CRIJ 4325 - Statistics in Criminal Justice
Fall 2025 Syllabus, Section 102, CRN 17416
Instructor Information
Sung Hwan Joo
Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences
Email: sunghwan.joo@tamiu.edu
Office: Academic Innovation Center (AIC) 337
Office Hours:
Tue./Thu. 13:00-14:30
Office Phone: (956)326-2601
** e-mail is the BEST method of contact
Times and Location
Course Description
Additional Course Information
Statement of Accommodation and Special Needs
If you have a disability (e.g., visual impairment, hearing impairment, physical impairment, communication disorder, and/or specific learning disability, etc.) which may influence your performance in this course, you must meet with the Disability Services for Students (DSS) to arrange for reasonable accommodations to ensure an equitable opportunity to meet all the requirements of this course. If you require accommodations due to disability, please email DSS at disabilityservices@tamiu.edu or visit their campus location: Student Center 124. You will be provided an Accommodation Form indicating your accommodation needs for the Semester. Please present this form to me as soon as possible to ensure your accommodation needs are discussed, agreed upon, and provided.
Course Structure
This course is organized in a weekly format that aligns with the semester calendar. Each week will include in-class lectures, discussions, and activities designed to support your understanding of the course materials.
To supplement the face-to-face sessions, course materials will be posted on Blackboard, including weekly outcomes, required readings, assignments, and any additional resources. Students are expected to review these resources regularly and complete all assigned tasks by the posted deadlines.
Presentation slides and other supporting documents will be uploaded to Blackboard as needed. Class participation and engagement during scheduled meeting times are vital to succeeding in this course, and information covered in lectures and discussions will appear in assignments and exams.
Learning Activities
A variety of learning activities are designed to support the course objectives and build a community of learners. Learning activities for the modules include the following:
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Reading textbook assignments
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Reading other articles as assigned
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Attending lectures and viewing other assigned videos
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Completing the weekly survey questions
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Completing quizzes and exams
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Completing the hand calculation assignments
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Completing the Microsoft Excel assignments
Course Policies
Participation Policy
Students are expected to read this syllabus in its entirety and ask if there are any questions or concerns well before any assignments are due.
Students are expected to participate in the Blackboard learning environment actively and to complete all assignments in a timely manner. Infrequent and inconsistent participation and work completion will reduce the benefits that may be obtained from the course, as well as lead to a lower grade.
Active participation in the course includes regularly checking and reading your email, as well as accessing the course on Blackboard. I will post all messages as announcements on Blackboard, which will also be emailed directly to you.
Active participation also includes reaching out to me if you have any questions, concerns, or problems with the course. I will work with you to help you succeed in the course.
Make-Up Policy
Assignments are due by 11:59 PM (CDT) on the indicated due date (see the Course Schedule). It is expected that students will complete all assigned readings and assignments by the respective due date.
There will be no opportunity for making up missed assignments of any kind unless a student has made arrangements – in writing/email – with me prior to the due date of the assignment. Please note that any makeup quizzes/exams/assignments may be entirely essay and application questions.
The entire semester’s schedule has been provided for you in the Course Schedule. Please plan your semester accordingly.
Electronic Communication / Email Policy
I can be reached via email and will try to respond within 24 hours (it may be longer during the weekend). Email is the best and quickest way to reach me. Calling my office phone will result in a delayed response. If you need to speak with me, we can set up an online meeting.
Students are required to use a Texas A&M International University email address for all academic activities. The purpose of this policy relates to issues of confidentiality and security and to ensure receipt of information from the Texas A&M International University and your individual college. Failure to check your TAMIU email will not constitute a failure of communication on the part of the university, this college, or this program.
All email communication must have a subject line indicating the course name and/or course number. Additionally, all email communication must begin with “Dr. Joo,” and end with your first and last names. This is a courtesy that you should follow for all your academic and professional emails.
It is important to understand how to interact with one another online, sometimes called netiquette. A good rule of thumb is to write nothing online that you wouldn’t be willing to say in person. You can read more about the rules of netiquette here.
No part of this course (including but not limited to lecture materials, online discussion posts, assignments, or exams) is to be posted to any online or offline platform without the written permission of the instructor.
