ENGL 1302 - English Composition II
Fall 2025 Syllabus, Section 107, CRN 16698
Instructor Information
Oralia Ramos
Email: oralia.ramos@tamiu.edu
Office Hours:
Monday/Wednesday/Friday:
1:00pm-2:30pm
or by Appointment
Times and Location
Course Description
Additional Course Information
This course meets face-to-face. Method of delivery: traditional, in-person instruction.
The tentative course schedule is subject to change at any time with notice.
Course Policies
Artificial Intelligence Policy
Unless students are otherwise directed by the instructor, all coursework submitted should be students’ original work (i.e., written by the individual whose name is placed at the top of the submission), produced without the aid of artificial intelligence. This includes Grammarly, ChatGPT, and other online resources that either produce text or make substantial changes to text that students have written. Use of such technologies will be treated as cheating and penalties will be applied in accordance with the TAMIU policies listed below.
Email Policy
It is best to contact the instructor through email at oralia.ramos@tamiu.edu. The instructor typically responds within 48 hours (not at all on weekends).
When emailing the instructor, please make sure to use proper spelling, punctuation, grammar, and capitalization. Use a formal form of address. Start the email with “Dear Ms. Last Name,” and finish the email with, “Sincerely, Student Name” or “Best, Student Name.” Write in full sentences with clear and correct grammar. Please include the course number in all emails.
Photographs & Video & Voice Recorders
Unless permitted by the instructor in accordance with an accommodations agreement, students will not be allowed to take photos of projected materials or capture video or voice recordings of class lectures or conferences. Students will be expected to take their own notes on information and instructions relayed by the instructor in class meetings using their own digital devices or analogue materials. Students who arrive to class unprepared to take notes will not be given the instructor’s own materials as a replacement memory aid.
Overall Course Grade
Students must pass this course with a "C" (70%) or higher to receive credit for the course. Anyone receiving a D or an F must retake the course until at least a "C" is earned.
Class Attendance
Students are expected to be on time and engaged in class discussions and activities. Students who miss 2.5 or more weeks of class meetings (8 days on a MWF format and 6 days on a TR format) typically fail the course, unless they have engaged in anticipatory conversations about absences due to disability accommodations or official TAMIU-events schedules and proactive about rescheduling assignment and activity deadlines with the instructor.
TurnItIn & Similarity Scores
Students will submit all drafts of the unit essays and reflection essays via TurnItIn on Blackboard. Only essays with a similarity index of less than 20% (i.e., SI ≤ 20%) on a TurnItIn drop box will be accepted and graded.
TurnItIn and Assistive Technologies
In keeping with the TAMIU Honor Code, the instructor will be using TurnItIn (available via Blackboard) to evaluate the originality of all written student work. This is to ensure the integrity of student work and to forestall any attempts at plagiarism or cheating. If a student paper has been submitted successfully, that student should be able to return to the assignment drop box and view the submission. Be sure to double check that files have uploaded; failure to ensure that work has been successfully submitted is not an acceptable excuse for late or missed assignments. Furthermore, all essays and assignments submitted should be students’ original work (i.e., written by the individual whose name is placed at the top of the submission), produced without the aid of assistive technologies. This includes Grammarly and other online resources that either produce text or make substantial, substantive changes to text that students have written. Use of such technologies will be treated as cheating and penalties will be applied in accordance with the TAMIU policies listed below
Formatting Style
This course will use MLA format for all essays, writing assignments, and Blackboard posts.
Technical Issues/Difficulties
The instructor understands that, at times, students may have difficulties with Blackboard, TurnItIn, Dusty email, or Microsoft Word, which are required throughout the course. However, it is a student's responsibility to visit, call, or otherwise contact OIT if that student is having difficulties with technology. Please note that the instructor is not tech support, so asking the instructor about troubleshooting will simply get a student referred to OIT. OIT can be contacted by phone at (956) 326-2310, in person at Dr. Billy F. Cowart Hall, room 105, or via email at helpdesk@tamiu.edu. If technical difficulties arise close to a due date or assignment deadline, it is the student’s responsibility to let the instructor know before the deadline passes, and more importantly, to document everything – screenshots of error messages, time stamps of submission, etc. Students are made aware of all deadlines at the beginning of the semester, so make sure to complete and submit work with enough time to address any such difficulties. Leaving work until the last minute is a choice that students make, and, unless there are extenuating circumstances, students should not expect the instructor to accommodate student decisions not to work ahead.
