NBC Academic Policies

Academic Programs

Click here for more information on our 1-4 year programs.

Registration Procedure

Full-time students must take all required classes in their program.

*NOTE: Although technically an elective, full-time students must attend the January outreach/modular classes either for credit or audit (if they have enough carry forward credits).

Students will be able to register online for their fall classes beginning August 1st, via the NBC website.  Registration day on campus includes meeting with the registrar to confirm you are registered for the correct courses, then with the finance manager, followed by the opportunity to purchase required textbooks from the NBC bookstore. (Note: Required textbooks can be found within the syllabus for each class.)

Course registration for second semester typically begins at the end of November. Assuming textbooks arrive on time, students are able to purchase them before they leave for Christmas break.

Incoming second semester students will be contacted before the end of first semester, and will meet with the registrar and finance manager on the first day of class in January.

International Students

Our International Student Advisory Team (registrar, academic dean, dean of students), is available to answer questions regarding academics and to work with any international students requiring additional assistance with their studies.

Contact for the advisory team: Angela Hutchison (registrar)
Email: info@nipawin.org
Phone: 306-862-5095
Hours: Mon-Fri 8:15-5:00

Course Registration Changes

Registration changes or withdrawals for non-required courses should be done as soon as possible. A decision to switch from credit to audit, or to withdraw from a class altogether, must be made before the 3rd class period of the course. (Note: Some courses will cover 2 class periods in one morning, or evening.)

Withdrawals after 3 class periods will be shown on the transcript. Withdrawals after 1/2 of the course classes will receive an "F" grade. The registrar must be consulted for all registration changes. Following are the transcript designations:

• WF = Withdrawal – Failing
• WP = Withdrawal – Passing
• Ex = Extension Granted
• F = Fail

Withdrawing from a required course will be allowed. However, failure to complete a core class will delay your ability to graduate. All core classes must be completed in order to obtain your certificate, diploma, or bachelor degree.

Auditing

Students auditing a course are not required to complete assignments or take examinations, but simply take the course for their personal enrichment. No credit is granted for auditing a class, but students must register for the class. The fee for auditors is $200/class. Spouses of full-time students can take courses for credit or audit at no cost.

Audited courses will appear on transcripts marked as “audit”, only if the student has attended at least 70% of the classes for the course. If a student withdraws from an audited course, they must let the registrar know.

A decision to switch from audit to credit or vice versa must be done before the beginning of the 3rd class period.

NOTE: NBC Alumni are able to audit one free class per academic year.

Transfer Credits

Transfer credits from other institutions will be accepted on a case-by-case basis. Students must have achieved at least a B in the course being transferred. Transferred courses will be recorded on the NBC transcript as a pass and the credits will be applied to a degree but will not be applied to your GPA.

Courses being transferred for core course credit must be nearly identical in workload, content and level of study. Non-identical courses (evaluated case-by-case) may be accepted for electives.

The maximum number of credits able to be transferred towards an NBC degree (third & fourth year programs) is 62 credits.

All NBC degrees (third & fourth year programs) must have at least one year of full-time study at NBC, or thirty credit hours of on-campus study at NBC.

The final year of all NBC degrees must be through NBC.

As a Christian student, it is assumed you desire to be a good steward of the learning opportunities provided at NBC. The following guidelines are designed to aid you, your fellow students, and your instructors in achieving these goals during your time here.

Conduct

One of the guiding principles of the NBC community is mutual respect and courtesy. Students are to refer to staff and instructors with their preferred manner of address.

Leaving the classroom while class is in session is a distraction and disruption to fellow students and the instructor. Therefore, students are asked not to leave during class except for illness related needs.

Students who desire to use a computer to take notes in class must obtain and sign a “Computer Use Agreement” from the academic dean. All students using electronics for note-taking must not sit in the back row of class.

Students wearing headphones or using electronics for non-class related purposes during class may be marked as absent.

Students are also expected to refrain from distracting activities (e.g. eating from a bag of chips, loud food wrappers, etc.) or behaviour in class. Cell phones must be quiet and not in use during class (and chapel).

Absences

Regardless of the circumstances, students must attend a minimum of 70% of the classes to be eligible for course credit.

Late arrivals will be monitored. Two late arrivals count as one absence.

