ENGL 5301 160: Teaching in Rhetoric & Comp < Texas A&M International University

ENGL 5301 - Teaching in Rhetoric Comp

Fall 2025 Syllabus, Section 160, CRN 17532

Instructor Information

Jonathan Martinez, PhD

Instructional Assistant Professor

Email: jonathan.martinez@tamiu.edu

Office: PLG 314-D

Office Hours:
Mon. & Wed.: 11 am - 1 pm
Tues. & Thurs.: 12 - 2 pm

Office Phone: 326-3030

Times and Location

M 6pm-8:45pm in Bullock Hall 208

Course Description

An intensive review and evaluation of traditional, modern, and innovative theories of rhetoric and the teaching of composition. Participants will explore and apply methods for teaching composition that will prepare them to teach in higher education settings. Topics include composition pedagogy, rhetorical strategies, curriculum design, grammar instruction, and assessment practices for freshman composition courses. Prerequisites: Graduate standing.

Humanities Department, College of Arts & Sciences

Additional Course Information

Full Assignment Descriptions – unless otherwise noted, all assignments are to be in appropriate MLA format.

Literacy Narrative (Week 3)

Students will compose a 4–5 page first-person narrative that examines their development as a reader, writer, and/or teacher of writing. The narrative should identify significant moments, challenges, or influences that have shaped their literacy practices and pedagogical perspectives. At least one concept from *A Guide to Composition Pedagogies* should be integrated to contextualize personal experiences (e.g., connections to process, expressivist, or cultural studies approaches). The final draft should demonstrate a clear organizational structure, reflective depth, and precise language, making explicit connections between the student’s literacy history and their approach to teaching composition.

Annotated Bibliography (Week 7)

Students will create an annotated bibliography of 10–12 scholarly sources related to composition theory and pedagogy. Each annotation will summarize the source, evaluate its contribution to the field, and note its potential application to the student’s teaching practice. At least two sources must come from *A Guide to Composition Pedagogies*, with the remainder from peer-reviewed journals or edited collections. Annotations should be written in formal academic style using MLA or APA citation format. **This assignment includes a required Synthesis Matrix**, submitted alongside the annotated bibliography, to facilitate thematic comparison and prepare for later assignments such as the journal article presentation, teaching demonstration, assignment design, and teaching philosophy.

Synthesis Matrix (Week 7)

Students will complete a synthesis matrix to accompany their annotated bibliography. The matrix organizes sources into a table that facilitates comparison across key dimensions, including pedagogical approach, target population, main strategies, assessment methods, implications for teaching, and the source’s central argument. This tool requires students to move beyond isolated summaries by identifying thematic patterns, points of agreement or tension, and gaps in the literature. At least two sources must come from *A Guide to Composition Pedagogies*, with the remainder drawn from peer-reviewed scholarship in composition studies or related fields. The completed matrix should be concise but substantive, using bullet points or short phrases rather than full paragraphs, and it will serve as a working reference for later assignments such as the journal article presentation, teaching demonstration, assignment design, and teaching philosophy.

Journal Article Presentations (Week 3 - 10)

Each student will complete two presentations over the course of the semester:

Assigned Reading Presentation: Students will present one of the supplemental articles assigned for class. The 15–20-minute presentation should (a) summarize the article’s key arguments, (b) highlight its strengths and limitations, (c) connect it to concepts from A Guide to Composition Pedagogies, and (d) suggest at least one practical application for the composition classroom.
Independent Article Presentation: Students will select one scholarly article of their choice related to the course themes (composition pedagogy, assessment, WAC/WID, multimodality, contact zones, AI and writing, etc.). This 15–20-minute presentation should provide the same elements as above—summary, evaluation, connection to course readings, and practical application. Note: an article from your annotated bibliography will be a good choice.

Graduates will sign up for their presentations during the second week of classes. For each presentation, students will also prepare a one-page handout for peers that includes the article citation, key takeaways, and discussion questions. This assignment strengthens critical reading, synthesis, and oral communication skills.

Assignment Design & Rubric (Week 10)

Students will design a writing assignment suitable for a first-year composition course, accompanied by a detailed rubric for assessment. The assignment prompt should be clear, measurable, and aligned with course learning outcomes, and the rubric should articulate transparent evaluation criteria. Students must justify their design choices by referencing at least one chapter from *A Guide to Composition Pedagogies* and two additional scholarly sources. This project emphasizes equitable, theory-driven task design and assessment practices.

Teaching Demonstration (Week 10 – 13)

Students will design and deliver a 20–30 minute composition lesson grounded in a specific pedagogical approach discussed in *A Guide to Composition Pedagogies*. The demonstration should include clear learning objectives, engaging instructional strategies, and an activity or exercise appropriate for a college-level writing course. A written lesson plan and brief reflective statement linking the demo to pedagogical theory must be submitted. This assignment provides an opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in a practical teaching context. Note: Lessons focusing on grammar, mechanics, punctuation, etc. are not suitable.

