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Clarks Summit University offers a full range of higher education options, from associate degrees to doctorate programs.

The Student Consumer Information regulations of the U.S. Department of Education require certain information about the institution to be available to current and prospective students.

Family Educational Records Policy (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights are:

  1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day Clarks Summit University receives a request for access. Students should submit to the registrar, dean, or head of the academic department [or appropriate official] written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The school official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the school official to whom the request was submitted that official will advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
  2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate or misleading. Students may ask the school to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the school official who is responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the school decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the school will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
  3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials, contractors (see below), volunteers, and other non-employees performing institutional services and functions with legitimate educational interests under the direct control of Clarks Summit University. A school official is defined as a person employed by CSU in an administrative, supervisory, academic, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit and health staff); a person or company with whom CSU has contracted for services (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the board of trustees; or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
  4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20202-4605

FERPA allows institutions to disclose directory information if it has given students in attendance public notice of:

  1. what the institution has designated as directory information,
  2. a student’s right to refuse designation of any or all of their information as directory information, and
  3. the time within which a student must notify the school, in writing, that he or she does not want any or all of the information designated as directory information.

The web site for the Family Policy Compliance Office is http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/index.html

As of January 3, 2012, the U.S. Department of Education’s FERPA regulations expand the circumstances under which your education records and personally identifiable information contained in such records—including your Social Security Number, grades, or other private information—may be accessed without your consent. First, the U.S. Comptroller General, the U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or state and local education authorities (“Federal and State Authorities”) may allow access to your records and personally identifiable information without your consent to any third party designated by a Federal or State Authority to evaluate a federal- or state-supported education program. The evaluation may relate to any program that is “principally engaged in the provision of education,” such as early childhood education and job training, as well as any program that is administered by an education agency or institution. Second, federal and state authorities may allow access to your education records and personally identifiable information without your consent to researchers performing certain types of studies, in certain cases even when we object to or do not request such research. Federal and state authorities must obtain certain use-restriction and data security promises from the entities that they authorize to receive your personally identifiable information, but the authorities need not maintain direct control over such entities. In addition, in connection with Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems, state authorities may collect, compile, permanently retain, and share without your consent personally identifiable information from your education records, and they may track your participation in education and other programs by linking such personally identifiable information to other personal information about you that they obtain from other federal or state data sources, including workforce development, unemployment insurance, child welfare, juvenile justice, military service, and migrant student records systems.

Clarks Summit University has designated the following information as “Directory Information”:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Email address
  • Telephone listing
  • Field of study
  • Weight and height of athletes
  • Most recent previous school attended
  • Photographs
  • Date and place of birth
  • Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
  • Dates of attendance
  • Degrees & Awards (non-financial)
  • Enrollment Status

Students may request to prevent disclosure of this directory information by filling out a form in the Registrar’s Office.

Strategic Plan

CSU’s multi-year strategic plan has four top priorities that have been in effect since the summer of 2016:

  1. Develop a distinctive model of biblical higher education that is creative, rigorous and marketable.
  2. Recruit and retain a growing number of on-campus and online students.
  3. Implement an organizational structure that maximizes the efficiency and effectiveness of the institution’s people, financial and system resources for sustainability and growth.
  4. Cultivate and strengthen loyal sustainable relationships with external stakeholders.

Please contact Allen Dreyer, Executive Director for Administrative Services, with questions or concerns (570.585.9317; adreyer@ClarksSummitU.edu).

 

State Authorization Information – Online Students

General Information

Clarks Summit University is working in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education and state agencies to comply with required authorizations to provide educational access to students across the country. When authorization or licensure is necessary or becomes necessary, Clarks Summit University is working to obtain the required approvals and authorizations or exemption to meet all state requirements. While we monitor the laws in each state, authorization of distance education is a dynamic environment and prospective students should check this site often for updates.

Some states have exemptions for specific programs only. Clarks Summit University can accept applications from the following states only for the specific programs listed.  This applies only to online students residing in these states.

Wisconsin

  • Programs allowed:  Bible and Theology (A.A. and B.S.); Christian Ministries (A.A. and B.S.); Master of Arts – Bible concentration; All Baptist Bible Seminary programs

Due to state and federal higher education regulations, Clarks Summit University has chosen not to accept applications from students residing in the following states. This applies only to online students residing in these states. Students from all 50 states as well as international students are welcome to apply for any on-campus program. Please contact an admissions counselor for further information.