Academic Integrity Policy
Academic dishonesty and misconduct, as defined by Texas A&M International University, will not be tolerated.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, falsifying work (e.g., fabricating/altering research data), cheating (e.g., copying others’ work) and plagiarism (e.g., submitting another’s published work without properly crediting the author; submitting a student’s own work used in a previous course).
Students are expected to abide by the TAMIU Code of Conduct. Any academic dishonesty or misconduct (regardless of the intent of the student) will be reported and dealt with pursuant to TAMIU policy.
It is the policy of the professor to assign a failing grade on the assignment for an initial violation and then in the course for any subsequent violations of the TAMIU Code of Conduct.
Please see the following links for more details: TAMIU’s Academic Integrity page and TAMIU’s Student Code of Conduct page.
Course Changes Policy
This syllabus serves as a general plan for the course. While every effort will be made to follow the schedule as written, the instructor reserves the right to make changes in response to circumstances that may arise or to better meet course objectives. Any changes will be communicated promptly via email and/or Blackboard, and students are responsible for staying updated on such announcements.
Professor's Responsibility Policy
As a student, you should expect that I will do everything I can (within the boundaries of my position as faculty) to ensure that you succeed in the course.
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You should expect weekly interaction with me via in-class announcements and emails.
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You should expect your assignments to be graded within about a week after submission.
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You should expect a response to emails and questions posted to the Course Q&A Board within about 48 hours.
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You should expect to be notified via Blackboard and/or email of any changes to the course.
Please always feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns about the course.
Mental Health, Title IX, and COVID-19
Counseling and Mental Health Resources
The Student Counseling Center (SCC), located in Student Center (STC) 126, provides free and confidential counseling services to all enrolled students. Services include short-term individual counseling for concerns such as depression, anxiety, stress, adjustment to college life, relationships, identity development, grief, and other personal challenges. Specialized therapy, including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD, may also be available based on eligibility. Students can contact the SCC at 956-326-2230. After hours, students may press 3 when calling to connect directly with a crisis counselor. Regular office hours are Mon.-Fri., 8 am to 5:30 pm. All counseling services are strictly confidential, and records of counseling sessions are not part of a student’s academic record. Information will not be disclosed without written consent except when disclosure is legally required to protect the safety of the student or others. In addition to in-person counseling, students have access to 24/7 emotional support through the TELUS Health Student Support (Umatter) app, which provides real-time chat, phone counseling, and wellness resources in multiple languages, including English and Spanish. On-campus wellness resources are also available, such as massage chairs located in STC 126, which are free for student use on a first-come, first-served basis.
Title IX
Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation and covers sexual violence, dating or domestic violence, and stalking. At Texas A&M International University (TAMIU), any disclosure of a Title IX concern shared with me must be forwarded to the Title IX Office. The Title IX Office will follow up to ensure you are informed of your rights, available resources, and appropriate measures to support your safety and success. You are not required to speak directly with the Title IX Office. However, if you wish to report sex- or gender-based discrimination, harassment, or violence—or learn more about your rights and support options—please contact the TAMIU Title IX Office: Lorissa M. Cortez, Director of Title IX & Civil Rights (Title IX Coordinator), Killam Library (KLM) Room 159B. 956-326-2857, email: TitleIX@tamiu.edu. For anonymous reporting, students may use the “Report It” online reporting system. For immediate assistance or emergencies, campus police (326-2911) or emergency services (911) are also available.
COVID-19 Related Statement
While the initial challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have subsided, residual and new challenges remain. Consequently, expectations regarding assignment completion will be kept realistic and empathetic. While the policies outlined in this syllabus will still guide the course, I recognize that these continue to be challenging times and student performance may be affected as a result.
As noted above, if you feel that you may be unable to complete any assignment or if you were unable to complete an assignment, please get in touch with me via email prior to the due date for the assignment.
I wish all of you a successful and safe semester!
Student Learning Outcomes
By successfully completing CRIJ4325 (Grade of ‘D’ or higher), students will be able to:
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Describe and explain the logic underlying the use of statistical analysis in criminal justice research and operations.
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Identify, explain, and demonstrate the levels of measurement typically observed in criminal justice variables.
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Identify, explain, and demonstrate methods for summarizing descriptive information statistically and visually.
