Columbia at a Glance

Columbia Theological Seminary is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award masters and doctorate degrees. Columbia Theological Seminary also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Columbia Theological Seminary may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org ).

Columbia Theological Seminary is also accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada to award the following degrees:

Decatur, GA – Master of Arts (Theological Studies), Master of Arts in Practical Theology, Master of Divinity, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Educational Ministry

Questions regarding Columbia Theological Seminary’s accreditation status or adherence to ATS’s standards should be addressed to the Association of Theological Schools, 10 Summit Park Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15275-1110 or by calling 412-788-6505.

• Degree Programs
• Contextual Education
• International Programs
• Transfer Credit Policy

• Procedure for filing complaints about online courses 
• Columbia Theological Seminary Complaint form
  
  If after participating in the Columbia Theological Seminary complaint process, a student would like to file an external complaint with the appropriate agency the needed information can be found here: 
  
  For NC-SARA Student Complaint Procedures and Policies, please use this link: SARA Student Complaint Procedure and Policy
  
  To File a Complaint, please use this link: GA-SARA Online Complaint Form

ANTI-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

Columbia Theological Seminary does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or status in any group protected by federal, state, or local law in its programs and activities. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies as stated in our Equal Opportunity, Anti-Discrimination, and Anti-Harassment Policy:

• Robert Hay, Jr., VP for Business and Finance/Section 504 Coordinator, Office 106 Campbell Hall, 404-687-4512
• Jody Sauls, Director of Human Resources/Title IX Coordinator, Office 202 Campbell Hall, 404-687-4654
• Kathryn Threadgill, VP and Dean of Student Formation and Campus Culture, Office 214 Campbell Hall, 404-687-4522

For further information on notice of non-discrimination, visit HERE for the address and phone number of the office that serves your area, or call 1-800-421-3481.

DISABILITIES POLICY

Columbia Theological Seminary welcomes any student with a documented disability and accommodates special academic needs, which are determined on an individual basis with appropriate documentation. Such disabilities include learning, physical and mental impairments. Columbia Theological Seminary complies with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) effective 2009, with final regulations approved in 2011.

• Robert Hay, Jr., Vice President for Business and Finance, serves as the Section 504 Coordinator, and is located in 106 Campbell Hall (or phone 404-687-4512).
• Ann Clay Adams, Associate Dean of Academic Administration, works with academic accommodations and is located in 113 Campbell Hall (or phone 404-687-4524).

For more information regarding our policies and procedures, please download the CTS Disabilities Policies and Procedures.

To register as a student with a disability, please download the CTS Disability Registration Packet.

• Financial Aid Programs
• Budget Calculator
• Cost of Attendance
• Entrance & Exit Counseling
• National Student Loan Data System
• Refund Policy

Agnes Scott Police 404-471-6900 (Seminary’s direct line).  The CTS community is encouraged to save this number to their cell phone.

OMNILERT NOTIFICATION SYSTEM

CTS has adopted the emergency notification system powered by Omnilert.  This system enables CTS Administration and Agnes Scott Police to send instant alerts directly to registered subscribers’ campus email, personal email, home, office or mobile phone.  These alerts are simultaneously sent to CTS’ social media accounts.

CTS email addresses of all faculty, staff and current students have been preloaded to the system as the default method of contact.  Once you sign-in and complete your profile, the system will also send alerts to your personal email and cell phone with information about emergencies.

The system will only be used to communicate emergencies such as severe weather warning, gas leak, fire, bomb threat, crime watch, boil-water advisory, or campus closings.  Depending on your personal cell phone plan, there may be a nominal fee from your carrier to receive text messages, but there is no charge from the school to use the service.

CTS Administration and Agnes Scott Police are urging the entire campus community to update their profile.  Although Omnilert is an excellent system that can notify the entire campus within minutes, it only works if you take a minute to update your contact information in the system.

How to update your Omnilert profile:

1. Website:  https://ctsnet.omnilert.net/subscriber.php

2. Select: “Forgot Username?” (Do not “Create New Account”)

3. Enter your CTS campus email address

4. Omnilert  will email your Username (to your CTS account).  Click on “Return to Log-in”.

5. The default password is “password” (or, select “Forgot Password?”)

6. Login and update your profile.  Select Account to change your password and Services to add text messaging, additional email addresses, and voice calls.

Columbia Theological Seminary is committed to the health and well-being of the members of our community. In the spirit of this commitment and in compliance with the United States Department of Education’s Drug Prevention Program, this policy statement regarding controlled substances is being issued for all faculty, staff and students. Download the policy.

Columbia Theological Seminary does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or status in any group protected by federal, state, or local law in its programs and activities. The designated persons designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies are listed in the Equal Opportunity, Anti-Discrimination, and Anti-Harassment Policy.

For further information on notice of non-discrimination, visit HERE for the address and phone number of the office that serves your area, or call 1-800-421-3481.

Columbia Theological Seminary is committed to creating and maintaining a learning and working environment that is free from unlawful discrimination based on sex in accordance with Title IX of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs or activities; Title VII of the Civil Rights act of 1964 (Title VII), which prohibits sex discrimination in employment; and the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act, Clery Act, and the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Sexual Harassment and Retaliation under this Policy will not be tolerated by CTS and is grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including, permanent dismissal from CTS and/or termination of employment. Please refer to our Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy.

Reports, comments, and concerns should be reported to:

Jody Sauls (SaulsJ@ctsnet.edu), 404-687-4654
Title IX Coordinator/Director of Human Resources
Office 112 Campbell Hall

Sharon Junn (JunnS@ctsnet.edu), 404-687-4557
Deputy Title IX Coordinator/Associate Director of Spirituality Programs
Office 204 Harrington Center

You may also contact:

Department of Education Office of Civil Rights
400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20202-1100
www.ed.gov or www.ed.gov/about/contacts/gen/index.html

Those who do not wish to report sexual misconduct may speak confidentially with confidential resource:

Anna Carter Florence (FlorenceA@ctsnet.edu), 404-687-4541

Shavon Starling-Louis (Starling-LouisS@ctsnet.edu), 404-687-4569

See more information under Title IX page.

In the event of inclement weather, community members may find out whether classes are in session and seminary offices open by visiting Columbia’s website or current students, faculty, and staff may check Columbia Current. The seminary’s emergency alert system may also be used to notify the community of class/school cancellations.

In accordance with the Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act (P.L. 101-542), Columbia Theological Seminary is required to disclose campus security policy and campus crime statistics annually to all current students and employees and to any prospective students/employees upon request. The intent of this federal legislation is to promote awareness and to encourage responsible action in making the Seminary a safer place. Columbia Theological Seminary is also committed to providing a fire‐safe environment for the faculty, staff, students and visitors, and to protecting its property through an effective fire prevention, protection, preparedness and response program. These policies are in effect to assist the campus community in working together to maintain an environment that reduces the risk of fire hazards. Download the report.

The purpose of this policy is to establish procedures for Columbia Theological Seminary, to respond to and assist with reports of missing students as required under the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008. This policy applies to students who reside on campus and are deemed missing or absent from the seminary for a period of more than 24 hours without any known reason or which may be contrary to usual patterns of behavior. Download the policy.