Research Paper (Week 14)

The final paper (15–20 pages) will build directly on the annotated bibliography and synthesis matrix. Students will develop a sustained scholarly argument that addresses a pedagogical issue in composition studies. The paper should:

Articulate a clear research question or problem.
Situate the issue within existing scholarship, drawing on at least 10 sources.
Synthesize and critically evaluate sources to support the argument.
Advance a critical argument or perspective of the student’s own.
Discuss pedagogical implications for teaching writing.

This assignment allows students to demonstrate mastery of the scholarship, engage in critical synthesis, and contribute their own perspective to the ongoing conversation in the field.

Teaching Philosophy (week 15)

Students will compose a 2–3 page statement articulating their beliefs about the teaching of writing. The statement should integrate insights from the Literacy Narrative, Annotated Bibliography, Synthesis Matrix, Journal Article Presentation, Teaching Demonstration, and Assignment Design & Rubric. At least two pedagogical perspectives from *A Guide to Composition Pedagogies* must be incorporated to demonstrate a research-informed philosophy. The final statement should be clear, concise, and reflective, suitable for inclusion in a professional teaching portfolio.

Student Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, graduate students will be able to:

Explain and synthesize major pedagogical approaches in composition studies, including expressivist, process, rhetorical, genre, critical, collaborative, multimodal, WAC, and assessment pedagogies.
Critically evaluate scholarship in composition pedagogy, identifying theoretical foundations, methodological approaches, and current debates in the field.
Apply theory to practice by designing assignments, assessment tools, and classroom activities that demonstrate awareness of diverse pedagogical approaches.
Demonstrate effective teaching strategies through micro-teaching presentations and teaching demonstrations that connect composition theory to classroom practice.
Develop and articulate a personal teaching philosophy grounded in composition pedagogy and supported by scholarly research.

Important Dates

Visit the Academic Calendar (tamiu.edu) page to view the term's important dates.

Textbooks

Group	Title	Author	ISBN
Required	A Guide to Composition Pedagogies (2nd ed.)	Gary Tate (ed)	9780197547595

Other Course Materials

To go to the bookstore, click here.

Additional articles and/or chapters from scholarly monographs will be posted on Blackboard weekly.

Grading Criteria

Grading Policies
Grade	Value
GRADE	PERCENTAGE
A	91-100
B	80-90.9
C	70-79.9
D	60-69.9
F	Below 60

Method of Evaluation

Grading Policies
Grade	Value
ASSIGNMENT	VALUE
Literacy Narrative	5%
Annotated Bibliography & Synthesis Matrix	15%
Journal Article Presentation (x2)	20%
Teaching Demonstration	15%
Assignment Design & Rubric	10%
Teaching Philosophy	10%
Research Paper	25%

