CRIJ 6321 - Human Trafficking Smuggling
Fall 2025 Syllabus, Section 160, CRN 17418
Instructor Information
Marcus Carey, Ph.D. in Criminal Justice
Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
Email: marcus.carey@tamiu.edu
Office: AIC 357
Office Hours:
Wednesdays and Thursdays: 6:00-7:30 PM
Fridays: By appointment (virtual)
Other times by appointment
Times and Location
Course Description
Additional Course Information
- Attendance and Classroom Decorum: This is a doctoral class, and as such, attendance is mandatory. Also, the class will be run as a SYNCHRONOUS ONLINE CLASS, meaning that in-person attendance in a classroom will not be required or possible. Instead, you will join the collaborate room on Blackboard during class hours (Tuesdays from 6:00-8:45 PM).
The only acceptable reasons for missing are those laid out as potentially excusable by TAMIU policy. Those reasons are:
- Participation in an authorized university activity at the request of university authorities.
- 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 days/days of obligation.
- A pregnant/parenting student must be granted a leave of absence (LOA) for as long as the student’s physician deems the absence medically necessary.
- Illness/injury that is too severe or contagious for the student to attend class.
- Required participation in military assignment and duties.
- Mandatory admission interviews for professional or graduate school, which cannot be rescheduled.
Documentation of excused absences must be submitted to me within 2 days (48 hours) of the missed class.
Absences for reasons other than those listed above will not be eligible for consideration as excused, and a 50 point penalty will result from each unexcused absence.
TO BE CLEAR: documentation means documentation of one or more of the above-listed reasons. An email recounting life circumstances such as headaches or personal disputes will not serve as acceptable documentation for absences. I do not want to receive any email or communication regarding attendance that does not include or ask for clarity about documentation.
Webcams: You can have these on or off at your discretion, for the most part. I'd rather you had them on when talking, and you must have them on when delivering presentations.
- Academic Dishonesty and Cheating: If you choose to cheat in my class, you will receive an F for the course and will also be referred to University Judiciaries. There is more information further down on the specifics of plagiarism/cheating, but we all know what it is. Don’t do it.
Further, you may not submit work completed for other classes to complete the requirements for this course. By submitting an assignment in this class, you are verifying that it is your own original work, and self-plagiarism will be treated as a violation unless and exception of made in advance.
- Student Accessibility: If you require special accommodation, inform myself and the office of student accessibility (office of disability services) of your needs and I will be happy to provide for them. It is, however, your responsibility to provide me with a list of what you need and the documentation to go along with it.
- Contact Me: DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO SPEAK TO ME ABOUT SOMETHING. If you are having any issue, tell me immediately. The longer you wait, the less I can help you.
Individual Learning
I want each individual student to obtain individual results based on their own interests and effort. In short, I want you to have a lot of personal agency regarding what you want to study in here beyond the collective curriculum. Much of your evaluation will relate to your term paper, the subject of which will be largely discretionary on your part (meaning you can pick what you write about).
My primary goals for you are that you be successful and learn as much as possible, and I have found that students’ enjoyment of the subject at hand contributes to those things. I believe it is more enjoyable and effective to study the things one is curious about rather than having to fulfill some role on a team within the framework of mandated material. There will not be any team activities in this class.
Extra Credit
Extra credit will be given at my discretion and any opportunity for it will be available to the entire class or not at all. In other words, I will not grant any student individual opportunities for extra credit. If you come to me at the end of the semester to ask, “Can I write a paper for a little bit of extra credit?”, the answer will be no. Also, if I grant extra credit in-class, it cannot be made up without a valid and documented excuse.
Student Learning Outcomes
1. The student will examine contemporary issues in human trafficking and smuggling, such as:
a. labor exploitation-this includes the phenomenon of “sweat shops”, child labor, and other elements of modern slavery
b. sexual exploitation-which includes that of children and women around the world
c. the evolution of slavery and illicit human movements
d. methods of human trafficking and smuggling
e. victimization-the harms inflicted on individuals and societies by human trafficking and smuggling
f. the investigation, prosecution, and prevention of human trafficking and smuggling
2. The student will read professional literature.
3. The student will synthesize scholarly research in the field by skillfully conducting research in electronic databases (e.g. JSTOR, EBSCO, PROQUEST, ACADEMIC SEARCH COMPLETE, ACADEMIC UNIVERSE).
4. The student will demonstrate the ability to write formally and professionally about key issues in human trafficking and smuggling.
5. The student will present the findings of their research into a specific topic chosen by them toward the end of the semester.
6. Students will not employ generative AI in the composition of class assignments, though it's use as a tool to direct attention to resources or in other support functions is acceptable.
Important Dates
Visit the Academic Calendar (tamiu.edu) page to view the term's important dates.
Textbooks
Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|
Required | Human Trafficking: Interdisciplinary Perspectives | Burke, M.C. (Ed.) | 978-0367644741 |
Grading Criteria
The grade categories are standard 10% increments, though of course only As and Bs pass the class. You can consider it differently, such that your margin of error for passing is 200 points. If you lose 200 total points or fewer by the end, you will have passed this class.
