PSYC 5310 - Ethical, LegalProf Issues
Fall 2025 Syllabus, Section 102, CRN 16479
Instructor Information
Ediza Garcia
Email: ediza.garcia@tamiu.edu
Office Hours:
Office hours are held on Tuesdays from 2:45 to 4:15 p.m., Wednesdays from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., and Thursdays from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Scheduling appointments is also welcome.
Times and Location
Course Description
Additional Course Information
Participation and Professionalism
Your professionalism, preparation, attendance, and active class participation are crucial to your learning and success. The interactive nature of the class encourages students to share their ideas and reactions related to the course content. You must also read the assigned book chapters or class handouts before class, as outlined in the course schedule. Arriving more than 10 minutes late, departing before the end of class, and missing class without pre-approval from the professor will result in your losing the attendance and participation points for that class. Furthermore, failure to participate in class discussions or exhibiting unprofessional behavior will result in the loss of attendance and participation points.
Computers are allowed during in-person lecture periods for note-taking purposes only. Close or put away your computer during all other times (e.g., presentations, discussions, demonstrations, etc.). Using email, chatting, social media, or any other non-relevant computer use during class will result in the loss of computer privileges and participation points for that day. In addition, cell phones should be set to vibrate and put away during class. Any use of cell phones for any reason without the professor's express consent will result in the loss of participation points for that day. Your complete attention is always required during class. Any distracting behaviors (e.g., side talking, note passing, making inappropriate comments, or laughing) will result in the loss of points. No warnings will be given.
Writing
All papers should be professional documents written in scholarly language. They should be typed in APA 7th edition format. Make sure you address all parts of the assignment. Your grade will be affected by your demonstration of writing skills (e.g., clarity, grammar, syntax, insight, mastery of course content, use of APA style, etc.). If you know writing is a challenge for you, please use the writing center on campus to help you develop this skill early in your program and before you submit your paper.
Course Structure
While some brief lectures by your course instructor will occur, the primary focus is on discussion, interaction, role-playing, exploring issues, and carrying out in-class (and small-group) activities and exercises at the end of each chapter. I encourage you to get actively involved and come to class prepared.
Use of Video and DVD Programs
I draw upon several video programs to supplement the readings and provide an additional way to learn about managing ethical dilemmas.
Role Playing
As a basic component of the course, brief role-playing situations frequently involve case examples given in the textbook. To personalize the learning experience with the vignettes on MindTap, I invite students to volunteer to assume both the counselor’s position and role-play how they would deal with the client (often role-played by a student) in each vignette. This activity typically provokes lively discussion and reinforces the idea of multiple pathways to addressing the same ethical dilemma. I generally ask students to try on the role of counselor first. Often, I ask several students to portray different approaches to handling a vignette or case example that illustrates an ethical issue. The aim of this approach is to promote the idea that because ethical dilemmas are complex, there are usually several effective ways to address them. At times, I assume the role of counselor and show how I might deal with the situation, but only after students have demonstrated how they would address a problematic situation. This process and sequence offer learning by modeling and have served well over the years to stimulate student discussion of various scenarios.
Guest Speakers and Co-Presenters
I sometimes invite guest speakers who give a presentation and then strive to involve the class in discussion and interactive exercises. On a regular basis, I invite upper-level Master’s degree students to co-present and co-teach, introducing variety to the course and offering a diversity of perspectives.
Student Learning Outcomes
Course Objectives
CO1: Explain and analyze the ethical standards of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and related entities, and applications of ethical and legal considerations in professional counseling.
CO2: Demonstrate knowledge of typical legal issues, including child and elder abuse reporting, confidentiality, and informed consent.
CO3: Demonstrate self-awareness and recognize the importance of appropriate professional boundaries.
CO4: Identify professional roles, functions, and relationships with other human service providers.
CO5: Recognize ethical issues related to technological competence and use of technology in counseling.
CO6: Describe professional credentialing, including certification, licensure, and accreditation practices and standards, and the effects of public policy on these issues.
CO7: Assess and describe public and private policy processes, including the role of the professional counselor in advocating on behalf of the profession.
CO8: Summarize and distinguish counselors’ roles in social justice and advocacy; introduce cultural self-awareness, the nature of biases, prejudices, processes of intentional and unintentional oppression and discrimination, and ethical issues therein.
CO9: Describe, discuss, and demonstrate understanding about the ethical implications of research.
CO10: Utilize ethical decision-making models in determining appropriate course of action of ethical dilemmas.
Important Dates
Visit the Academic Calendar (tamiu.edu) page to view the term's important dates.
Textbooks
Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|
Required | Issues and ethics in helping professions (11th ed.) with MindTap | Corey, G., Corey, M.S., & Corey, C. (2024) |
Other Course Materials
Saks, E.R. (2007). The center cannot hold. New York: Hyperion.
American Counseling Association Code of Ethics (2014). http://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf
Grading Criteria
GRADE | PERCENTAGE |
A | 900-1000 |
B | 800-899 |
C | 700-799 |
D | 600-699 |
F | 599 and below |
Open Boilerplate
Participation and Attendance (48 points):
Attendance and active participation are a requirement for this class. You earn points for each class meeting (excluding the midterm day). Unexcused absences, lack of course material preparedness, and lack of participation will result in a loss of points per occurrence.
Ethical Decision-Making Model Summative Assignment (112 points):
Write your responses in full sentences or paragraphs. It is acceptable to embed a list in a paragraph. Use scholarly resources to support your paper. You will be evaluated for your ability to follow directions and discuss each of the eight steps. An evaluation rubric is included below.
Critical Analysis Papers (100 points total):
Read The center cannot hold and write a 1-page critical analysis paper for each section below.
