LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

Policies and Practices

EXPECTATIONS AND PRACTICE
STATEMENTS AND WELL-BEING RESOURCES
ATTENDANCE, ASSESSMENT, AND
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

DIVERSITY AND JUSTICE
STATEMENT

Aspiring through the Holy Spirit, imagining what the community of God looks like, we hold a vision for a racially just and inclusive church. Comprehending and challenging our privileges and biases to break down barriers that exclude anyone, we strive to live and act into the fullness of who God has called us to be. Transforming our beliefs, values, policies, and actions to be a more racially just and equitable Church, we are inclusive of all people. As such, we are committed to creating a learning environment that values and celebrates diversity in all forms. We welcome Lutheran, ecumenical, interreligious, and other learners into our community, and act to create an environment where all learners, regardless of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic, have opportunities to grow, and feel empowered to participate fully without facing harassment, discrimination, or bias. If you experience or witness behavior that feels unwelcoming or unsafe, please contact your instructor or the Leadership Academy Director at learningacademy@elca-ses.org.

ACCESSIBILITY AND ACCOMMODATIONS STATEMENT

If you have a diagnosed disability that challenges your full online participation—whether visible or invisible, permanent or temporary—please reach out early in the term to either your instructor or the LA Director at leadershipacademy@elca-ses.org to discuss your needs. Our conversation will be confidential and focused on what would be helpful. We aim to create an online learning environment where you have what you need to succeed, and we will work with you to implement reasonable modifications. 

MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING RESOURCES

If you or someone you know is navigating difficult circumstances and needs assistance, please reach out to your pastor or an SES faith leader. Helpful information, tools, and services on well-being may also be found on the SES Mental Health Resources webpage.

LEARNING COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS

Whether meeting synchronously via Zoom or connecting asynchronously through discussion boards and course materials, you are expected to engage in ways that constructively build community–ensuring that every voice is heard and diverse perspectives are welcomed, communicating and interacting professionally, building capacity to act collectively, celebrating progress both big and small, and holding space for growth. These expectations are essential to our collective learning. If you're struggling to meet these commitments, please reach out for additional support. If you observe behavior that undermines our learning community, we encourage you to address it with the individual and, if necessary, bring it to the instructors’ attention privately.

Most breaches of these expectations can be addressed through conversation and behavioral correction—we're all learning together. However, learners may be asked to leave temporarily or permanently removed from a course if they engage in harmful behavior, such as harassment or discrimination, or if they repeatedly violate community standards after being asked to change, showing an unwillingness to uphold our shared commitments. If a learner is asked to leave temporarily, the instructor will reach out before the next class session to collaboratively discuss behavioral corrections for the rest of the term. Failure to uphold that plan will be reviewed by the instructor in collaboration with the Leadership Academy Director and Steering Committee, and may result in permanent removal from the course. Permanent removal from a course may impact the learner’s ability to register for future Leadership Academy courses. 


Instructors are accountable to these expectations, too. If they fall short in a way that affects you, please talk with them privately to share your concerns. If you feel speaking with instructors alone isn't the right path forward, or if concerns remain after the conversation, you can contact the LA Director at leadershipacademy@elca-ses.org.

IN PRACTICE, LEARNING COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS MEAN WE...

  • Are present and engaged
  • Create space for all voices
  • Listen with curiosity
  • Respect everyone's time
  • Use video when possible
  • Engage thoughtfully
  • Respond in a timely manner 
  • Build on others' ideas
  • Communicate professionally
  • Assume positive intent
  • Maintain healthy boundaries
  • Practice confidentiality
  • Ask for and offer support
  • Acknowledge impact over intent

ATTENDANCE

We value every learner's presence and contribution to our learning community. To ensure everyone benefits from the full class experience and to respect the time of your peers and instructors, consistent attendance and timeliness are essential. We understand that occasional delays happen. However, if you know you'll be more than 15 minutes late, please reach out to your instructor in advance to make arrangements. Up to one entire class session may be excused, pending that learners:
  • Notify the instructor via email prior to the session, or as soon as possible afterward
  • Watch the recording of the missed class (if available)
  • Submit all required assignments for the missed session
Learners missing more than one session –or– who are consistently more than 15 minutes late without an instructor-approved plan in place, may continue to attend remaining classes but will receive an "incomplete" for the term. To remove the incomplete, learners must create an alternative course plan in collaboration with the Leadership Academy Director and the course instructor.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

You are expected to complete your own original work and give credit where credit is due. By this, we mean that what you share and submit should primarily represent your own ideas, conclusions, and effort. When collaborating, citing others' work, or using artificial intelligence (AI) to help you brainstorm ideas or clarify concepts, you should transparently acknowledge all roles, references, and contributions. In courses, informal attribution is generally acceptable for conversations and most assignments. For formal papers or projects, you should use the Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition.

When in doubt about the appropriate use of AI or about when and how to cite works, please consult with your instructor. If you're struggling with an assignment, facing time pressure, or unsure about expectations, please reach out so we can help you find a solution. Should we discover that academic integrity has been compromised, we will first have a conversation to clarify expectations and ensure you understand what to do moving forward. You may be asked to revise and resubmit the work in question. Serious and/or repeated violations of academic integrity (e.g., purchasing papers, falsifying data) may result in your removal from the course and affect your ability to register in future terms.

EVALUATION RUBRIC AND FEEDBACK

All course assignments must be submitted online. The following rubric will be used to assess all course assignments and final course evaluations. Course assignments will be evaluated by the instructor, and every effort will be made to return them with constructive feedback within one week of their due date. Late assignments will be returned promptly, though the turnaround time may be longer depending on when they're submitted and the instructor's current load. Learners’ final course evaluation will be a collaborative process. Both learners and instructors will reflect on learners’ progress throughout the term and agree on a final evaluation level from the rubric. If an agreed-upon level cannot be reached, the Leadership Academy Director will review and determine a level, in collaboration with the Steering Committee.

Developing

exploring core understandings and skills, and building capacity to use them appropriately with guidance

Approaching

forming core understandings and skills, and building capacity to use them appropriately without guidance

Applying

consistently demonstrating competency of core understandings and skills, and building capacity to use them independently

Extending

demonstrating advanced competency and capacity to apply core understandings and skills independently

LATE ASSIGNMENTS

Assignments are due on the dates specified in the course schedule. The deadlines are meant to help you stay on track, allow for timely feedback, and ensure our discussions build on shared preparation. If you are facing unexpected challenges, competing priorities, or unforeseen circumstances and need more time, please email the instructor a brief explanation of the situation. In most cases, they can accommodate reasonable extensions within one week of the original due date to allow you to submit quality work. Beyond that window, the assignment may become less relevant to current coursework, making it difficult to provide meaningful feedback. 

Regardless of the circumstances, all assignments must be submitted by the Term Celebration date. This is a firm deadline. Learners who do not submit all required assignments by this date will receive an "incomplete" for the term until they create an alternative course plan in collaboration with the Leadership Academy Director and the course instructor. This policy ensures we can complete evaluations in a timely manner and provide you with additional support as needed for the current and future terms.