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Policies

On this page:
Statement of Faith
Statement of Ethics
Cadet Conduct
Academic Freedom Policy
Faculty Disciplinary Procedures
Non-Discrimination Policy
CFOT Grievance Process
ACCJC Complaint Policy
Sexual Harassment Policy
Alcohol, Tobacco & Illegal Drugs
Weapons Policy
Educational/Grading Policies
Academic Honors
Graduation and Commissioning
Unsatisfactory Academic Status and Academic Probation
Attendance Policy
Spiritual Formation Activities
Maternity/Paternity Leave
Academic Dishonesty
Transfer of Credit
International Transcripts
Independent Study
Directed Study
Computer Usage

 

STATEMENT OF FAITH
All cadets are expected to follow the essential elements of the Salvationist faith and life shared as a community of believers. All officer staff and cadets have declared their allegiance to the doctrinal beliefs of The Salvation Army and realize that these will have implications on the academic, social, and spiritual life of the College.
 

STATEMENT OF ETHICS
All campus constituents are expected to demonstrate an inherent respect for all other persons, hold the teaching and learning process in high esteem, demonstrate collegial and individual responsibility for teaching, learning, spiritual formation and campus decision-making, support the spiritual and personal growth of each cadet, and to be fair, honest, and open, and act in accordance with the core values of the College. In addition, campus constituents are expected to practice environmental and financial stewardship.
 

CADET CONDUCT
The Cadet’s Rule: Cadets are expected to conduct themselves, at all times, as Christians and officers in training. 

It is the aim of CFOT to provide a healthy environment, free from destructive elements that might hinder academic excellence and personal growth. Each cadet is expected to abide by all the regulations of the College and to govern his/her personal conduct by the standards of Christian living and example. The cadet is preparing for a life of dedicated service to God and The Salvation Army. This life demands full commitment to biblical principles and dedication of one’s skills and talents to the honor and glory of God. 

The curriculum attempts to stimulate not only intellectual, but also spiritual, ethical, and emotional growth. In this spirit, it is the desire of CFOT to create a climate of mutual trust, respect, and interpersonal concern where openness and integrity prevail. 

It is expected that each cadet will pursue self-improvement and develop his or her full personal potential. The College encourages independent intellectual effort, while not tolerating dishonesty, cheating, or plagiarism in any form.

The policy of the College is that no cadet be allowed to continue as a cadet, who is proven guilty, while in training, of any unethical conduct such as dishonesty or immorality.

This would include any other conduct which renders the cadet, in the judgment of the Training Principal, unfit to be a representative of The Salvation Army. See later sections for further specific statements on academic honesty.
 

ACADEMIC FREEDOM POLICY
At CFOT, we believe academic freedom presents an opportunity to be exercised and a responsibility to do so. Such freedom must be carried out with civility, mature judgment, and the awareness of the broad representation of Christian faith that exists throughout the College. Accordingly, CFOT affirms its commitment to freedom of inquiry and expression in academic endeavors and underscores the need for faculty responsibility to support and advance the mission. 

The College recognizes that academic freedom is defined by accepted academic standards and by the mission, values, and character of the College.  We seek to maintain a spiritual-based and academic community in which members of the faculty are free to engage in scholarly inquiry and expression within an intellectual context shaped by the Christian tradition. 

The College follows these principles in its practice of academic freedom: 

Members of the faculty are entitled to the rights and privileges and bear the obligations of academic freedom in the performance of their duties. Members of the faculty are free to pursue truth and knowledge within their academic areas of instruction, in their writings, and public statements in their fields of professional competence. 

Faculty members should always strive for accuracy, appropriate restraint, and respect for the opinions of others. 

Faculty members are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. Faculty should be careful not to introduce controversial matters which have no relation to the subject or may unnecessarily or prematurely hurt the development of cadets intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, or socially. 

In their roles as members of the broader global and campus community, faculty members need to be cognizant that the public will form perceptions of their profession and their institution by their utterances. 

The only complaints that will be considered are those alleging faculty violations of professional standards in the discipline or advocating positions incompatible with those commitments articulated in the documents that are central to the College’s identity as a Christian college, and then only when the evidence supporting the allegation is more substantial than rumor, inference, or hearsay. Such alleged violations should be referred to the Director of Education who may recommend a sanction ranging from ranging from counseling to removal from teaching duties. 