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Identify, explain, and demonstrate appropriate application of tests of central tendency and variability.
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Describe and explain the logic underlying and basic application of inferential statistical tests.
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Evaluate the use of statistics and research methodologies employed by social scientists, news providers, and other information-sharing entities of society.
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Display expertise with basic data management and statistical calculations using Microsoft Excel.
Important Dates
Visit the Academic Calendar (tamiu.edu) page to view the term's important dates.
Textbooks
Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
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Required | Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics, Using Microsoft Excel, 5th Edition | Neil J. Salkind & Bruce B. Frey | 978-1-0718-0388-2 |
Other Course Materials
To go to the bookstore, click here.
Additional Readings
Supplemental required readings (e.g., journal and online articles) may be assigned over the course of the semester and will be made available in the modules on Blackboard (eLearning).
If you're accessing these materials off-campus, you may be prompted to use the Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) proxy (OpenAthens) for authentication. Log in with your TAMIU NetID and password to gain remote access to library-licensed content such as databases and e-journals. The Sue & Radcliffe Killam Library provides rich resources, including books, eBooks, eJournals, databases, and research support (e.g., My Account, interlibrary loan, research consultations). You can access many resources via Blackboard links or the library portal.
Students often ask about using prior editions of the course text. While this course will follow the chapter and page numbers outlined in the course schedule, much of the current content overlaps with prior editions of the book. In short, a student would be able to pass this course using prior editions of the book. However, it is your responsibility to match up the chapter and page numbers between editions if you choose to use a prior edition.
Grading Criteria
Neither extra credit after the course is completed nor grade curving will be offered or employed in this course. This grading scale is set by Texas A&M International University (TAMIU).
Grade Center
All grades will be maintained in Blackboard’s online Grade Center. Students are responsible for tracking their progress by referring to the online grade book. Please email the professor if you have questions.
GRADE | PERCENTAGE |
A | 91-100 |
B | 80-90.9 |
C | 70-79.9 |
D | 60-69.9 |
F | Below 60 |
Open Boilerplate
Attendance
To support your learning and encourage ongoing engagement with course materials, attendance at all scheduled class sessions is mandatory. Active participation during lectures, discussions, and in-class activities will be an essential part of your success in this course.
Participation points will be awarded based on your consistent attendance and meaningful involvement in class activities. There are no make-up opportunities for participation points except in cases of documented emergencies.
Class sessions will begin and end promptly as scheduled. Please arrive on time and remain engaged throughout the class period, as the material covered during lectures and discussions will appear on assignments and exams.
Quizzes
To help you prepare for the exams, short quizzes will be assigned throughout the semester. Each quiz will have about 10 questions randomly drawn from a question bank. The questions will be similar to those that appear on the exams.
The quizzes will be completed in class through Blackboard at the designated class sessions. Each quiz will be timed for 30 minutes.
While the quizzes will be open book, they must be completed independently (i.e., you will not be allowed to work with other students while completing the quizzes).
Each quiz will cover the material related to the week in which the quiz is due (e.g., Quiz 2 covers the material addressed in Week 2). Also, each quiz will be administered at the end of the designated class session and must be completed before leaving class.
One quiz (the lowest score) will be dropped prior to calculating your overall grade.
Hand Calculations
To fully understand the logic of statistical computation, students will complete hand (manual) calculation questions.
To complete hand calculation (HC) assignments, students will manually calculate the answer to a question (i.e., show work) and then (1) enter the numerical answer into Blackboard, and (2) upload a PDF document of their manual calculations. These two steps will be completed using two separate assignment links. You will complete a practice run of this process in the first week of the semester.
Each HC will be out of 2 points: 1 point for the correct answer, and 1 point for fully showing your work. (Thus, points for completing the manual calculations can be obtained even if the answer is incorrect.)
Once assignments are completed and graded, an answer key will be reviewed in class and/or posted to help clarify any errors. Comments about your assignment may also be provided within Blackboard.
PDF files of your manual work will be the only accepted format. If a non-PDF file (e.g., a non-PDF picture of your work) or an illegible scan is submitted, the work will not be graded and a score of zero will be assessed.
For tips on how to save a picture as a PDF file, see the “Tips & Other Tricks” module.
The HCs will be due by 11:59 pm (CDT) on the date indicated in the course schedule.