Critical Analysis Paper #1: Chapters 1-6
Critical Analysis Paper #2: Chapters 7-12
Critical Analysis Paper #3: Chapters 13-18
Critical Analysis Paper #4: Chapters 19-24
Tie in one instance in the text to the ACA Code of Ethics. Be specific when referencing the code. Note whether the behavior meets the code's expectations, whether it’s a violation or somewhere in the middle. Be sure to support your position based on your understanding of the ethics code. Discuss one important lesson you learned from reading this book that you could apply to yourself to become an ethical practitioner.
This paper is not a reflection of your impression of the book itself. You must critically consider and apply the ACA Code of Ethics to the reading.
Exams (2 x 100 points each):
You will complete two multiple-choice tests covering the chapters in Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions text. Questions on the examinations are like the weekly chapter quizzes. The exams will take place on Blackboard using Respondus Lockdown Browser.
Final Exam (150 points):
MindTap Activities (390 points):
You will complete seven activities per chapter via MindTap, totaling 30 points per chapter.
ASSIGNMENT | VALUE |
Knowledge Check | 5 |
Quiz | 15 |
Video Quiz | 10 |
Helper Studio | 0 |
Schedule of Topics and Assignments
Day | Date | Agenda/Topic | Reading(s) | Due |
---|---|---|---|---|
Tue | 8/26 | Introduction to the course and to Professional Ethics | ||
Thu | 8/28 | Introduction to the course and to Professional Ethics | ACA Code Preamble, Purpose, Section A | Self-Assessment: An Inventory of Your Attitudes and Beliefs About Ethical and Professional Issues |
Tue | 9/2 | Foundations of Ethical Practice | Ch 1 (Corey, Corey, & Corey) | Knowledge Check Quiz |
Thu | 9/4 | Foundations of Ethical Practice Helper Studio (Victoria) |
Ch 1&2 (Saks) | Video Quiz |
Tue | 9/9 | The Counselor as a Person and as a Professional | Ch 2 (C,C &C) | Knowledge Check Quiz |
Thu | 9/11 | The Counselor as a Person and as a Professional Helper Studio (Aaron) |
ACA Section B & C Ch 3-4 (Saks) |
Video Quiz |
Tue | 9/16 | Values and the Helping Relationship | Ch 3 (C,C &C) | Knowledge Check Quiz |
Thu | 9/18 | Values and the Helping Relationship Helper Studio (Devon) |
ACA Section D & E Ch 5-6 (Saks) |
Video Quiz Critical Analysis Paper #1 |
Tue | 9/23 | Multicultural Perspectives | Ch 4 (C,C &C) | Knowledge Check Quiz |
Thu | 9/25 | Multicultural Perspectives Helper Studio (Meghan) |
ACA Section F & G Ch 7-8 (Saks) |
Video Quiz |
Tue | 9/30 | Client Rights and Counselor Responsibilities | Ch 5 (C,C &C) ACA Section H&I |
Knowledge Check Quiz |
Thu | 10/2 | Client Rights and Counselor Responsibilities | ||
Tue | 10/7 | Client Rights and Counselor Responsibilities Helper Studio (Paul) |
Ch 9-10 (Saks) | Video Quiz |
Thu | 10/9 | Exam 1 | ||
Tue | 10/14 | Confidentiality: Ethical and Legal Issues | Ch 6 (C,C &C) | Knowledge Check Quiz |
Thu | 10/16 | Confidentiality: Ethical and Legal Issues Helper Studio (Sophie) |
Ch 11-12(Saks) | Video Quiz Critical Analysis Paper # 2 |
Tue | 10/21 | Managing Boundaries and Multiple Relationships | Ch 7 (C,C &C) | Knowledge Check Quiz |
Thu | 10/23 | Managing Boundaries and Multiple Relationships Helper Studio (Antonio) |
Ch 13 (Saks) | Video Quiz |
Tue | 10/28 | Professional Competence and Training | Ch 8 (C,C &C) | Knowledge Check Quiz |
Thu | 10/30 | Professional Competence and Training Helper Studio (Holly) |
Ch 14 (Saks) | Video Quiz |
Tue | 11/4 | Ethical Issues in Supervision | Ch 9 (C, C &C) Ch 15-16 (Saks) |
Knowledge Check Quiz |
Thu | 11/6 | Ethical Issues in Supervision Helper Studio (Kevin) |
Ch 17-18 (Saks) | Video Quiz Critical Analysis Paper #3 |
Tue | 11/11 | Exam 2 | ||
Thu | 11/13 | Issues in Theory and Practice Helper Studio (Annie) |
Ch 10 (C,C &C) | Knowledge Check Quiz Video Quiz |
Tue | 11/18 | Ethical Issues in Couples and Family Therapy Helper Studio (Del and Sarah) |
Ch 11 (C,C &C) Ch 19-20 (Saks) |
Knowledge Check Quiz Video Quiz |
Thu | 11/20 | Ethical Issues in Group Work Helper Studio (Whitney) |
Ch 12 (C,C &C) Ch 20-21 (Saks) |
Knowledge Check Quiz Video Quiz |
Tue | 11/25 | Community and Social Justice Perspectives Helper Studio (Kumar) |
Ch 13 (C,C &C) | Knowledge Check Quiz Video Quiz Ethical Decision-Making Model Summative Assignment |
Thu | 11/27 | No Class | ||
Tue | 12/2 | Ethics in Practice: Saks Book Review | Ch 22-24 (Saks) | Critical Analysis Paper # 4 |
Thu | 12/4 | Final Exam | ||
Tue | 12/9 | No Class | ||
Thu | 12/11 | No Class |
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.