Chapel

Publication: Undergraduate Handbook

Policy Statement

Chapel attendance is required for all main campus students.

Rationale

Chapel attendance is not only beneficial to spiritual growth but also provides needed fellowship among faculty, staff, and students.

Policy Procedures

Those attending chapel should demonstrate respect during sessions by refraining from talking, texting, or sleeping. Any meeting or activity scheduled during chapel must be approved by the Dean of Campus and Spiritual Life no less than 24 hours in advance.

Students must record their attendance per the structure prescribed by the Student Services office. When meetings are held in lieu of chapel, students are to record their attendance on the roll sheet provided for that purpose and provide them to the Student Services Department within 2 business days after the meeting time.

Chapel Attendance Guidelines for Main Campus Students

1. Chapel is held every day Tuesday through Friday.
2. Regardless of the number of days attending classes all main campus students are expected to attend chapel four days a week. Exceptions for this can be applied for with Deans. Exceptions may include no class days, work, etc. A chapel excuse form MUST be completed BEFORE the specified day or days in order for students to be excused from chapel.
3. Students are personally responsible for assuring their attendance has been recorded correctly.
4. Students are permitted the equivalent of one week of personal absences from chapel based on the number of days they are required to be in chapel. These personal absences can be used for any reason the student deems necessary (i.e. sickness, travel, homework, etc.)
5. Notification of accumulated personal absences will be provided via email.
6. After exceeding the allowed number of personal absences, the student will automatically incur a point penalty for each absence.
7. Students entering chapel more than 15 minutes late or leaving more than 15 minutes before chapel ends are recorded as absent.
8. A Student doing student teaching or classroom observations that require missing chapel cannot be excused unless a card is obtained from Student Services, signed by the respective course professor or Program Director and/or the Dean and returned to Student Services. This procedure should be done in advance of the observation to avoid penalty.
9. All special chapel announcements must be approved by the Chapel Coordinator by 4:00 p.m. one day prior to the announcement in chapel. Skits must be approved by the Dean of Campus and Spiritual Life and may not be more than three (3) minutes in length.