Each student is responsible for knowing the academic regulations and other program requirements of the school in which they are enrolled. While the academic dean, the student's student success advisor, and the registrar’s office may provide appropriate reminders, the primary responsibility for knowing and fulfilling all policies rests with the individual student.

These are the academic policies and scholastic regulations related to this catalog's academic year.  Topics are listed alphabetically below.

Academic Honesty

Since Bethel University is a Christian academic community, its fundamental purpose is the pursuit of knowledge and the development of growing Christian persons. Essential to the success of this educational mission is a commitment to principles of ethical academic integrity. Each member of the university community is responsible for upholding the highest standards of honesty at all times. Students, as members of this community, are also responsible for adhering to the principles and spirit of academic honesty.

Academic Dishonesty Definitions

Activities that have the effect or intention of interfering with education, pursuit of knowledge, or fair evaluation of a student’s performance are prohibited. Examples of such activities include, but are not limited to:

• Cheating: Using or attempting to use assistance, materials, or study aids not authorized and/or specifically prohibited by the instructor.  

• Plagiarism: Using the ideas (e.g. concepts, theories), data,  language, media, or images of another source (e.g. human or artificial intelligence) and representing it as one’s own original work, without specific and proper acknowledgement. 

• Fabrication: Deliberately submitting false, fraudulent, or altered information in any academic work.

• Multiple submission: Submitting, without prior permission, any work previously or concurrently submitted to fulfill another academic requirement. 

• Misrepresentation of academic records: Misrepresenting, tampering with, or attempting to tamper with any portion of a student’s academic record.

• Facilitating academic dishonesty: Knowingly helping or attempting to help others violate any provision of this academic dishonesty policy.

• Unfair advantage: Exercising or attempting to exercise unauthorized or unfair academic advantage over others or impeding the academic work of others.

Academic Petitions

Students who have a concern or dispute related to any academic policy matter in a class (e.g. grading, scheduling, instruction, deadlines etc.) should confer with their instructor to express their concerns, exchange information, and discuss a possible resolution. In the event that a satisfactory solution is not achieved, a student may submit an academic petition.

An academic petition may also be submitted by a student for concerns or disputes within or outside of a specific class if the student believes they are not being treated fairly, or in accordance with announced policies, or who have extenuating circumstances beyond their control that warrant an exception to a policy.

Under all circumstances in which a student would consider submitting an academic petition, it is advisable that they first consult with their student success advisor.

Academic petitions fall into two categories:

Exception Requests

• Completion of degree requirements from a prior catalog year
• Extension of time to complete a degree
• Grade change for a course
• Registration change for a course: Add, Drop, or Withdrawal after the deadline (with or without a request for tuition refund)
• Required course or directed study substitution
• Residency requirement
• Exception to other academic policy

Appeals

• Academic Dismissal
• Co-curricular Dismissal
• Denial of an Exception Request

Academic petitions must be filed no later than 60 days after the student has reasonable notice of the circumstances that give rise to the issues presented in the petition (e.g., within 60 days of a faculty or administrative action affecting the student). Petitions must be filed according to the process defined for CAPS, Seminary, and GS, which is in compliance with Minnesota Statutes Section 122A.09, subdivision 4, paragraph (c).

The Academic Petition form will be made available to the student upon correspondence with the student success advisor. Initial filing of the academic petition must be submitted to the student success advisor who transmits it to the appropriate decision-making person or committee.

Academic Standing 

Academic standing is evaluated based on the student's cumulative GPA at the end of each term in which they have registered for one or more A-F graded courses, starting with their first term of enrollment.  "Term" is defined as Fall, Spring and Summer.

Academic standing is determined upon initial submission of final grades for Fall, Spring, and Summer terms. In addition, academic standing will be reassessed after students have received a change of grade (including incompletes) or have repeated a course.  

The Office of the Registrar determines and makes the final decision on all academic standing designations assigned to any student. The Office of the Registrar notifies students of all standings except that of Good Standing and No Calculation.

Some Bethel University programs may have more stringent policies for continued enrollment than those expressed in the university academic standing policies. Such program specific requirements are listed with program information and/or the student handbook. Students must adhere to their specific program continuation or graduation requirements in addition to maintaining good academic standing. Any such program alerts, probations and dismissals are the decision of the deans and program directors for that program and are not under the purview of the Office of the Registrar.

Students have the right to petition their academic standing and are advised to contact their student success advisor for more information about this process.

Provisionally admitted students should refer to the Admissions Categories/Provisional Evaluation section of the catalog for academic requirements unique to their admittance category.

Academic Probation

Students whose Academic Standing has been evaluated and do not meet the requirements for Good Academic Standing will be placed on Academic Probation. Students can be on probation for no more than two consecutive terms. These are referred to as Academic Probation 1 and Academic Probation 2. 

Students are placed on Academic Probation 1 when they were on Good Academic Standing or No Calculation in  the last term in which they were enrolled. 

Students are placed on Academic Probation 2 when they were on Academic Probation 1 in the last term in which they were enrolled or in the term in which they re-enrolled after Academic Dismissal. 

Students must achieve Good Academic Standing at the end of the term in which they are on Academic Probation 2 to avoid Academic Dismissal. 

Accessibility

The Office of Accessibility Resources and Services (OARS) exists to create equal opportunities for students with disabilities at Bethel University. Services for students with disabilities are coordinated through OARS by providing reasonable accommodations.

