• • • Prior to the exam week Marks Forms are made available to all lecturers.
    • All results are to be submitted on the presented Marks Form no later than one week before the new term begins.
    • Grades are collated and lecturers’ comments are summarized for discussion at later when require.
    • Straight after marks are recorded and finalized, the students are notify of their results.
    • The Administrator notifies the non-seminarian students of their results. All grades for Trimester 3 are required to be submitted by the Thursday of the last week of the term before one week of graduation.
    • Once results is given, the students may plan for any remedial work straight away if there is an “F” grade or incomplete course.

MTCS exam result grading is listed in the Handbook. In Trimester 1 and 2, all lecturers are required to submit notifications of “F” and “I” grades as soon as they are known. The Dean receives the lecturers’ assessments of the students with the “F” or “I” grades. The Rector is notified and a copy sent to him. The lecturer concerned arranges with the student an appropriate time for the redeeming work. The student has two weeks to redeem the grade after receiving notification. Failure to do this will make an “F” permanent on the record. The “I” will be reduced to a permanent “F”.

• • • An “F” grade does not remain on the academic record if it is redeemed.
    • A redeemed grade becomes a “D”.
    • An “I” grade can be changed to whatever grade the student’s course work and exam assessment merits. This is done only after remedial work is completed and the student is accepted as having satisfactorily completed the course requirements.
    • An unredeemed “F” does not remain should the student ask to take the course again and pass it.

Special consideration may be given for examinations in the following cases:

• Temporary illness or injury which prevents a student from sitting an examination or which seriously impairs a student’s examination preparation or examination performance can be taken into account if adequate evidence is presented.
• Exceptional circumstances beyond a student’s control (e.g. the death of a parent) which prevent a student from sitting an examination or which seriously impairs a student’s examination preparation or examination performance can be taken into account if adequate evidence is presented.
• In cases of illness and injury a medical certificate is demanded to be presented.
• In the case of exceptional circumstances, the circumstances should be relayed to the Rector on the day of the examination or earlier if possible.

• • • Written exams are to be supervised properly.
    • Students must not be allowed into the room after 30 minutes from the start.
    • Late comers are not given extra time.
    • No student may leave the exam room within the first 30 minutes.
    • No student may leave the exam room in the last 10 minutes.
    • No student shall communicate with another student during the exam.
    • In the case of deferred and special exams a second and different question paper is to be set.
    • The lecturer, together with the student, agree on a date for the exam.
    • This exam is to be conducted as any exam held on the proper time.
    • The result or grade of any deferred exam must be tabled at the earliest Faculty Meeting.

Students of Years IV and Candidacy Year are required to submit one Research Paper (2,500 words or approximately 10 pages.) on a subject of their own choice under the direction of a supervisor.

Each year a student must select a different discipline in which to write his or her research paper. All papers must be of high quality. Students should aim at having their papers published.

All papers must be handed in on time as agreed with Supervisor and all the marks and grades are to be handed in by the date specified.

Research Papers’ Application Forms are distributed within the first two weeks of the first term. The student will select a supervisor and topic and hand the form back to the Dean by mid trimester, approved by the supervisor. Students may be granted an extension on the time only by the supervisor on the following grounds:

• • • Medical illness, and when a medical certificate is presented
    • Extreme hardship
    • Compassionate grounds

In such cases, an extension of up to 2 weeks may be given without penalty but only if requested prior to the due date of the paper.

At the start of each term, and no later than the second week of the term, the dates for the various assessment tasks are to be made known for each course. In determining these dates, the lecturer allows a reasonable spread of time for the completion of the various assessment tasks.

It is a course requirement that all assignments be completed by the due date. An extension may be given under extenuating circumstances, such as sickness, accident or any other serious problem which makes it impossible for the student to complete an assignment or assignments on the due date.

Late Research Papers and Assignments from students with no acceptable explanation or without an approved extension may be submitted but will be penalized as follows:

• • • Five percent (5%) of the acquired mark are taken off of the unapproved late work if handed in on any working day of the week after it was due.
    • One mark is deducted each day thereafter until the work is received by the supervisor.
    • Work submitted without an approved extension beyond 2 weeks after the due date will not be accepted and will not be marked.

