Policies & Procedures

The policies and procedures of Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology are developed in accordance with federal regulations for accredited institutions of higher learning. Through these policies, MTSM maintains students’ rights and safety, while ensuring the quality of students’ academic experience.

The policies and procedures listed here are not an exhaustive list. Students should also refer to the Catalog and their respective student handbooks for more detailed information.

Assignment of Credits, Program Length and Tuition

The academic period (fall semester, spring semester, and summer term) is determined by the Executive Committee during the preceding academic year prior to the publication of the academic calendar. This committee includes the President, the Dean of the Athenaeum, the Dean of the School of Theology, and other senior administration. The committee ensures each semester is scheduled for a 15-week period, and that the summer term is scheduled for 5- and 10-week periods. The draft calendar is sent to all faculty and administrators for review and approval prior to publication.

Credit hours per course are determined through an initial curricular review by the respective dean, and are confirmed by the Athenaeum Senate and Board of Trustees. The proposed instructional schedule, student learning objectives, assessments, assignments, research, and other projects are reviewed to assure students’ academic engagement as defined in 34 CFR § 600.2. For each credit hour assigned, a minimum of 2250 minutes of direct instruction and out-of-class student work must be planned and evidenced through the course calendar/meeting schedule and planned assignments in the course syllabus.

The Dean of the Seminary and the Dean of the School of Theology are responsible for the scheduling and planning of courses for each semester. The deans set expected meeting times and frequency in collaboration with the professor according to the number of course credit hours. These course assignments are forwarded to the registrar, who develops the master course schedule and calendar. In preparing the schedule, the registrar follows these course assignments with respect to meeting frequency and class length, and ensures the preliminary scheduling meets the assigned credit hours for each course. In addition, the registrar sets the individual course calendars, and adjusts the calendar as necessary due to holidays, etc., to meet the required instructional minutes. The registrar consults with the deans to review and approve the schedule, which is then sent to all faculty for approval. Any discrepancies with course credit hours and scheduling are resolved prior to publication.

Verification of Student Identity

Usernames and passwords are required to access Populi, the institutional LMS. Populi notes that they have “a highly secure password policy that requires all users to have strong passwords not easily guessed by automated tools (it also disables accounts that are under attack from such tools).” Student usernames must be unique and associated with only one user profile. Populi Security Guidelines

Upon registration with Populi, students agree to an Acceptable User Policy, which prohibits fraudulent activity, unauthorized access, and impersonation of another user.

Students are only able to access their own courses, information, and student services when logged in. Additionally, students are only able to access courses for which they are currently registered and within calendar dates set by the registrar.

Instructors have several options to verify student identity and maintain testing integrity when using online assessments. First, instructors can apply a password restriction to any online assessment. Second, instructors may require live proctoring for online assessments, where the test is password- and passcode-protected, and the student cannot access the test until the proctor enters the password and/or passcode. Finally, instructors can also restrict student access to tests using IP filters so that test access is limited to a specific IP address.

Beyond username and password login protection, students may opt to have login approvals activated for their Populi account. This requires two-factor authentication: username/password and a passcode generated by an authenticator app. Students can enable login approvals from their dashboard. Students can also change their password at any time. In addition, students can manage their profile settings and can make any or all elements of their profile private.

Authorized users of Populi agree to a Privacy Policy upon enrollment. Populi protects user information and abides by FERPA regulations.

Students are able to obtain copies of all data that is stored about them. This data can also be deleted at the user’s request.

Student Privacy

The Athenaeum of Ohio does not employ third-party contractors to provide records services. Staff who have access to student records include the President, the Dean of the Athenaeum, the Dean of the School of Theology, the Director of Lay Ecclesial Formation, the Director of Advancement, the Registrar, the Senior Accountant, and office administrative assistants. These staff members review the Privacy Policy and Student Records Policy prior to engaging in records maintenance. They also must agree to the Ethics and Conduct Policy prior to employment.

These policies and procedures are reviewed annually and revised by the Registrar and are approved by the Executive Committee. All staff involved with the student records are trained using these policies and procedures.

FERPA / Records Policy
Populi Privacy Policy
MTSM Privacy Policy
Student Records

Recruiting, Admissions and Related Practices

The Athenaeum of Ohio does not employ third-party contractors to provide recruiting services. Staff who provide communications to prospective students include the Marketing and Communications Specialist, the Registrar, the Director of Programming and Promotion, the Dean of Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, and the Dean of the School of Theology. These staff members review the Recruiting and Admissions Policy as well as the Admissions Manual with their supervisor prior to engaging in admissions activities. They also must agree to the Ethics and Conduct Policy prior to employment.

Admission policies and procedures are reviewed annually and revised by the Director of Programming and Promotion. All staff involved with the recruiting and admission of prospective students are trained using these policies and procedures.

All marketing communications are reviewed by pertinent senior administrators prior to publication, including the Director of Advancement, the Dean of the Athenaeum, the Dean of the School of Theology, and/or the President of the Athenaeum. These administrators ensure that the information and representation of the institution is fair and accurate.

Students who feel that they were subject to false information, harassment, or other coercion used to pressure them to apply or enroll in classes have access to a student concern report that they can file. Additionally, they can also report the activity to HLC and to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

Archdiocese of Cincinnati Ethics and Conduct Policy
Recruiting and Admissions Policy

MTSM Announces 25% Off Tuition

Policies & Procedures

Assignment of Credits, Program Length and Tuition

Courses:

Credit Hours:

Graduation Requirements:

Program Requirements:

Tuition & Fees:

Student Complaints:

Transfer Policies:

Verification of Student Identity

Student Privacy

Recruiting, Admissions and Related Practices