OARS serves students with various types of disabilities, including physical, sensory, learning, psychiatric, systemic, and some chronic illnesses. The Americans with Disabilities Act defines an individual with a disability as "a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.” To receive accommodations, students must provide documentation of a disability.

Reasonable accommodations are approved after an interactive process with the student and OARS. The instructor will provide accommodations, but the student is required to initiate the process. Students registered with OARS are responsible for logging in to their AIM, Accessibility Accommodation portal (via MyBethel) each term to request their Faculty Notification Letter of Accommodations. Accommodations cannot be applied prior to the faculty’s receipt of the letter. Accommodations cannot modify essential requirements or fundamentally alter the nature of the course. Consultation with OARS may be necessary to clarify reasonable accommodations based on the course.

For further information or to schedule an appointment to discuss needs, students should contact the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services

• Email
• 651.638.6833 (800.255.8706, ext. 6833).

Additional Baccalaureate Degree

An additional Bethel University Baccalaureate Degree (i.e. Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Science in Nursing) may be awarded, upon request, when a student has met all requirements of the additional degree and earned, in residence, a minimum of twenty-seven (27) unduplicated Semester Credits from the department in which the additional degree is earned. Unduplicated semester credits are those that are not used to meet the requirements of any other Bethel University Baccalaureate Degree. Transfer students who hold a Baccalaureate Degree may earn a Bethel University Baccalaureate Degree if they meet all the requirements of the degree program including the general education requirement, Bethel Core Distinctives, and the residency requirements.

Attendance Policy

Attendance and Online Participation Policy

The model of learning practiced in the College of Adult & Professional Studies and in the Graduate School relies on active, self-directed students who enhance each other’s learning interactively. Students are accountable not only for completing individual work, but also for participating in all interactive learning activities designed by course faculty in the following ways:

• Online interaction as directed by faculty.
• Energetic participation in classroom sessions.
• Participation in clinicals, field tours, etc.

A student is considered to have participated in an online course by participating in measurable activities as assigned such as graded work, synchronous, interactive, and collaborative activities. 

The attendance and participation policy emphasizes faculty and student responsibility for interactive adult learning in the following ways:

• In course syllabi, faculty will designate the value of participation in interactive learning activities in the classroom, in the field, and online.
• Students are responsible to participate in and complete all interactive learning activities and to master their content.
• Full (100%) course participation is defined by completion of all activities as assigned.
• Course syllabi will indicate whether make-up work is or is not appropriate for non-attendance in the classroom or lack of participation in designated learning activities.
• Absence or non-participation due to illness or other emergency may be excused at the discretion of the faculty.
• Students should expect that non-participation in interactive activities associated with more than 20% of the schedule of the course will reduce a course grade or risk course failure.  For face-to-face and hybrid courses, this includes attending at least 80% of scheduled face-to-face time.
• At the discretion of the institution, lack of participation during the first two weeks of a course may result in course registration being dropped; this may affect financial aid awards. Multiple instances of course registrations being dropped for non-participation may result in all registration being dropped for the student.

Attendance Requirements for Auditors

Auditing is defined as “observation in the classroom setting.” Auditors are required to meet the attendance and other requirements set by the instructor. Auditors who do not meet the attendance and other requirements will be graded WZ. Participation for auditors beyond attendance in class activities is at the instructor’s discretion. A student may change to or from audit status with the instructor’s approval only during the first 60% of the course.

Program-specific Attendance Requirements 

In addition to the general admission requirements, specific programs may require additional attendance requirements stated within the program’s catalog page, handbook, and/or in individual course syllabi.

Calendar and Student Load

Bethel operates on a semester calendar. Students will collaborate with their student success advisor to determine an academic plan appropriate to achieve their educational goal.

Student load for each academic term is as follows:

• Full time = 12 credits or more
• Part time = 0.1 to 11.9 credits
  • Three-Quarter time = 9 - 11.9 credits
  • Half time = 6 - 8.9 credits
  • Less than half time = 0.1 to 5.9 credits

Receiving an extension or a grade of Incomplete in a course does not extend a student’s enrollment beyond the final date of class.

Credits must apply toward a student’s graduation requirements. If credits are not toward graduation requirements or a student drops below full-time or half-time status a student's eligibility for certain financial aid programs may be affected.

Classification of Students

The official classification of students is made on the basis of a student completing credits (including transferred credits) according to the following schedule:

At the freshman and sophomore levels, students may enroll only in lower-division courses (100- and 200-level). Students must have at least junior standing to enroll in 300- and 400-level courses, except where noted in the course description in this catalog.

Commencement

Bethel University holds a winter commencement and a spring commencement each year. Bethel Seminary commencement is held in the Spring of each year. Exact dates, application, and details are published on the MyBethel portal channel for Commencement. 

To be eligible to participate in the May commencement ceremony, students must have a plan to complete all remaining courses by the end of the Fall term of the next academic year. To be eligible for the December ceremony, students must have a plan to complete all remaining courses by the end of the Spring term of the same academic year. Graduation plans must be reviewed and approved by the Office of Student Success and Retention.

Certain programs have additional requirements to be eligible for commencement. 

Students may contact their student success advisor with questions about their eligibility.