A student is DISMISSED from the program if he/she has three (3) or more unredeemed “F” grades during the course of his/her study. This indicates that the student is either academically incapable of following the study program or has a problem with self-discipline. Having three “F” grades can be a sign that the student lacks maturity and may have a problem with obedience.

• • • It must be established that the student was made aware of his/her 3 “F’s” and that the student was given every opportunity to redeem the same.
    • The faculty members and the student concerned will be informed when two “F” grades are on the record.
    • The student has been given the opportunity to request to do the course/s again but has refused to do so. After the third “F” grade, the student’s academic records are tabled at the first available Faculty Meeting and the concerned lecturers’ comments are obtained.
    • The Academic Advisory Committee (AAC) thoroughly scrutinizes the student’s records and the comments received.
    • The recommendation of the AAC is relayed to the Rector by the Dean in writing.
    • The Rector makes the final decision and calls the student to communicate to him/her the Rector’s decision.
    • The Rector notifies the Bishop of the final decision.

Plagiarism can be defined as taking and using another person’s thoughts, writings and inventions as one’s own. It is using someone else’s words or ideas without giving clear acknowledgment of the source of those words or ideas. Students need to see plagiarism as academic misconduct which is ethically and culturally unacceptable. At MTCS, plagiarism is a serious offence.

• • • When plagiarism occurs the lecturer takes the issue up with the student and when confirmed, the Academic Dean is notified.
    • At the first instance the Academic Dean issues a warning to the student concerned and instructs him to correct the problem to the lecturer’s satisfaction within the time span given by the lecturer.
    • If this is not done the student receives a zero (0) for the assignment in question.
    • As this is also a formational matter the Academic Dean informs the Rector and the Bishop.
    • When plagiarism occurs a second time in any course the student immediately fails the course in question.
    • If other lecturers report the same student to be plagiarizing in their courses the matter is reported to the Dean who, with the AAC, will determine the penalty which may be an immediate “F” in that course or those courses.

Cheating is any dishonest act in which a student deliberately provides or receives relevant information during an exam, a test or course work. This includes looking at and copying the work of another student. In MTCS, cheating is considered a serious offence.

• • • If it is proven by the AAC that the student copied the work of another student, then the student who did the copying will be given an “F” and reported to the Rector by the Dean.
    • If a student is caught cheating during an exam, his/her exam paper will be turned over immediately, will get a zero (0) for that particular exam and reported to the Dean who informs the Rector.
    • If a student is accused of cheating during an exam by another student or other students the AAC thoroughly investigates the accusation and when
      confirmed, the student gets a zero (0) for that exam and the Dean relays the decision to the Rector.

Attendance is one of the biggest indicators of educational success. Students who attend courses regularly are naturally exposed to more than those who are routinely absent. The Moamoa Theological College and Seminary treats the issue of absenteeism very seriously and does everything within its limited power to compel students to attend lectures.

When a student is absent, he/she must call the Administrator explaining why is he/she is absent. The administrator will then inform the lecturer. If the student is absent from a lecture that he/she should attend without notification, the lecturer must inform the Dean who will then inform the Rector

All academic policies of the college and seminary are administered by the Academic Advisory Committee under the leadership of the Academic Dean.

• • • In cases of dispute, the student must receive written notice of the specific allegation of academic misconduct and of the likely consequences should the allegation be established.
    • The student must be given the real chance to explain or refute the allegation.
    • Any explanation or refutation is to be presented in writing to the Academic Dean.
    • This will be discussed at an Academic Advisory Committee meeting, to which the student may be invited if really needed. The student may also request an opportunity to be heard in the AAC meeting. The decision of the Committee is final.
    • The Academic Dean informs the Rector of any dispute and appeal that may come up and of the decision of the AAC.

Any queries regarding these academic policies should be addressed to the Rector or the Academic Dean.

All students leaving MTCS definitively are given a transcript of all their courses to date. That is the first copy which MTCS grants freely. The second and subsequent requests will cost $10.00. Any further requests for a transcript after the first copy is given shall be granted according to the following procedure:

• • • A request is made in writing, fax, email or letter with advance payment or note of advice to the following procedure:
    • A request is made in writing, fax, email or letter with advance payment or note of advice to the Bursar to charge an existing account
    • The Registrar is given three working days to prepare it
    • The Registrar notifies the bursar for billing
    • Upon advice from the Bursar the transcript is then forwarded to the person requesting it.