A faculty member who believes his or her academic freedom has been unduly restricted may pursue resolution via a review and recommendation by the Director of Education for a response and decision by the Executive Council of the College.
 

FACULTY DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES
Alleged violations of the Statement of Ethics policy or the Academic Freedom policy should be lodged (i.e., documented in writing) with the Director of Education who may recommend to the Executive Council and the Training Principal a sanction ranging from counseling to removal from teaching duties. No disciplinary action can be taken if more than three years has passed between the time when the Training Principal knew or should have known about the alleged violation of these policies and the delivery of the notice of proposed disciplinary action.
 

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
The Salvation Army is an Equal Opportunity Employer and committed to providing a respectful environment for all applicants and employees that is free from unlawful discrimination or harassment based on age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, disability, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other characteristic protected by law. Such equal opportunity for employment will apply to recruitment and hiring, training, promotion, salaries and other compensation, transfers and layoffs or termination.

While The Salvation Army does not always consider religion in making employment decisions, as a religious organization, a branch of the Christian church, The Salvation Army reserves the right to make specific employment decisions and adopt employment policies that take into account the religious and moral principles for which it is established and maintained, consistent with its right to the free exercise of its religion guaranteed to it by the Constitution of the United States and the many corresponding statutory exemptions applicable to religious organizations. Further, by accepting employment with The Salvation Army, an individual recognizes that The Salvation Army is a church, agrees to do nothing to undermine its religious mission, and acknowledges that his or her conduct must not conflict with or undermine the religious activities of The Salvation Army, or its religious and moral principles.
 

CFOT GRIEVANCE PROCESS
The first opportunity for the resolution of a misunderstanding or disagreement is to deal with the matter on an individual level with those involved. If satisfaction is not realized in this way, there are two options available: 

  1. When it is an issue involving the cadet body, the problem should be presented to the Cadet Council for consideration after discussion with the cadet advisor.
  2. Other matters should be brought to the officer bearing responsibility in the area involved. 

If desired, appeal interviews can be arranged with staff officers in the following order:

  • Primary Advisor
  • Department Head
  • Assistant Training Principal
  • Training Principal 

The established grievance procedure for the resolution of cadet and employee complaints is also utilized for discrimination questions.

The Director of Personnel is designated to coordinate non-discrimination compliance efforts and to investigate grievances as they relate to cadets.
 

ACCJC COMPLAINT POLICY
Cadets and members of the public may file a formal complaint about CFOT by following the Commission’s Policy on Student and Public Complaints against Institutions. The process is detailed at their website. In addition, The Director of Library Services has a copy of the policy, procedures, and form for filing such a complaint. In this case, the complainant must demonstrate that all remedies at the institution have been exhausted. 
 

SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY
Cadets have a responsibility to report any incidence of sexual harassment and are expected to abide by The Salvation Army’s Policy on Sexual Harassment (Policy and Procedure, Part Two 13-19). All cadets are required to attend the Sexual Harassment Prevention Seminar. 
 

ALCOHOL,  TOBACCO, & ILLEGAL DRUGS
In accordance with The Salvation Army’s position in this regard, CFOT is an alcohol, tobacco, and drug-free campus. It is unlawful to manufacture, distribute, dispense, possess, use, or sell controlled substances or illicit drugs, alcohol, or substances containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on campus. All cadets, staff, and employees are required to comply with this policy. Anyone violating this policy will be subject to disciplinary action, including possible termination. 

Local, state, and federal laws establish severe penalties for violations of drug and alcohol statutes. In addition to CFOT disciplinary actions, anyone violating this policy will be subject to criminal prosecution, fine, and/or imprisonment.
 

WEAPONS POLICY
The possession or storage of firearms, explosive or incendiary devices, or other weapons on the CFOT campus is prohibited. This policy applies to employees, cadets, officers and individuals visiting or conducting business on campus and extends to Salvation Army/CFOT owned vehicles and personal vehicles entering campus.  

