Review the principles and policies that guide student evaluation, examinations, academic progress, faculty advising, and graduation at CIAMSS.
The College of Inner Awareness, Metaphysical and Spiritual Studies understands itself as a responsible learning community. This is a community where faculty and students are engaged in the joyful process of helping people to unfold the consciousness and skills as a metaphysical/spiritual practitioner.
The faculty regards evaluation and accountability as a part of the relationship that exists between faculty and students.
Persons admitted to the CIAMSS degree and/or NAMI certification programs are considered adult learners. The faculty assumes that students are self-motivated, have the desire and maturity to receive meaningful information about their progress, and will take responsibility for their own growth in relation to class work.
Accountability may be verbal, visual, or written and applies to both faculty and students. Faculty members have the responsibility for communicating what is to be learned, its purpose, and the goals to be achieved. Student accountability may take the form of oral reports, written reports and papers, action projects, or examinations.
The objective of evaluation, whatever its form, is to engage the student in responsible self-understanding and self-evaluation as a springboard for further learning.
An open-book examination is included in most courses. This examination must be completed and submitted to CIAMSS, using the proper format, before a Certificate of Completion is issued.
A thesis or dissertation must be written in an acceptable grammatical style and form and should reflect the high quality of work expected of an adult student.
Form and Style in Thesis Writing, by William Giles Campbell, The Riverside Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1954, or a comparable book, is suggested as a guide.
Before starting the thesis, the student must submit the subject, which should reflect the major field of study. There should be approximately a 500-word explanation regarding what the student intends to include in the thesis.
After approval of the Academic Board, the student may begin working on the thesis and is expected to keep the Board informed of progress.
All theses must be typed and legible or they will be returned without action. Master’s and Doctor’s degree submissions must be professionally hard bound.
Two copies should be submitted. One copy will be returned to the student after approval, and the other will be retained in the CIAMSS library.
The title should appear on the front cover, with the candidate’s name at the bottom, along with the month and year of submission. If possible, the title and student’s last name should appear on the spine.
Each course will conclude with an appropriate evaluation process. From that process, and with the use of other evaluative criteria, CIAMSS will assign a grade for each student, which will then be recorded on an official transcript.
Excellent. Superior work indicating comprehensive mastery of the subject and evidence of the ability to use the subject matter at a very high level, both personally and professionally.
Satisfactory. Requirements of the course and discipline have been met satisfactorily, and work is acceptable for graduation.
Unsatisfactory. Course work is unsatisfactory.
Incomplete. Work is incomplete, and a time limit is given for completion.
Coursework with an Unsatisfactory grade may be discussed with the student’s faculty advisor. An attempt may be allowed to retake the examination within three months of the first Unsatisfactory grade for that examination.
If the student retakes the examination within the three-month period and earns a Satisfactory grade or higher, the new grade will be entered on the student’s transcript.
If the second attempt results in another Unsatisfactory grade, the student will be required to retake the course, with an applicable audit fee.
Incomplete work, whether through distance learning or on campus, must be completed within one year of receipt of the class for distance-learning students or one year from the last scheduled class for on-campus students.
After that period, the class must be retaken at audit rates for completion. Extensions may be granted through the student’s faculty advisor, with a notation made in the student’s file.
Distance-learning students who have had no activity on record for one year will be moved from active to inactive status.
A student who receives three Unsatisfactory or Incomplete grades within a one-year period will be placed on academic probation.
The student will be given a specified amount of time, as determined by the Dean of the College, to bring grades and/or coursework into Satisfactory status or higher. A notation of academic probation will be issued to the student and placed in the student records.
If Unsatisfactory progress and/or Incomplete coursework are not reversed through the efforts of the student, the student will be dismissed. Upon reapplication, the Dean of the College will set conditions for re-entry.
CIAMSS does not operate on a semester or quarterly basis and therefore does not issue regular progress reports.
A complete record of the student’s academic and attendance records is available through the Registrar’s Office at the College of Inner Awareness, Metaphysical and Spiritual Studies.
A file will move from active to inactive status when it shows no activity for a period of one year.
The College of Inner Awareness, Metaphysical and Spiritual Studies recognizes that each student develops at an individual rate of unfoldment and has unique challenges in the program.
To further the mutual responsibility for growth through good communication, each student will be assigned a faculty advisor.
The faculty advisor serves as a specific faculty resource for all matters relating to student progress. This includes support and guidance regarding coursework, serving as the primary faculty contact for academic concerns, and channeling specific progress information from CIAMSS.
The right of graduation from any CIAMSS degree or NAMI certification program is granted only when the student provides evidence of being prepared to practice in the chosen field.
This evidence is more than spending a certain length of time in training and completing designated courses. Readiness emphasizes spiritual, mental, and emotional maturity; devotion to a lifestyle of service to others; metaphysical, spiritual, and intellectual clarity about the purpose and meaning of the discipline; and demonstrated skill in working effectively with people, organizing one’s life, and understanding the administrative responsibilities appropriate to the chosen field of service.