Students who miss a class will be unable to make up any missed assignment or quiz from that class without an excused absence. In order for any absence to be excused, including Student Ministry, students must complete an “Excused Absence/Extension Request Form,” which are found at the student mailboxes. Request forms must be submitted in person to the academic dean within one week of return to class. Request forms for planned absences (ie. funeral, doctor’s appointments, etc.) must be handed in prior to the class missed. The student must show the instructor of the course a completed “Excused Absence/Extension Request Form” to make up any missed assignment.

Examples of excused absences include illness, funerals, doctor's appointments, and similar extenuating circumstances. Excused absences due to student ministry will only be granted in exceptional situations and only with prior permission from the academic dean in consultation with the student ministry director. Due dates for papers or other written assignments may only be moved in the case of prolonged illness or sudden emergencies. The new due date will be set by the instructor (see pg. 33 “Due Date Extensions”).

Due dates for papers or other written assignments will not be changed for illness lasting a day or for planned absences such as doctor's appointments and funerals. Missed quizzes or exams, with an excused absence, must be taken within one week of the student returning to class.

The academic dean must be informed immediately by the student of any case of illness lasting more than a day. Any absence for illness longer than 3 days will require a note from a medical professional in order to be excused.

Voluntary Withdrawal

Students voluntarily withdrawing from studies at Nipawin Bible College must follow the following withdrawal process:

1. Meet with the dean of students to indicate intention to withdraw;
2. Give written notice, which will remain in the student’s permanent file, to the dean of students and the academic dean;
3. Participate in an exit interview with the academic dean or delegate;
4. Settle any outstanding accounts with the finance manager.

As per federal regulations, international students who withdraw from or discontinue their studies at Nipawin Bible College and do not pursue studies at another designated learning institution (DLI) may be asked to leave Canada (for complete details see: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/study-permit/prepare-arrival/study-permit-conditions.html).

Assignment Grading

Grading is done in numerical form. The grades are compiled at the end of each class for each subject and a final grade is issued. The passing grade for a course is 60%. A semester report is given after the end of each semester. Grading is done according to the grading index below.

GPA Reporting: Grade points (GP) are given for each hour of credit according to the grading index as follows:

4.0 = 95-100     3.75 = 90-94     3.50 = 85-89     3.00 = 80-84     2.50 = 75-79
2.00 = 70-74     1.50 = 65-69     1.00 = 60-64     0 = Below 60

To determine the grade points earned in any given subject, multiply the grade point value of your grade by the number of credit hours in the subject. Example: a mark of 81% in a 3-hour course, would be 3.0 multiplied by 3(hours) for a total of 9 grade points earned for that course.

The grade-point average (GPA) is determined by adding the total grade points earned and then dividing by the total number of hours taken. This gives an accurate representation of the student's academic performance for that semester. An accumulated GPA simply means that after every semester all past grades are calculated to give an accumulated GPA rating.

Note: Students are responsible to ensure the accuracy of final grades in NEO, which will be the grade recorded in transcript records. Questions regarding the accuracy of transcripts should be directed to the registrar.

Grade Appeals

An appeal to change the grade on an individual assignment must be made to the Instructor within one week of grade notification. If a student is not satisfied that his/her appeal has been adequately considered, they may appeal to the academic dean. All such appeals should be submitted in writing, including the assignment in question. An appeal must be accompanied by a $25 deposit. If the grade is changed in the student’s favour, the deposit will be refunded. If the grade assigned by the original instructor is upheld, the deposit will be placed in the library fund.

Dispute Resolution

In the event that an NBC student has a grievance with certain academic decisions including program requirements or unfair treatment by a faculty member, there are certain procedures to follow. The student should first appeal to the faculty member directly. Should this not resolve the issue, students will submit in writing the grievance to the academic dean. The academic dean will respond in writing within one week of the original submission. (Note: If the faculty member is the academic dean, the grievance should be submitted in writing to the president.)

If the student is not satisfied with the result, they may appeal to the president. Again, the process will consist of a written submission and a response within one week of the submission. This decision will be final and there will be no further appeal process.

NEO

NEO is the Learning Management Software used by NBC. All written communication from the school will primarily be through NEO or student mailboxes. Thus, both must be checked regularly.

Instructors may decide on whether or not to accept electronic submissions for grading on a course-by-course basis. If the instructor allows electronic submissions of assignments, they will only be accepted through NEO. Emailed assignments will be noted for completion date purposes but only printed copies or electronic copies submitted through NEO will be graded, unless otherwise indicated in the syllabus.

