(626) 584-5200
Fuller Theological Seminary
135 N. Oakland Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91182
Directions/Maps
Human Resources
HR Home |
Open Positions |
Benefits |
How to Apply |
Employment Info
FORMAL STATEMENTS OF COMMUNITY STANDARDS PreambleMen 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 individual persons, sensitivity to the needs of the communities of which they are a part, a commitment to justice, a burden that the whole of God's will be obeyed on earth, personal integrity, a desire for moral growth, and mutual accountability. Candidates for a degree from Fuller Theological Seminary are expected to exhibit these moral characteristics. The ethical standards of Fuller Theological Seminary are guided by an understanding of Scripture and a commitment to its authority regarding all matters of Christian faith and living. The seminary community also desires to honor and respect the moral tradition of the churches who entrust students to us for education. These moral standards encompass every area of life, but prevailing confusion about specific areas leads the community to speak clearly about them. Students receiving training in a discipline for which there are professional ethical standards are subject to those as well. Enrollment in or employment by Fuller Theological Seminary includes a commitment by each individual to adhere to all of the seminary's published policies and ethical standards. Seven statements of community standards are affirmed by all trustees, faculty, managers/administrators, staff, and students of the seminary. These are:
These standards, along with their respective procedures, are presented in this HR Policy Manual, the Faculty Handbook, and in the Student Handbook. In the application of these community standards, the seminary urges the practice of loving verbal confrontation when any member of a Christian community feels that another member is living in violation of what the Bible teaches about Christian conduct. The seminary, therefore, encourages individuals to follow, where feasible, the steps of verbal confrontation and dialogue described in Matthew 18:15-22. The seminary encourages any of its community who are in special need to seek education and counsel. The seminary is committed to extending Christian love to those involved in strife, marital conflict, or the struggle for sexual identity; and to demonstrating the personal forgiveness available through Christ for all human failure. The use of seminary disciplinary procedures should always be viewed as a last resort. In no way do they exempt the seminary from making every possible effort to guide the honest pursuit of truth, to encourage wholesome approaches to sexuality, to support stable family life, or to model community relationships that convey respect for people and property. All employees are expected to adhere to the standards of conduct set forth in the community standards as a continuing condition of employment. Community Standard: Academic IntegrityThis Academic Integrity Policy is an expression of the desire of the Fuller community to make clear the shared expectations that enable us to operate as a community embodying mutual trust in pursuing our academic tasks. It is rooted, first of all, in the conviction that the God whom we serve, the God who is Truth, calls us to truthfulness in the presence of the One from whom nothing can be hidden; and second, in the conviction that as brothers and sisters in Christ, we are called both to treat one another with integrity and to expect integrity from one another. We consider it crucial to our life together to establish a common understanding of the shape academic integrity should have among us. Fuller Theological Seminary seeks to promote both intellectual and moral growth. Thus, our commitment to seek to be beyond reproach in our academic work, as well as in the rest of our behavior, goes beyond adherence to institutional rules or even maintenance of interpersonal relationships and becomes a matter of the formation of Christian character. Keeping that commitment expresses our endeavor to be who we say we are not only as people of faith, but also as those called to moral leadership. Genuine spirituality takes on concrete shape in godly behavior. Failure to represent oneself and one's work truthfully undermines one's character and trustworthiness, and it eventually destroys trusting relationships in the community. Therefore, we as faculty and students alike commit to honesty in all aspects of our work. We seek to establish a community which values serious intellectual engagement ("loving God with the mind") and personal faithfulness more highly than various measures of "success" such as grades, degrees, or publications. We bear a joint obligation to one another both in and outside of the classroom. Faculty are responsible for modeling in their lectures and publications the same standards for use of oral and written sources that they expect of students in students' oral and written work, just as they are responsible for manifesting the attitudes of openness that they ask for from students. We further count it vital not only to seek to maintain the highest standards of integrity ourselves, but also to protect the integrity of the whole community by actively refusing to tolerate or ignore dishonesty on the part of others. It is, then, in the interest of promoting common understanding, mutual confidence, fairness, and clear expectations that we set down the following commitments and procedures, in the context of the larger purpose of helping to shape a more faithful Christian community. Commitments. The following commitments are to be understood as constituting essential guidelines, but not an exhaustive list of the forms academic integrity must take among us. These commitments underlie but do not supersede professional standards to which one may also be subject. In every instance where professional standards are more specific or rigorous than those specified here, the standards demanded by one's professional calling or degree program shall apply. Academic integrity requires that as faculty,
Academic integrity requires that as students,
Commitment to supporting and developing a community ethos of honesty requires of the whole Fuller community that,
Community Standard: Marriage and DivorceOut of its commitment to the stability and strength of marriages and families and out of concern about the prevailing breakdown of both in our time, Fuller Theological Seminary wishes, in the following statement, to affirm its commitments and policies with respect to God's will for the permanence of marriage and the tragic realities of divorce.