Cross Enrollment

Cross enrollment provides an opportunity for students enrolled in one Bethel school (CAS, CAPS, Seminary, or GS) to take specific courses in another Bethel school as a guest student. Students must first consult their academic advisor in CAS or student success advisor in CAPS, Seminary, or GS before undertaking the cross enrollment process. Requests are subject to approval by advisors, department chairs or program directors, and deans. Limitations may include prerequisites, available space, program restrictions and the number of courses at the host school in which a student may enroll. 

NOTE: The College of Adult & Professional Studies courses are not open to students currently enrolled in the College of Arts & Sciences at Bethel University except where specific agreements exist between the deans of both schools.

Directed Study

Depending on the major, a student may be required to complete a directed study experience or may have the option of completing an elective directed study experience in his/her major under the guidance of a faculty member. The directed study may consist of independent reading and/or research, or travel with related study. Students design such an experience in cooperation with the supervising faculty member.

Students may engage in a directed study under the following regulations:

1. The proposed study must embody significant academic purpose and content, equal in quality to a regular course, yet be of such a nature that it cannot be obtained within an existing course. The amount and distribution of work should be similar to that of a regularly offered course of comparable credit.

2. Students must have demonstrated in program coursework that they have the capability and background to study independently. Students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher as certification of this ability.

3. Students may take only one directed study per term and no more than a total of two directed studies toward graduation. A faculty supervisor may direct no more than two study projects (directed studies and courses by arrangement) per term.

4. Upon fulfilling the agreement, students receive credit on their transcript for the course as titled. A directed study is graded based on an A–F grade mode, not S/U, and therefore is included in the student's cumulative GPA.

5. Complete the following procedures to obtain approval of a directed study proposal:

   1. The Directed Study Agreement form is available through My.Bethel.edu (Student Academics > Registration > Forms > caps-gs-directed-study-application).

   2. The student meets with the faculty member who will supervise the study. They jointly prepare the electronic Directed Study form, which includes submitting a syllabus with the objectives of the study, the study's relationship to the student's overall program, the specific content and procedures of the study, the definition of student and faculty roles, the product or response to be made by the student on which his or her learning will be evaluated, and the number and frequency of regular contacts between the student and supervisor. Students doing research off campus will contact their supervisor by phone at regular intervals at the student’s expense.

   3. When the student submits the electronic Directed Study form, it is automatically sent to the Office of the Registrar and to a designated dean, who confers with the student success advisor, the program director, and the divisional dean to determine approval.

   4. If approved, the Office of the Registrar coordinates the creation of the course, registers the student, and notifies the student and instructor that the course was approved and the registration is complete.

   5.  Processing of the agreement by the Office of the Registrar validates the agreement.

Electives

Elective courses are open to all College of Adult & Professional Studies students. They may be taken:

• To fulfill prerequisite or general education requirements.
• To meet minimum credit requirements for graduation.
• To fulfill prerequisites toward admission to a graduate program.
• For personal interest or to foster personal growth.

Taking elective credits which are not required as part of a student's degree requirements (program of study) could affect financial aid eligibility. Students should contact their student success advisor before registering for electives which are not listed on their academic plan. 

Elective Credit Options

During the admission process, applicants receive an academic evaluation to determine whether they have satisfied the general education requirements and whether any elective credits are needed for their degree program. The number of total credits needed for graduation is 60 for all associate’s degrees and 122 for all bachelor’s degrees (assuming all residency requirements are met).

Applicants who meet all the prerequisite and general education courses required for admission and graduation will not need to pursue additional elective credit options. Applicants pursuing elective credit options may do so using any combination of the following options.  Credit is awarded only when the content does not overlap or repeat courses on a student’s transcript. Students should obtain approval from their student success advisors in order to avoid overlap or repetition.

Option 1 • Credit from Bethel University or Institutionally Accredited Institutions

Elective courses offered through the College of Adult & Professional Studies at Bethel University are listed in this catalog in the respective academic disciplines. Students may opt to add a minor to their bachelor’s degree program. A minor is a series of courses, between 18 and 24 credits, in an academic discipline outside of the student’s major. Credit earned in other Bethel University schools is transferable to CAPS. Students may also request transfer of credit to CAPS by submitting official transcripts from an institution that has institutional accreditation that is approved by the U.S. Department of Education for evaluation.

Option 2 • Educational Experiences in the Armed Forces

Students may receive college credit earned through military training if the American Council on Education (ACE) has recommended credit. A Joint Services Transcript is required.

Option 3 • Standardized Subject Examinations

Students may earn college credits by successfully passing a standardized exam in content areas for which they have not already earned college credit. CAPS students can earn up to 40 credits through any combination of the AP, CLEP, DSST, Excelsior, and IB exams, which are equivalent to college courses. Official transcripts or official score reports from the examination programs are required for credit awards.  Bethel awards credit based on recommendations from the American Council on Education (ACE).

• DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests): For the convenience of students, Bethel offers online DSST examinations each month. More than 30 DSST examinations are available on a variety of academic subjects. With a passing score, three semester credits are earned. See the DSST website for more details.
• CLEP (College-Level Examination Program): Examinations are administered at various testing sites in the Twin Cities. More than 30 CLEP examinations are available on a variety of academic subjects. With a passing score, college credit is earned. CLEP scores are valid for 20 years.  See the CLEP website for more details.
• AP (Advanced Placement), UExcel/ECE (Excelsior), and IB (Higher Level International Baccalaureate): Students who have passed these exams may earn college credit based on their exam scores. See the respective websites for more information: AP, UExcel/ECE, and IB.