A weapon is defined as:

  • Any device that shoots a bullet, pellet, flare, archery arrow, or any other projectile, whether loaded or unloaded, including those powered by CO2. This includes, but is not limited, to archery bows, rifles, shotguns, handguns or other firearms, BB/pellet guns, flare guns, stun guns, or dart guns and any ammunition for any such device. 
  • Any replica of the aforementioned items.
  • Any explosive device including firecrackers and black powder.
  • Any device that is designed or traditionally used to inflict harm (including but not limited to any knife with a blade longer than three inches, hunting knife, fixed blade knife, throwing knives, dagger, razor or other cutting instrument the blade of which is exposed).
     

EDUCATIONAL/GRADING POLICIES
Enrolled cadets graduate under the catalog requirements in place at the time they enter the CFOT. In those cases where requirements or course offerings are modified during the two year enrollment period, the Director of Education will work with the cadet(s) to ensure the cadet’s graduation requirements are fairly interpreted and applied to facilitate graduation.


Quarter System
The College operates on the quarter system.


Duplicate Use of Materials and Assignments
It is expected that cadets will use original written and program materials for all assignments. Multiple use of assignments may be allowed for field education purposes only, and will be pre-approved by instructors and/or brigade officers. 


Incomplete Course Grade
Course instructors are able to award an incomplete to cadets who may need more time on task to achieve the course SLOs satisfactorily. If the final grade is not reported within one month of the beginning of the next quarter, the letter “I” will be dropped and the grade will be calculated on the value of the work previously completed. When warranted, the Director of Education, with the support of the instructor, can recommend to the Executive Council that the extension deadline be modified. This would allow faculty to accommodate the cadets they perceive as needing slightly more time to complete their work and SLOs satisfactorily.

In the matter of illness or academic circumstances beyond the control of the cadet, he/she may not be able to complete course work as prescribed in a class syllabus. The cadet who is unable to complete work prescribed in a course, Mission and Ministry practicum, Summer Internship, or Christmas Intensive may apply to his/her instructor prior to the end of the quarter and/or practicum for consideration of a grade classification of Incomplete. 

The cadet must file a “Petition for a Grade of Incomplete” with the Director of Education, indicating the reason for petition. The petition will have the recommendation and signature of the course instructor for which the cadet requests an Incomplete grade also noting what assignments or exams must be completed by the cadet. The petition will also have the recommendation and signature of the Director indicated above. The Director of Education will recommend appropriate action to the Executive Council before the incomplete grade may be given. 


Final Grades
Final grades are given following the completion of the academic quarter. A request for change of grade for any course must be submitted in writing to the instructor with a copy to the Director of Education no later than two weeks from issue of quarter grade report. Change of grades for other than clerical errors will not be accepted after the two-week grace period.


Pass/Fail Courses
A cadet must obtain a 70% or better to pass a pass/fail course.

Several elective classes are offered for both a grade and pass/fail. When cadets register for an elective class, they must choose either a grade or pass/fail. At no time during the quarter can the cadet change his/her mind and opt for the other way of grading. Pass/fail classes are not entered into GPA determinations.


Grading System
The following table shows the grading system used at CFOT.

Score   Grade   Grade Point
93-100 A 4.00
90-92 A- 3.70
88-89 B+ 3.30
82-87 B 3.00
80-81 B- 2.70
78-79 C+ 2.3
72-77 C 2.00
70-71 C- 1.70
68-69 D+ 1.3
62-67 D 1.00
60-61 D- 0.70
59 or below F 0.00


Withdrawal From a Course
In special circumstances involving serious illness or other circumstances beyond a cadet’s control, a cadet may decide he or she needs to withdraw from a required course. In this situation the cadet not only has to document the request and rationale during the quarter, but also have an agreed-upon plan for making up the required course approved by the Education Department. A cadet must petition the College for withdrawing from a course before the halfway point of the quarter.

Any cadet who discontinues attending a credit course must immediately contact the instructor and discuss the withdrawal option and then request the withdrawal through the Education Department. In optional courses, which may be repeated or made up (e.g., Worship Arts Electives), it remains incumbent on the cadet to formally withdraw when not attending the course. Withdrawal from any course must be approved by the instructor and the Director of Education. Cadets who do not withdraw properly may end up with a failing grade on their record.

