JTS Policies

Reservation of Rights

JTS reserves the right to revise or change its academic calendar, rules, charges, fees, schedules, courses, requirements for degrees and any other regulations, policies, or practices affecting students, whenever considered necessary or desirable. The foregoing changes may include, without limitation, the elimination of programs, departments or schools.

Registration or attendance at classes signifies an agreement by a student to comply with all rules and regulations of JTS, whenever promulgated. It is the student's responsibility to become aware of the contents of each new academic bulletin and to be thoroughly familiar with program and departmental requirements, including amendments to those requirements as well as amendments to the general policies of JTS. The JTS website will always contain the most current version.

Ignorance of the rules will not be accepted as an excuse for failing to act in accordance with them.
This academic bulletin, which is for the guidance of applicants, students and faculty, is subject to change without notice and is not intended to be a contract between JTS and any person.

Accreditation

JTS is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (267) 284-5000, and is chartered by the regents of teh state of New York. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. JTS offers the degrees of bachelor and master of arts, master of philosophy, doctor of philosophy, doctor of Hebrew literature, doctor of education, and bachelor and master of sacred music, and it ordains rabbis and confers the diploma of hazzan on qualified candidates. Inquiries regarding JTS's accreditation and licensing may be directed to Dr. Michael B. Greenbaum, vice chancellor / chief operating officer.

Student Obligations

A student shall not be considered to have registered in JTS until all tuition, fees and charges (including residence hall fees) due at registration have been paid in full, all forms have been completed in full, and unless the student is in compliance with all JTS rules and regulations. A registration may be canceled if a student knowingly makes a false statement or conceals material information on an application for admission, registration materials or on any other JTS form.

Should a student in any JTS school not be in compliance with JTS rules or regulations and fail to meet his/her obligations with respect to all tuition, fees and charges when due, or make satisfactory arrangements agreeable to JTS with respect to the payment of such tuition, fees and charges, or the repayment of loans, JTS may bar a student's registration, and refuse to admit the student to classrooms and residence halls, grant library privileges or issue transcripts, certificates and diplomas. Continued failure to meet student obligations may result in expulsion from the residence halls or suspension from JTS.

JTS students shall be responsible for any collection costs that may be assessed in the event financial obligations are not paid when due. All unpaid balances are subject to an interest charge.
Should students in any JTS school fail to return library materials when due, they will be responsible for fines and charges, which are posted in The Library. Further, if students fail to meet their library obligations, JTS will reserve the right to bar registration and withhold transcripts of students' records, as well as certificates and diplomas. In the event any such charges or fees are outstanding at the time of graduation, a student will not be able to participate in graduation until all charges or fees are paid in full.

Immunization Requirement

New York State Public Health Law 2165 requires that students born on or after January 1, 1957 provide proof of immunity to measles, mumps and rubella at the time of registration. This applies to all students registered for 6 or more credits. The current grace period is thirty days following registration for in-state students and forty-five days for out-of-state students. However, incoming students are asked to submit proof to the Office of the Registrar by August 1 to avoid delaying registration.

Proof of immunity to measles, mumps and rubella can be shown through documentation of immunizations, documentation of medically diagnosed disease (measles and mumps only) and seriological evidence (blood tests indicating the presence of antibodies). Proof must be certified by a physician or health care practitioner.

Students should plan to obtain proof of immunity before registering, as obtaining proof can be a lengthy process. Further information is available in the Office of the Registrar.

Student Conduct and Procedures

Policies governing disciplinary procedures to be followed if a student is charged with violation of a JTS academic or nonacademic rule, regulation or standard are set forth in the Student Disciplinary Procedures. Similarly, JTS has enacted standards of conduct with which students are expected to comply.

The Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act of 1990, as amended, mandates that JTS advise students of campus safety and security procedures and statistics for campus crime, and that it maintain a drug and alcohol policy. The campus crime statistics are filed annually with the U. S. Department of Education and may be accessed on their web site at http://ope.ed.gov/security. Any questions about these statistics should be directed to the Office of Counsel, (212) 678-8804.

JTS complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws. JTS's disciplinary procedures, standards of conduct, policies on security matters, security statistics and policy under the Drug Free Schools Act are contained in the Guide to Student Life, published annually by the Office of Student Life. The guide is distributed to all students and faculty at the beginning of the academic year and is available from the Office of Student Life on request. JTS policies are also available by accessing JTS's website.

JTS has enacted Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, and Consensual Relations Policies, clearly expressing its position and describing the procedures to be followed by members of the JTS community if they believe that they have a case of discrimination or sexual harassment, or that the consensual relations policy has been violated. Copies of the policies are contained in the Guide to Student Life and are available on the website; they may also be found in the JTS staff handbook.

Access to Student Records

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) gives JTS students right of access to their official education records, including recommendations written after January 1, 1975. If a student wishes to see his/her file in the Registrar's Office, he/she may submit a request to that office.

Certain materials are exempt, including private notes, parents' financial information, some medical records and any letters of recommendation that a student has waived the right to see. FERPA allows access by others to this information under certain circumstances, and gives JTS the right to release to the public information classified as directory information. Such directory information may include the student's name; local and permanent addresses; synagogue affiliation, if any; campus email address; local telephone; date and place of birth; major field of study; honors and awards; participation in officially recognized activities; dates of attendance at JTS and the particular schools; degree(s) conferred and their dates; and photos, videos or electronic images of the student taken and maintained by JTS. A student who wishes to have all or part of that directory information withheld from release should inform the Registrar's Office within the first thirty days of each academic year to limit dissemination of this information. The full text of the notification to students of their rights under FERPA is contained in the Guide to Student Life and is posted on the JTS website.

Requests for Transcripts

Students are sent one copy of their academic record at the end of each semester. Requests for additional copies of the transcript for either official or student purposes may be made by contacting the Office of the Registrar and paying the appropriate fee. Official copies will be sent directly by JTS only to another university, employer, institution or agency. Students and alumni may request copies of their academic records, which will be stamped Student Copy. There is a $5.00 charge for the first official copy and $2.00 per copy charge for all additional copies. Please contact the Registrar's Office for details regarding the processing of transcript requests and the fee schedule.

Students with Disabilities

JTS is committed to meeting the needs of students with disabilities. Students must identify themselves to their Dean as soon as possible and must provide JTS with current and appropriate medical or diagnostic documentation of their disability before any accommodations can be considered. The documentation must include a release form to discuss the student's medications and condition with his or her doctor, the duration of the disability and any recommendation for accommodations. JTS will then decide what reasonable and appropriate accommodations will be made. In most cases involving learning disabilities, appropriate documentation should include adult-level assessment and the current status of learning skills and strategies.

General Grievance Procedures

Any person who believes that JTS policies or procedures either do not conform to applicable laws or are contrary to its own published standards, and whose complaint is outside the scope of other available hearing bodies, may request consideration of the matter as outlined below:

  • In most situations, the person should consult the appropriate Dean or the Director of Human Resources, who will assist the person in approaching the appropriate faculty member, department head or supervisor
  • If the matter is not resolved to the satisfaction of the complainant, he/she may present a written statement to the Chief Operating Officer