All Online Degree Programs

  • Arkansas
  • District of Columbia
  • Georgia
  • Kentucky
  • Massachusetts
  • Minnesota
  • New York
  • North Dakota
  • Oregon

Master of Science in Counseling

  • New Mexico
  • Washington

Master of Divinity

  • New Mexico
Individual State Authorization Statements

Alaska
The online programs are exempt from authorization under AS 14.48 because the program is online or distance delivered and do not have a physical presence in the state. 20 AAC 17.900 (a)(12) defines physical presence as presence of a facility, faculty, or staff within the state; in this paragraph, “faculty” and “staff” do not include site supervisors or mentors for local internships or practica, or adjunct personnel.

Indiana
This Institution is authorized by: The Indiana Commission for Higher Education/The Indiana Board for Proprietary Education, 101 West Ohio Street, Suite 670, Indianapolis, IN 46204-1984. 317.464.4400 Ext. 138, 317.464.4400 Ext. 141.

Iowa
Clarks Summit University is registered with the Iowa College Student Aid Commission and authorized to offer degree granting, distance education programs in the state of Iowa. The Commission accepts questions, concerns and complaints from any student attending an Iowa postsecondary school, regardless of the student’s state of residency, and from an Iowa resident attending any postsecondary school in the United States. A Student Complaint Form has been created to accept a student’s questions, concerns, or complaint related to a postsecondary school. The form is available at https://www.iowacollegeaid.gov/StudentComplaintForm. A student may also contact Iowa College Aid toll-free at 877.272.4456.

Maryland
Clarks Summit University is registered with the Maryland Higher Education Commission.

Minnesota
For more information, contact: http://www.ohe.state.mn.us/sPages/oheContact.cfm
Minnesota Office of Higher Education
1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350
St. Paul, MN 55108-5227
Phone: 651.642.0567
Toll Free: 800.657.3866
Fax: 651.642.0675

Ohio
CSU online programs can be completed by students living in Ohio. Out-of-state institutions that offer programs with components that will be completed in Ohio must be authorized by the Ohio Department of Education. CSU has been authorized by the Ohio Department of Education to offer the on-ground components of the Master of Science in Counseling (practicum and internship) and Master of Divinity (internship) programs in Ohio.

State and Agency Complaint Contacts

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education
1007 North Orange Street
4th Floor, MB #166
Wilmington, DE 19801
267.284.5011
Telephone: 267.284.5000
Email: info@msche.org Spanish: españolinfo@msche.org

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education (CHEA). Contact Information about how to file a complaint is available at: http://www.msche.org/documents/HowtoSubmitThirdPartyComment.pdf.
https://www.msche.org/complaints

Association for Biblical Higher Education
5850 T.G. Lee Blvd, Suite #130
Orlando, FL 32822
Telephone: 407.207.0808
FAX: 407.207.0840
http://www.abhe.org/

ABHE has a formal Policy on Complaints Against an Institution. Contact ABHE via e-mail at info@abhe.org or telephone (407.207.0808) if you wish to discuss a complaint and/or to receive a copy of our policy.

Pennsylvania Department of Education
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Division of Higher Education
333 Market Street, 12th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126

Individuals wishing to file a complaint concerning Clarks Summit University may contact the Department of Education at the information above or at Students Complaints (pa.gov)

 

State Consumer Protection Laws
Students wishing to file a complaint to the Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office regarding a consumer-related issue, may contact the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General 16th Floor, Strawberry Square, Harrisburg, PA 17120 or online at: https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint/consumer-complaint/

Out-of-State Academic Student Complaint Procedure
In compliance with the Higher Education Opportunities Act of 2008, the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) conducted a Negotiated Rule Making Process in 2010, and institutions offering distance education must provide enrolled and prospective students with contact information for filing complaints with its accrediting agency and with the appropriate state agency for handling complaints in the student’s state.

Students enrolled in online classes at Clarks Summit University who reside out-of-state should follow the Complaint Procedures listed under “Student Complaint Process” to resolve concerns. Online students have the same rights and responsibilities as those students enrolled in on-campus courses. Complaints are addressed through informal and formal processes. It is suggested that students first try to resolve an issue through the informal report and resolution process before submitting a formal complaint.

Federal regulations require Clarks Summit University to provide contact information of state agencies that handle complaints against post-secondary education institutions offering distance learning or correspondence education within that state. Students are encouraged to first use the Clarks Summit University internal complaint process outlined above prior to filing a complaint with a state agency or accrediting agency.