A cadet who withdraws from an optional course during the first four class meetings of the quarter may do so in consultation with the instructor and Education Department with no penalty or record of withdrawal. For example, a cadet who enrolls in a Worship Arts elective and then decides after attending one or two classes that the cadet would be better served by enrolling in another elective in a later quarter may withdraw from the course with no penalty or record of withdrawal.


Late Work
All class work must be completed by the assigned due date. Late submissions will receive a 0 but will be noted as late work. 

Exceptions:

  • Cadets must initiate requests for exceptions to the instructor, including those with accommodations.
  • Any requests to extend the due date of an assignment must be made to the instructor 48 hours before the due date for the assignment (In the cases of injury, trauma, sickness, pregnancy, or bereavement, this request is not required before 48 hours but is still advised as soon as possible).
  • Extensions and their length are granted at the discretion of the instructor. 
  • For any exceptions granted no penalty will apply to the grade for being past the assigned due date.
  • Extensions cannot be made past the last day of the quarter.
  • No circumstances guarantee an extension.


Course Failures
In the case of a failing grade in a required course, the cadet may be required to retake the course as a directed study.  When this is the case, a written Directed Study Agreement will be developed by the instructor and submitted to the Director of Education for approval.  

For such a course repeat via directed study, cadets will be graded on a Pass/Fail basis and, if the Pass grade is awarded, will then fulfill the course requirement for graduation.  The initial "F" grade will remain on the transcript and in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average.


Unsatisfactory Course Completion
Though a course is considered completed if a grade of A through D is awarded, at CFOT if a cadet receives a D, the course is considered to be unsatisfactorily completed.  In this case, the Director of Education can recommend that missing assignments be completed or unsatisfactory assignments be redone to ensure achievement of associated officer competencies. The final grade for the course will not be changed and the initial ‘D’ will remain on the transcript. 
 

ACADEMIC HONORS
Cadets who have, over the two years of training, achieved a particular GPA will be placed on the Principal’s List as detailed in the following table.

G.P.A Level
3.90 or above       Honor
3.75 - 3.89 Distinction
3.60 - 3.74 Merit

GRADUATION AND COMMISSIONING
The Associate of Arts in Ministries degree is granted upon completion of 93 credits in the prescribed course of study and a GPA of 2.0 or better.

Commissioning as an officer in The Salvation Army is granted upon successful completion of all courses required by the Orders & Regulations for the Training and Development of Salvation Army Officers, achievement of a GPA greater than 2.0, and upon recommendation of the Training Principal. Any cadet who fails to satisfactorily complete a course required by the Orders & Regulations for the Training and Development of Salvation Army Officers or who has a GPA lower than 2.0 will need to submit missing (or additional) assignments, as identified by the Director of Education and the instructor(s), to ensure all associated officer competencies have been achieved.

In exceptional circumstances the Director of Education may recommend to the Training Principal that a cadet experiencing academic (or personal) difficulties be transferred out of the degree program and be assigned an amended curriculum. In such cases, the cadet will be required to take only those courses that meet the officer commissioning requirement, as defined by the Orders & Regulations for the Training and Development of Salvation Army Officers.

All cadets will receive the Certificate of Salvation Army Officer Training, signifying satisfactory completion of the training requirements for commissioning as a Salvation Army officer.
 

UNSATISFACTORY ACADEMIC STATUS AND ACADEMIC PROBATION
Placement of a cadet on unsatisfactory academic status or on academic probation is an administrative decision made at the recommendation of the Director of Education to the Academic Council and upon approval by the CFOT Executive Council. This decision is made in consultation with the relevant instructors as precipitated by any of the following:

  • A cadet fails to maintain a GPA of at least 2.0.
  • A cadet receives a “D” in any course.
  • A cadet receives an “F” in any course.
  • A cadet fails to complete a directed study or submit repeat assignments in a timely manner. 

The decision to place a cadet on Unsatisfactory Academic Status or Academic Probation will be based on the consideration of the above factors, the duration for which any have occurred, and any previous placement on Unsatisfactory Academic Status or Academic Probation, and will be made in consultation with the instructors, Academic Council, and Executive Council. 

