Chapel Attendance Policy

At Wheaton College the formation of the mind, heart, and soul is inseparable. Chapel is an essential component of students’ formation. Students gather for worship three times a week in the loving presence of the living God to seek the transformation of thoughts and actions through praying, singing, sharing testimonies and listening to God’s Word. The College leadership prays students will more deeply learn how to live under the easy yoke and light burden of the Lord Jesus. By the end of students’ time at Wheaton, the College hopes that students will find themselves more regularly experiencing the freedom and joy of the Holy Spirit, as a foundation for being sent out by God as His witnesses for the Gospel.

The Trustees of Wheaton College require that all undergraduate students attend chapel, regardless of the number of years enrolled or the current number of academic credit hours attained, because of the chapel’s role in contributing to the College’s mission of educating whole people in Christ to help build the church and benefit society worldwide.

Chapel Attendance Procedures

Seating

Students are assigned a different seat to sit in before the start of each semester. Seat assignments are communicated to students via the Chapel widget in the Wheaton Gateway.

Attendance

Absences

Each semester, 11 absences are permitted, which represents approximately 25% of the total number of chapels each semester. Examples of reasons absences may be used include but are not limited to: conferences, sleep, study, recovery from illness, doctor/counseling appointments, ad hoc meetings with professors/advisors, non-school-related trips, irregular work schedules, interviews, car repairs, content that may cause emotional distress, trips to the airport, etc. Unused absences from the current semester do not carry over to future semesters.

Arriving Late to Chapel

After the bells finish chiming, the doors to the main level of the chapel are closed. Students arriving after the doors close are considered late until 10:55 a.m., when students will be marked absent.

Arriving late to chapel three times equals one absence unless an accommodation has been received from Learning & Accessibility Services allowing a student to arrive late.

Late students, including students whose seat assignments are in the balcony, must register on the Late Sign-in sheet in the balcony before sitting in the empty seats in Section 7 of the balcony, located on the right side of the balcony when facing the stage. The names of late students who leave the balcony area will be removed from the Late Sign-in sheet by a chapel monitor and be counted absent. Students who arrive after 10:55 a.m. will be considered absent.

Requesting a Semester-Long Chapel Excuse

• Students who do not have a disciplinary history regarding chapel attendance may request a semester-long chapel excuse for consideration due to a job, an internship, or part-time student status while also living off campus.
• A request form from the Chaplain’s Office must be completed by the student, approved by the faculty advisor, and submitted to the Dean for Student Engagement for consideration and approval.
• Semester-long chapel excuse applications must be submitted before the end of the quad where the absences occurred. Semester-long chapel excuse applications for the Fall or Springs semesters will not be accepted once the quad has ended.
• Every effort to avoid scheduling a work or internship commitment during the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday chapel time (10:40–11:20 a.m.) is expected before consideration and/or approval will be given for a semester-long chapel excuse.
• A semester-long chapel excuse application for remote work will not be approved; students are expected to schedule remote work around chapel time.
  
• Approval of a semester-long excuse request is valid for one semester.
• An approved semester-long chapel excuse request will modify the number of allowed absences for the other chapel days:
  • Seven chapel absences are allowed if one day is excused for one semester; and
    
  • Four absences are allowed if two days are excused for one semester.

College-Initated Chapel Excuse Request

An authorized employee (e.g., Faculty, Coach, Nurse, Director, Dean, Vice President, Officer) may request a chapel excuse on a student’s behalf. The request must be submitted from the employee’s Wheaton email account in the same quad as the absence. Wheaton College employees may request a chapel excuse for a student under the following circumstances:

• Required off-campus field trip for an academic course;
• Varsity athletic competition;
• R.O.T.C. training exercise off campus;
• Extended illness treated by Student Health Services;
• Singular accommodation from Learning & Accessibility Services; and/or
• An unexpected distressing event (e.g. death in the family) with support from Student Wellness.

Chapel Attendance Accountability

Chapel accountability is facilitated under the Student Conduct Policy and the leadership of the Dean for Student Engagement.