Student Complaint Information by State and Agency

 

Additional Student Complaint Information by State

Maryland
Clarks Summit University is subject to investigation of complaints by the Office of the Attorney General or the Maryland Higher Education Commission. Complaints should be directed to:
Maryland Higher Education Commission
6 North Liberty Street, 10th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201
collegiatecomplaint.mhec@maryland.gov
https://onestop.md.gov/

Withdrawal and Refund Information

For various reasons, students may need to stop attending all of their courses. Any student who either stops attending or officially drops all of their current courses is considered to have withdrawn from the institution.

Withdrawals & Refunds – residential students

Withdrawals & Refunds – online students

States that require a separate statement to be posted for students enrolled in online classes.

Iowa Residents
Online students who are residents of Iowa will be subjected to the policy put forth by the College Student Aid Commission.

Military Refund Policy: CSU is supportive of a student who is a member, or the spouse of a member if the member has a dependent child, of the Iowa National Guard or Reserve forces of the United States and who is ordered to state military service or federal service or duty. Upon verification of orders requiring active duty, you may select from several tuition credit options. Upon meeting with the Director of Financial Aid to verify orders, CSU will work with the student to determine the best plan for those circumstances. Below are the three options to review and consider:

  • Withdraws from the student’s entire registration and receive a full refund of tuition and mandatory fees.
  • Makes arrangements with the student’s instructors for course grades, or for incompletes that shall be completed by the student at a later date. If such arrangements are made, the student’s registration shall remain intact and tuition and mandatory fees shall be assessed for the courses in full.
  • Make arrangements with only some of the student’s instructors for grades, or for incompletes that shall be completed by the student at a later date.  If such arrangements are made, the registration for those courses shall remain intact and tuition and mandatory fees shall be assessed for those courses.  Any course for which arrangements cannot be make for grades or incompletes shall be considered dropped and the tuition and mandatory fees for the course refunded.

These rules are in compliance with Iowa Code 261.9(1)9g.

Maryland Residents
Online students who are residents of Maryland will be subject to the policy put forth by the Maryland Department of Education.

The minimum refund that an institution shall pay to a Maryland student who withdraws or is terminated after completing only a portion of a course, program, or term within the applicable billing period is as follows:

Proportion of Total Course, Program or Term Completed as of Date of Withdrawal or Termination
Tuition Refund
Less than 10%
90% refund
10% up to but not including 20%
80% refund
20% up to but not including 30%
60% refund
30% up to but not including 40%
40% refund
40% up to but not including 50%
>20% refund
More than 60%
No refund

A refund due to a Maryland student will be based upon the date of withdrawal or termination and must be paid to the student within 60 days from the date of withdrawal or termination.

CSU & BBS Student Lending Code of Conduct

Clarks Summit University & Baptist Bible Seminary is committed to providing students and their families with the best information and processing alternatives available regarding student borrowing. In support of this and in an effort to rule out any perceived or actual conflict of interest between CSU officers, employees or agents and education loan lenders, CSU has adopted the following:

  • CSU does not participate in any revenue-sharing arrangements with any lender.
  • CSU does not permit any officer, employee, or agent of the college who is employed in the financial aid office or is otherwise involved in the administration of educational loans to accept any gifts of greater than nominal value from any lender, guarantor, or servicer.
  • CSU does not permit any officer, employee, or agent of the college who is employed in the financial aid office or is otherwise involved in the administration of educational loans to accept commission compensation for any consulting or other contract for services from any lender or on behalf of any lender relating to educational loans.
  • CSU does not permit any officer, employee, or agent of the college who is employed in the financial aid office or is otherwise involved in the administration of educational loans to accept anything of value from a lender, guarantor, or group of lenders and/or guarantors in exchange for service on an advisory of value from a lender, guarantor, or group of lenders and/or guarantors in exchange for service on an advisory board, commission, or other group established by such a lender, guarantors group or lenders and/or guarantors. CSU does allow for reasonable reimbursement of expenses associated with participation of such boards, commissions, or groups by lenders, guarantors, or groups of lenders and/or guarantors.
  • CSU does not assign a lender to any first-time borrower through financial aid packaging or any other means.
  • CSU recognizes that a borrower has the right to choose any lender from which to borrow to finance his/her education. CSU will not refuse to certify or otherwise deny or delay certification of a loan based on the borrower’s selection of a lender and/or guarantor.
  • CSU will not request nor accept any funding in support of a private loan fund from any student loan lender in exchange for guarantee volume of loan funds, guarantee number of applications for loans, and/or placement on a preferred lender list.
Graduate Survey

Survey of May 2016 Graduates

Early each calendar year, Clarks Summit University surveys all graduates from the previous May.