Option 4 - ACE-approved Training

Many career fields offer non-collegiate-sponsored training courses, examinations, or certifications. Students may earn PLA credit for completing such training that has been recommended for credit by the American Council on Education (ACE). Where applicable, Bethel will accept PLA credit at the value recommended by the ACE. For details see the Transfer Credit policy in this catalog. 

Extracurricular Activities

Students in the College of Adult & Professional Studies are restricted from participation in extracurricular organizations and programs sponsored by the College of Arts & Sciences, including intercollegiate, club, and intramural sports.

Freedom of Inquiry

All students have the right to free inquiry and scholarly investigation. Students are encouraged to discuss all topics freely and to exchange ideas in a mutually respectful manner. They are also free to publish any findings or recommendations, either individually or in association with others, provided they make no claim to represent the university without due authorization, and they have secured the appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals if necessary.

Grading System

Coursework is evaluated on the following scale:

An instructor has the option of affixing a minus to the grade of A, a plus or a minus to the grades of B and C, and a plus to the grade of D. A plus increases the number of grade points awarded by 0.3, and a minus decreases the number of grade points awarded by 0.3.

All grades are considered final and are not subject to change except for errors in calculation, or as a result of a successful academic petition. Students should contact their student success advisor about submitting a petition, if desired. The grade of I or IN is resolved to a grade when work is completed or the incomplete extension deadline has been reached (see: Grade of I or IN).

GPA Calculations

The GPA is determined by dividing the number of grade points by the number of credits the student has attempted in A-F letter-graded courses at Bethel. When a course is repeated, only the last attempt is used in computing the GPA. The exception is when a course is designated as repeatable, in which case it can be taken for a grade for a prescribed number of times, with each occurrence factoring into the GPA.

Cumulative GPA

Coursework included in the cumulative GPA calculation meet all of the following criteria:

• Completed.
• Given a letter grade of A-F.
• Taken in the term being evaluated for academic standing.
• Taken at the level of the student's degree/credential of pursuit at that time (undergraduate, masters, doctoral).

Coursework not included in the cumulative GPA calculation are:

• Non-A-F letter graded courses. These courses are graded as: AU, CR, I (Incomplete for A-F letter graded courses), IN (Incomplete for S/U courses), IP, N, NR, P/F (pass/fail), S/U, W and WZ. 
• Courses taken at a level other than the student's degree/credential of pursuit at that time (undergraduate, masters, doctoral). 

Grade of AU

The grade AU is given when a student audits a course. 

Auditing at Bethel is defined as observation in the classroom setting.  Participation beyond attendance in class activities is the instructor’s prerogative. Not all courses are available to audit. Students wishing to audit a course must secure the consent of their student success advisor and the course instructor at the beginning of the term. A student may change to or from audit status with the instructor’s approval only during the first 60% of the course.

Auditors are required to meet the attendance requirements set by the instructor. Students who do not meet the attendance requirements will be graded WZ.

Grade of CR

The grade CR is used for coursework that is excluded from GPA calculations.

Grade of I or IN

The grade I or IN is given when a student is unable to complete the course requirements in the regular time due to extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control. The incomplete must be negotiated with and approved by the instructor before a grade of I or IN will be allowed. Remaining work must be of the kind that can be done largely through independent effort. The grade of I or IN must be resolved with a letter grade of A-F or S/U grade, assigned by the instructor prior to the incomplete extension due date. If not resolved by the due date, the student will receive the default grade designated by the instructor.

The maximum incomplete extension due date an instructor may assign is 12 weeks from the end date of the part of term in which the course occurred. Students with multiple grades of I or IN may be required to withdraw from future coursework and finish their program after all grades of I or IN have been resolved.

Incompletes in practicums and internships may be handled differently. The following courses have a maximum incomplete extension due date of one year from the end date of the part of term in which the course occurred:

Grades of IP, N, and NR

The grades of IP (In Progress), N (Not Graded) and NR (Not Reported) are generated for administrative use only. These grades are not counted in the GPA.

Grades of S and U

The S/U (satisfactory/unsatisfactory) grade mode is used in designated courses as noted in the course description. Most other courses are graded based on the default A–F grade mode. A student may count no more than 12 credits of S/U graded courses toward graduation requirements. The S grade indicates achievement equivalent to at least a grade of D.

Grade of W

The grade W is given to a student who officially withdraws from a course by the withdrawal deadline, which is approximately 60% of the total course length.  After the withdrawal deadline, students will receive the grade they have earned. Grades of W do not affect the Grade Point Average (GPA).  

The undergraduate GPA is calculated only on the basis of undergraduate credits attempted at Bethel. 

Honors

The following academic society has been approved to award honors cords to graduates to wear in the commencement ceremony:

• Sigma Theta Tau International, Honor Society of Nursing

Graduates requesting to wear honors cords from societies that are NOT on the approved list must submit requests by email by March 31 or October 31 for the spring and fall ceremonies respectively. The graduate will be informed of the decision (approved or denied), and approved societies will be listed in future catalogs.

Honors in the commencement program and ceremony for bachelor’s degrees will be recognized for students who have achieved a cumulative Bethel undergraduate GPA of 3.90 or higher as of October 31 for the winter ceremony and as of March 31 for the spring ceremony.

