release a student from academic probation.