Accreditation, Mission & Governance

Accreditation

TST and its member schools are accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) and the following degree programs are approved:

MDiv, MRE, MA in Ministry and Spirituality, MPS, MSM, MA, MRel (discontinued), MTS, DMin, ThM, PhD, ThD

The Commission contact information is:
The Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States
and Canada
10 Summit Park Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15275
USA
Telephone: 412-788-6505
Fax: 412-788-6510
Website: www.ats.edu

The TST member schools offer many programs conjointly with the University of Toronto. The TST meets University standards in its faculty appointments and course requirements in its conjoint programs. It also conforms to University policy in its grading policies and procedures and in its academic discipline. TST students have a right of appeal to the University in academic matters. TST students who graduate from conjoint programs receive diplomas signed by the head of the TST member school, the Director of the TST, and the chancellor of the University of Toronto. Upon graduation, they become alumni/ae of the University of Toronto.

The Doctor of Theology and the Master of Theology programs are approved as graduate degrees by the the Ontario Council on Graduate Studies (OCGS), which ensures quality graduate education for the province.

Mission

The Toronto School of Theology federation is strongly committed to:

• critical reflection and scholarly research on matters of Christian faith, practice and ministry;
• excellence in theological education and formation for various ministries in Church and society;
• an ecumenical environment for theological education.

The TST corporation serves the member colleges of the TST federation with the following mission:

• to foster formal and informal ecumenical exchange, within and outside the classroom;
• to promote academic, professional, and interdisciplinary collaboration among the faculty of the member institutions;
• to administer and coordinate a variety of academic programs;
• to enter into and manage a variety of collaborative relationships, especially with the University of Toronto;
• to enhance in appropriate ways the resources available for academic programs in theology and for lifelong learning in ministry.

Governance

The TST corporation is governed by a Board of Trustees. Most trustees are members of the administrations, faculties, or student bodies of the member colleges; some are officials of TST councils or committees; and nine are non-affiliated persons ("trustees at large") elected by the Board.

The Board operates under a By-law which it has established for itself and which it has authority to revise. The By-law provides that “in all of its endeavours [TST] seeks to foster ecumenical interchange, education for wholeness, and the bonds of genuine community.” The TST's structures of governance are designed to be federative, collaborative, and consultative. TST's purpose is to promote cooperation in all appropriate ways among the member colleges themselves and with other educational institutions in Ontario.

The Board of Trustees has several standing committees:

• The Executive Committee
• The Finance Committee
• The Development Committee
• The Audit Committee
• The Nominating Committee
• The Committee on Faculty Appointments
• The Committee of Representing Members (CORM)

Two academic councils report to the Board of Trustees.

• The Basic Degree Council regulates basic degree programs, which, within parameters set by that Council, are administered by the member schools. The Basic Degree Council includes school, faculty, student, and University representatives.
• The Advanced Degree Council regulates and administers advanced degree programs, in collaboration with the TST Departments: Biblical, Historical, Pastoral, and Theological. The membership of the ADC includes representatives of the six participating member colleges, the four departments, the Advanced Degree Students Association, and the University of Toronto. The TST Director, the TST Director of Advanced Degree Programs, and the Director of the Doctor of Ministry program are ex officio members of the Council.

The four departments approve course offerings, accept appointments of adjunct faculty members, administer the programs of ThD and PhD students according to ADC regulations, recommend advanced degree teaching status for qualified faculty members, and work with the Advanced Degree Council to determine curriculum and standards.

The TST Library Committee makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees concerning cooperative use of library facilities, coordination of library services, and other common library matters.

The Member Colleges

Each of TST's member colleges has its own corporate identity, its own form of governance, its own budget, its own employees and students, its own history, and its own ethos.

Thank you for visiting our website. Please contact Diane Henson, Manager of Academic Services and Registrar, to inquire further about the the accreditation information, or to report an error, and Alan Hayes, Director, concerning the rest of the information on this page.