One HC (the lowest score) will be dropped prior to calculating your overall grade.
Excel Assignments
There will be a total of six Excel assignments throughout the semester (see the course schedule for due dates).
In addition to the instructions in our text, Excel assignments will be introduced and practiced in class. Detailed assignment instructions will also be available for downloading in Blackboard. Your completed work must be submitted as a Microsoft Excel file through Blackboard.
Please obtain Microsoft Excel in the first week if you do not already have it.
For instructions on how to obtain Excel (it’s free to TAMIU students) navigate here.
All Excel assignments must demonstrate the use of appropriate functions and formulas. Assignments that include only the correct numerical answers but do not show the underlying formulas will receive a score of zero.
Once assignments are completed and graded, an answer key will be reviewed in class and/or posted in Blackboard to help clarify any errors. Comments about your assignment may also be provided within Blackboard.
The Excel assignments will be due by 11:59 pm (CDT) on the date indicated in the course schedule.
One Excel assignment (the lowest score) will be dropped prior to calculating your overall grade.
Exams
There will be three exams over the course of the semester (see the course schedule).
Given the nature of statistics (i.e., understanding the advanced material requires knowledge of the basic material), each exam is cumulative, but focus will be placed on the material covered since the prior exam (see the course schedule).
There are three parts to each exam:
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Part 1: Test. These multiple-choice and true/false questions will be completed online and will not be timed.
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Part 2: Calculations. The calculations portion of the exams will be the same process as the HC assignments (i.e., enter answers into Blackboard and then upload your calculations PDF document). However, the exams will have at least two required computation questions where you show your work.
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Part 3: Excel. Like the Excel assignments, you will complete steps within Excel and then submit an Excel file. Students must demonstrate the use of appropriate functions and formulas. Submissions that include only the correct numerical answers without the underlying formulas will receive a score of zero.
All the exams will be open-book but must be completed independently (i.e., you will not be allowed to work with other students while completing the exams).
Feedback and comments about your exam may be provided within Blackboard.
The exams will be completed during class sessions as indicated in the course schedule unless otherwise announced.
All three exams will factor into your overall grade (i.e., none of the exams will be dropped).
Comments regarding the assignments
When completing the quizzes and the multiple-choice portions of the exams, please use a wired connection (i.e., not Wi-Fi). A lost Wi-Fi connection is not considered an acceptable excuse for the lack of completion of a quiz or exam.
To maintain consistency and fairness, any hand-written assignments will only be accepted via submission of a PDF on Blackboard (i.e., they will not be accepted over email).
MS Excel files will be the only accepted format for the Excel assignments and exams. Other spreadsheet program files will not be accepted. (Note that you can obtain MS Office for free.)
Each component of the course is designed to help you do well on the assignments. Thus, to succeed in the course overall, it is crucial that you avoid missing any component of the course materials. I will do my best to help you along the way, but the responsibility for completing the assignments will necessarily fall on your shoulders. Effort will go a long way in this course.
ASSIGNMENT | VALUE |
Attendance | 10% |
Quizzes | 15% |
Hand Calculations | 20% |
Excel Assignment | 20% |
Exams | 35% |
Course Schedule
Day | Date | Agenda/Topic | Reading(s) | Due |
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Tue | 8/26 | Course Introduction | Syllabus | |
Thu | 8/28 | Why we love statistics Intro to Microsfot Excel |
Ch.1 | |
Tue | 9/2 | Where's the middle? How does it all differ? |
Ch.3 Ch.4 |
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Thu | 9/4 | Excel 1: Central Tedency & Variability | Ch.2 | |
Tue | 9/9 | Exam 1: Recap | ||
Thu | 9/11 | Exam 1 | ||
Tue | 9/16 | What are the chances? (Pt.1) | Ch.9 | |
Thu | 9/18 | What are the chances? (Pt.1) | ||
Tue | 9/23 | What are the chances? (Pt.2) | Ch.9 | |
Thu | 9/25 | Excel 2: Z-scores | ||
Tue | 9/30 | Samples & Populations (Pt.1) | Ch.8 | |
Thu | 10/2 | Samples & Populations (Pt.1) | Ch.8 | |
Tue | 10/7 | Samples & Populations (Pt.2) | Ch.10 | |
Thu | 10/9 | Samples & Populations (Pt.2) | Ch.10 | |
Tue | 10/14 | Exam 2: Recap | ||
Thu | 10/16 | Exam 2 | ||
Tue | 10/21 | Testing the differences in two means (Pt.1) | Ch.12 | |
Thu | 10/23 | Excel 3: Independnt samples t-test | Ch.12 | |
Tue | 10/28 | Testing the differences in two means (Pt.2) | Ch.13 | |
Thu | 10/30 | Excel 4: Dependent samples t-test | Ch.13 | |
Tue | 11/4 | Testing differences in more than two means | Ch.14 | |
Thu | 11/6 | Excel 5: ANOVA | Ch.14 | |
Tue | 11/11 | TBD (Guest Lecture) | ||
Thu | 11/13 | TBD (Guest Lecture) | ||
Tue | 11/18 | Of crime & ice cream | Ch.6 Ch.16 |
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Thu | 11/20 | Excel 6: Correlation | ||
Tue | 11/25 | Exam 3: Recap | ||
Thu | 11/27 | No Class | ||
Tue | 12/2 | Exam 3 |
University/College Policies
Please see the University Policies below.
