STLTS recognizes that knowledge is gained through dedicated Bible
study; therefore, credit hours will be awarded to a student who, in
lieu of taking a STLTS course, takes a Proficiency Exam and receives a
passing grade. The Proficiency Exam is designed to demonstrate the
student's thorough knowledge of material that is covered in a specific
course that is offered in the Seminary or Bible College. The
Proficiency Exam grade becomes the final grade for the course. The exam
grade will be used in calculating the GPA for credits earned at STLTS.
The number of credit hours awarded is equal to that of the specific
course offered at STLTS. Requests for Proficiency Exams are made during
course registration each semester.
Academic Year
The academic year consists of two semesters. One semester is a
fifteen-week period. One credit hour is equivalent to one hour of
coursework per week.
Traditional Education
All Bible College and some Seminary courses will be offered in the
traditional education format that consists of 28 sessions with additional
out-of-session assignments. Sessions consist of class meetings and study
labs. Class meetings are scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00
p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Study labs are question-and-answer group discussions
that are scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursday from 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Times for class meetings and study labs for specific courses will be
announced at registration each semester and are subject to change due to
the availability of teachers.
Distance Education
Seminary division courses are designated to be completed entirely through
the distance education format.
Bible College courses may be completed
through the distance education format in lieu of attending sessions; however,
attendance at class meetings is recommended. Coursework is expected to
completed within one semester.
Audited Courses
Auditors do not participate in graded written assignments and exams. No
credit is awarded for courses that are audited.
An "O" will appear on
the transcript as the grade for audited courses. The "O" is not
calculated in the GPA.
Incomplete Coursework
Students who are unable to complete the requirements for a course
within the semester will receive an incomplete "I" grade .
Arrangements
for completing the course must be made with the teacher of the course.
Students are expected to complete the course requirements by the end of
the next semester. Requests for an extension of the next-semester
deadline must be made in writing to the attention to the Vice President
of Academic Affairs with a copy to the Director of Admissions. Students
must notify the Director of Admissions of all extensions approved.
Withdrawal Policy
A student who finds it necessary to withdraw from a course or from
enrollment in a program of study must notify the Vice President of
Academic Affairs in writing with a copy to the Director of Admissions.
A "W" will appear on the transcript for any course not completed at the
time of withdrawal. The "W" will not be calculated in the GPA.
GPA Formula
Formula for Calculating Grade Point Average
GPA's are separated by programs of study. Only grades for credit hours
earned by completing coursework or by Proficiency Exams at STLTS are
used in computing a student's GPA. The formula for calculating GPA is:
(1) The final grade for a course equals the grade point
for that course multiplied by the number of credit hours for that
course equals the total grade point for that course.
(c) = (a) x (b)
(2) The sum of the total grade points of all STLTS courses equals the total grade points for all courses being averaged.
(d) = (c) + (c) + (c) + (c)
(3) The sum of the credit hours for all STLTS courses equals the total credit hours being averaged.
(e) = (b) + (b) + (b) + (b)
(4) The total grade point for all courses being averaged divided by total credit hours being averaged equals the STLTS GPA.
GPA = (d)
÷ (e)
Transcripts
Incoming Transcripts
Students must request official transcripts from schools previously attended
as required to meet prerequisites. Official transcripts from other schools
must be sent directly to the Director of Admissions.
Outgoing Transcripts
Official transcripts from STLTS are sent directly to other institutions at the
student's written request. Only a copy of the official transcript is provided
to the student. Requests for transcripts are made to the Director of
Admissions and must be accompanied by the appropriate fee.
Repeating a Course
When a student repeats a course, only the repeated course grade will
appear on the transcript.
However, the original grade will be retained
in the student's academic file. Only the repeated grade will be
calculated in the GPA.
Academic Dishonesty
Any student proven to have committed academic dishonesty will receive
an "F" grade for the course. Other disciplinary action is at the
discretion of the Advisory Council. Forms of academic dishonesty
include but are not limited to:
plagiarism (using as one's own the writings or ideas of another), including
failure to use quotation marks or other conventional markings around
material quoted from another source or paraphrasing a specific passage
without indicating its source;
falsifying information, including submitting another's work as one's own; and
dishonesty during examinations, including receiving written or oral information
from a fellow student, as well as referring to written materials not authorized
by the proctor.
Grade Change
Students may request a change of the final grade recorded for a course.
Students are encouraged to discuss the matter first with the teacher
who taught the course. Students may make a request for a grade review
to the attention of the Vice President of Academic Affairs. Requests
for a grade review must be in writing and include copies of all work
completed for that specific course. The matter will be brought before
the Advisory Board for a decision. Students must notify the Director of
Admissions of any grade change approved.
Grading System
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 it will not be considered part of the student's GPA. The
designation of grades and points appearing on transcripts is:
Academics 