Christ teaches that God the Creator intended marriage to be an unconditional covenant between a woman and a man that unites them into one corporate body. Guided by the love and grace of God to all persons, each spouse vows to love, honor, and cherish the other in all circumstances without exception (Mark 10:2-12). Christ's teaching is clear in recalling the creation story. He says: "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." The apostle Paul, having reaffirmed the Lord's teaching about the permanence of marriage, adds the richly suggestive metaphor of the marriage of a man and a woman as a mirror of the abiding union of Jesus Christ and his Body, the Church. From these words, it is clear that God wills marriage to be a permanent partnership of love. Surely God wills for every marriage something far richer than permanence. God wills that both partners subordinate their individual expectations to their shared growth into the disciplined maturity and wholeness of Christ. God wills that healthy marriages be pivotal supports for all other human relationships. God wills that a wife and husband model together the whole mind of Christ for human community. The concern of this statement, however, is with his will for the permanence of marriage. It is motivated by a desire that Christian marriages in particular survive the erosions of a culture in which pursuit of each individual's personal satisfaction has replaced lifetime commitment as the norm for marriage. Fuller Theological Seminary seeks to be a community of men and women, single and married, who are striving to make their lives reflect the healthy, generous, attractive, and enduring embodiments of God's unselfish love in a selfish world.
It expects that a member of the seminary Board of Trustees, faculty, administration, student body, or staff experiencing a divorce will self-report the relevant circumstances of their divorce to one of those designated in the seminary's Response Procedures. The purpose of the review will be to help colleagues ascertain whether the reasons for the divorce and the mind of the colleague concerning it are such as to recommend his or her continuing to function as a member in the Fuller community. The review shall be attended with utmost concern for the special needs and rights of all parties to the divorce; it shall be private, collegial, and as fair as possible to all concerned. The review process is outlined in the seminary's Response Procedures and, under certain circumstances, could result in dismissal of a person from the seminary community. Likewise, when someone who has been invited to join the seminary's Board of Trustees, the faculty, or senior administration, has experienced divorce, the candidate is asked to participate with a committee of his or her potential colleagues in a review of the circumstances of the divorce before any appointment is made.
Community Standard: Respect for People and PropertyAs a community of Christians with special commitment to acting out love to one another, the seminary expects community behavior that demonstrates the highest standard of respect for people and property. Scripture is replete with exhortations to look out for the welfare of others and build up each other, to be good protectors and stewards of the possessions God has given us, and to be honest and keep one's word. The seminary is committed to fostering respectful interpersonal relationships regardless of gender, race, age, handicap, or national origin. Basic standards for respectful conduct at Fuller are similar to those of other institutions of higher education in societies with the legal foundation of respect for people and property. The following are examples of behaviors that are not acceptable according to the standard on Respect for People and Property. These examples are not intended to identify all unacceptable behaviors, but to indicate the types of behavior which are clearly inconsistent with the behavioral expectations of the seminary. When willfully engaged in, serious, or repeated, they may be cause for disciplinary action. When appropriate, these may be reported to civil authorities for legal or other action. Dishonesty: The seminary regards as unacceptable any lying, misrepresentation, or deception in representations an individual makes about one's self or others in any phase of seminary life. Injurious or offensive action: Physical assault, infliction of psychological injury, and the spreading of malicious rumors are unacceptable. Prejudicial treatment based on gender, race, age, physical challenge, or national origin is both offensive and injurious. Persistent profane or obscene language is subject to disciplinary action. Disruption: Acts by individuals or groups which substantially interfere with the rights of others or interfere with the normal activities of the seminary are unacceptable. Disruptive activities in classrooms, libraries, offices, other campus meeting or assembly areas, or in student residences are included. Stealing or destruction of property: Theft of or damage to the property of another person or of the seminary is unacceptable. Defacing or rendering library material unusable shows little respect for people or property. Unauthorized possession or use of seminary 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 seminary offices or services, refusal to follow seminary parking policies and/or pay parking violation fines, and unwillingness to abide by established policies in Fuller Housing. Community Standard: Sexual StandardsFuller Theological Seminary 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 seminary believes premarital, extramarital, and homosexual forms of explicit sexual conduct to be inconsistent with the teaching of Scripture. Consequently, the seminary expects all members of its community--students, faculty, administrators, staff, and trustees--to