Committed to assuring and enhancing the quality of teaching and learning.

Accreditation

The General Theological Seminary is accredited by The Commission on Accrediting of The Association of Theological Schools by virtue of its affiliation with Virginia Theological Seminary, and the following degree programs are approved:

  • Master of Divinity

  • Master of Arts in Spiritual Direction

  • Master of Arts in Ministry

  • Master of Arts (Academic)

  • Master of Sacred Theology

  • Doctor of Ministry

The Commission contact information is:

The Commission on Accrediting of The Association of Theological Schools
10 Summit Park Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15275 USA
Telephone: 412-788-6505
Fax: 412-788-6510
Website: www.ats.edu

NC-SARA Complaint Process

Students in online programs have the right to lodge a complaint or grievance if their experience is not as anticipated. Students' complaints/grievances must be addressed internally first with the institution following resolution processes outlined in the GTS Academic Catalog. If not resolved internally, students may appeal to the NYSED (New York State Education Department) SPE (State Portal Entity).

All of the degree programs comply with the standards of the New York State Education Department, and are officially listed by the department's Office of College and University Evaluation as meeting or exceeding its “minimum quality standards.” The General Theological Seminary has also been approved to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA).

The NYSED & SPE contact here:

Andrea Richards
Supervisor, Higher Education Programs
New York State Education Department
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234518.474.1551
IHEauthorize@nysed.gov

NC SARA Seal

To learn more information about the NC-SARA complaint process,
please click below

 Statement on Educational Effectiveness

The General Theological Seminary is committed to assuring and enhancing the quality of teaching and learning. We believe that the process of gathering assessment data, analyzing this data, and acting in ways that respond to assessment data is an integral part of our collective vocation. Assessment and evaluation are the means by which we will:

  • equip students to self-reflect on their progress toward program-level student learning outcomes (through the portfolio, thesis, substantive paper or project);

  • demonstrate, through direct and indirect means, that student learning has occurred, as measured against student learning outcomes (portfolio, course evaluation and faculty review of portfolios);

  • ensure the quality of educational offerings (questionnaires, course evaluations, and outcomes assessment) and;

  • pursue ongoing quality enhancement of programs by providing better access to assessment and evaluation data and facilitating conversations about this data within the community.

At General, we use the following four instruments as the key means by which we assess and evaluate student earning:

  • ATS Questionnaires (ESQ and GSQ surveys): A set of two questionnaires provided by ATS which are administered by the Registrar to students upon entering (Entering Student Questionnaire), graduation (Graduating Student Questionnaire).

  • Course Evaluations: An electronic evaluation of all courses which is administered by the Registrar and used to both ascertain student satisfaction and student self-reporting of learning outcomes engagement.

  • Portfolio and Capstone Assignments: An assessment strategy which enables students to critically reflect on their own learning progress and which provides the institution with direct evidence of learning as measured against program outcomes.

  • Targeted Coursework Evaluation: Termly benchmarking of student learning outcomes attainment through regular sampling of student work.

In addition to the above, broad measures, such as graduation and placement rates are also tracked along with various financial aid indicators.