COVID-19 Related Policies
If you have tested positive for COVID-19, please refer to the Student Handbook, Appendix A (Attendance Rule) for instructions.
Required Class Attendance
Students are expected to attend every class in person (or virtually, if the class is online) and to complete all assignments. If you cannot attend class, it is your responsibility to communicate absences with your professors. The faculty member will decide if your excuse is valid and thus may provide lecture materials of the class. According to University policy, acceptable reasons for an absence, which cannot affect a student’s grade, include:
- Participation in an authorized University activity.
- Death or major illness in a student’s immediate family.
- Illness of a dependent family member.
- Participation in legal proceedings or administrative procedures that require a student’s presence.
- Religious holy day.
- Illness that is too severe or contagious for the student to attend class.
- Required participation in military duties.
- Mandatory admission interviews for professional or graduate school which cannot be rescheduled.
Students are responsible for providing satisfactory evidence to faculty members within seven calendar days of their absence and return to class. They must substantiate the reason for the absence. If the absence is excused, faculty members must either provide students with the opportunity to make up the exam or other work missed, or provide a satisfactory alternative to complete the exam or other work missed within 30 calendar days from the date of absence. Students who miss class due to a University-sponsored activity are responsible for identifying their absences to their instructors with as much advance notice as possible.
Classroom Behavior (applies to online or Face-to-Face Classes)
TAMIU encourages classroom discussion and academic debate as an essential intellectual activity. It is essential that students learn to express and defend their beliefs, but it is also essential that they learn to listen and respond respectfully to others whose beliefs they may not share. The University will always tolerate different, unorthodox, and unpopular points of view, but it will not tolerate condescending or insulting remarks. When students verbally abuse or ridicule and intimidate others whose views they do not agree with, they subvert the free exchange of ideas that should characterize a university classroom. If their actions are deemed by the professor to be disruptive, they will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action (please refer to Student Handbook Article 4).
TAMIU Honor Code: Plagiarism and Cheating
As a TAMIU student, you are bound by the TAMIU Honor Code to conduct yourself ethically in all your activities as a TAMIU student and to report violations of the Honor Code. Please read carefully the Student Handbook Article 7 and Article 10 available at https://www.tamiu.edu/scce/studenthandbook.shtml.
We are committed to strict enforcement of the Honor Code. Violations of the Honor Code tend to involve claiming work that is not one’s own, most commonly plagiarism in written assignments and any form of cheating on exams and other types of assignments.
Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s work as your own. It occurs when you:
- Borrow someone else’s facts, ideas, or opinions and put them entirely in your own words. You must acknowledge that these thoughts are not your own by immediately citing the source in your paper. Failure to do this is plagiarism.
- Borrow someone else’s words (short phrases, clauses, or sentences), you must enclose the copied words in quotation marks as well as citing the source. Failure to do this is plagiarism.
- Present someone else’s paper or exam (stolen, borrowed, or bought) as your own. You have committed a clearly intentional form of intellectual theft and have put your academic future in jeopardy. This is the worst form of plagiarism.