abstain from what it holds to be unbiblical sexual practices. Community Standard: Substance AbuseFuller Theological Seminary is committed to maintaining an alcohol and drug-free environment, one conducive to the promotion of wellness and positive self-development of all members of its community. In keeping with this objective, the seminary will ensure that all of its campuses and workplaces are safe and free from the problems and risks associated with the unauthorized use and abuse of alcohol and the illegal use and abuse of drugs. Standards of conduct. Out of respect for our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit, as good stewards of our relationships with one another, and in relation to our individual and communal fitness for ministry, the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession or use of alcohol or illicit drugs by any member of the Fuller community on Fuller property is prohibited. While the use of alcohol by adults is lawful, alcohol use by adults is prohibited on the Fuller campuses, outside of the privacy of an individual's Fuller provided housing. Facts about drug and alcohol abuse. Drug abuse has spread to every level of society in the United States. All drugs are toxic or poisonous if abused. Health risks of drug abuse include, but are not limited to, sleep disorders, confusion, hallucinations, paranoia, depression, impotence, liver damage, cardiac irregularities, hepatitis, and neurological damage. Abuse of either alcohol or drugs during pregnancy increase the risk of birth defects, spontaneous abortion, and stillbirths. Alcohol is a depressant. It depresses the central nervous system and can cause serious, irreversible physical damage. Excessive drinking damages the liver, resulting in cirrhosis. Chronic alcohol abuse also causes hypertension, cardiac irregularities, ulcers, pancreatitis, kidney disease, and cancer of the esophagus, liver, bladder, and lungs. Available assistance. The good news is that alcoholism and drug abuse and addiction are treatable. Generally, a recovering alcoholic or drug abuser may never safely drink or use drugs again, but can lead a normal, productive life as long as he or she maintains total abstinence. Confidential counseling and treatment programs in the Fuller Psychological Center may be available to Fuller faculty, staff, and managers/administrators. The costs of these programs are dependent upon the treatment necessary, with the individual's economic situation a recognized factor on a sliding payment scale. Employees should consult with their insurance carriers with individual questions regarding coverage of treatment. Legal sanction. Local, state, and federal laws establish a variety of penalties for the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession or use of a controlled substance, which includes alcohol as well as illicit drugs. These legal sanctions, upon conviction, may range from the payment of a small fine and probation to imprisonment for up to one year or a $5,000 fine, or both. Federal laws have increased the penalties for the illegal distribution of drugs to include life imprisonment and fines in excess of $1,000,000. Incidents on the Fuller campus or incidents involving members of the Fuller community may be reported to civil authorities for legal action. Community Standard: Policy Against Sexual HarassmentPreamble. The two great commandments are these: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart . . . soul . . . and mind" and, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:37,39). As man and woman are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27), so in Christ there is neither male nor female (Gal. 3:28). Followers of Jesus are not to lord it over one another (Matt. 20:25-27), but are to be in mutual submission (Eph. 5:21). Christians manifest these truths by their mutual service and love in the Body of Christ. Sexual harassment is a violation of Christ's commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves. It denies the image of God in the other, and it negates our oneness in Christ. Sexual harassment often involves an abuse of power. It invariably interferes with shared ministry and rends the Body of Christ. With these things in mind, together with the realization that when one member suffers, all suffer together (1 Cor. 12:26), Fuller Theological Seminary establishes the following policy with regard to sexual harassment.Policy. Fuller Theological Seminary expects that the dignity of all people, female and male, will be revered and celebrated in behavior, attitude, and the use of language by each member of the seminary community. This expectation is grounded in the belief that Scripture affirms mutuality and care for the other, explicitly forbids behavior which arises from the abuse of power, and teaches that men and women together are created in God's image and for God's glory. The seminary is therefore committed to creating and maintaining a community in which students, faculty, administrators/managers, and staff can study and work together in an atmosphere free of all forms of harassment, exploitation, or intimidation, including sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is a barrier to learning in the classroom and to productivity in the workplace. Faculty, administrators/managers, supervisors, staff, students, and trustees have the responsibility for participation in the creation of a campus environment free from sexual harassment, an environment that bears joyful witness to the God-given worth of all persons. Every member of the Fuller community should be aware that the seminary is strongly opposed to sexual harassment and that such behavior is prohibited both by seminary policy and by federal and state laws. This policy against sexual harassment applies to all members of the seminary community, including students, faculty, administrators/managers, staff-level employees, and trustees. It also extends to the seminary's agents, as well as to vendors, independent contractors, and others doing business with the seminary. This policy is also one of the seven Statements of Community Standards applicable to all members of the Fuller community, and as such, adherence to it is a continuing condition of enrollment and employment. DEFINITION OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, visual, or physical conduct based on sex or of a sexual nature, up to and including sexual assault, constitute sexual harassment when one or more of the following apply:
