WELCOME TO THE FIRE FAMILY

Welcome to SEU! We are so excited you have chosen to become a partner and can’t wait to get to know you. Whether you’re a brand new site or have led a ministry program for several years, you probably know that running a program like this isn’t always easy. That’s why we created this guide. SEU has a ton of personnel and resources dedicated to helping you be successful as a site director, and we make these resources as accessible as possible. In this playbook, we’ll provide some fundamental information about SEU’s partner site model, and offer resources to help you plan for success. We’ll also break down key site operations, including admission, marketing, academics and practicum.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PRE-SEASON

New Site Development

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PRE-GAME

Enrollment Strategy, Marketing & Recruitment

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GAME TIME

Academics & Practicum

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PRE-SEASON

[NEW SITE DEVELOPMENT]

Let’s be honest. There’s a lot of planning that goes into developing a new site. In this section, we’ll highlight key terms you should be familiar with (which can be pretty confusing), steps to a successful launch and the departments you’ll need to work with to set up your site. Then it’s time to start planning what you want your student experience to look like, determining which degree programs SEU can offer in your state, and mapping out your site’s annual calendar. To make this process easier, we’ve provided basic resources that will help you develop the structure of your program and make a plan for success.

IN THIS SECTION:

Terms to Know

Partner Site

That’s you! SEU partners with churches and organizations across the nation to provide students with affordable degree options paired with ministry experience. SEU’s partner sites include regional campuses, extension sites, and community partners.

Delivery

This is the format in which courses will be offered at your site. These may include face-to-face, online, evening, or a hybrid of these. Typically, SEU offers only online courses to new sites but may make face-to-face courses available after sites reach a certain enrollment. State authorization requirements may also place restrictions on deliveries offered at a particular site.

Practicum

This is the practical application portion of SEU’s partner site model. Students enrolled at extension sites and regional campuses will generally participate in practicum, gaining hands-on experience in various areas of church ministry. SEU offers partner site students a scholarship each semester that covers the cost of the practicum course.

Accreditation

Accreditation is a process of validation in which colleges and universities are evaluated. SEU is regionally accredited by SACSCOC (see below).

SACSCOC

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. This is the Commission that accredits SEU and authorizes the university to offer degree programs and financial aid. This is the same Commission that accredits University of Florida, Auburn University, and Georgia Tech.

SEU Network

SEU’s academic and support division focused on non-traditional educational formats, including online degrees, certificate programs, and partner sites.

Defining Site Roles

With so many individuals and departments that aid with new and existing site development, it’s important to get a thorough understanding of who does what. Here we’ve defined our enrollment support teams, as well as the role of your on-site team.

ENROLLMENT SUPPORT

Our goal is to equip your site with excellent services that will help simplify the enrollment process at your site. Our teams are prepared to provide helpful strategies in admission, marketing, site operations, and student services

Enrollment Management

SEU’s enrollment counselors are dedicated to helping your students through the admission process after they begin their application. Each site has a designated counselor.

Marketing Oversight

SEU Creative's Network Marketing Coordinator will help you become familiar with SEU’s marketing guidelines, create marketing materials for your site, or review your materials for compliance.

Student Services

SEU’s financial aid counselors, academic advisors, and registrar’s office will help your students obtain financial aid, register for courses, and evaluate their transcripts.

PROMO ITEMS

WHO DOES WHAT

Beyond enrollment support, the SEU Network also has individuals dedicated to working with your site’s team for daily operations. 

Site Director & Staff

The site director and staff function as the primary facilitators of the on-site student experience. As your site grows in size, you may wish to add to your personnel (beyond Site Director) to handle specific roles such as daily operations, recruitment, academic advising, student leadership development, and the practicum experience.

Regional Director

SEU’s regional director serves as the primary SEU contacts, helping with daily operations, answering questions about degree programs and practicum, and acting as a liaison between your site and SEU. Each site is assigned a regional director based on their location.

SEU Network Team

SEU’s operational team that works closely with partners on all facets of site operations and student support to ensure a smooth experience for partners and students.

ROUTE TO A SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH

From signing the letter of intent to admitting your first students, there are numerous moving parts that go into on-boarding your church as a partner site of SEU. Here we’ve detailed each step along with its typical completion time, so you can hit the ground running

Start

1. Site signs letter of intent (LOI) to partner with SEU
2. Complete Site Training 1 – Site Support Services
3. Complete Site Training 2 – Branding & Marketing

4. Enrollment Management commences state authorization process
5. Final determination of degree programs & deliveries permitted by state

6. Site Support sets up all systems: site director email, access to resources, site fee charges
7. Site is added to SEU application & partner website
8. Marketing works with the site to develop promotional materials as requested

9. Student Services trains site on student admission & advising process
10. Site begins promotion & student recruitment

11. Enrollment begins adjunct credentialing process for sites offering face-to-face classes
12. Site develops student experience & practicum program
13. Student Services works with site to admit students & help students through Fire Ready process
14. Complete Training 3 – Training 3 builds and develops vision, strategy, and site experience for the program

LAUNCH!