Electronic Submission of Assignments

Some courses and instructors allow for electronic submission of assignments through NEO. These must be submitted as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf, unless otherwise noted in the course syllabus. The file name must include: course, last name of student and assignment title (ex. BT1013 - Smith - Investigative). Format requirements remain the same, including page numbers, and must be in one file only.

Note: Emailed assignments will be noted for completion date purposes but only
printed copies or electronic copies submitted through NEO will be graded, unless
otherwise indicated in the syllabus.

Format of Assignments

In order to provide consistency in faculty expectations and to enhance the ease of reading student papers, we have outlined certain expectations for the format of papers. All work submitted must be on 8.5 x 11 inch, unlined white paper, and must be typed, unless otherwise specified by the instructor.

See Appendix A: Sample Title Page Format for guidelines on how to set up a title page for most written assignments.

Written assignments are to be formatted using the Chicago Manual of Style as outlined in Kate L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 9th ed. (Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press, 2018). It is recommended that all students purchase this book when they buy their textbooks. This is a required textbook for freshmen.

Completion and Quality

Students must submit all assignments valued at 20% or greater to pass the course; failure to do so will result in a maximum course grade of 50%. Instructors are not obligated to accept assignments that are not deemed to meet minimum requirements.

Submission of Assignments

Assignments are due at the beginning of the class on the date due, unless otherwise stated in the course syllabus. Hard-copy assignments must be submitted to the faculty at class-time. Note: NBC does not provide a printer for student assignments.

Assignments for a ministry supervisor are to be submitted at 8:30 a.m. on the date due in the faculty/staff bookstore mailboxes.

The deadline for submission of late assignments is 3 days after the original due date. Work submitted after this deadline will receive an automatic zero. However, please note that late assignments worth 20% or more must be submitted, and meet the minimum requirements, in order for the student to pass the course. Faculty also reserve the right to give automatic zeros for late submissions on certain assignments (including reading, presentations, etc.).

Late Assignments

When accepted, late assignments (maximum of 3 days) will be penalized 10% per day (i.e. grade = 80% - 1 day late = 70%). Late assignments must indicate the actual date submitted in the bottom, right corner of the title page in addition to other title page requirements. If the student fails to do so, it will be considered that it was submitted on the day that the instructor is first aware of the assignment.

In regards to late assignments submitted over the weekend, each weekend day will count as a day late.

Due-Date Extensions

Extensions will normally only be granted for emergencies or prolonged illness. General busyness and stress, extra-curricular involvement, short-term illness, personal/family events, "computer glitches", etc., are not usually grounds for an extension. Late penalties as outlined above are generally applied in these situations.

Procedures: Students needing an extension for an emergency or a prolonged illness must complete an “Excused Absence/Extension Request Form”. These can be found by the student mailboxes, or obtained from the academic dean. The academic dean and the instructor must approve the extension. Upon approval of the request and subsequent return of the “Extension Request Form”, the student must then attach one copy of the form to the assignment when it is submitted. The other copy is given to the registrar to be added to the student’s file.

Photocopy Policy

Student fees cover handouts received in class. There may be times when a student is required to photocopy material as a part of an assignment or presentation. The student is responsible for these copying costs, unless the instructor grants special permission. The instructor must personally discuss the exception with the receptionist beforehand.

Students with a final course grade of 50%-64% may request an upgrade from the registrar. The writing of an upgrade is a privilege and should not be viewed as an easy way out. The maximum course grade attainable is 65%. The course upgrade fee is $75.

The deadline for request AND completion of an upgrade is one month after final grading, at the end of the original class. NOTE: Instructors prioritize having assignments returned within two weeks of the due date.

The upgrade assignment will be given by the instructor and approved by the academic dean, in the area of course work failed or not completed. The minimum grade required for the upgrade assignment is 50% to pass the course, regardless of the current course grade. Generally, an upgrade assignment or exam will be more extensive than the previous course requirements.

Upgrade privileges will be granted only once for each course. If the upgrade is not successful in raising the course grade to 60%, the course must be retaken or replaced with another course. A maximum of 6 courses may be upgraded during a student's course of study at NBC, with a maximum of four from the same academic year.

As noted in the school catalogue, the following are requirements for graduation: dean approved Christian character, and satisfactory completion of the credits and program requirements as outlined in the NBC catalogue. As well, all NBC degrees (third & fourth year programs) must have at least one year of full-time study at NBC, or thirty credit hours of on-campus study at NBC (see “Transfer Credits” policy on pg. 29).

