APPLY TO MESSIAH

Chapel policies

Attendance Expectations

Full-time residential students are expected to attend 14 chapel opportunities each semester (7 for full-time commuters). Services and gatherings will be offered in various venues on most Tuesday mornings, Tuesday evenings, and Thursday mornings. We recommend attending regularly from the start of the semester to avoid panic at the end of the term.

Students may request a semester-long chapel reduction or exemption for the following reasons only:

  • The student is engaged in a semester-long, credit-bearing internship, clinical or student teaching experience that conflicts with chapel attendance.
  • The student is employed off-campus for 25 hours or more per week.
  • The student has parenting obligations for their own children that prohibit chapel attendance.
  • The student is ill or absent from the university for two (2) consecutive weeks or more (exemption request must be accompanied with an excuse from doctor or Engle Center).

Requests for reduction or exemption must be completed within four (4) weeks of the start of each semester. Chapel attendance petition forms are located in Self-Service Banner under the Student tab.

Exemption is automatically granted to part-time students or full-time students who are studying off-campus for the semester.

Due to the abundance of chapel opportunities each semester, no chapel exemption is available for missing a particular chapel opportunity (such as illness, work, fatigue, doctor appointment).