Here is another explanation from the 2020, seventh edition of the Manual of The American Psychological Association (APA):
“Plagiarism is the act of presenting the words, idea, or images of another as your own; it denies authors or creators of content the credit they are due. Whether deliberate or unintentional, plagiarism violates ethical standards in scholarship” (p. 254). This same principle applies to the illicit use of AI.
Plagiarism: Researchers do not claim the words and ideas of another as their own; they give credit where credit is due. Quotations marks should be used to indicate the exact words of another. Each time you paraphrase another author (i.e., summarize a passage or rearrange the order of a sentence and change some of the words), you need to credit the source in the text. The key element of this principle is that authors do not present the work of another as if it were their own words. This can extend to ideas as well as written words. If authors model a study after one done by someone else, the originating author should be given credit. If the rationale for a study was suggested in the discussion section of someone else's article, the person should be given credit. Given the free exchange of ideas, which is very important for the health of intellectual discourse, authors may not know where an idea for a study originated. If authors do know, however, they should acknowledge the source; this includes personal communications (p. 11). For guidance on proper documentation, consult the Academic Success Center or a recommended guide to documentation and research such as the Manual of the APA or the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. If you still have doubts concerning proper documentation, seek advice from your instructor prior to submitting a final draft.
TAMIU has penalties for plagiarism and cheating.
- Penalties for Plagiarism: Should a faculty member discover that a student has committed plagiarism, the student should receive a grade of 'F' in that course and the matter will be referred to the Honor Council for possible disciplinary action. The faculty member, however, may elect to give freshmen and sophomore students a “zero” for the assignment and to allow them to revise the assignment up to a grade of “F” (50%) if they believe that the student plagiarized out of ignorance or carelessness and not out of an attempt to deceive in order to earn an unmerited grade; the instructor must still report the offense to the Honor Council. This option should not be available to juniors, seniors, or graduate students, who cannot reasonably claim ignorance of documentation rules as an excuse. For repeat offenders in undergraduate courses or for an offender in any graduate course, the penalty for plagiarism is likely to include suspension or expulsion from the university.
- Caution: Be very careful what you upload to Turnitin or send to your professor for evaluation. Whatever you upload for evaluation will be considered your final, approved draft. If it is plagiarized, you will be held responsible. The excuse that “it was only a draft” will not be accepted.
- Caution: Also, do not share your electronic files with others. If you do, you are responsible for the possible consequences. If another student takes your file of a paper and changes the name to his or her name and submits it and you also submit the paper, we will hold both of you responsible for plagiarism. It is impossible for us to know with certainty who wrote the paper and who stole it. And, of course, we cannot know if there was collusion between you and the other student in the matter.
- Penalties for Cheating: Should a faculty member discover a student cheating on an exam or quiz or other class project, the student should receive a “zero” for the assignment and not be allowed to make the assignment up. The incident should be reported to the chair of the department and to the Honor Council. If the cheating is extensive, however, or if the assignment constitutes a major grade for the course (e.g., a final exam), or if the student has cheated in the past, the student should receive an “F” in the course, and the matter should be referred to the Honor Council. Additional penalties, including suspension or expulsion from the university may be imposed. Under no circumstances should a student who deserves an “F” in the course be allowed to withdraw from the course with a “W.”
- Caution: Chat groups that start off as “study groups” can easily devolve into “cheating groups.” Be very careful not to join or remain any chat group if it begins to discuss specific information about exams or assignments that are meant to require individual work. If you are a member of such a group and it begins to cheat, you will be held responsible along with all the other members of the group. The TAMIU Honor Code requires that you report any such instances of cheating.
- Student Right of Appeal: Faculty will notify students immediately via the student’s TAMIU e- mail account that they have submitted plagiarized work. Students have the right to appeal a faculty member’s charge of academic dishonesty by notifying the TAMIU Honor Council of their intent to appeal as long as the notification of appeal comes within 10 business days of the faculty member’s e-mail message to the student and/or the Office of Student Conduct and Community Engagement. The Student Handbook provides more details.
Use of Work in Two or More Courses
You may not submit work completed in one course for a grade in a second course unless you receive explicit permission to do so by the instructor of the second course. In general, you should get credit for a work product only once.