When a cadet is place on Unsatisfactory Academic Status or Academic Probation, they will be notified by the Director of Education and a plan to remediate the circumstances and assist the cadet in improving their GPA and college standing will be developed. These may include, but are not limited to:

  • Assignment to the library on weekday evenings or during other personal time.
  • Assignment to staff officer who will act as tutor/or advisor. 

Additionally, placement on Academic Probation may result in the following:

  • Limit on involvement in extracurricular activities.
  • Restriction from serving on Cadet Council. 

When a cadet is on unsatisfactory academic status, the Director of Education will periodically evaluate the cadet and may recommend to the CFOT Executive Council a continuance on unsatisfactory academic status beyond one quarter, with the intent of assisting the cadet to acquire the necessary skills to gain satisfactory status and/or for possible recommendation that the cadet be placed on probation for academic reason. 

If placement on academic probation persists for two or more consecutive quarters, The Training Principal, in consultation with the Review Council, will decide if recommendation for termination should be made to the Territorial Officer Review Board.

When the decision is made to place a cadet on probation for academic reasons, the Secretary for Personnel at THQ and the cadet’s Divisional Command Head will be informed. Academic probation status will also be reflected on the educational transcript. When a cadet reaches a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 and has passed all courses as required, the cadet will be considered in good standing, all academic probation requirements discontinued, and the Secretary for Personnel at THQ and the cadet’s Divisional Commander will be notified.
 

ATTENDANCE POLICY
Attendance at all official CFOT classes, events, and activities is mandatory, as the entire training experience is planned for the development of the cadet into an officer. Any absence or tardiness diminishes the learning experience for the cadet and the group.
As such, CFOT has the following guidelines for absence, tardiness, and participation. 

Absence/Tardiness Procedure

  1. When cadets are going to be absent from any class, seminar, or college activity for any reason, they must notify the instructor/advisor for that activity and the Personnel Department as soon as possible via the online reporting system.
  2. When a cadet is either absent from or tardy to a class, seminar, or other college activity the absence or tardiness is registered in the Attendance Record by the instructor. Excessive absences and/or tardies may result in grade or point reductions.
  3. Each instructor has the right to determine whether a cadet may attend class via MS Teams or other virtual means.
  4. Each cadet is expected to acquaint himself/herself with the college schedule that is posted by the Education Department and available through Canvas.
  5. Cadets are expected to be on time for all classes, seminars, and events. Excessive tardiness may impact the cadet’s grades and academic standing and will be considered in the Personnel Review. When grades are calculated, two tardies equal one absence.
  6. Exceptions:
    • Service on a College Council or Committee or on or off-campus business that is required by the College and approved by the Director of Education does not count as an absence.
    • Cadets may request to participate in class through Microsoft Teams only if they would otherwise be absent class. In this case they must be at home, on video, in uniform, and participate fully, like they would if they were in person. If the classroom standard is not maintained while on Teams, the instructor may still count the cadet as absent. 


Participation
It is expected that all cadets will be fully engaged in the academic program.   As such, participation in class accounts for 10% of each course’s overall grade calculation.  Participation includes, but is not limited to: attendance,  contribution to in-class discussion, timely response to post-class emails, participation in on-line discussion boards, and submission of other opportunities for interaction with course material.


Outcomes for Absence

Classes
Cadets will be responsible for work missed during any absence. They must contact their instructors as soon as possible to cover any class work. 

In case of personal/family illness or emergency, cadets will be excused for up to 10% of class hours for each individual course (i.e., one absence in a one-unit course, two absences in a two-unit course, or three absences in a three-unit course). Subsequent absences will result in a meeting with a member of the Personnel Department.  Absences of more than 30% of class hours will result in a failing grade. 

Seminars
The series of seminars offered by the College are required for commissioning as a Salvation Army officer and attendance is required. Doctor’s appointments may not be scheduled during any of the seminars. In the event that a seminar must be missed, the cadet must meet with the Director of Education or seminar coordinator to determine what course of action will be taken to make up the missed seminar. 

Mission and Ministry
The Mission and Ministry Department will record attendance for field education activities and the Personnel Department will follow-up with any cadet with frequent absences and tardiness. If absences continue, the cadet will meet with the Assistant Training Principal for any action needed. Cadets who have excessive absences will be brought before the Review Council. 

