Academic Catalog 2016-2017

General Policies

Nondiscrimination Policy

LifeSpring School of Ministry is an equal opportunity educational institution. LifeSpring does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, individual handicap, or veteran status in the recruitment and admission of students, the recruitment and employment of faculty and staff, and the operation of any of its programs and activities, as specified by federal laws and regulations.

Student Information

Student E-mail

LifeSpring correspondence to students is primarily through e-mail. Students are responsible to keep their e-mail contact information current and to check their e-mail regularly for information regarding their LifeSpring account.

Privacy Policy

LifeSpring School of Ministry designates the following student information as public or directory information:

Name, addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, gender, date of birth, program, photograph, dates of attendance, class level, the most recent previous institution attended, major field(s) of study, degrees and awards received.

Such information may be disclosed by LifeSpring for any purpose at its discretion.

Students may withhold disclosure of directory information by requesting a “Restriction of Directory Information Form” from office@lifespringschool.org.

Grades and GPA of scholarship applicants may be disclosed to scholarship sponsors for screening purposes.

Grades and pertinent information of students applying for documentation to the North American Ministerial Council will be disclosed to the License and Credentials Committee.

Graduate contact information may be disclosed to authorized local or denominational leadership of the General Conference of the Church of God (Seventh Day) for ministry enlistment purposes.

Students who wish to authorize other individuals to have access to their records, or to perform certain administrative functions in their behalf, may submit an Authorization Form, available in the LifeSpring Student Center. Students may retract authorization at any time.

Student information also includes all records obtained under Summit School of Theology (SST) and Ministries Training System (MTS).

Student Status

A student must enroll in a minimum of one course every four terms to remain active. Inactive students must apply for readmission and complete a degree program under the regulations published in the catalog that is in effect at the time of re-enrollment.

Course Load

LifeSpring offers a course schedule that is based on a part-time course load.

Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Action

All students are required to conduct themselves in accordance with LifeSpring School of Ministry’s written policies and the instructions of LifeSpring School of Ministry’s staff and faculty.

As participants in a ministry of the General Conference of the Church of God (Seventh Day), all LifeSpring School of Ministry students are expected to conduct themselves in a Christian manner. This Christian behavior specifically includes, but is not limited to:

• Godly and edifying behavior toward fellow students and faculty/staff in all of their interaction.
• Intellectual honesty in all of their work, as outlined in the Intellectual Honesty policy.
• Supporting the stated mission, purpose and goals of LifeSpring School of Ministry.
• Upholding and respecting the doctrines of the General Conference of the Church of God (Seventh Day), as set forth in the Statement of Faith, even when the students’ personal beliefs may conflict with the official doctrines of the General Conference.

Failure to abide by this code of conduct will result in disciplinary action, at the discretion of the LifeSpring School of Ministry administration. This disciplinary action will be requisite to the offense and will seek whenever possible to correct the misbehavior and encourage the student to continue their studies.

However, severe or repeated violations of this code of conduct may result in the removal of the student from individual classes or even expulsion from a LifeSpring School of Ministry program or its student body. Students who are the subject of disciplinary action from an instructor may appeal to the Dean of Academic Affairs and Dean of Administration and Student Affairs regarding their situation. If they are not satisfied, students may appeal to the President of the General Conference who represents the final authority in all matters of disciplinary action.