Chapel absences will be reviewed once a month throughout the year. Students will be notified of their warning level, which is effective immediately, and will remain in effect until good standing is restored (see below).

It is students' responsibility to manage their chapel absences.

Written Warning

Students who exceed 11 absences in a semester will receive a Disciplinary Warning letter via email from the Chaplain’s Office. Students may reach out to the Ministry Associate for Care & Administration in Lower Beamer if discrepancies in recording an accurate attendance record are suspected.

Disciplinary Probation

Probation is the highest-level warning status for a specific time-period during which a student’s behavior is subjected to examination and evaluation. Students who exceed 11 absences after receiving a Disciplinary Warning qualify for Disciplinary Probation, which will be communicated via an emailed letter from the Chaplain’s Office. Permanent documentation of a probation outcome is included in a student’s record maintained by Student Development.

An enrollment registration hold will be communicated to the Registrar’s Office, which will remain in effect until the student meets with a Student Development Dean or the Director of Athletics.

The first purpose of this meeting is to discuss the reason(s) for the missed chapels and options to remove the barriers to attending chapel.

The second purpose of the meeting is to discuss if students will be permitted to begin or continue participating in co-curricular activities, athletics, or an off-campus study experience. Conservatory or Communication students required to participate in music, theater performance, or debate as part of their academic curriculum will not need permission to continue participation but are still required to meet with a Dean/Director of Athletics.

Additionally, failure to schedule or attend a Disciplinary Probation meeting will result in parents’ being notified regarding the risk of suspension.

Suspension from the College

Suspension is defined as an involuntary separation from the College for a specified length of time. Students who exceed an additional 11 absences while on Disciplinary Probation for chapel absences will be suspended from the College, which means they will be required to leave campus at their expense and will also experience the impact of unexcused class and chapel absences. Permanent documentation of a suspension outcome is included in a student’s record maintained by Student Development.

Chapel Status Change in One Semester

Students who continuously do not attend chapel throughout a semester can receive a Disciplinary Warning, Disciplinary Probation, and be Suspended in the same semester. Additionally, failure to schedule or attend a Disciplinary Probation meeting will result in parents being notified regarding the risk of suspension.

Suspension Appeals

A suspension decision by one of the Deans in Student Development may be appealed by the student to the Vice President for Student Development within five business days of being notified of their suspension status. Appeal requests are limited to the following grounds:

1. A procedural (or substantive) error occurred that significantly impacted the decision (e.g., substantiated bias, material deviation from established procedures, etc.).
2. To consider new information that could substantially impact the decision. A summary of this new information and its potential impact must be included.
3. A conflict of interest or bias existed against the individual found in violation of College policy that materially affected the outcome.
   

The Vice President for Student Development shall render a written decision on the appeal, based on the materials provided by the student and by a Student Development Dean. The decision of the Vice President is final and not subject to further appeal.

Restoring Good Standing

Students receiving a Disciplinary Warning or Disciplinary Probation can return to good standing by remaining within 11 absences in the immediately succeeding semester or upon returning from Suspension.

Chapel Attendance Resources

Students experiencing difficulties in attending chapel due to:

• A physical health condition are encouraged to make an appointment with Student Health Services (North Harrison Hall Suite 130, 630.752.5072, student.health.services@wheaton.edu);
• A mental health condition are encouraged to make an appointment with the Counseling Center (North Harrison Hall Suite 170, 630.752.5321, counseling.center@wheaton.edu); or
• An unexpected distressing situation such as a death in the family are encouraged to make an appointment with Student Wellness (Student Services Building Suite 218, 630.752.5941, student.wellness@wheaton.edu).

ADA Accommodations

Wheaton College is committed to providing equal access to all students, inside and outside the classroom. If you require or anticipate requiring disability-related accommodations in order to fully access chapel services, please reach out to Learning and Accessibility Services (LAS) las@wheaton.edu or visit the LAS website to find information regarding how to register with LAS. This is also applicable if you foresee absences exceeding the 11 allowed per semester due to disability or health-related reasons. Please contact las@wheaton.edu with any questions.