Course Description
The theme of this course is “Portrait of a Community,” the objective of which is to engage students in the humanistic study of communities and the people and issues that define them.
This course also serves as the gateway to the Humanities certificate. To learn more about the certificate and the ways in which it can enhance students’ intellectual and professional skill sets, please visit https://catalog.tamiu.edu/undergraduate-information/undergraduate-certificates/humanities-certificate/.
Writing Projects (65% of course grade): The major writing projects for this course will require students to work in certain genres, but they also allow students to choose their own topics and positions. The major projects include:
- Close Reading of a Primary Text (15% of course grade)—Students will examine a primary text—one of the course’s transformative texts—and analyze the community portrayed in it.
- Annotated Bibliography (15% of course grade)—Students will gather, select, organize, and summarize multiple peer-reviewed journal articles that contribute to their research for the Transformative Project and/or Final Paper. The annotated bibliography should demonstrate careful source selection, summary, and critical analysis of how each source informs the student's argument.
- Transformative Project (15% of course grade)—Students will engage in primary and secondary research about a community that interests them, present an argument about that community and its representation (self and otherwise), and link relevant insights to your own communities—professional, academic, and personal.
- Final Paper (10% of course grade)–Students will develop and polish a sustained, research-driven essay that integrates the skills learned throughout the course. The paper should demonstrate critical engagement with sources, thoughtful argumentation, and reflection on the student's chosen community or theme.
- Final Reflection (10% of course grade)– Students will reflect on their learning in the course, covering such aspects as the stages of the writing process, transformative study, and community-building.
Activities and Short Writing Assignment (35% of course grade): On a weekly basis, students will have in-class activities and homework due to Blackboard. For each writing project, the production of rough drafts and participation in application activities, discussion board posts, peer review, short writing assignments, reflection essays, and ACE visits will help students progress successfully through each writing project and produce Final Drafts that earn passing grades. Instructions will be made available on Blackboard or delivered in class meetings.
You must attend the Academic Center for Excellence (Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, 1st floor) at least twice during the semester, for a minimum of 30 minutes each session, to seek writing consultation on two of the assigned writings in this course. You will receive credit once you have submitted a “Writing Center” attendance form to your professor. From the total 5% of this grade requirement, you will receive 50% for a first visit before 10/15 and 50% for a second visit before 11/24. If you make your first and second visit after the listed dates, then you will only receive 25% for each visit. For example, if your first visit is after 10/15, then you will only receive 25% credit for that first visit. And, if your second visit is after 11/24, then you will only receive 25% credit for that second visit. You will receive 0% credit for making both visits during finals week or for never visiting throughout the semester.
Program Learning Outcomes
As one class in the First-Year Writing Program, students’ successful completion of this course will contribute to their overall ability to:
- Critically analyze and evaluate the audience, purpose, and genre of a writing situation or written piece.
- Recognize and apply the writing elements of format, structure, and grammar in a written piece.
- Demonstrate an effective writing process that includes drafting, revising, editing, and respectful and ethical collaboration.
- Apply reflective writing practices across different writing tasks and genres.
- Develop writing-related technological skills that allow them to locate, engage, and evaluate writing activities and artifacts in various genres and across media formats.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to do the following relative to the First-Year Writing Program’s Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
- Respond appropriately to the needs of various audiences and writing situations through the use of various genres, context, and content. (PLO 1)
- Recognize, critique, and defend the rhetorical choices in writing situations. (PLO 1)
- Apply conventions of Standard American Academic English including word choice, formality, grammar and mechanics, MLA formatting, and essay format. (PLO 2)
- Effectively apply a process of writing from invention, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading. (PLO 3)
- Ethically collaborate in the writing process with peers through peer-review, constructive self-critique, and teamwork. (PLO 3)
- Compose written work that reflects on the writing process, articulates how writing skills transfer across contexts, and identifies the writer’s strengths and weaknesses. (PLO 4)
- Engage a variety of technologies in order to locate sources and write across various media for specific audiences and purposes. (PLO 5)
Important Dates
Visit the Academic Calendar (tamiu.edu) page to view the term's important dates.