In the event that a cadet misses one-fourth of Mission and Ministry for any reason, the course will be considered incomplete and arrangements will be made for additional work to complete the course. 

Cadets absent from more than one Mission and Ministry activity per quarter will complete an equivalent make-up assignment per the approval of the Director of Mission and Ministry. Cadets who have not completed required Mission and Ministry activities or make-up assignments will receive a grade of incomplete for Mission and Ministry and will be required to complete the Out-Sunday Make-Up assignment. 

All other Mission and Ministry activities require on-time attendance. Two tardies equal one absence and two absences will require an approved make-up assignment.
 

SPIRITUAL FORMATION ACTIVITIES
Prayer groups, discipleship groups, Chapel, Bible study, and assembly form a holistic approach to spiritual formation through the Spiritual Formation I and II courses. As such, attendance at these activities falls under the guidelines for courses described above.
 

MATERNITY/PATERNITY LEAVE
Cadets should refer to the Cadet Manual for detailed guidelines regarding leave/absences during the postpartum period. Cadets must sign an individualized maternity/paternity leave agreement, endorsed by the Training Principal, Director of Personnel, and Director of Education. Cadets are responsible for communicating what the arrangements will be in terms of class attendance and participation in spiritual formation and other campus activities.
 

ACADMEMIC DISHONESTY 
Academic dishonesty is most often observed as cheating and plagiarism and can occur in any kind of assignment completed for class credit.  

A Christian intellectual community such as the College for Officer Training at Crestmont requires the highest standards of integrity, which includes academic honesty. For this reason, the Education Department defines the operation of the Rule of Conduct in instances of demonstrated academic dishonesty.  

At CFOT, academic dishonesty is defined in the follow ways:  

  1. Copying work from other cadets or written materials (books, articles, notebooks, or other sources of material, whether published or unpublished) without proper citations (i.e., plagiarism). This presents the work of others as one's own. This can be further delineated:
    • To use the exact language of someone else without putting this quoted material in quotation marks and/or giving its source.
    • To present, as his/her own, the sequence of ideas or the arrangement of material of someone else, even though he/she expresses it in their own words. The language may be theirs, but they are presenting and taking credit for another person’s work.
    • When a cadet submits a paper written by another as their own work.
    • To present content created by “artificial intelligence” applications, either in whole or in part, as if it were created by the student originally. 
  2. Providing or receiving unauthorized assistance to or from another (for example, listening to the exact answers to an exam from a previous student).
  3. Collaborating on assignments without the instructor’s authorization.   

Cadets may avoid plagiarism by using appropriate quotation marks and citing the sources of their research and writing.  

In cases of academic dishonesty, instructors will review the circumstances with the Director of Education. If academic dishonesty is confirmed, the assignment will receive a grade of zero with a notation of academic dishonesty. However, the instructor will have the cadet complete the assignment correctly to fulfill the course requirements. Any cadet who cheats or plagiarizes will forfeit any academic award given in connection to the completion of the Associate of Arts in Ministries degree.  

Since each cadet can check their assignments with TurnItIn for unintentionally copied or mis-cited work, intent will generally not be considered in terms of academic dishonesty in all works submitted. In the unlikely event that intent is still not clear upon review, a warning may be given before considering Academic Probation, but the assignment will still receive a grade of zero. 

The repercussions for academic dishonesty are as follows:  

  1. Academic Probation - For an initial act of academic dishonesty.
  2. General Probation and Referral to Cadet Review Board - For a second act of academic dishonesty.  

It is the policy of CFOT that the Director of Education will recommend that no cadet may continue in training if proven guilty of acts of repeated academic dishonesty. This recommendation will be forwarded to the Training Principal on the grounds that the cadet is an unfit representative of The Salvation Army. 

Though significant instruction and guidance is given in the areas of MLA procedures, citation, and research skills, CFOT recognizes that these are new skills to many first-year cadets. As such consideration is given to this resulting in grace and latitude in the application of this policy during a cadet’s first quarter at CFOT. 
 