Schedule of Topics and Assignments

Week of	Agenda/Topic	Reading(s)	Due
8/25	Introduction to Composition Pedagogy	Guide, Introduction • Fulkerson, Richard. “Composition at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century.” CCC 56.4 (2005): 654–687 • Downs, Douglas, and Elizabeth Wardle. “Teaching about Writing, Righting Misconceptions: (Re)Envisioning FYC as Introduction to Writing Studies.” CCC 58.4 (2007): 552–584
9/1	Literacy, Identity, and Expressivist Pedagogy	Guide, “Expressivist Pedagogy” Elbow, Peter. “Personal Writing and Academic Writing.” CCC 46.1 (1995): 15–40 Shaughnessy, Mina P. Errors and Expectations. (1977), Ch. 1.
9/8	Cultural Studies & Decolonial Approaches	Guide, “Cultural Studies Pedagogy” Lunsford, Andrea A. “Toward a Mestiza Rhetoric.” JAC 18.1 (1998): 1–27. Presenter: _________________________ Berlin, James A. “Rhetoric and Ideology in the Writing Class.” CCC 50.4 (1999): 477–494. Presenter: _________________________ Villanueva, Victor. Bootstraps: From an American Academic of Color. (1993), selections. Presenter: _________________________	Article presentations begin Literacy Narrative due
9/15	Contact Zones	Pratt, Mary Louise. “Arts of the Contact Zone.” Profession (1991): 33–40. Mejía, Jaime Armin. “Arts of the U.S.-Mexico Contact Zone.” Crossing Borderlands (2001). Presenter: _________________________ Hall, R. Mark, and Mary Rosner. “Pratt and Pratfalls: Revisioning Contact Zones.” Crossing Borderlands (2001). Presenter: _________________________ Gilyard, Keith. “Voice, Identity, and the Struggle for Authority.” CCC 50.4 (1999): 476–490. Presenter: _________________________
9/22	Process Pedagogy	Guide, “Process Pedagogy” Murray, Donald. “Teach Writing as a Process Not Product.” The Leaflet (1972). Presenter: _________________________ Sommers, Nancy. “Revision Strategies of Student Writers and Experienced Adult Writers.” CCC 31.4 (1980): 378–388. Presenter: _________________________ Matsuda, Paul Kei. “Process and Post-Process: A Discursive History.” JSLW 12.1 (2003): 65–83. Presenter: _________________________
9/29	Rhetorical Pedagogy	Guide, “Rhetorical Pedagogy” Berlin, James A. “Rhetoric and Ideology in the Writing Class.” CCC 50.4 (1999): 477–494. Presenter: _______________________ Bitzer, Lloyd. “The Rhetorical Situation.” Philosophy & Rhetoric 1.1 (1968): 1–14. Presenter: _______________________ Miller, Carolyn R. “Genre as Social Action.” Quarterly Journal of Speech 70.2 (1984): 151–167. Presenter: _______________________
10/6	Critical Pedagogy	Guide, “Critical Pedagogy” Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. (1970), Ch. 2. Presenter: _______________________ Tetloff, Meredith, Laurel Hitchcock, Andrew Battista, & Deborah Lowry. “Multimodal Composition and Social Justice: Videos as a Tool of Advocacy in Social Work Pedagogy.” Journal of Technology in Human Services 32.1-2 (2014): 22–38. Presenter: _______________________ Inoue, Asao B. “Theorizing Failure in U.S. Writing Assessments.” Research in the Teaching of English 48.3 (2014): 330–352. Presenter: _______________________	Annotated Bibliography & Synthesis Matrix
10/13	Literature and Composition	Guide, “Literature and Composition” George, Diana, and Diane Shoos. “Dropping Breadcrumbs in the Forest: Critical Approaches to the Teaching of Literature and Composition.” Pedagogy 5.2 (2005). Presenter: _______________________ Scholes, Robert. The Rise and Fall of English: Reconstructing English as a Discipline. (1998), selections Presenter: _______________________
10/20	Genre Pedagogy	Guide, “Genre Pedagogy” Devitt, Amy J. “Teaching Critical Genre Awareness.” WAC Journal 21 (2010). Presenter: _______________________ Bawarshi, Anis, and Mary Jo Reiff. Genre: An Introduction to History, Theory, Research, and Pedagogy. (2010), Ch. 1. Presenter: _______________________ Miller, Carolyn R. “Genre as Social Action.” QJS 70.2 (1984): 151–167. (if not already covered earlier) Presenter: _______________________
10/27	Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC)	Guide, “Writing Across the Curriculum Pedagogy” McLeod, Susan H., and Elaine Maimon. “Clearing the Air: WAC Myths and Realities.” College English 62.1 (1999): 573–583. Presenter: _______________________ Thaiss, Chris, and Tara Porter. “The State of WAC/WID in 2010.” College Composition and Communication 61.3 (2010): 534–570. Presenter: _______________________ Russell, David R. “Writing in the Academic Disciplines: A Curricular History.” (2002), selections Presenter: _______________________	Assignment Design and Rubric Teaching demos begin
11/3	Assessment Pedagogy	Guide, “Assessment Pedagogy” Inoue, Asao B. “A Grade-Less Writing Course That Focuses on Labor and Assessing.” CCC 65.2 (2013): 163–194. Presenter: _______________________ Huot, Brian. Rearticulating Writing Assessment for Teaching and Learning. (2002), Ch. 1. Presenter: _______________________ • Poe, Mya, et al. Race and Writing Assessment. (2012), selections Presenter: _______________________
11/10	Multimodal Writing	Ball, Cheryl E., and Colin Charlton. “All Writing Is Multimodal.” ( book chapter, Naming What We Know) Presenter: _______________________ Shipka, Jody. Toward a Composition Made Whole. (2011), Ch. 1. Presenter: _______________________ Selfe, Cynthia L. “The Movement of Air, the Breath of Meaning: Aurality and Multimodal Composing.” CCC 60.4 (2009): 616–663. Presenter: _______________________
11/17	Teaching Applications	Brookfield, Stephen D. The Skillful Teacher. (2015), selections. Presenter: _______________________ Palmer, Parker J. The Courage to Teach. (1997), Ch. 1. Presenter: _______________________
11/24	AI & Writing in Composition	Barrot, Jessie S. “Leveraging ChatGPT in the writing classrooms.” Language Teaching Research Quarterly (2024). Presenter: _______________________ Mondal, “ChatGPT in academic writing: Maximizing its benefits…” PMC (2023). Presenter: _______________________ Chukwuere, Joshua E. “The use of ChatGPT in higher education: The advantages and disadvantages.” arXiv (2024). Presenter: _______________________	Research Paper
12/1	Teaching Philosophy Workshop	Brookfield, Stephen D. “Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher.” (1995), selections. Presenter: _______________________ Shulman, Lee S. “Signature Pedagogies in the Professions.” Daedalus 134.3 (2005): 52–59. Presenter: _______________________	Teaching Philosophy

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.