Dress

At Shepherds we require our students to dress in a manner that upholds the professional standards of the pastorate. When attending classes students should be neat in appearance and wear a collared shirt, long pants, and appropriate shoes. Blue jeans, golf shirts, and running shoes may be worn as long as they are conservative and neat.

Appropriate attire for the mentorship programme is determined by the student’s church.

Code of Conduct

At Shepherds we expect our students to be above reproach in all their attitudes and actions, as is fitting for leaders in God’s church.

In addition to meeting the biblical requirements for elders as set out in passages such as 1 Timothy 3:1-13, Titus 1:5-9, and 1 Peter 5:1-5, we expect our students to:

• Demonstrate humility and a willingness to submit to church leaders and seminary lecturers
• Be faithful in church attendance and service
• Show consideration for the others in their pursuit of Christian liberty
• Adhere to the Shepherds’ standard of dress
• Apply biblical standards (e.g. Ephesians 5) and discernment in the pursuit of entertainment
• Avoid self-indulgent behavior such as drunkenness, drug abuse, and smoking
• Avoid all forms of sexual immorality
• Apply wisdom and maintain accountability in all counselling sessions, especially when counselling women
• Avoid all forms of dishonesty, whether at home, church, or seminary
• Avoid all forms of slander and gossip
• Give priority to their family relationships and responsibilities

By submitting an application to Shepherds a student agrees to abide by this code of conduct and understands that he will be subject to an annual review (as per the admissions policy) that will take his conduct into account.

Grievances

We encourage open communication between our students, lecturers, staff, mentors, and church members. Any student who has a grievance should first address the matter in person with the individual concerned. If the matter is not resolved the student may approach the Administrative Head for assistance. A formal grievance may then be initiated. Biblical principles will be adhered to in all grievances.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a form of lying and will not be permitted at Shepherds. Plagiarism occurs when a person uses the work of another and presents it as his own. In the seminary environment this usually takes the following forms:

• A student quotes from a source (book, internet article, etc.) and does not provide a citation of the source and/or does not indicate which words are quoted using the appropriate punctuation; this includes secondary citations within works
• A student paraphrases a source and does not provide a citation

We encourage our students to carefully document their sources, whether it be for research papers or sermons. Our classes will help students develop this skill.

If plagiarism is suspected the matter will be carefully investigated. In all such cases the outcome lies at the discretion of the Academic Head. A student found guilty of plagiarism will receive a reduction in his grade, may have additional work assigned, and/or may be asked to leave the programme.

If a student has completed the programme and it comes to light that he committed plagiarism, Shepherds will investigate the matter and take appropriate action.

Any financial loss incurred by the student due to plagiarism will be for his own account and cannot be recovered from Shepherds. Any financial loss incurred by Shepherds in such cases will be recovered from the student.