In the most recent survey, approximately 68 percent of respondents indicated they were currently employed full-time, 23 percent are employed part-time and 24 percent are currently full or part-time students. Only about 5 percent of graduate respondents said they were both currently unemployed and not continuing their education.

On employment, approximately 71 percent of respondents stated they were employed full-time in vocational ministries, such as churches, Christian schools, and mission agencies. A part of the 71% were either full or part-time students.

  

Professional Licensure Disclosure

General Information

Clarks Summit University has two programs that lead to professional certification or licensure—the Teacher Education programs and the Master of Science in Counseling program. These programs meet the requirements for certification and licensure in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In many cases, our requirements will meet or exceed other states’ requirements. However, some states have additional requirements to meet certification or licensure in their state. CSU has not determined whether program requirements for our programs meet the specific requirements for other states. We encourage students to contact the educational and licensing board of their home states for more information. It is also imperative that students notify the registrar’s office if their home residential state changes during their program of study.

This information is provided in response to Federal Code of Regulations, 34 CFR 668.43.

Master of Education Program Disclosure

The Master of Education (M.Ed.) concentrations are designed to meet the professional needs of educators who serve or are preparing to serve in Christian, international, other private or public schools. Students will receive an immediately applicable, real-world education as they earn a fully accredited degree that can meet continuing education requirements. The Master of Education concentrations do not lead to state certifications.

Master of Science in Counseling Program Disclosure

Clarks Summit University offers a 60-credit hour Master of Science in Counseling degree.

The Master of Science in Counseling degree does not meet the CACREP or CORE (or its equivalent) requirements for licensure at this time.

Important Note for Prospective Students: If you are considering an academic program that leads to a professional license in your state, it is highly recommended that you first seek guidance from the appropriate licensing agency in your home state BEFORE beginning an academic program.

You need to verify that the degree meets:

  • required academic credit hours
  • includes any required core coursework in particular areas of study
  • accreditation standards by a particular organization

Additional information concerning state requirements for licensure can be found at the following websites:

CSU has not determined whether program requirements for our Master of Science in Counseling program meet licensure requirements in the following states:  Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

CSU has determined the program requirements for our Master of Science in Counseling program do not meet licensure requirements in the following states: Florida, Missouri, New York, North Carolina.

See General Information above for more information.

Teacher Education Program Disclosure

Teacher Education Preparation Data

The following programs are included in our Teacher Education programs:

  • Early Childhood Education/Elementary Education (PreK–4)
  • PreK–12 Health and Physical Education
  • PreK–12 Music Education
  • Secondary Education—English
  • Secondary Education—Social Studies
  • Secondary Education—Mathematics

CSU has not determined whether program requirements for our teacher education programs meet certification requirements in the following states:  Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

See General Information above for more information.

Copyright Infringement Policy

Copyright Compliance and Peer-to-Peer File Sharing Policy

Any person using the Clarks Summit University network is required to comply with all Federal and University laws, regulations, and policies concerning copyright and peer-to-peer (P2P) filing sharing.

Copyright Policy

Clarks Summit University complies with the provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA) and the Copyright Act of 1976. These two acts represent the Federal law (U.S. Copyright Act, Title 17 of the US Code, and more recently the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, 105 PL 304) making it illegal to download, upload, or distribute in any fashion, copyrighted material, in any form without permission or a license to do so from the copyright holder. These Acts cover music, movies, text, and anything that is copyrighted.

Unauthorized distribution of copyright material may result in civil and criminal penalties. Information on violations and fines can be found in chapter 5 – Copyright law of the United States of America. Student use of the Clarks Summit University network to violate any law or the Clarks Summit University standards and Community Commitment is not permitted and may result in fines, loss of internet privileges, legal action or possible dismissal as determined by the Office for Student Development.

Peer-to-Peer File Sharing Policy

Peer-to-peer file sharing is the distribution and sharing of digital media such as software, videos, music, and images using peer-to-peer (P2P) networking technology. Generally, P2P software allows users to search for and then to select which files to share or download. Sharing such media is not illegal if one has the rights to distribute them. However, many file sharing applications can and are used illegally to access copyrighted material.

Illegal use of P2P file sharing may result in civil and criminal penalties. Information on violations and fines can be found in chapter 5 – Copyright law of the United States of America. Student use of the Clarks Summit University network to violate any law or the Clarks Summit University standards and Community Commitment is not permitted and may result in fines, loss of internet privileges, legal action or possible dismissal as determined by the Office for Student Development.

More information can be found at https://www.copyright.gov/title17/.

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