ANNUAL PLANNING CALENDAR

As a member of your church organization, you understand the importance of planning ahead. The same concept applies to your site. Planning out the upcoming year can save you from stress when recruitment season rolls around or when a new semester starts. We recommend setting aside a time over the summer to map out the academic year. To help with this process, we’ve outlined the most important items to focus on throughout the year.

Annual Planning Calendar

Building the Foundation

Building a successful site is a lot like constructing a physical building; you have to start with a solid foundation. Walking through these foundational steps before launching your site is crucial to creating a sustainable program, structure, and brand.

1. Site signs LOI

2. SEU applies for degree approval

3. Approval for degrees is granted

4. Site markets degree programs

Determining Degree Programs

CHOOSING A NAME/BRAND

When choosing a name for your program, there are two ways to brand your site:

Use Only SEU’s Brand

If you choose to use SEU’s brand, you will use the name “SEU at {Your Church Name},” (e.g.“SEU at Faith Church”). Benefits of this route include utilizing SEU’s existing brand and reinforcing the credibility of your program and the degrees. SEU’s marketing team can also provide you with branded marketing materials with this name.

Create Your Own Brand + Use SEU’s Brand

Alternately, you may choose to create an entirely separate brand (e.g. “Faith Leadership Institute”). If you choose this route, you have full control of the look and feel of the brand, which gives you more creative freedom when creating marketing materials. However, SEU’s marketing team must still give approval for the name and must approve promotional materials before they are distributed. SEU is also required to refer to the partnership with your church (not your ministry program) on our website and promotional materials (e.g. “SEU at Faith Church,” not “Faith Leadership Institute”).

Note: Most states restrict the types of names that can be used to market non-accredited entities, especially the word “college.” SEU highly recommends contacting your state’s higher education commission to find out what names are permitted within your state before choosing a name. For example, “Faith Leadership College” may not be permitted but “Faith Leadership Institute” might be

What's the Deal with Accreditation?

Before we go any further, it’s important to understand that your site/internship program itself is not accredited, nor are SEU’s degree programs. Accreditation is granted to colleges and universities by a regional accrediting body. SEU is regionally accredited by SACSCOC. Understanding this is especially crucial when it comes to promoting your site, as SACSCOC requires that specific language is used when referring to accreditation. Compliance with these guidelines is required.

Here are some examples:

Permitted:

  • “SEU is a regionally accredited university”
  • “SEU offers degree programs to students at our site” 

NOT Permitted:

  • “We are a fully accredited program”
  • “SEU offers accredited degrees”
  • “An accredited internship program”
  • “We offer degree programs” 
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PRE-GAME

ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT

Let’s talk strategy and organize tactics to engage students with your site’s program. Developing an enrollment strategy includes defining your target audience, understanding the admission funnel, and learning how to communicate and market your program to prospective students. This is also where you get to have fun, dream big, and find ways to showcase how awesome your site is (or will be).

IN THIS SECTION:

ENROLLMENT STRATEGY

Developing a strategy is essential to reaching desired enrollment at your site. It involves answering questions like: What channels will you use to communicate to prospective students, and how will you guide them through the admission process? The first step in developing a successful enrollment strategy is understanding the Admission Funnel, which describes each stage of the admission process from inquiry to enrollment. Not every student who inquires will choose to enroll, so gathering quality inquiries and offering effective guidance is essential.

ENROLLMENT ROAD MAP

The student journey from Preview Day to Welcome Week

Enrollment Road Map

As a site director, one of your primary roles is to guide students through the admission process. Once a student begins their application, an SEU admission counselor will help your students submit their missing documents and complete any other requirements. 

Our goal is to equip your site with excellent services that will help simplify the enrollment process at your site. Our teams are prepared to provide helpful strategies in admission, marketing, site operations, and student services

Pro Tip

Admission Processes. Students will not be considered for admission to SEU until all documents have been received. It usually takes about two weeks for a student’s file to be reviewed for admission. View our Partner Site Admission Guide.

Admission Information

MARKETING YOUR SITE

With a strategy in place, let’s walk through what materials and services you will need to be equipped for a successful site launch and connection with your community. We’ve got you covered!

