CAPSTONE University is a religiously exempt institution of graduate education offering pastoral and theological degrees and operating in the State of Washington.  All degree-granting institutions operating in Washington must receive authorization from the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC), unless they are found to be exempt from the requirements of the Degree-Granting Institutions Act of 1986.

The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) has reviewed CAPSTONE’s degree programs and determined that the University qualifies for exemption from state degree authorization because of the strictly religious nature of CAPSTONE’s degree programs.  On December 29, 2016, CAPSTONE University received exemption approval by the State of Washington. The Washington Student Achievement Council reviewed the materials provided by Capstone and determined that the degree programs listed meet the requirements of Chapter RCW 28B.85.040(2)(c) and WAC 250-61-060(7) of the Washington Degree-Granting Institutions Act and thus has granted CAPSTONE a religious exemption.

Student Complaint Procedures

Student complainants enrolled in CAPSTONE degree and certificate programs should first follow the University’s appeal and complaint procedures as described in the Catalog and Student Handbook in order to have their concerns addressed.

Student Privacy Complaints and FERPA

Capstone University voluntarily adheres to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) as a condition of its pending accreditation. Complaints regarding a violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) cannot be processed through the WSAC SPA portal. FERPA complaints should be submitted directly to the U.S. Department of Education. You may request a complaint form by calling 202-260-3887 or by visiting the USDE’s FERPA Complaints page here:

https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/file-a-complaint

Ordination and Endorsement

The degree and certificate programs offered by CAPSTONE University are designed to meet evidence-based requirements for professional chaplaincy and spiritual care. Therefore, it is not the stated mission of the University to prepare students for ordination in any specific denomination or faith tradition. Faith group endorsement is not an evidence-based indicator of a person’s competency as a professional chaplain.

Faith group endorsement is an outgrowth of a relationship between chaplains and their spiritual communities. CAPSTONE recognizes that if a chaplain in a specific professional setting is required to have faith group endorsement, then CAPSTONE respects that the chaplain will need to obtain such endorsement separate from SCA’s credentialing and certification processes.

Denominational or other faith group or tradition-specific coursework not offered in the CAPSTONE curriculum may be completed elsewhere before or during a student’s studies and transferred in as elective credits, but only with prior approval from CAPSTONE university. Students are encouraged to research their denominational, faith group or religious tradition’s requirements for chaplaincy endorsement during their admissions process to ensure that their coursework and field experiences align with those requirements.

CAPSTONE University is not responsible for ensuring that its evidence-based curriculum is aligned with a student’s requirements for ordination or endorsement from their originating or elective religious tradition and therefore cannot entertain complaints related to declinations of ordination qualification or faith group endorsement.

These are matters which should be discussed between the student and the authorized representative of their originating or elective religious tradition as it affects chaplaincy qualification and endorsement. CAPSTONE University assumes no responsibility for a faith group’s refusal to endorse or ordain a graduate from any CAPSTONE University degree or certificate program.