GRADE | PERCENTAGE |
A | 90-100 (900+ points) |
B | 80-89.9 (800-899 points) |
C | 70-79.9 (700-799 points) |
D | 60-69.9 (600-699 points) |
F | Below 60 (less than 600 points) |
Open Boilerplate
Course Requirements
Research Paper
Students will be required to complete a critical literature review on a topic of their choice, though I will be here to help you in its selection. If all else fails, I can assign you a topic if you would prefer. It is not too early to begin thinking of what you’d like to write about, and you may not simply turn in previous work from another class.
The incremental components of the research paper (the assignments related to it) are as follows: Paper Proposal (25 points) Rough draft (100 pts.), Final Paper/Feedback Response (125 pts.).
The total possible points for the written portion of the project is 250 points.
The paper will be a critical literature review on some facet of human trafficking and/or smuggling. For this project, you will be doing a detailed review of the scholarly literature on the facet you select, with an eye toward identifying gaps in the corresponding literature. Further, you will recommend future directions for research to address how the gaps you identified might be filled.
I will give you feedback on the rough draft of your paper, which will be worth 100 points. The final version of the paper will include not only the final draft, but also a “feedback response” document addressing how you responded to my earlier comments (or why you chose not to address elements of those comments).
These papers should be of roughly manuscript length, meaning approximately 25-30 pages long (double-spaced, Times New Roman font), not including abstracts, title pages, or references. Those elements should all be present, but they do not count toward length.
Students should submit their sections designated dropboxes on the course website on the days that they are due. It is also possible to submit them to me directly via e-mail if there is some problem with the website or if the assignment is slightly late. Late submissions will not be accepted for points unless an arrangement has been made in advance OR if there is a documented and legitimate reason for the lateness.
Final Presentation/Discussion
Students will be expected to present their research papers after their final drafts have been submitted. These presentations will be worth 150 total points, and should include a plan for discussion/Q&A. The parameters of the presentations will be explained in detail later, but they need to be about 45 minutes in length. Going slightly over or under is fine but blasting past the time limit or falling far short of it will be grounds for point deductions which will be proportional to how far outside of that target one falls.
The presentation is worth a possible 150 points.
Exams
There will be three online exams this semester, each worth 150 points (for a total of 450 points).
Readings Leader
Each student will be responsible for being the "Readings Leader" for one week. This will involve guiding the class through two journal articles pertaining to the topic for their week, alongside a presentation lasting between 60-75 minutes.
The Readings Leader assignment is worth 150 points.
ASSIGNMENT | VALUE |
Exam #1 | 150 |
Exam #2 | 150 |
Exam #3 | 150 |
Readings Leader | 150 |
Paper Proposal | 25 |
Paper-Rough Draft | 100 |
Paper-Final Draft and Response to Feedback | 125 |
Final Presentation | 150 |
Total Possible Points | 1000 |
Schedule of Topics and Assignments
Day | Date | Agenda/Topic | Reading(s) | Due |
---|---|---|---|---|
Tue | 8/26 | Syllabus Publishing and Student Goals Intro to Trafficking and Smuggling Humans |
N/A | N/A |
Tue | 9/2 | Trafficking and Labor Exploitation Sex Trafficking |
Burke Chapters 3 and 4 Supplemental Readings |
Readings Leader-Jasen Andersen |
Tue | 9/9 | Sexual Exploitation of Children Sociological Perspectives Review for Exam #1 |
Burke Chapters 5 and 6 Supplemental Readings |
Readings Leader-Alan Chetin Research Topic Proposals Due: September 14 |
Tue | 9/16 | Exam #1 | N/A | Exam #1-Synchronous |
Tue | 9/23 | Gender and Human Trafficking Sexual Minorities and Human Trafficking |
Burke Chapters 7 and 10 Supplemental Readings |
Readings Leader-Sandra Garza |
Tue | 9/30 | Policy Responses to Human Trafficking Globalization Issues |
Burke Chapters 11 and 13 Supplemental Readings |
Readings Leader-Steve Jasso |
Tue | 10/7 | Human Security Framework Technology and Human Trafficking Review for Exam #2 |
Burke Chapters 14 and 15 Supplemental Readings |
Readings Leader-Joseph LeClaire |
Tue | 10/14 | Exam #2 | N/A | Exam #2-Synchronous |
Tue | 10/21 | Law Enforcement Considerations | Burke Chapter 17 Supplemental Readings |
Readings Leader-Johana Rubio |
Tue | 10/28 | Prosecuting Sex Traffickers | Burke Chapter 18 Supplemental Readings |
Readings Leader-Estella Sanchez |
Tue | 11/4 | Victim Mental Health Community Responses Review for Exam #3 |
Burke Chapters 19 and 20 Supplemental Readings |
Readings Leader-Michael Wilson Term Paper Rough Draft-Due on Sunday, November 9 |
Tue | 11/11 | Exam #3 | N/A | Exam #3-Synchronous |
Tue | 11/18 | Presentations | Andersen Chetin Garza |
|
Tue | 11/25 | Presentations | Jasso LeClaire Rubio |
|
Tue | 12/2 | Presentations |
Sanchez Wilson |
|
Tue | 12/9 | Final Papers Due | Final Papers due by midnight on 12/9 |
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.