Print Materials: From info cards to booklets, printed pieces give you the opportunity to relay detailed information about your student experience, practicum tracks, degree programs, and tuition. Larger pieces like displays and banners help create a presence for your brand at your church or at an event. SEU offers a ton of options for customized printed pieces (including brochures, inquiries cards and displays) on our Partner Website. SEU also offers a variety of promotional items that are available to order!

Digital: Having an online presence is crucial to communicate detailed information to students & for making the application process clear and simple. When your site is on-boarded, SEU creates a web page on our Partner Website that includes details about the degree programs, tuition, financial aid, and application steps. If you choose to create a separate website for your program, you just need to link to this web page from your site. Need media content? We provide photos b-roll footage on our Partner Website.

Requesting Materials through SEU

We want to help you look as professional as possible when you’re promoting your site. That’s why we make marketing resources available to you. You can go to extension.seu.edu/marketing to request branded print or promotional materials for your site. We recommend thinking about new promotional materials for the next recruitment season in the early summer, so you’re ready to hit the ground running when fall rolls around. With that being said, we are happy to help create new materials throughout the year.

Marketing Resources

Marketing Plan: Not sure where to start when creating a marketing plan? Get a head start by reviewing the information here.

Parent Guide: Marketing your site experience to parents can be a challenge to new sites. If you need assistance communicating the site model to parents, view our parent guide here.

MARKETING GUIDELINES

As a partner site of SEU, it’s important to remember that everything you use to promote your program reflects SEU’s brand. You are welcome to create your own marketing materials, website, videos, etc. as long as they adhere to SEU’s marketing guidelines. Here are the most important things to remember when using SEU’s brand. You can find a full breakdown of the guidelines at extension.seu.edu/marketing.

SACSCOC REQUIREMENTS

SACSCOC, the commission that accredits SEU, has two primary
requirements when it comes to marketing at your site.

It must be clear that SEU’s partnership is held with your church/ organization, not your ministry program (e.g. SEU holds a partnership with Faith Church, not Faith Leadership Institute).
See official SEU Partnership Statement.

It must be clear that SEU provides degree programs to the students at your church/organization. (e.g. SEU offers degree programs to students at your site; Faith Church & Faith Leadership
Institute do not offer degree programs).

LOGOS
MORE INFORMATION
Marketing Guidelines
PROMO ITEMS

In addition to the marketing materials SEU offers, you are welcome to create promotional materials or merchandise using the approved SEU logos for your site. Just be sure you send proofs to SEU’s marketing team for review and approval before placing your order!

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GAME TIME

[ACADEMICS & PROGRAM]

Academic growth makes up the foundation of the student’s learning experience. SEU’s regional site director and the SEU Network Operations Team (the academic and support division of the university) help sites develop the on-site academic experience. This section will provide everything you need to know about academics and program, from delivery types to crafting a dynamic student practicum experience.

IN THIS SECTION:

ACADEMICS: THE BASICS

Understanding the academic portion of running your site can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be! SEU has several degree options available to sites. These degrees and deliveries are determined based on state regulations, as well as the student enrollment capacity of the site in the first year. We’ve outlined SEU’s various delivery types, and cover other important topics like tuition, time commitment required for each course, and determining a site fee.

DELIVERY TYPES

SEU offers classes in two formats at extension sites. Each format or “program delivery” provides different benefits. 

Online

Most of our sites begin by offering only online classes. Online programs provide students with excellent class flexibility, allowing them to focus on the internship experience at your church. Online students typically still participate in on-site practicum.

  • Practicum
  • Site Fee
  • Face-to-Face
  • Standard Tuition

Face-to-Face

Once your site reaches a consistent level of enrollment and your site’s revenue can support the cost of state authorization for face-to-face classes, your church can be given the opportunity to house face-to-face classes on site.

  • Practicum
  • Site Fee
  • Face-to-Face
  • Standard Tuition

*Tuition typically varies for non-standard deliveries.

PROGRAM OPTIONS & TUITION

After your site is up and running, you may wish to add new programs, increase available delivery types, and possibly, hire professors to teach face-to-face classes on site. Expanding your academic offerings is a great way to gain more interest at your site and create a more holistic student experience.

TRADITIONAL PROGRAMS

Associate of Arts

Associate of Ministerial Leadership

Bachelor of Science in Ministerial Leadership

SAMPLE TUITION BREAKDOWN

Below is a breakdown of tuition. Program costs are subject to change based on the number of credits enrolled per semester and site fee determined by site. Tuition listed is based on 15 credits per semester, with practicum scholarship applied.
Please note that federal financial aid is also available to students.

Standard Tuition: $8,136

for 30 credit hours with practicum scholarship applied

Average Site Fee: $2,500

determined by site

Technology Fee: $350

Total Annual Cost: $11,006

Tuition payment process: Students will make tuition payments directly to SEU. At the end of each semester, SEU reimburses the site fee to the site.