Potential graduates of a certificate or deacon’s program may participate in graduation activities if 1) They have only one outstanding course requirement due to failure or incompletion or 2) They require no more than one upgrade, on the condition that they have made arrangements with the registrar, before graduation weekend, to complete this upgrade/course, and have paid for this upgrade/course with the finance manager.

Potential graduates of a bachelor or diploma program may participate in graduation activities if 1) They have only one outstanding course requirement due to failure or incompletion or 2) They require no more than two upgrades, on the condition that they have made arrangements with the registrar, before graduation weekend, to complete this upgrade/course, and have paid for this upgrade/course with the finance manager.

Remember, upgrades must be requested and completed within one month of final grading of the original class.

Also, if one class is outstanding from a semester prior to the semester of graduation, students should not wait until the week of graduation to consult with the registrar about redoing this class in order to participate in graduation activities. In such a case, if arrangements are not made at least one full week before graduation, the registrar reserves the right to deny registration arrangements until after graduation. This would delay the student’s graduation date to the following year, upon completion of the outstanding course.

Diplomas and certificates will be withheld until all academic requirements have been completed and all accounts are paid. Students seeking to pay outstanding fees after 3 years will be charged a $100 processing fee.

Diplomas and certificates will be dated for one of the following dates, depending on when students complete their academic and financial requirements: graduation day in April, August 31, or December 31 (the closest date following their completion).

Students with outstanding academic requirements have up to three years to complete these requirements after leaving NBC. After three years, individuals will need to reapply to Nipawin Bible College. Upon acceptance, these individuals can expect to pay a reactivation fee of $325 in order to reactivate their file and determine current graduation requirements (programs may have changed during the intervening years).

The fee to replace a lost or damaged certificate/diploma/degree is $50. If a replacement is needed, please contact the registrar.

The purpose of student awards is to acknowledge excellence, achievement and diligence. Recipients are expected to be enrolled as full time students (exceptions may be made when warranted). All recipients must have an acceptable academic standing. Recipients are recommended by the applicable department directors, with final selection by the Faculty Committee.

Student Awards:

• NBC Fine Arts Award (presented in spring Awards Chapel)
• Student Ministry Award (presented in spring Awards Chapel)
• Student Work Award (presented in spring Awards Chapel)
• NBC Spirit Award (presented in spring Awards Chapel)
• Barnabas Award (presented in spring Awards Chapel)
• Dean’s List (GPA of 3.50 or higher in semester 1) (announced in spring Awards Chapel)
• NBC Leadership Award (presented at Commencement Ceremony)
• Academic Excellence Award (presented at Commencement Ceremony)
• The Rev. J.M. Baxter Homiletics Award (presented at Commencement Ceremony)
• Valedictorian Award (presented at Commencement Ceremony)
• Graduate of the Year Award (presented at Commencement Ceremony)

Complete award descriptions and criteria are outlined in the NBC Awards Policy.

Philosophy and Criteria

Since one of the primary purposes in attending Nipawin Bible College is growth in knowledge and understanding of God and His Word, it is a serious matter when students fail to achieve their academic and learning potential. Probation exists in order to assist students toward attainment of potential and to diligence in organized studies. Therefore, the purpose of academic probation is not punitive but restorative.

Students may be placed on academic probation when one or more course grades fall below 1.0 grade points (60%), or when three or more assignments are past the submission deadline.

Academic probation will result when the poor academic achievement is due to signs of indifference, unused academic ability, or excessive involvement in extra-curricular activities. Low grades alone need not necessitate probation. The academic dean, in consultation with the appropriate faculty member, will determine when a student is liable for probation.

Steps of Academic Probation

The academic dean will administer probation and oversee the student's academic progress using the following criteria:

• Level 1: Academic Warning - Freshmen who fail to submit three or more assignments or have a course grade below 60% (1.0 GPA) will be issued in writing an academic warning. A student will only receive one academic warning in the same school year. The academic dean will evaluate the student’s progress over a two-week period. (Juniors and Seniors should not expect to receive an academic warning.)
  • Upperclassmen and students in two credit per semester ministry courses should not expect to receive an academic warning before being put on Level 2 Academic Probation.
• Level 2: Academic Probation - Students who have received an academic warning and fail to raise course grades sufficiently or fail to complete assignments within the two-week time allotted, will be placed on academic probation for an additional three weeks. This will involve supervised study that includes, but is not limited to, the following criteria:
  • The student will attend every scheduled class and chapel service. Being late or absent without legitimate reason will result in the student being immediately moved to the next level of probation;
  • When a tutor is available, the student will also be required to have weekly (at minimum) meetings with the tutor;
  • The student will be expected to study in the library or in their dorm room Monday to Thursday for at least a consecutive hour and a half each day. They will be required to submit a record of these hours to the academic dean.
  • Probation may include other terms of probation at the dean's discretion.
  • When a student has previously been on academic probation during the current school year, he/she will automatically be placed on probation if they have more than one late assignment or a failing course grade.
  • In all cases of probation, students must request and receive official notice from the academic dean that probation has been lifted.\
• Level 3: Academic Probation - Students who have been placed on academic probation Level 2 and fail to raise course grades sufficiently, or fail to complete all work within the time allotted, or who demonstrate lack of cooperation with the terms of probation, will be placed on academic probation for an additional four weeks. All of the criteria given in Level 2 will continue to be implemented in Level 3. It is at this point that the student will be made aware that continued failure, or indifference will result in the student’s expulsion from the college.
• Level 4: Expulsion - In the case of students who continue to demonstrate lack of motivation and indifference or fail to comply with the terms of academic probation, the academic dean will recommend to the faculty and president withdrawal as a student at NBC. The student will meet with the president to implement the recommendation.

Terms of Academic Probation

Students on Academic Probation:

• Will not be granted any extended weekend or special leave privileges (except for family emergencies).
• Will meet regularly with the academic dean or the appropriate faculty member to discuss their academic progress.
• Will not be permitted to participate in not-for-credit extra-curricular events such as music opportunities or organized campus sports unless given written permission by the academic dean.

Note: All probationary actions will be filed in the student's permanent record. And each level of probation will be communicated to the student in writing.

Nipawin Bible College exists to train its students for effective Christian service and leadership. Therefore, a high level of integrity is expected in all areas of school life.

Plagiarism is to be conscientiously avoided. “Plagiarism” means giving the impression that you have written something original when, in fact, you have borrowed (words or ideas) from someone else without acknowledging that person's work. Examples include: copying another student’s work, using an author’s ideas without proper footnotes, using unauthorized aids in exams, submitting the same material for credit in more than one assignment or course without permission from the instructors involved. Other forms of deceit are strictly forbidden.

The Faculty Committee will deal with cheating and other forms of academic misconduct. Infractions will receive penalties in relation to their seriousness. These penalties may include: re-doing the assignment, failure of the assignment or exam, failure of the course, probation, delay or denial of graduation, suspension, or expulsion.

Reserve Books

All books must be checked out before removal from the library. Books marked for “reserve” are not to be removed from the library under any circumstances.

These are serious violations and will be dealt with as such. In the case of reserve materials, students removing them from the library deprive fellow students of access to the necessary resources to complete a given assignment. Students found violating the library check-out policy or the reserve material policy could result in: assignment failure, course failure or monetary fine.

Overdue Materials/Fines

NBC will impose at $0.50 fine per book per day for overdue materials. One grace day will be extended if the book is returned the day after it is due. Lost books result in a fine worth the replacement cost of the item, and damaged books result in a fine worth a portion of the replacement cost of the item.

All NBC students are expected to follow Turabian’s A Manual for Writers (Ninth Edition) when researching and writing their papers. As Turabian offers an array of options in her manual, and for the sake of consistency, the faculty request that all students practice the following:

1) Concerning the citation style: Of Turabian's two options, we ask all students to follow the 'Notes-Bibliography Style' rather than the 'Author-Date Style.'

2) Concerning the formatting style:

Font: Of Turabian's font options, we ask all students to use the 'Times New Roman' typeface, rather than 'Arial' or any other font.

Text Size: Of Turabian's various options, we ask all students to use twelve-point for the body of the text, and ten-point for footnotes.

Page Numbers: Of Turabian's various options, we ask all students to number the body of the paper in plain Arabic numerals, located at bottom centre, in the footer.

Title Page: We ask all students to emulate the title-page style found in Appendix A of the NBC Student Handbook.

NOTE: An NBC Sample Paper that exemplifies and explains these requirements is included within each NEO course under “Resources.”

Note: Unless otherwise noted in the syllabus, no handwritten assignments will be accepted.