Textbooks
Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|
Required | Everyone’s An Author 4th Edition | Andrea Lunsford | 978-1-324-04527-4 |
Other Course Materials
To go to the bookstore, click here. Additional materials and readings will be available on Blackboard.
Grading Criteria
Grading
The instructor does NOT round grades. For instance, if a student receives a 69.9999 total grade at the end of the semester, that student will receive a D grade for the course. The instructor does not give additional extra credit to individual students. The instructor is aware that students in this course have GPA goals in mind. Anticipate these goals early in the semester and strive to improve rather than ask for a grade at the end of the course. The instructor will happily discuss any assignment grade during office hours after a 24 hour “cool down” period.
Extra Credit
No extra credit is given in this course. The only way to get more points in this course is to complete the assigned work and submit it on time. However, if you are reading this carefully, you may earn up to 5 hidden extra credit points by emailing me a short 1-2 sentence response on what you like most about TAMIU and why it feels like a community to you. This is the only exception, and the points may only be applied to a regular assignment or quiz of your choosing.
Late Work Policy
Late work is not accepted in this course. However, students have one opportunity to submit a single late assignment: see the One-Exception Rule below.
One-Exception Rule
Students are allowed one request to have one, and only one, late assignment accepted after the deadline. Request for acceptance of a late assignment must occur via email and within seven (7) days of the missed deadline. This one-exception rule does not apply to the Final Project due at the end of the semester. A late Final Project will receive a 0 grade in all circumstances.
Extensions and Flexible Deadlines
Students may request extensions on coursework (but not the Final Project due at the end of the semester) when they anticipate they will not be able to meet a deadline. Requests for extensions should be rare, limited to one or two assignments per semester and prioritizing major assignments (like Final Drafts). Requests should also be made via email at least 24 hours in advance of a deadline.
Requests for extensions cannot be made after an assignment deadline—in such an instance the work is already considered late and it is therefore appropriate only to request use of the one-exception rule, if applicable. For students with documented accommodations, flexible deadline requests are allowed but they are not applicable to all coursework nor are they comprehensively retroactive or proactive. Flexible deadline requests are considered on a case-by-case basis and are the first step in a conversation with the instructor. It is the student’s responsibility in each instance to reach out to the instructor with a request and proposal for the length of extension needed.
GRADE | PERCENTAGE |
A | 90-100 |
B | 80-89.9 |
C | 70-79.9 |
D | 60-69.9 |
F | Below 60 |
Open Boilerplate
ASSIGNMENT | VALUE |
Blackboard Posts & Homework (incl. essay drafts) | 10% |
Attendance/Participation (incl. quizzes) | 5% |
ACE | 5% |
Writing Projects: | |
Close Reading of a Primary Text | 15% |
Annotated Bibliography | 15% |
Transformative Project | 15% |
Reflection Essays: | |
Reflection Essay 1 | 5% |
Reflection Essay 2 | 5% |
Reflection Essay 3 | 5% |
Final Portfolio: | |
Final Paper | 10% |
Final Reflection Essay | 10% |
Schedule of Topics and Assignments