State Authorization Process

Each state requires out-of-state universities to gain approval for offering educational programs within their own state. This process ranges from 6-18 months to complete, and the cost can range anywhere from $3,000-$10,000 annually (depending on the state). SEU is required to seek approval for every new site as well as for each proposed degree program being offered. In addition, each state regulates online and on-site degrees differently. SEU begins the application and authorization process with the state soon after a site signs the Letter of Intent and starts the onboarding process, which officially moves the partnership forward. 
Adjunct credentialing process: Sites offering face-to-face classes must complete the credentialing process before hiring adjunct professors. Review the credentialing process here.

Financial Aid Information
Academic Offerings

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

The opportunity to invest in, mentor and develop leadership qualities in your students through the practicum experience is perhaps the most important aspect of your program. What’s more, opportunities like one-on-one mentoring and ministry experience is what sets you apart from traditional college experiences. Because of this, we encourage you to invest a significant amount of time in establishing what you want your practicum experience to look like. The goal of the practicum is to stretch, challenge and develop your students into transformational leaders.

PRACTICUM: WHAT IS IT?

The practicum experience is designed to help students integrate on-going classroom learning with practical, hands-on ministry experience. Think of it as an on-site internship program. Our goal is to empower you to customize the experience by setting your own goals, benchmarks, and objectives for the leadership development of your students. You can decide what curriculum you use to guide your students, what ministry practicum tracks to offer, and what weekly activities to include as part of your leadership development process (i.e. weekly or monthly chapel, weekly or bi-weekly small groups, practicum format, mentoring, etc.). We suggest selecting unique ministry tracks and crafting an experience that fits your church culture and context and gives your students the opportunity to grow in their leadership skills.

SAMPLE MINISTRY TRACKS

Pastoral

In this track, students receive hands-on experience in serving multiple areas of church ministry. Whether it’s learning to prepare sermons, execute community outreaches, or faciliate operational practices, students will learn every aspect of church ministry and pastoral leadership. 

Worship

In this track, students learn the principles of worship leading through involvement in weekly worship services, communal songwriting sessions and sound technicality training. Students are mentored by worship pastors, learning both the technical and leadership skills required as a worship leader.

Youth

In this track, students are given the opportunity to help produce youth services, plan student events and lead youth small groups. They will also learn more about how to mentor the upcoming generation and how to craft impactful sermons for evening youth events and services. 

Creative

In this track, students are introduced to the church world of digital media, marketing and creative branding. They learn the planning processes of graphic design, consistent social media and compelling videography by working alongside the church’s creative team.

How To: Practicum

Need help designing your practicum experience? Check out our Practicum How To Guide here.

SAMPLE WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Here’s an example of how you can structure the weekly schedule for your students to incorporate SEU coursework, practicum, and other weekly student activities. We encourage you to use this as a reference as you develop a schedule for students in your program.

Ministry Tracks. Keep in mind, the tracks listed above are just examples. The track possibilities are endless: production, administration, stewardship, hospitality, discipleship, fine arts, etc. We advise to start with 3 or 4 tracks in areas your church excels in and has the capacity to teach well, and grow as students express interest in other areas.

Practicum Format. There are also multiple ways to format your practicum experience. You can choose for students to select a track for the duration of the program, or for all students rotate in groups through each of the tracks to gain experience in all aspects of church operations. You’ll also need to map out the intended learning outcomes of each track during each semester. The best part about the practicum experience is that you get to completely customize this to your church’s strengths and your students’ needs.

TIME OUT

Here’s a breakdown of the average time required for class per week for each program.

Face-to-Face Program

  • Class Time (6hr)
  • Homework (3–6hr)
  • Practicum (7–10hr)

Total: 16–22hr per week

Online Program

  • Class Time (6–10hr)
  • Practicum (7–10hr)

Total: 13–20hr per week

Dual Enrollment

  • Class Time (6hr)
  • Homework (3–6hr)

Total: 9–12hr per week

SUPPORT TEAMS

From the admission to graduation, SEU offers students access to resourceful support teams. For more information on all of the resources available to you and your students, please visit extension.seu.edu/resources.

Enrollment Counselors

Help students complete the admission process

Financial Aid Counselors

Help students obtain federal financial aid (FAFSA)

Office of Academic Advising

Helps students with course selection & audit for graduation

Office of the Registrar

Helps students with transcript evaluation.

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CONTACTS

Financial Aid | sitefa@seu.edu

Advising | advising@seu.edu

Registrar | registrar@seu.edu

IT | helpdesk@seu.edu

SEU DIRECTORY
SEU Partner Site Resources