AI Policies
Your instructor will provide you with their personal policy on the use of AI in the classroom setting and associated coursework.
TAMIU E-Mail and SafeZone
Personal Announcements sent to students through TAMIU E-mail (tamiu.edu or dusty email) are the official means of communicating course and university business with students and faculty –not the U.S. Mail and no other e-mail addresses. Students and faculty must check their TAMIU e-mail accounts regularly, if not daily. Not having seen an important TAMIU e-mail or message from a faculty member, chair, or dean is not accepted as an excuse for failure to take important action.
Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to download the SafeZone app, which is a free mobile app for all University faculty, staff, and students. SafeZone allows you to: report safety concerns (24/7), get connected with mental health professionals, activate location sharing with authorities, and anonymously report incidents. Go to https://www.tamiu.edu/adminis/police/safezone/index.shtml for more information.
Copyright Restrictions
The Copyright Act of 1976 grants to copyright owners the exclusive right to reproduce their works and distribute copies of their work. Works that receive copyright protection include published works such as a textbook. Copying a textbook without permission from the owner of the copyright may constitute copyright infringement. Civil and criminal penalties may be assessed for copyright infringement. Civil penalties include damages up to $100,000; criminal penalties include a fine up to $250,000 and imprisonment. Copyright laws do not allow students and professors to make photocopies of copyrighted materials, but you may copy a limited portion of a work, such as article from a journal or a chapter from a book for your own personal academic use or, in the case of a professor, for personal, limited classroom use. In general, the extent of your copying should not suggest that the purpose or the effect of your copying is to avoid paying for the materials. And, of course, you may not sell these copies for a profit. Thus, students who copy textbooks to avoid buying them or professors who provide photocopies of textbooks to enable students to save money are violating the law.
Students with Disabilities
Texas A&M International University seeks to provide reasonable accommodations for all qualified persons with disabilities. This University will adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as required to afford equal education opportunity. It is the student's responsibility to register with the Office of Student Counseling and Disability Services located in Student Center 126. This office will contact the faculty member to recommend specific, reasonable accommodations. Faculty are prohibited from making accommodations based solely on communications from students. They may make accommodations only when provided documentation by the Student Counseling and Disability Services office.
Student Attendance and Leave of Absence (LOA) Policy
As part of our efforts to assist and encourage all students towards graduation, TAMIU provides
LOA’s for students, including pregnant/parenting students, in accordance with the Attendance Rule (Section 3.07) and the Student LOA Rule (Section 3.08), which includes the “Leave of Absence Request” form. Both rules can be found in the TAMIU Student Handbook (URL: http://www.tamiu.edu/studentaffairs/StudentHandbook1.shtml).
Pregnant and Parenting Students
Under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, harassment based on sex, including harassment because of pregnancy or related conditions, is prohibited. A pregnant/parenting student must be granted an absence for as long as the student’s physician deems the absence medically necessary. It is a violation of Title IX to ask for documentation relative to the pregnant/parenting student’s status beyond what would be required for other medical conditions. If a student would like to file a complaint for discrimination due to his or her pregnant/parenting status, please contact the TAMIU Title IX Coordinator (Lorissa M. Cortez, 5201 University Boulevard, KLM 159B, Laredo, TX 78041,TitleIX@tamiu.edu, 956.326.2857) and/or the Office of Civil Rights (Dallas Office, U.S. Department of Education, 1999 Bryan Street, Suite 1620, Dallas, TX 75201-6810, 214.661.9600). You can also report it on TAMIU’s anonymous electronic reporting site: https://www.tamiu.edu/reportit.
TAMIU advises a pregnant/parenting student to notify their professor once the student is aware that accommodations for such will be necessary. It is recommended that the student and professor develop a reasonable plan for the student’s completion of missed coursework or assignments. The Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity (Lorissa M. Cortez, lorissam.cortez@tamiu.edu) can assist the student and professor in working out the reasonable accommodations. For other questions or concerns regarding Title IX compliance related to pregnant/parenting students at the University, contact the Title IX Coordinator. In the event that a student will need a leave of absence for a substantial period of time, TAMIU urges the student to consider a Leave of Absence (LOA) as outlined in the TAMIU Student Handbook. As part of our efforts to assist and encourage all students towards graduation, TAMIU provides LOA’s for students, including pregnant/parenting students, in accordance with the Attendance Rule and the Student LOA Rule. Both rules can be found in the TAMIU Student Handbook (https://www.tamiu.edu/scce/studenthandbook.shtml).
