Chapel Requirements
(Policy 2.23)
Chapel programs at Blue Mountain College are considered an essential part of the Blue Mountain College experience. As a part of implementing its Christian mission, the College designs chapel programs to enhance a student’s spiritual growth and development. Because of its significance in the Christian learning environment, chapel attendance is carefully monitored with high expectations for behavior conducive to worship.
Attendance Requirements for Chapel. Chapel is held Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10:00 AM. All degree-seeking undergraduate students who enroll for 12 or more semester hours of credit are required to attend chapel. All resident students are required to attend chapel. Graduate students are not required to attend chapel. Students must have their I.D.’s scanned at the beginning of chapel in order to be counted present for chapel. Students who do not have their I.D. will be counted absent. Student I.D.’s must be scanned no later than 10:10 a.m. to be counted present.
Students are allowed six chapel absences each semester. These six allowed absences will not be used in determining the chapel grade. (Students missing more than the six allowable absences must pay their chapel fine(s) before a grade is determined.) Students are not, however, allowed to miss any of the following special chapel programs: Founder’s Day, Ministerial Alumni Day, SBA installation, Awards Day, and any special lecture series. The dates of the special chapel programs are posted on the College calendar. Students missing any of these special chapel services will receive two absences.
Chapel Attendance Exceptions. Exceptions to chapel attendance requirements are made on a semester-by-semester basis for any of the following circumstances:
- Non-Resident students who have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays only or do not have any classes before noon on the Monday-Wednesday-Friday sequence.
- Students with jobs (must present a letter from an employer who requests that the student be excused in order to work).
- Students who are engaged in the Internship in the Elementary School or Secondary School or a departmentally-approved internship that unavoidably conflicts with the MWF chapel.
- Students who exceed the sixth allowed chapel absence while participating in a College-sanctioned event.
- A Blue Mountain College graduate who returns as a student
Students requesting chapel exemption must fill out a chapel exemption form on the student portal or college website. The Office of Student Services will notify the student by email if he or she is exempt from chapel for the semester.
Credit for Chapel. Attendance is checked at each chapel and a satisfactory (S) or unsatisfactory (U) grade that reflects a student’s attendance is recorded on the student’s transcript at the end of each semester. Chapel grades, although appearing on the student’s transcript, will not carry any credit nor will they affect the student’s grade point average. Based on attendance, grades are assigned for chapel according to the criteria below.
Students who miss no more than the six (6) allowed chapel programs or services during a semester will receive a satisfactory (S) grade.
Students who miss more than the six (6) chapel programs or services during a semester will receive an unsatisfactory (U) grade until fines are paid in full in the Business Office.
If a graduating senior has a grade of unsatisfactory (U) due to chapel fines, his/her diploma will be held until the fines are paid.
Satisfactory chapel attendance is a graduation requirement.
A student who earns an unsatisfactory (U) chapel grade in chapel and does not continue to be enrolled at the College must complete the requirements for removal of the unsatisfactory (U) grade before, if accepted, being re-admitted.
Expectations for Behavior at Chapel. Students are expected to conduct themselves appropriately during chapel. Communication devices must be turned off and caps and hats are always removed before entering the auditorium for chapel. Activities such as eating food, drinking, talking, studying, text-messaging, or sleeping are unacceptable. Students are to respect the guest speaker and musicians by refraining from any of the above.
