Chapel Policies

Chapel/Convocation services are held in the Belcher Chapel and Performance Center Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of each week from 10:50 to 11:30 am. Additional Tuesday, Thursday, or evening chapel services are held at various times throughout the year, including Spiritual Emphasis Week in the fall and Missions Emphasis Week and Family Life Week in the spring.

The Chapel/Convocation program at LeTourneau University is designed to complement the total educational experience by integrating spiritual growth concurrent to one’s intellectual and emotional development. Through a variety of programming, including guest and faculty speakers, music and drama programs, and student-led services, an environment is provided which enhances fellowship and worship while encouraging one’s growth in relationship with God. Chapel/Convocation gatherings are also times where the LeTourneau Community assembles to experience the worship of other cultures, to celebrate our community victories, and to mourn our community losses. Sometimes we gather to do important family business and hear family news relevant to the campus community.

Guidelines Concerning Chapel/Convocation

Attendance Requirements

• All LeTourneau students enrolled in ten or more credit hours are required to receive 38 Chapel/Convocation credits each semester.
• Because Chapel/Convocation is a unique and significant gathering of our campus community, students are required to attend a minimum of 38 Chapel programs in person.
• Make-ups will only be allowed under certain circumstances (see below).
• The only students wholly exempt from Chapel will be those continuously enrolled in nine (9) or fewer hours.
• Each student is required to keep track of his or her own Chapel attendance. The official Chapel attendance records may be found at MyLETU or the LETU Start Page.

Behavioral Expectations

Individual behavior affects the community experience of Chapel. When attending and participating in Chapel, please remember the following:

• Arrive on time and stay the entire service.
• Refrain from conversation with your neighbors when someone is speaking, singing, or presenting from the platform.
• Act in a manner which communicates courtesy and respect.
• Attendance consists of both physical presence and active listening; use of computers, cell phones, MP3 players or any other device that may distract you or others around you is prohibited in Chapel.
• Do not study in Chapel.

Conflicts with Chapel/Convocation Attendance

• Students with flight blocks scheduled by the University are exempt from Chapel only on those days when flight blocks conflict. Other official University conflicts will be determined by the University Chaplain and the department involved.
• On- or off-campus jobs do not exempt students from the Chapel/Convocation requirement.
• Students with work and other conflicts may petition the Office of the Chaplain at the beginning of the semester to turn in make-ups. It is the student’s responsibility to make these arrangements.
• Students arriving more than five (5) minutes after the beginning of Chapel/Convocation are considered late and may not receive credit for that date unless they submit a written make-up; students may not leave Chapel early.
• Problems with Chapel attendance records (including counting you absent when you were present or vice versa) must be resolved with the Office of the Chaplain within two weeks of the Chapel service in question.

Make-Ups

• There are no regular or automatic Chapel make-up opportunities. Each semester, 50 or more opportunities are given students to attend the required 38 Chapels, and those must occur in person.
• In unique circumstances, some make-ups may be allowed; prior permission must be given through the Office of the University Chaplain.
• A make-up consists of listening to or watching a Chapel program that you have not attended in person and typing a half-page summary of its content. This summary must include the student’s name, ID number, date of the make-up, and time/date of the Chapel service at the top of each page.
• Chapel/Convocation rebroadcasts are available online at MyLETU, but we do not guarantee that all Chapels will be available online any given semester.
• Chapel make-ups should be emailed to chapel@letu.edu.

Disciplinary Responses to Chapel/Convocation Deficiencies

• Those with prior permission must submit Chapel make-ups during the semester that a student is deficient. Students must submit written chapel make-ups to the Office of the Chaplain in the Belcher Center (or by email to chapel@letu.edu). Students must complete the required 38 Chapel/Convocation credits (attended in person or through make-ups) by 5 pm on Thursday of finals week each semester.
• First Semester Deficiency = Chapel/Convocation Probation
  • Requires chapels to be made up by 5pm on Thursday of finals week.
• Second Semester Deficiency = Disciplinary Probation
  • Requires all chapels to be made up by 5 pm on Thursday of finals week.
  • Equivalent to any other disciplinary probation, including loss of Honors Housing privileges and exclusion from consideration for IMPACT Leadership positions on campus.
  • Student will not be allowed to participate in intramurals or co-curricular activities for the following semester.
• Third Semester Deficiency = Chapel Suspension
  • Results in suspension from the University
• IMPORTANT NOTE: These disciplinary responses are calculated cumulatively. For example, a student would be placed on probation the second time they are ever deficient as a University student, not merely the first time they are deficient two consecutive semesters.

If you have a conflict or a problem meeting the chapel attendance requirement, please do not wait until the end of the semester. Please see the Chaplain immediately.

Chapel Announcements

There are many groups and organizations that desire to make their own verbal announcements in Chapel, and we desire to facilitate this announcement medium for as many groups as possible. The following guidelines are designed to provide clarity and consistency within the Chapel announcement procedures.

1. Please know that certain circumstances may occur that will prevent us from offering announcement time during a particular week. During those weeks, all announcements will be offered by Power Point only, or in an abbreviated format by one person.
   1. Please consult the chapel announcement schedule to know which days there will be chapel announcements.
   2. Because circumstances can change, please check with Ben McClish [(903) 233-3074] two days before announcements are scheduled to take place.
2. Chapel announcements need to pertain to events, activities, or opportunities for the entire student body. Individual club or organization event announcements will need to be made in another forum.
   1. Appropriate examples include: Auto Society Car Show, a Stage Right production, a YAC event, all men’s Bible study, or a group wanting to organize a new club or organization and needing members.
   2. Inappropriate examples include: Flooders Bible Study, service project for KZX members, or a Marketing Club meeting location change.