Day | Date | Agenda/Topic | Reading(s) | Due |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mon | 8/25 | Introduction to Course | • Complete the Syllabus Acknowledgement Form by 11:59pm | |
Wed | 8/27 | Unit 1: Close Reading of a Transformative Text | • Read the Close Reading of a Transformative Text Assignment Prompt Before Class • Read Lunsford Chapter 1, “Thinking Rhetorically” (5-17) • Read Lunsford Chapter 3, “Rhetorical Situations” (30-37) • Read “Eleven” (1991) by Sandra Cisneros posted on Blackboard |
• In-Class Activity: Group Annotation. Focus on learning to identify rhetorical situations through literary analysis. |
Fri | 8/29 | No Formal Class Meeting | • Read Lunsford Chapter 6, “Reading Rhetorically” (63-72) • Read Lunsford Chapter 7, “Annotating, Summarizing, Responding” (73-86) |
Take-home Quiz: Describe a recent time you tried to persuade someone (friend, parent, coworker, professor, etc.). Identify the rhetorical situation: Who was your audience? What was your purpose? What strategies did you use? Was it effective? Why or why not? • 250 words min. (1 double-spaced page with 1” margins in 12 pt. Times New Roman) • Homework Assignment Due by 11:59pm to TurnItIn on Blackboard |
Mon | 9/1 | Unit 1: Close Reading of a Transformative Text | • Read Lunsford Chapter 4, “Language, Power, and Rhetoric” (38-48) • Read Lunsford Chapter 8, “Distinguishing Facts from Misinformation” (92-101) |
• Chapter 4 and Chapter 8 Reading Quiz |
Wed | 9/3 | Unit 1: Close Reading of a Transformative Text | • Read Lunsford Chapter 10, “Reflecting on Your Writing” (117-128) • Read Lunsford Chapter 12, “Choosing Genres” (147-153) • Watch Coco (2017) clip posted on Blackboard |
• In-Class Activity: Focus on understanding how genre choice shapes rhetorical effectiveness. |
Fri | 9/5 | Unit 1: Close Reading of a Transformative Text | • Read Lunsford Chapter 5, “Understanding College Expectations” (49-60) • Read Lunsford Chapter 9, “Managing the Writing Process” (107-116) |
• Writing Workshop: Topic Development. Choosing text and community. |
Mon | 9/8 | Unit 1: Close Reading of a Transformative Text | • Read Lunsford Chapter 14, “Writing a Narrative/’Here’s What Happened’” (195-224) • Read Lunsford Chapter 15, “Writing Analytically/’Let’s Take a Closer Look’” (234-277) |
• Chapter 14 and Chapter 15 Reading Quiz |
Wed | 9/10 | Unit 1: Close Reading of a Transformative Text | • Read Lunsford Chapter 16, “Reporting Information/’Just the Facts’” (287-322) • Read Lunsford Chapter 17, “Writing a Review/’Two Thumbs Up’” (334-360) • Read “The Tell-Tale Heart” (1843) by Edgar Allan Poe posted on Blackboard |
• In-Class Activity: Focus on practicing reporting information objectively vs. writing subjectively in a review. |
Fri | 9/12 | Unit 1: Close Reading of a Transformative Text | • Read Lunsford Chapter 13, “Arguing a Position/’This Is Where I Stand’” (154-181) • Read Lunsford Chapter 18, “Making a Proposal/’Here’s What I Recommend’” (370-395) |
• Writing Workshop: Thesis and Structure. Focus on thesis and outlining close reading. • Submit Complete Close Reading of a Transformative Text Draft by Sunday (9/14) at 11:59pm |
Mon | 9/15 | Unit 1: Close Reading of a Transformative Text | Conferences | |
Wed | 9/17 | Unit 1: Close Reading of a Transformative Text | Conferences | |
Fri | 9/19 | Unit 1: Close Reading of a Transformative Text | Conferences | • Conference Reflection Assignment Due by 11:59pm to TurnItIn on Blackboard • Close Reading of a Transformative Text Final Draft Due Sunday (9/21) by 11:59pm to TurnItIn on Blackboard |
Mon | 9/22 | Unit 1: Close Reading of a Transformative Text | • Read Lunsford Chapter 19, “Analyzing and Constructing Arguments” (411-452) • Read Lunsford Chapter 20, “Strategies for Supporting an Argument” (453-475) • Read “Developing Strong Thesis Statements” posted on Blackboard |
