UDTS Mission Statement
UDTSlearning is a ministry of the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary and as such is committed to the mission and policies of the seminary (UDTS).
The UDTS mission statement reads:
The purpose of the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, an ecumenical seminary of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is to serve the one God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- and advance the ministry and mission of the church of Jesus Christ by preparing women and men for faithful, compassionate, and effective pastoral and lay ministry in congregations, with special attention to rural and native American constituencies, by research and publication in the theological disciplines, and by active participation in the life of the church.
Students who apply for and are accepted into classes offered by UDTSlearning should understand that UDTSlearning embraces and works to fulfill the seminary mission.
UDTSlearning embraces the equal opportunity policy of UDTS. UDTSlearning reserves the right to prevent persons from taking classes or dismiss students from classes when in the opinion of the Director of UDTSlearning and instructors, the student is disruptive or otherwise deemed unacceptable for the program. The normal policies and procedures of UDTS will apply to any relevant circumstances in UDTSlearning.
UDTSlearning reserves the right to correct errors and change or amend its rules, regulations, and procedures without obligation or prior notice and in compliance with local, state and federal laws and regulations.
Withdrawal from Class
If a student withdraws from a class before the beginning of the second week, you can be enrolled in the next incidence of the class by paying a $25 administrative fee - if there is no waiting list. If there is a waiting list for the next offering of the class, your enrollment will be deferred and the $25 administrative fee will still apply.
If a student withdraws from a class after the beginning of the second week, your spot in the class cannot be filled by another student. Your tuition cannot be refunded after the second week. You may enroll in the next incidence of the class by paying the normal tuition rate - if there is no waiting list. Exceptions to this policy may be made in extraordinary cases by petitioning the Director of Distance Education.
If a student withdraws from a class after the beginning of the third week, you will receive a grade of "No Credit" for the course which can be removed by successfully completing the class at another time. You will need to follow the normal registration process to take the class again.
Students who withdraw from two classes after the beginning of the second week are wait listed for any further classes.
Exceptions to these guidelines can be made only after communicating with the instructor in a timely fashion and with the permission of the Director of Distance Education (dedirector@dbq.edu).
Non Attendance at Class
Non attendance at class means that a student does not check in with the class, complete assignments or participate in the discussion. The discussions are the equivalent of "going to class."
Students should notify their instructor if they cannot complete an assignment or assignments within the week that they need permission for the incomplete.
If a student is absent from a class for two weeks and there has been no communication with the instructor, a grade of "No Credit" will be entered on the student record. Further enrollment in classes will need permission of the program director.
If a student receives two "No Credit" grades because of non-attendance, they will not be able to take any further classes through UDTSlearning.
It is very important that you stay in touch with your instructor and with our office for any enrollment issues. In the Online Certification class there are a couple of assignments that have to do with the nature of online learning - particularly the need for discipline. Our system is designed to offer convenience of online learning with building community and moving through a class as a group. This is especially important for Christian spiritual formation. You have a covenant with your classmates to not only engage the course work, but to share in the experience.
Time Management
It is important to work more diligently at your assignments than you might have to do in a residential class. However, a vast majority of our students find this worth the effort. The availability of quality classes and excellent faculty and interaction with students from all over the country make this a valuable Christian experience.
One key to success in online learning is to put specific time commitments in your calendar as to when you will do the work for your class(es). You have the convenience of not having to get in your car, drive to campus and find a parking place. You will, however, find it helpful to schedule your work. If you do the work "when you get a chance," chances are you will be rushing the reading and assignments near the end of the week. Your work will suffer from being rushed and the value of the course will be diminished. These are your tuition dollars - get the most out of your investment by engaging your online class "early and often."
M.Div. Students
All students taking M.Div. courses through UDTSlearning are governed by the current seminary catalog. For all students, matters not addressed on the UDTSlearning web site are governed by the seminary catalog and seminary student handbook. The student handbook is available online at: http://udts.dbq.edu/handbook.cfm
Plagiarism
The Seminary defines plagiarism as the copying or use of another person's work in any form without acknowledgment. Students shall not represent the work of another as their own or in any way misrepresent their own work or the work of another. The use of any outside source, whether of idea or of paraphrase, shall be properly acknowledged. Any quotation, even of phrase, shall be marked by quotation marks. Misrepresentation shall be avoided. The first offense of plagiarism definitely established will be penalized by an "F" or "No Credit" in the course in which it took place. Second offense, fully proven, will be penalized with dismissal from the Seminary.
Technical Requirements
Windows (PC)
- Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 2003, or Windows Vista
- Display resolution of 800x600 pixels or greater
- Windows-compatible sound card
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1or later, or Firefox 2.0 or later
- Windows Media Player 9.0 or later
- Broadband Internet connection (256 Kbps & above) for live and on-demand presentations
- MAC OS X or greater
- Safari 1.0.3 or later (Safari 1.2.4 & above recommended)
- Firefox 1.0 or later
- Netscape 7.2 for Mac OS X
- You must also install Windows Media Player 9 for the Mac.