Immunization Requirements

Minnesota state law requires some students attending college, graduate school, or seminary to show proof of immunization. The law makes others exempt from the requirement. For students in the College of Adult and Professional Studies, Bethel Seminary, and the Graduate School, the following applies:

Students who do not need to provide proof of immunization

• Any student born before 1957
• Any student who graduated from a Minnesota high school in 1997 or later.
• All CAPS students enrolled only in CAPS classes unless required by their program to be immunized*
• GS and Seminary students who: 
  • Attend only evening or weekend classes
  • Study only in online classes who are not otherwise required to provide proof of immunization because of their field of study
  • Have intensives or residencies that are seven or fewer consecutive days

Students who must provide proof of immunization

• Any student who attends face-to-face classes during weekday daytime hours if they are not otherwise exempted by the statute because of their age or year of graduation from a Minnesota high school
• Students in particular fields of study (usually in the medical professions)*
• Students who come to campus for residencies or intensives that are longer than seven consecutive days if not otherwise exempted by the statute because of their age or year of graduation from a Minnesota high school
• “Cross Enrollment” students in CAPS, Seminary, or GS who take CAS classes or Seminary daytime classes if not otherwise exempted by the statute because of their age or year of graduation from a Minnesota high school

*Programs that require proof of immunization currently include students in most nursing programs and all students in the MS in Physician Assistant program.

Individualized Majors

Associate’s Degrees

The Associate of Science Individualized Major allows associate’s-degree seeking students to pursue approval for an individualized major during the admission process. See the A.S. Individualized Major admission requirements for more details

Bachelor’s Degrees

Bachelor's degree-seeking students may choose to develop an individualized major designed to meet their needs and interests. Any such program should have a coherent organizing principle that differs significantly from those underlying standard majors. The program must be developed in consultation with a student success advisor and a faculty advocate. The application must be submitted and approved before the student completes 94 credits toward their degree. Students wishing to consider such a possibility must first discuss it with their student success advisor. The student and student success advisor will then request a faculty advocate. If the faculty advocate accepts the request, the student and faculty advocate will collaborate to develop the curriculum, course of study, and learning outcomes. Any such programs must meet all of the following conditions:

1. The proposal must define a coherent purpose or organizing principle based on the student's needs and interests in accordance with the Degree Requirements for a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. The proposal should identify coursework that will allow the student to achieve those goals. 
2. Coursework must be no fewer than 30 and no more than 60 credits from at least two academic majors or disciplines and must differ significantly from all other existing majors. The proposal must make a clear, explicit, and convincing case for the theoretical and/or practical interconnectedness between the departmental disciplines. The proposal must also specify why existing programs of study will not meet the students’ goals. 
3. Because it is required that at least two disciplines or fields are included in the coursework, the proposal must show why the need met by the proposed individualized major cannot be met by any other single major, double major (two stand-alone majors), or multi-disciplinary major.
4. The proposal must contain junior level (300) courses from at least two standard disciplines or fields. In at least one of these disciplines or fields, work at the senior level (400) must be selected.
5. The proposed major must show how all other requirements for majors are met (e.g., the speaking, writing, and computing competencies). The requirements of the major must include the required upper division hours.
6. The proposal must include a culminating experience at the senior level (400), focused upon the organizing principles of the major and in  the form of a senior seminar, internship, or directed study.
7. All general education provisions of the curriculum must be observed. 

The following procedures shall be observed in preparing and obtaining approval for Individualized Majors:

1. The student obtains application forms and instructions in the Office of the Registrar or on their website.
2. The student and the student success advisor review the student’s plan and seek a willing faculty advocate.
3. The student and faculty advocate create a plan with the proposed major’s curriculum, course of study, and learning outcomes.
4. The student and student success advisor will jointly prepare the application, expressing the organizing principle and listing the courses that will make up the major.  
5. If nine (9) or more credits are to be taken from any single program, the program director of that program must approve the proposal before review.
6. A review committee composed of the faculty advocate, the Registrar, and at least one of the overseeing divisional deans will evaluate the proposal. The divisional dean is responsible for forming this committee and calling the meeting. (If the proposal follows a previously approved program, the Registrar will approve it and place it on file.)
7. The student submits the application to the Registrar. All proposals must be submitted and approved before the student’s final term. When the proposal has been approved the student, and student success advisor will be notified.
8. Programs that are rejected may be reviewed through the academic petition process.
9. An approved program may subsequently be amended with the approval of the divisional dean(s) and the Registrar.

Individualized Study

Individualized study policies are listed under the specific type of individualized study: Internship, Curricular Practical Training (CPT), or Directed Study (DS).

Intellectual Property Rights

In addition to the responsibilities students have to abide by standards of academic integrity, students are also entitled to protection of their intellectual property rights.

• Original work that a student submits as part of a course is the property of the student. That work may be used by Bethel solely for educational purposes within the context of the course in which the student is enrolled unless the student grants permission for other uses. Students who complete theses, dissertations, and capstone projects acknowledge, by completing the project, that they are aware that a copy of the work may be retained by the University Library and made available to library patrons.
• Any other use of student work must credit the student as the author of the work.
• Students may seek to publish or present work they have submitted as coursework. If they do so, they must follow ethical guidelines common to academic research and unique to the discipline in which they do their work. They must redact any sensitive, personally identifiable information (e.g., names of businesses cited in case studies, demographic information related to research subjects, etc.) before releasing their work for applications outside of the classroom. If students seek to publish research involving human subjects, they must have secured the appropriate review/approval from Bethel’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) before the collection and analysis of data.
• Although students may choose to co-author with a faculty member, students own materials they independently design, data they collect, or written work that they create.
• Students are encouraged to copyright written materials when releasing them outside of the classroom.