• Chapter 19 and Chapter 20 Reading Quiz • Reflection Essay 1 Due Tuesday (9/23) by 11:59pm to TurnItIn on Blackboard |
Wed | 9/24 | Unit 1: Close Reading of a Transformative Text | • Read Lunsford Chapter 21, “Starting Your Research/Joining the Conversation” (479-487) • Read Lunsford Chapter 22, “Finding Sources/Online and at the Library” (488-504) • Read “The Cariboo Café” (1985) by Helena María Viramontes posted on Blackboard |
• In-Class Activity: Focus on connecting literary close reading to forming research questions. |
Fri | 9/26 | Unit 2: Annotated Bibliography | • Read the Annotated Bibliography Assignment Prompt Before Class • Read Lunsford Chapter 23, “Conducting Research in the Field” (505-514) • Read Lunsford Chapter 24, “Keeping Track/Managing Information Overload” (515-519) |
• Workshop: Transition to Unit 2 |
Mon | 9/29 | Unit 2: Annotated Bibliography | • Read Lunsford Chapter 28, “Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing” (548-561) • Read Lunsford Chapter 29, “Giving Credit, Avoiding Plagiarism” (562-569) • Read “Synthesis” posted on Blackboard |
• Chapter 28 and Chapter 29 Reading Quiz |
Wed | 10/1 | Unit 2: Annotated Bibliography | • Read Lunsford Chapter 25, “Evaluating Sources” (520-527) • Read Lunsford Chapter 26, “Annotating a Bibliography” (528-532) • Read Article on Blackboard About Finding Peer Reviewed Journal Articles |
• In-Class Activity: Mini-Annotated Bibliography. Focus on practicing annotation and proper integration of sources. |
Fri | 10/3 | Unit 2: Annotated Bibliography | • Read Lunsford Chapter 30, “MLA Style” (570-624) • Read Lunsford Chapter 32, “What’s Your Style?” (677-692) • Read “How to Recognize Peer Reviewed (refereed) Journals” posted on Blackboard |
• Workshop: Focus on source selection and citation practice. • Bring 20 Peer Reviewed Sources on or Related to Your Research Topic |
Mon | 10/6 | Unit 2: Annotated Bibliography | • Read Lunsford Chapter 35, “Polishing and Editing Your Writing” (723-766) • Read “Evaluating Information Sources: What is a Peer Reviewed Article?” posted on Blackboard • Go Over OWL Purdue Article on Peer Reviewing on Blackboard |
• Chapter 35 Reading Quiz |
Wed | 10/8 | Unit 2: Annotated Bibliography | • Read Lunsford Chapter 33, “Mixing Languages and Dialects” (693-703) • Read Lunsford Chapter 34, “How to Craft Powerful Sentences” (704-722) |
• In-Class Activity: Media Analysis (News Articles). Focus on seeing how sentence-level choices create rhetorical stance. • Submit Complete Annotated Bibliography Draft by Thursday (10/9) at 11:59pm |
Fri | 10/10 | Unit 2: Annotated Bibliography | Conferences | |
Mon | 10/13 | Unit 2: Annotated Bibliography | Conferences | |
Wed | 10/15 | Unit 2: Annotated Bibliography | Conferences | • Conference Reflection Assignment Due by 11:59pm |
Fri | 10/17 | Unit 2: Annotated Bibliography | • Read Lunsford Chapter 36, “Designing What You Write” (769-787) • Read Lunsford Chapter 37, “Composing and Remixing across Media” (788-809) • Go Over OWL Purdue Peer Review Article on Blackboard |
• Workshop: Focus on polishing annotated bibliography entries. • Annotated Bibliography Final Draft Due by 11:59pm to TurnItIn on Blackboard • Reflection Essay 2 Due Sunday (10/19) by 11:59pm to TurnItIn on Blackboard |
Mon | 10/20 | Unit 2: Annotated Bibliography | • Read Lunsford Chapter 38, “Making Presentations” (810-824) • Read Lunsford Chapter 39, “Writing for a Public Audience” (825-834) |
• Chapter 38 and Chapter 39 Reading Quiz |