FAQ's
Q: Can I enroll in an online course if I am going to be traveling or on vacation during the course?
Q: Can I work ahead on assignments?
Q: How many courses can I take at one time? How long does it take to finish the eight basic courses required for Presbyterian (USA) students?
Q: Do I really have to take the Online Learning Certification Course? Is it really necessary?
Q: While enrolled in this program, can I use email filters?
Q: What kind of grading system is used for this program?
Q: Are there any financial assistance/scholarship/grant resources available to UDTSlearning students through UDTS?
Q: How do I do an email attachment?
Q: Can I enroll in an online course if I am going to be traveling or on vacation during the course?
A: If you are able to keep up with the course work and can access your course while traveling, there is no problem. If you are going to miss one or two weeks of class participation, you may communicate with your instructor to make arrangements for the absence. If you are going to miss more than two weeks of class discussion, you should wait until the next offering of the course to participate. (This would mean missing the equivalent of one fourth of the class discussion.)
Q: Can I work ahead on assignments?
Assignments may be posted ahead at the discretion of the class instructor. You may communicate directly with your instructor for details on submitting work ahead of time. You will not be able to post to the discussion board ahead of time. The discussion board is class replacement. In other words, instead of having to travel to a physical classroom, you are able to come to class virtually. The discussion board interaction takes the place of a physical gathering of the class. This is more convenient and allows for some flexibility during the week. The weekly discussion topics are normally posted by instructors one week at a time. Using the "bricks and mortar" analogy, when a student asks to post to the discussion ahead of time, it is equivalent to coming to a classroom when the class will be discussing material for the week and asking to give your classroom input for the following week or two.
The short answer is: You may ask your instructor for permission to work ahead on assignments, but you would miss the discussion and interaction for any given week when you do not participate in a timely manner.
A: Our recommendation is that students who are working outside of the home full time, or work in the home with full time responsibilities should not take more than two courses at one time. Occasionally a student will be enrolled in three courses where there is a slight overlap between the course that is beginning and the one that is ending.
Taking two classes at a time makes it possible for a student to complete the basic courses in approximately eighteen months. The least amount of time to complete the basic courses would be seven months during which time a student would be enrolled in five classes at once. We do not recommend this route. While it may be possible to complete the basic course requirements for every course, the class material must continue to be processed and put into practice to achieve the most benefit. An overload of courses does not allow time for this deeper thinking or application.
Q: Do I really have to take the Online Learning Certification Course? Is it really necessary?
A: There is a dual purpose to the course. [1] To become familiar with our particular online course and discussion board. Some with good experience can likely accomplish this without a class. [2] To experience an online course with other persons seeking lay ministry instruction, begin to experience Christian community online and share something of the expectations, hopes and fears of lay ministry apart from the more academic environment of most courses. This goal applies to "newbies" and experienced technical folk as well. We have had secular online instructors, webmasters and network administrators take the Online Learning Certification course and express appreciation for this latter focus. For these reasons, we believe it is in the best interests of all our students to participate in the OLC course.
Q: While enrolled in this program, can I use email filters?
A: Email filters are extremely useful in blocking spam and unwanted mail from email inboxes. Filters can also block out email from addresses that you do not know. They can be very helpful when used appropriately. We do ask that you make sure you have added the email addresses of our staff members to those addresses that are not filtered out. Those email addresses are:
DeDirector@dbq.edu - Director of Distance Education, Melinda Thompson
SemTech1@dbq.edu - Assistant Director of Technology, Nicky Story
DERegistration@dbq.edu - Registration Technician, Katie Hubbard
Any questions about email filters, email SemTech1@dbq.edu
Q: What kind of grading system is used for this program?
A: All of our courses are graded on a pass/fail basis. Each instructor has his/her own way of evaluating that. Generally, completing the assignments in a timely fashion, participation in the discussion board (which is the online equivalent of class participation), and communicating with the instructor on a regular basis will give you a pass for the course. Your instructor will provide personalized feedback throughout the course and at its completion to let you know how you are doing or if there are any changes you should make.
Q: Are there any financial assistance/scholarship/grant resources available for this program?
A: Currently there is no financial assistance for courses offered by UDTSlearning.net. Some students receive support from their local churches, denominational judicatories, or their seminaries if they are currently enrolled elsewhere. In keeping with our mission to serve God we strive to provide the best possible education at a reasonable price.
Presbytery Relationship
UDTSlearning provides online training in the eight subjects required by the Book of Order of the Presbyterian Church (USA) for persons wishing to be Commissioned as a Lay Pastor in a local church. While we offer certification of courses successfully completed, we do not commission anyone. Students are strongly encouraged to remain in conversation with their local presbytery's committee on preparation for ministry throughout their training. Some presbyteries require additional training or specify which course(s) may be taken from UDTS. Every presbytery is different: it is the responsibility of the student to provide course information requested by their committee or liaison.