Anti-Discrimination/Title IX
TAMIU does not discriminate or permit harassment against any individual on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, educational programs, or employment. If you would like to file a complaint relative to Title IX or any civil rights violation, please contact the TAMIU Director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity/Title IX Coordinator, Lorissa M. Cortez, 5201 University Boulevard, Killam Library 159B, Laredo, TX 78041,TitleIX@tamiu.edu, 956.326.2857, via the anonymous electronic reporting website, ReportIt, at https://www.tamiu.edu/reportit, and/or the Office of Civil Rights (Dallas Office), U.S. Department of Education, 1999 Bryan Street, Suite 1620, Dallas, TX 75201-6810, 214.661.9600.
Incompletes
Students who are unable to complete a course should withdraw from the course before the final date for withdrawal and receive a “W.” To qualify for an “incomplete” and thus have the opportunity to complete the course at a later date, a student must meet the following criteria:
- The student must have completed 90% of the course work assigned before the final date for withdrawing from a course with a “W”, and the student must be passing the course;
- The student cannot complete the course because an accident, an illness, or a traumatic personal or family event occurred after the final date for withdrawal from a course;
- The student must sign an “Incomplete Grade Contract” and secure signatures of approval from the professor and the college dean.
- The student must agree to complete the missing course work before the end of the next long semester; failure to meet this deadline will cause the “I” to automatically be converted to an “F”; extensions to this deadline may be granted by the dean of the college. This is the general policy regarding the circumstances under which an “incomplete” may be granted, but under exceptional circumstances, a student may receive an incomplete who does not meet all of the criteria above if the faculty member, department chair, and dean recommend it.
WIN Contracts
The Department of Biology and Chemistry does not permit WIN contracts. For other departments within the college, WIN Contracts are offered only under exceptional circumstances and are limited to graduating seniors. Only courses offered by full-time TAMIU faculty or TAMIU instructors are eligible to be contracted for the WIN requirement. However, a WIN contract for a course taught by an adjunct may be approved, with special permission from the department chair and dean. Students must seek approval before beginning any work for the WIN Contract. No student will contract more than one course per semester. Summer WIN Contracts must continue through both summer sessions.
Student Responsibility for Dropping a Course
It is the responsibility of the student to drop the course before the final date for withdrawal from a course. Faculty members, in fact, may not drop a student from a course without getting the approval of their department chair and dean.
Independent Study Course
Independent Study (IS) courses are offered only under exceptional circumstances. Required courses intended to build academic skills may not be taken as IS (e.g., clinical supervision and internships). No student will take more than one IS course per semester. Moreover, IS courses are limited to seniors and graduate students. Summer IS course must continue through both summer sessions.
Grade Changes & Appeals
Faculty are authorized to change final grades only when they have committed a computational error or an error in recording a grade, and they must receive the approval of their department chairs and the dean to change the grade. As part of that approval, they must attach a detailed explanation of the reason for the mistake. Only in rare cases would another reason be entertained as legitimate for a grade change. A student who is unhappy with his or her grade on an assignment must discuss the situation with the faculty member teaching the course. If students believe that they have been graded unfairly, they have the right to appeal the grade using a grade appeal process in the Student Handbook and in the Faculty Handbook.
Final Examination
All courses in all colleges must include a comprehensive exam or performance and be given on the date and time specified by the Academic Calendar and the Final Exam schedule published by the Registrar’s Office. In the College of Arts & Sciences all final exams must contain a written component. The written component should comprise at least 20% of the final exam grade. Exceptions to this policy must receive the approval of the department chair and the dean at the beginning of the semester.
Mental Health and Well-Being
The university aims to provide students with essential knowledge and tools to understand and support mental health. As part of our commitment to your well-being, we offer access to Telus Health, a service available 24/7/365 via chat, phone, or webinar. Scan the QR code to download the app and explore the resources available to you for guidance and support whenever you need it. The Telus app is available to download directly from TELUS (tamiu.edu) or from the Apple App Store and Google Play.