New Global Students
Global Learning
Portland/Global - Threshold Courses
To facilitate your connection with students, staff, and faculty at Western Seminary, we offer four-day events on the Portland campus every semester. These events include class time, meals together, and optional trips to Portland and its surrounding region.
We refer to this time as (Threshold), and it is designed to give you focused time together with faculty, staff, and other students, and to cast a vision for the ultimate goal of your degree program—maturity in Christ and preparation for gospel-centered ministry. Learn more about your opportunities at our Global website (at the menu bar on the right) or by speaking with your academic advisor.
What types and designs of courses are offered at Global?
1. Standard Design Courses (predominantly asynchronous with some synchronous elements) are created by the original instructor/designer who did the course videos. The Global staff and the “Instructor of Record” keep the course up to date on each scheduled semester.
2. “Online LIVE” Format Courses (featuring weekly web conference calls) are prepared to have weekly synchronous meetings with the class. They may contain a variety of other elements, including course videos. "Online LIVE" classes are open to every Western student and scheduled with distance students in mind.
3. The Threshold Format Courses (residential intensives sponsored by Global) meet during one week of each semester. They are created especially for students at a distance or with time restraints to have an opportunity to take a class at a residential campus (in person).
4. Cohort Format Courses (with face-to-face instruction) The "Cohort" format has students working through their program in a group.
5. FLEX Format Courses (residential courses with web conference connection) The FLEX section is for those needing the web conference connection to a residential class. This format only applies to 0-3 courses a year at the instructor's discretion.
6. ADAPTIVE Format Course (In-person or Web-conferences) Meeting times are agreed upon between the student and instructor, often before or after the class starts. These will usually be small and advanced content classes.
* If you have further questions about any of these, please contact your academic advisor.
Accessing Your Classes
- Digital Learning Center (DLC): Access to a website specifically for each course you register for, where you will find your syllabus, a detailed list of activities to complete the course, and links to check off tasks, submit assignments, and engage in discussion forums; these sites open 10 days before the semester starts and close 6 weeks after the end of the semester.
- Videos: If your course has videos, you will access them on the Digital Learning Center (DLC)
Connect with Us
- We look forward to getting to know you! If you have not done so already, reach out to your Academic Advisor to discuss the next steps to begin your studies. Contact information for your advisor can be found in your letter of admission. For answers to questions regarding transfer credit, financial aid, and other topics related to your enrollment at Western Seminary, please visit our help site.