Internships

An academic internship is preferably an off-campus learning/practicing experience in which the student applies a body of knowledge and skill in a structured, non-classroom setting. It can take place in many settings: government, social organizations and agencies, churches, or business enterprises. It can make use of almost every knowledge and skill area in Bethel’s curricula. Credit is available through some departments to qualified students in their majors. Inquiries should be made to the Office of Student Success and Retention.

Academic Internship Policy

1. An acceptable internship is one that expects the student to:
   1. Make a deliberate application of one’s academic knowledge and skills.
   2. Continue to learn as stimulated by the problems and issues encountered.
   3. Grow in one’s personal maturity and confidence in one’s abilities.
   4. Develop empathy with and understanding of persons, groups, and settings typically not encountered on campus.
2. The proposed internship must embody significant academic purpose and content, equal in quality to a regular course, yet be of such a nature that it cannot be obtained within the existing course structure.
3. It is conducted under joint supervision of a Bethel faculty member and an onsite supervisor. Both parties agree on the specific objectives and assignments before beginning and jointly evaluate the student’s work during the experience and at the end. There should be a plan for ongoing processing of the experience (log, weekly meetings, etc.). It is expected that the Bethel faculty supervisor will meet at least bi-weekly with the student.
4. The internship position may be part-time or full-time and may be salaried or non-salaried. Routine jobs or work that repeats experience does not qualify for an academic credit internship. The work must provide an opportunity to meet academic/educational objectives.
5. The student must meet the following criteria:
   1. Declare a major or minor in the department of the internship being proposed.
   2. Hold junior, senior, or graduate standing. Individual departments may permit qualified sophomores to undertake exploratory internships under special circumstances.
   3. Have a minimum of 10 credit hours completed in the department.
   4. Have good Academic Standing in the major. Individual departments may require a specific GPA.
   5. Meet additional criteria as established by each department.
6. An internship must be two to four credits with the following minimum time required onsite:

   Internships

   Internship	Hours
   Two-credit internship	90 hours
   Three-credit internship	135 hours
   Four-credit internship	180 hours

7. A maximum of twelve credits in internships may be taken. Each separate internship must have goals and objectives different from the prior ones taken for credit.
8. Internships are graded S/U (see: Grading System).
9. Students in internships which cannot be completed in one term, will be given a grade of incomplete at the end of that term and automatically registered in no more than one additional extension term. The extension term may incur additional charges. 
10. For the following internship courses, the maximum deadline the instructor can assign for resolution of the I or IN grade is one year from the end of the course: ADST 481, ADST 491, CHMN 481, EDUC 886, EDUC 887, EDUC 888, EDUC 889. 
11. This policy identifies minimum college-wide requirements. Departments may choose to supplement this with additional requirements.
12. Graduate students must submit a completed and signed Contract for Academic Internship to their student success advisor for approval no later than the final day of the preceding semester. The form is available through the Office of Student Success and Retention.

Military Service

Upon involuntary military call-up, a student so affected will be granted a withdrawal from courses with a full refund. Students must provide a copy of their orders to the Office of Financial Aid.  If 75% of the scheduled days of a given course have elapsed, an incomplete grade will be assigned with a deadline for submission of remaining coursework of one year from the last date of active student status. If the student does not submit the outstanding coursework by the incomplete deadline, a grade of W will be assigned automatically.

Students called to active military service should expect some disruption in their progress toward their desired degree and/or certificate. Disruption could include, but may not be limited to, course availability and time to complete the desired credential. 

Prerequisites and Corequisites

Program prerequisites are listed with each program’s admission requirements. 

Course prerequisites are listed with each course description. A course’s prerequisites must usually be completed in a term prior to the course; however, in some cases prerequisites can be taken concurrently (within the same term) as the course.

Course corequisites are listed with each course description. A course with a corequisite requires concurrent (within the same term) registration with its corequisite.

Program Overlap

Students may not earn a minor that has the identical name as their major. Some minors and second majors are not allowed with particular majors. Consult the major/minor requirements listed in this catalog for further information.

Registration

To add, drop, withdraw, or otherwise change course registration, students should refer to the self-registration website and to MyBethel. The student's unique Academic Plan and other resources for registration are located here. When taking any registration activity, students should refer to the CRNs (Course Registration Numbers) on their Academic Plan, to identify specific scheduled course sections and streamline self-registration. Regardless of the actual first day that a class “meets” face to face or online, most courses officially begin on a Monday.

Course registrations, and all registration changes are official on the date the student makes the change online or when written notice is received by the student success advisor.  Specific add, drop and withdrawal deadlines are listed on the Office of the Registrar’s website. No registration activity is complete until the change is displayed through MyBethel.

Adding a Course

Students may register for an upcoming term starting on the following dates:

• Fall registration begins April 1
• Spring registration begins August 1
• Summer registration begins December 1

Once registration opens, students can self-register until two weeks before the course start date. After that date, students must work with their student success advisor to request approval for a late course registration. 

