Men and women of God are suited for Christian service by moral character as well as by academic achievement and spiritual gifts. Among their qualifications should be compassion for individuals, sensitivity to the needs of their communities, a commitment to justice, a burden that the whole of God’s will be obeyed on earth, personal integrity, a desire for moral and spiritual growth, and mutual accountability. Faculty, staff, and students at IHOPU are expected to commit to these values.
Our community standards of conduct are guided by an understanding of Scripture and a commitment to its authority regarding all matters of Christian faith and practice. The school also desires to honor and respect the values of the churches that entrust their students to us for education and spiritual formation. Association with IHOPU, be it as faculty, staff, or student, includes a commitment from each individual to embrace our school’s values and standards of conduct.
Among these values and standards, we affirm the following policies:
We encourage any member of the community who is struggling in these areas to seek support, advice, or personal ministry from their peers, friendship group leader, and our Deans Office & Pastoral Support team, as well as from those providing professional services.
We encourage our faculty and students to address in a spirit of love and humility any member of the community whom they see living in violation of these biblical standards of conduct. We therefore encourage individuals to follow Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 18:15–18 and Paul’s in Galatians 6:1-2.
If you would like help addressing these issues in your life or the life of someone else in the community, please refer to Student Concerns
Academic Integrity
This IHOPU Academic Integrity policy has been established to clarify the expectations that help us function as a fellowship of believers, and to embody mutual trust in our pursuit of academic tasks. It is first rooted in the conviction that God, who is truth, calls us to truthfulness; and second, in the conviction that we are called to treat one another with integrity.
IHOPU seeks to promote spiritual, intellectual, and ministerial growth. We are committed to being beyond reproach in both our academic work and in our personal behavior, as a matter of the formation of Christian character. At a minimum this means that we as faculty and students alike commit to honesty in all aspects of our work.
To this end we set down the following commitments, procedures, and biblical standards, as essential but not exhaustive guidelines concerning integrity. These commitments underlie, but do not supersede, professional standards to which members of the community may also be subject.
Academic integrity requires that faculty will:
- Use forms of assessment that are consistent with the stated goals of a course
- Provide clear guidelines about acceptable collaboration; and in instances when collaboration is required, we will spell out how work is to be prepared for submission and on what basis grades will be assigned
- Spell out course policies on the use of previous examinations for preparation for current examinations
- Avoid plagiarism, and acknowledge our dependence on the ideas of others, including those of our students, in publications and, as appropriate, in lectures and materials distributed in class
- Evaluate work on its academic merit, not on the basis of the student’s agreement or disagreement with the teacher’s point of view
- Give students feedback on assignments and not assign grades without providing comments on papers and essay examinations
- Return papers in a timely manner
- Follow accepted standards in the construction and grading of examinations
- Challenge academic dishonesty when it occurs
- Seek to assure consistency in applying these standards by consulting with colleagues when dealing with questions and issues concerning academic integrity
- Faithfully adhere to the academic policies of the institution, including abiding by criteria for granting incomplete and deadlines for accepting work
Our commitment to developing a culture of honesty requires that the whole IHOPU community will:
- Not make written assignments available to students for copying
- Not give unpermitted aid on take-home examinations
- Not make unauthorized copies of examinations available to students
- Report known violations of these standards of academic integrity to the faculty member of the course involved, director of the school, or the vice president of Training.
Academic integrity requires that students will:
- Refrain from all plagiarism and cheating, and recognize that instances of either will be dealt with strictly
- Face potential dismissal from IHOPU if there is evidence of a pattern of compromise and deceit
Marriage and Divorce
IHOPU affirms its commitments with respect to God’s will for the permanence of marriage, while acknowledging the tragic reality of divorce.
The biblical definition of marriage centers on the covenant made between one man and one woman. Guided by the love and grace of God, each spouse vows to love, honor, and cherish their marriage partner (Mk. 10:2–12). Christ is clear in recalling the creation story: “But from the beginning, God made them male and female. ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
IHOPU leaders seek to cultivate a community of men and women, single and married, who endeavor to reflect the healthy, generous, and enduring embodiments of God’s unselfish love. We therefore expect those who are experiencing a troubled marriage to share the relevant circumstances with their leaders and seek out resources and support in their effort to bring healing to their marriage.
We believe that God wills marriage to be permanent, and that He is deeply grieved when any marriage fails. Yet compassion leads us to discern that in our broken human condition divorce may sometimes be a regrettable last resort to end a cycle of pain and sin within an unwholesome marriage. IHOPU desires to be a redemptive community in which those who have experienced the pain of a failed marriage are fully embraced and renewed.
People and Property
IHOPU expects behavior that demonstrates the highest standard of respect for people and property. Scripture exhorts us to look out for the welfare of others, to be good protectors and stewards of the possessions God has given us, and to be honest and keep our word. The school is committed to fostering respectful interpersonal relationships regardless of gender, race, age, disability, or national origin.
Basic standards for respectful conduct at IHOPU are similar to those of other institutions of higher education. The following are examples of behaviors that are not acceptable. These examples are not intended to identify all unacceptable behaviors, but to indicate the types of behavior that are inconsistent with the expectations of our school. When willfully and repeatedly engaged in, they may be cause for disciplinary action. When appropriate, the following may be reported to civil authorities for legal or other action.