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 in the absence of a valid educational purpose, 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/or other related behavior based on sex or of a sexual nature may be unwelcome to another person and constitute sexual harassment, but the person who initiates the joking may not be aware of its impact on the other person. 1.1.1. Community Standard: Policy Against Unlawful DiscriminationFuller Theological Seminary is committed to providing and modeling a learning, working, living, and community environment that is free of unlawful discrimination in all of its policies, practices, procedures, and programs. This commitment extends to the seminary’s administration of its educational policies, admissions, employment, educational programs, and activities. In keeping with this commitment, the seminary does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, military service status, veteran status, medical condition, disability, pregnancy, or age. Fuller Theological Seminary also does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. The seminary does lawfully discriminate on the basis of sexual conduct that violates its biblically based Community Standard Statement on Sexual Standards. The seminary believes that sexual union must be reserved for marriage, which is the covenant union between one man and one woman. The seminary believes premarital, extramarital, and homosexual forms of explicit sexual conduct to be inconsistent with the teaching of Scripture. Therefore, the seminary expects members of its community to abstain from what it holds to be unbiblical sexual practices. Fuller Theological Seminary also does lawfully discriminate on the basis of religion. The seminary is dedicated to the preparation of men and women for the manifold ministries of Christ and his Church. Under the authority of Scripture, the seminary seeks to fulfill its commitment to ministry through graduate education, professional development, and spiritual formation. In all of its activities, including instruction, nurture, worship, service, research, and publication, the seminary strives for excellence in the service of Jesus Christ, under the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit, to the glory of the Father. As a religious employer, all teaching and management positions in the seminary are restricted to persons who will affirm in writing the Statement of Faith of Fuller Theological Seminary. These restricted positions are leadership positions, where adherence to the Christian beliefs, doctrines, and tenets affirmed by the seminary is a foundational part of the employee’s essential functions. These leadership positions involve representing and interpreting the mission and the objectives and activities of the seminary to other employees, students, and/or off-campus constituencies, as well as religious duties which are central to the Christian mission, Christian objectives, and Christian activities of the seminary. The seminary 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 ethical standards of Fuller Theological Seminary are guided by an understanding of Scripture and a commitment to its authority regarding all matters of Christian Faith and living. This understanding of Scripture and commitment to its authority directly relates not only to the seminary’s admission, educational, and employment policies, but also to the seminary’s core mission, values and identity. Since its establishment in 1947, the seminary has been an openly and pervasively sectarian Christian educational institution. The seminary’s Statement of Faith is the distinctive component of its Articles of Incorporation, which were originally filed in California in 1951. The Statement of Faith is the defining principle within the seminary’s governing bylaws and the unifying pillar supporting faculty governance. Under God and subject to biblical authority, the faculty, administrators, and trustees bear concerted witness to the Statement of Faith, to which they subscribe and which they hold to be essential to the seminary’s ministry. As set forth in the seminary’s Doctrinal Perspective, the seminary stands for the fundamentals of the faith as taught in Holy Scripture and handed down by the Church. As set forth in the seminary’s Evangelical Commitment, the faculty, administrators, trustees, and students of the seminary believe that Jesus Christ, as revealed in Holy Scripture and proclaimed in the power of the Holy Spirit, is the only ground for a person’s reconciliation with God As set forth in the seminary’s Mission Beyond the Mission, faculty, administrators, and trustees at the seminary see their role in the educational ministry of Fuller Theological Seminary as part of their larger ministry, which is common to all Christians, of serving Christ as obedient disciples in the church and in the world. This policy against unlawful discrimination applies to all members of the seminary community, including students, faculty, administrators, staff, and trustees. This policy is also one of the seven Statements of Community Standards applicable to all members of the Fuller community, and as such, adherence to it is a continuing condition of admission and employment. |