The deadline for adding a late course registration depends on the length of the course and is as follows:

• For courses less than 5 weeks long, the late add deadline is the 3rd calendar day of the part of term in which the course occurs.
• For courses 5+ weeks long, the late add deadline is the 8th calendar day of the part of term in which the course occurs.

Dropping a Course

Students must drop a course soon after it begins in order to remove the course from their transcript and avoid charges. The exact number of days depends on the length of the class:

• For courses less than 5 weeks long, the drop deadline is the 3rd calendar day of the part of term in which the course occurs.
• For courses 5+ weeks long, the drop deadline is the 8th calendar day of the part of term in which the course occurs.

Withdrawing from a Course

A student may withdraw from a course starting the day after the drop deadline.  Unlike dropping, a course withdrawal appears on the student’s transcript with a grade of “W.” Students may withdraw from a course until approximately 65% of it has been completed.  Specific withdrawal deadlines can be found on the Office of the Registrar's website.

Students who withdraw may be eligible to receive a prorated refund, starting on the first day of the withdrawal period and ending at the 50% point of the course. After this they are no longer eligible for any refund, even if they are still eligible to withdraw and earn a W on their transcript without petitioning to do so. The refund schedule may be found on the Business Office website.

Students may not withdraw after the course withdrawal deadline, except by petition. They will receive the grade earned for the course.

Changing from Credit to Audit

A student may change their registration in a course taken for credit, to that of audit up until the withdrawal deadline for that course.

Charges Related to Registration Activities

The student is responsible for all charges incurred due to registration activity and for any loss of financial aid or change of loan deferment status as a result.  Scheduled online sessions count as “class sessions” when determining tuition refunds and grades. Any refund due to a registration drop or withdrawal will be governed by the refund policy found in this catalog.

Exceptions to Registration Policies

Extenuating circumstances beyond the student's control may warrant exception to a registration policy. Such exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis and may require submitting a petition. Students should contact their student success advisor to discuss eligibility and initiate the petition process.

Selecting a Major

Students may choose a major program of study before starting classes at Bethel but are not required to do so in all cases.  

Bachelors-seeking students

Students who start their degree program with 60 or more completed credits (including all transferred credits) must choose a major during the admissions process. Enrollment Counselors will assist new students in the process of choosing the intended major.

Students who start their degree program with fewer than 60 completed credits (including all transferred credits) have the option to admit as “exploratory” and may complete up to 60 credits before deciding on a major. After completing 60 cumulative credits, "exploratory" students must identify their major before they will be allowed to register for additional classes. Student success advisors will assist students in the process of choosing the intended major.

Associates-seeking students

Students who intend to earn an Associates degree must choose their degree or major during their admission to the college.  Enrollment Counselors will assist new associates-seeking students in this process.

Student Success Advisors

Location: Anderson Center 

Each program has a designated student success advisor (SSA) who serves as the first point of contact for student advising and support. The SSA can assist students with course selection, program planning, and other academic and registration questions. They are also able to provide referrals to a number of other support offices on campus based on each student's particular needs. Contact information for each division is found below. The Office of Student Success and Retention website is available for more information. 

College of Adult & Professional Studies Advising Support

• caps-advising@bethel.edu 
• 651.635.2463 

Seminary Advising Support 

• seminary-advising@bethel.edu 
• 651.638.6868

Graduate School 

• Health, Medical, and Business Advising Support

  • graduate-advising@bethel.edu 
  • 651.635.1104

• Education and Doctoral Advising Support

  • graduate-education-advising@bethel.edu
  • 651.635.8013  

Student Experience

• student-success@bethel.edu
• 651.635.8800

Summer Session

Summer semester counts as a full academic term, along with Fall semester and Spring semester, for the purpose of assessing academic standing and application of grading policies. Some programs require coursework during day or evening hours in the summer months. Consult the course schedule, which shows the calendar of class sessions for the full Summer semester.

Teach-Out Policy 

When a program, certificate, minor, concentration, or pre-licensure program is eliminated, affected students will be notified. The university will establish a teach-out schedule with a date for when classes in that program, certificate, minor, concentration, or pre-licensure program will no longer be offered. Students should seek to complete all requirements during the teach-out period. However, students who have not completed all requirements have two academic years beyond the end of the teach-out period to complete any remaining requirements through approved transfer courses.  All transfer courses must comply with published transfer policies. Theses, dissertations, and capstone projects must be completed at Bethel within two academic years after the teach-out. The end of that two-year period is the date on which the program officially closes and degrees in that program will no longer be granted.

Transcripts

The transcript includes coursework transferred from other schools and coursework completed at Bethel. All transcripts from other schools in the student’s file remain the property of Bethel University and cannot be released to the student or other parties. 

Official transcripts are available showing all academic work completed to date at Bethel University. Both electronic and paper versions of official transcripts may be ordered via the Registrar's website. Transcripts are processed within 1-3 business days. Some exceptions apply. Questions regarding transcripts should be addressed to the Office of the Registrar.

Transfer Credit Policies

The College of Adult & Professional Studies accepts transfer credit based on the source of credit, level of credit, and grade earned.

Credit is acceptable from institutions that have institutional accreditation as approved by the U.S. Department of Education and comparably accredited international institutions of higher education. Credit from any other institution will be accepted only when there is an officially approved transfer articulation agreement with the institution, or when approved as Prior Learning Credit. Coursework must be designated by the originating institution as freshman-level or higher.