Dishonesty
The school regards lying or misrepresentation concerning oneself or others in any aspect of school life as unacceptable.
Injurious or offensive action
Physical assault, infliction of psychological injury, and the spreading of harmful or malicious rumors are unacceptable. Prejudicial treatment based on gender, race, age, disability, or national origin is both offensive and injurious. Persistent profane or obscene language is unacceptable.
Disruption
Actions by individuals or groups that substantially interfere with the rights of others or interfere with the activities of the school are unacceptable. Disruptive activities in classrooms, libraries, offices, and other campus meeting or assembly areas are included.
Theft or destruction of property
Theft of or damage to the property of another person or of the school is unacceptable, as is defacing or rendering library material unusable. Unauthorized possession or use of school materials or equipment is a form of stealing.
Purposeful violation of institutional policies
Purposeful violations include, but are not limited to, refusal to comply with contractual arrangements with school departments or services.
Sexual Standards
IHOPU believes that sexual union must be reserved for marriage, which is the covenant union between one man and one woman, and that sexual abstinence is required for the unmarried. The school further believes that extramarital and homosexual forms of sexual conduct are inconsistent with the teaching of Scripture. Consequently, the school expects all members of its community—faculty, staff, and students—to abstain from what it holds to be unbiblical sexual practices.
Sexual Harassment
Definition of Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is conduct based on sex or of a sexual nature, whether directed toward a person of the opposite or same sex, and may include explicit sexual propositions, sexual innuendos, suggestive comments, sexually oriented “kidding” or “teasing,” “practical jokes,” displaying sexually explicit printed or visual material, and physical contact such as patting, pinching, hugging, or brushing against another person’s body. Both men and women may be victims of sexual harassment. One person may be sexually harassing another person and not be aware of it. For example, it is possible that joking and other related behavior based on sex or of a sexual nature may be unwelcome to one person and constitute sexual harassment, whereas the person who initiates the joking may not be aware of its impact on the other person.
Policy against Sexual Harassment
IHOPU is committed to maintaining an environment in which faculty, staff, and students can study and work together in an atmosphere free of all forms of harassment, exploitation, or intimidation, including sexual harassment. Sexual harassment of all kinds is prohibited both by school policy and by federal and state laws. This applies to all members of the IHOPU community, including faculty, staff, and students. This prohibition applies to members of the IHOPKC community and the school’s agents, as well as to vendors, independent contractors, and others doing business with the school.
Use of Substances
IHOPU is committed to maintaining an environment that is conducive to wellness and godly self-development of individuals. Thus we seek to ensure that all of our facilities are free from the use of alcohol and illegal drugs. The use of tobacco is prohibited on all IHOPKC property.
All IHOPU faculty, staff, and students agree to refrain from the use of illegal drugs and from the public or social consumption of alcoholic beverages. (We have no policy against drinking alcohol in moderation in the context of a meal with immediate family members). These commitments should be upheld during school breaks and trips outside of Kansas City.
Local, state, and federal laws establish penalties for the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of illegal drugs. Incidents on the IHOPU campus or incidents involving members of the IHOPU community may be reported to civil authorities for legal action.
Unlawful Discrimination
IHOPU is committed to providing an environment free from unlawful or un-Christian discrimination in all of its practices, procedures, and programs. This extends to the school’s administration of educational policies, admissions, hiring, educational programs, and activities. In keeping with this commitment, the school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, marital status, military service status, veteran status, medical condition, pregnancy, or age.
IHOPU lawfully discriminates on the basis of sexual conduct that violates its biblically based “Community Standards” statement(s) on sexual standards and sexual harassment set out in this document. Continued practice (without repentance) of immoral activity may lead to disciplinary action or dismissal.
IHOPU also lawfully discriminates on the basis of religious beliefs. As a Christian institution, all teaching and management positions in the school are restricted to persons who will affirm in writing the “Statement of Faith” of IHOPKC. These positions require adherence to the Christian beliefs, doctrines, and tenets affirmed by the school as a foundational part of the person’s essential functions, and involve representing the Christian mission, objectives, and activities of the school to colleagues, students, and off-campus constituencies. IHOPU also reserves the right to seek, hire, retain, and promote individuals who support the mission and goals of the institution and whose conduct is consistent with its understanding of Scripture.
The IHOPU community standards of conduct are guided by an understanding of Scripture and a commitment to its authority regarding all matters of Christian faith and practice. This understanding of Scripture directly relates not only to the school’s admissions, educational, and service guidelines, but also to IHOPU’s core mission, values, and identity. Since its establishment in 2006, IHOPU has been an openly and pervasively sectarian Christian educational institution. The school’s “Statement of Faith” is the defining principle within the school’s governing bylaws and the unifying pillar supporting faculty governance. Agreement with the “Statement of Faith” is a key determining factor for accepting a person to faculty or staff status. IHOPU stands for the fundamentals of the faith as taught in Holy Scripture and handed down by the orthodox Church. Faculty and staff see their role in the educational ministry of IHOPU as part of their larger ministry, common to all Christians, of serving Christ as obedient disciples in the Church and in the world.
The policies set forth here in the “IHOPU Community Standards” are applicable to all members of the IHOPU community, and, as such, adherence to them is a continuing condition of enrollment and/or service.
Acknowledgements
We acknowledge our thanks to Fuller Theological Seminary for permission to quote from their website.