TRANSFER OF CREDIT
A cadet who presents an official transcript of previous college, university, military training, or high school Advanced Placement (AP) courses directly comparable to those of the College for Officer Training may receive credit toward the Associate of Arts degree in Ministries from the College. High school Advanced Placement (AP) courses with a score of 3 and higher on the College Board exam may be considered for transfer of credit with the official College Board exam transcript.  The Education Department staff will determine if the nature, content, and level of credit(s) earned at the sending institution are comparable to those courses and credits offered at CFOT. To approve transfer, courses must have 70% minimum matching content based on but not limited to the course description, syllabus with SLOs, topics, textbooks etc. A C grade or better is required for transfer. All transfers will be approved through the Academic Council.

Official transcripts received through the Territorial Candidates Department will be audited for all potential transfer courses in the Associate of Arts degree prior to the start of training. Cadets are notified of transferred courses prior to the start of training.

Credit will be accepted only from institutions accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency with similar programs, i.e., ACCJC, WASC, ABHE, etc. The international transcript must be evaluated by International Education Research Foundation, Inc. an approved credentials evaluation service. Official transcripts required for transfer must be submitted as part of the admissions process and are retained in the Education Department at CFOT.

All courses at CFOT are measured in quarter units of credit. Semester hours are converted to quarter units for transfer purposes. Semester Units multiplied by 1.5 = Quarter Units. Grades do not transfer — only units of credit. A cadet’s grade point average is computed only on work completed at CFOT.

CFOT has a residency requirement for courses taken in Biblical Studies and Theological Studies. All such courses must be taken at CFOT. In addition, due to the nature of the degree program, some CFOT courses formally emphasize ministry applications related to The Salvation Army; this may mitigate course transferability. An Academic Council subcommittee reviews transcripts to determine and document equivalency.

At CFOT the audit option is applied congruent with the transfer of credit policy for those cadets transferring in courses that meet transfer of credit requirements but lack a Salvation Army specific component. For example, cadets who transfer in a college level Introductory Sociology course receive full credit for the transfer course, but are required to audit the component of the Sociology course at CFOT that deals with social work in The Salvation Army. Such audits are arranged by the staff in the Education Department, the instructors involved, and the cadet in advance of the beginning of the respective term of enrollment. No cadet auditing a course shall be permitted to change his or her enrollment in that course to receive credit for the course.

Any questions regarding the transfer of credit should be directed to staff in the Education Department.
 

INTERNATIONAL TRANSCRIPTS
CFOT is authorized to enroll international F-1 status students. All records of any previous schooling must be submitted as original documents.  These records must show courses taken and grades earned, and must be translated into English if the original records are in another language.  If the translation is supplied, it should be certified as accurate and correct by an appropriate public or school official, or sponsoring agency or government. The original record should also be included. 

Prior to the application of transfer credit towards  the Associate of Arts degree in Ministries, the international transcript must be evaluated by an approved credentials evaluation service.  The College will then make decisions regarding course equivalences and actual transferability of such credits. 
 

INDEPENDENT STUDY
Independent study is for those advanced cadets who wish to extend their knowledge in a particular area through additional research and study. It may be taken for credit twice while enrolled, and it is a one credit course. Cadets who wish to pursue this option must complete an Independent Study Agreement and have it approved by the Director of Education no later than two weeks prior to the beginning of the quarter for which the Independent Study Agreement is requested.
 

DIRECTED STUDY
Directed study is available for cadets who: 1) have failed a course and need to repeat the course for graduation purposes or 2) need to take, for any reason, a course in a quarter in which that course is not offered.  

In each case, a written Directed Study Agreement is to be developed by the instructor and cadet and submitted to the Director of Education for approval.  This must be submitted before the commencement of the quarter in which the directed study is to occur.
 

COMPUTER USAGE
Laptop computers are provided to all cadets for use at CFOT. 

The user will be responsible for the maintenance, control of the computer, and legal software. Cadets will be responsible for cost of repair due to neglect or abuse. The THQ Information Technology  Department will provide technical support for all CFOT computers.

Acceptable uses include college-related communication, activities related to the direct support of the College, uses consistent with the standards of the College and The Salvation Army, and uses in support of the cadet’s instructional and training program. Responsible, considerate, and ethical behavior expected by the College extends to the use of computing and networks throughout the world to which electronic access has been provided. Cadets in training to be ministers need to uphold this standard.

 

 

Reviewed/Updated: July 2025