Courses in which the student received a grade of D or higher will be accepted for transfer. With limitations, grades of CR (Credit), P (Pass), and S (Satisfactory) are acceptable. When grades are transcripted as percentages only, grades must be 70% or higher. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale on all academic work accepted in transfer. 

Some degree programs require a higher cumulative GPA on all academic work accepted in transfer, or a higher minimum grade for particular courses. Such requirements can be obtained from a student's enrollment counselor. 

Courses accepted in transfer must be relevant or equivalent to courses required for the student’s program of study at Bethel. CAPS broadly evaluates the relevancy or equivalency of transfer courses in light of its deep integration of the liberal arts and high quality professional education.

Transfer Levels

When a student enrolls as a degree-seeking student, a transfer level is assigned and general education requirements are determined and may not be modified unless at least two years have elapsed during which no courses have been taken at Bethel.

Students holding institutionally accredited Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Bachelor’s degrees, participating in a Bethel Post Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO) program, or transferring completed Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MNTC) programs, are not categorized according to these numerical levels.

Prior Learning Assessment

A maximum of 30 combined CAPS undergraduate credits for prior learning assessment (PLA) may be awarded through the options described below. Credit earned through PLA is identified on the transcript as Prior Learning Assessment Credit and is eligible for elective credit only (not to fulfill the requirements of any major, minor, or certificate), unless otherwise stated in the options below.

Completion of the Bethel Distinctives and program-determined residency requirements for the degree cannot be fulfilled by any PLA option listed in this policy.

PLA Options:

1. Organizations with Formal Agreements

Students in CAPS academic programs that have formal agreements with non-accredited collegiate organizations or institutions may earn PLA credit for completing training at these organizations, as identified within the formal agreements. 

If a formal agreement does not exist, students may petition Bethel to evaluate the possibility of a new formal PLA transfer agreement with a non-accredited collegiate or para-college institution or organization. If an agreement is established, students may earn credit (retroactively, if applicable) for completing training as described within the formal agreement.

2. ACE-approved Training

Many career fields offer non-collegiate-sponsored training courses, examinations, or certifications. Students may earn PLA credit for completing such training that has been recommended for credit by the American Council on Education (ACE). 

Students may have their training evaluated by the Registrar’s Office for potential credit by submitting appropriate documentation to the College of Adult and Professional Studies. Credit earned through this option is eligible to meet any CAPS requirement, with PD review and approval, as requested by the Registrar’s Office. Exceptions to this include Bethel distinctives, program-determined residency requirements, capstone courses and 400 level courses; these requirements cannot be met through ACE-recommended PLA credit.

3. Other Non-Collegiate College-Level Learning

The training courses, examinations or certifications from a non-collegiate institution or organization in which no formal agreement exists, and which are not recognized by ACE, may, at the program director’s discretion, be considered for formal evaluation by the Registrar’s Office under the following circumstances:

• Students must submit to the College of Adult and Professional Studies, a comprehensive official description of the training course, examination or certification, which includes digital verification or contact information for the sponsoring organization, the format and content of the learning, estimated length of time to completion, and the standards for successful completion.  

• Additional information may be required by the Registrar’s Office or program director as part of the review and approval process. 

• The Registrar’s Office, in consultation with the program director, must approve the learning for PLA credit.

• Upon PD review based on Bethel course objectives, full credit (not partial) may be approved toward fulfilling a specific Bethel course requirement. The PD reserves the right to deny application of any PLA work toward Bethel course requirements.

• Students are awarded credits upon the successful completion of training courses, examinations, or certifications. Students must submit a verified certificate of completion, official transcript or examination score report to the College of Adult and Professional Studies as proof of that completion.

Withdrawal and Re-Enrollment

University Withdrawal

Students who desire to officially withdraw from Bethel must contact their student success advisor and submit an official withdrawal form. In addition, students who do not enroll for more than one year (three consecutive academic terms, excluding interim) are automatically withdrawn from Bethel.

University Re-Enrollment

Former students must file an application for re-enrollment. They should contact the Office of Student Success and Retention to learn more and start this process. Former students who have a registration hold on their account from the Business Office are not eligible to seek re-enrollment until the hold is resolved. All requests to re-enroll must be approved by the Program Director or Dean.

Withdrawn students will enter under the catalog of the year in which they re-enroll.

Students will re-enroll at the academic standing assigned for their last term of enrollment, with the exception of students who were academically dismissed. (See Re-enrollment after Academic Dismissal below for further information)

Re-Enrollment after Academic Dismissal

Academically dismissed students are eligible to apply for re-enrollment no sooner than the third term after the term of their academic dismissal or last term of registration, excluding interim. If approved to re-enroll, students may resume coursework no sooner than the fourth term after the term of their academic dismissal or last term of registration, excluding interim.

Students who are approved to re-enroll after academic dismissal will return on an academic standing equivalent to the second term of academic probation. Students must achieve the minimum cumulative GPA required for good standing at the end of their first term of re-enrollment. The one exception is for re-enrolled students who, in their first term of re-enrollment, achieve the minimum required term GPA for good standing. They will not be dismissed even if their cumulative GPA at the end of that term is below good standing. In this case the student's academic standing remains equivalent to that of a second term of academic probation for no more than one additional term.

Specific academic programs may have different dismissal and re-enrollment policies than listed above. These requirements would be listed with program information and/or the student handbook.