Wed | 10/22 | Unit 3: Transformative Project | • Read the Transformative Project Assignment Prompt Before Class • Watch Selena (1997) clip posted on Blackboard • Go Over OWL Purdue Article on Proofreading on Blackboard |
• In-Class Activity: Apply concepts to Selena clip. Focus on how communities are represented (self vs. outsider). |
Fri | 10/24 | Unit 3: Transformative Project | • Workshop: Peer Review and transition to Unit 3. | |
Mon | 10/27 | Unit 3: Transformative Project | • Read Lunsford Chapter 15, “Writing Analytically/’Let’s Take a Closer Look’” (234-277) • Read Lunsford Chapter 24, “Keeping Track/Managing Information Overload” (515-519) |
• Chapter 24 Reading Quiz |
Wed | 10/29 | Unit 3: Transformative Project | • Read Lunsford Chapter 21, “Starting Your Research/Joining the Conversation” (479-487) • Read Lunsford Chapter 23, “Conducting Research in the Field” (505-514) • Read “Sonny’s Blues” (1957) by James Baldwin posted on Blackboard |
• In-Class Activity: Focus on linking close reading to secondary research. • Submit Complete Transformative Project Draft by Thursday (10/30) at 11:59pm |
Fri | 10/31 | Unit 3: Transformative Project | Conferences | |
Mon | 11/3 | Unit 3: Transformative Project | Conferences | |
Wed | 11/5 | Unit 3: Transformative Project | Conferences | • Conference Reflection Assignment Due by 11:59pm |
Fri | 11/7 | Unit 3: Transformative Project | • Go Over OWL Purdue Self-Editing Workshop on Blackboard | • Workshop: Peer review of drafts. Focus on integrating primary and secondary sources. • Transformative Project Final Draft Due by 11:59pm to TurnItIn on Blackboard • Reflection Essay 3 Due Sunday (11/9) by 11:59pm to TurnItIn on Blackboard |
Mon | 11/10 | Unit 3: Transformative Project | • Read Lunsford Chapter 33, “Mixing Languages and Dialects” (693-703) • Read Lunsford Chapter 34, “How to Craft Powerful Sentences” (704-722) |
• Chapter 33 and Chapter 34 Reading Quiz |
Wed | 11/12 | Portfolio | • Read the Portfolio Assignment Prompt Before Class • Read excerpt from Gloria Anzaldúa’s Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza (1987) posted on Blackboard |
• In-Class Activity: Workshop Reflection. Focus on preparing reflection essays, connecting bilingual/identity writing to your own voice. • Bring 3-5 Questions You Have About the Portfolio to Class |
Fri | 11/14 | Portfolio | ||
Mon | 11/17 | Portfolio | Portfolio Workday | |
Wed | 11/19 | Portfolio | • Read “Mericans” (1991) by Sandra Cisneros posted on Blackboard | • In-Class Activity: Focus on bringing self/community into final reflection. |
Fri | 11/21 | Portfolio | Portfolio Workday | |
Mon | 11/24 | Portfolio | • Read “Assembling Writing Portfolios” by Karen Mauk posted on Blackboard | |
Wed | 11/26 | Reading Day: No Class | Reading Day: No Class | Reading Day: No Class |
Fri | 11/28 | Thanksgiving | Thanksgiving | Thanksgiving |
Mon | 12/1 | Portfolio | Portfolio Workday | |
Wed | 12/3 | Final Exam TBD | Final Reflection Project TBD | |
Fri | 12/5 | Final Exam TBD | ||
Mon | 12/8 | Final Exam TBD | ||
Wed | 12/10 | Final Exam TBD |
Core Curriculum Learning Outcomes
Core-Curriculum Learning Outcomes:
- Critical Thinking Skills (CT) - creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information
- Communication Skills (COM) - effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication
- Empirical and Quantitative Skills (EQS) - manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions
- Teamwork (TW) - ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal
- Social Responsibility (SR) - intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities
- Personal Responsibility (PR) - ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making
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.