ENGL 3307 160: Creative Writing-WIN

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ENGL 3307 - Creative Writing-WIN: Horror Writing-WIN

Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 160, CRN 18915

Instructor Information

Melissa Bustamante

Email: melissa.bustamante@tamiu.edu

Office: PLG 203 B

Office Hours:
Mondays and Wednesdays 10:40 am -12:00 pm
Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:30 pm -5:30 pm

The instructor will make every effort to respond to students’ phoned or e-mailed inquiries within 72 hours; however, please note that the instructor does not respond to emails over the weekend.

Office Phone: 956.326.3455

Times and Location

TR 6pm-7:20pm in Pellegrino Hall 214

Course Description

Exploration of and practicum in various genres of creative writing at the intermediate level. Guided by analysis of audience, technique, and style and critical reading of the work of established authors, as well as by craft essays, students will practice reading and writing genres including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, screenwriting, novel writing, writing for performance and illustrated texts as well as more specific genre classes, included but not limited to horror, mystery and long-form narrative journalism. May be repeated twice for credit.
Humanities Department, College of Arts & Sciences

WIN-Designation

This course is designated as a writing-intensive (WIN) course. In this course, writing will not only be the subject of study, but it will also serve as a method of learning. Students will learn how communication in written, oral, and visual forms change according to purpose and genre. Brainstorming, drafting, revising, and peer-workshopping are integrated into the course curriculum and are the required components of this writing-intensive course. The final Research Paper is the designated assignment for WIN assessment.

Additional Course Information

Content Warning

This course explores horror as both a literary genre and a creative practice. Throughout the semester, we will read, discuss, and write about topics that engage with fear, trauma, violence, and/or other difficult aspects of human experience. Course materials may include discussions or depictions of violence, death, grief, psychological distress, discrimination, self-destructive behavior, body horror, disturbing imagery, and other potentially upsetting content. Because horror often examines what people fear most, students should expect to encounter challenging material in the course. If you have a documented condition or concern that may be significantly affected by course content, please contact me as early as possible so that we can discuss appropriate accommodations or alternative assignments.

As part of a creative writing workshop, students may choose to explore unsettling or emotionally charged subjects in their own work. While such material is welcome when it serves a clear creative purpose, all student writing and discussion must comply with university policies regarding respect, discrimination, harassment, and civil rights.

You may encounter writing by your peers that you find disturbing, uncomfortable, or emotionally challenging. If so, you are encouraged to address your response respectfully as part of the workshop process. Likewise, if another student expresses concerns about your work, you are expected to listen thoughtfully and respectfully to their perspective as a reader. Above all, we will approach one another's work with respect. Effective horror writing often asks us to confront difficult truths about ourselves and the world around us. Our goal is not simply to shock, but to better understand how fear can be transformed into meaningful art.

Mandatory Reporting

Creative writing frequently draws upon personal experiences and sensitive topics. Students are free to write about subjects that are meaningful to them; however, please be aware that as a university employee, I am a mandatory reporter under university policy.If a student's work, comments, or communications disclose information related to sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual violence, or related misconduct, I may be required to report that information to the appropriate university office.

TAMIU's policy on mandatory reporting states: "When alleged or suspected sex discrimination, sexual harassment, or related retaliation is experienced by, observed by, or made known to an employee or student, the employee or student is required to promptly report that information."

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

This is a creative writing course that emphasizes learning the motifs and conventions of horror in order to create original and meaningful work. Because the central goal of the course is the development of your own creative voice, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) is not permitted at any stage of the creative writing process for in-class assignments, workshops, or major writing projects.

This prohibition includes, but is not limited to:

  • Brainstorming ideas
  • Generating prompts
  • Prewriting and outlining
  • Drafting
  • Revising or editing
  • Rewriting passages
  • Producing feedback on your creative work

Creative writing requires students to experiment, make mistakes, and discover their own approaches to storytelling. AI systems generate text by identifying and reproducing patterns found in existing language rather than by engaging in the creative and reflective processes this course is designed to develop. As a result, AI-generated content is not an acceptable substitute for your own imaginative work.

Additionally, due to concerns regarding privacy, intellectual property, and authorship, students may not upload, submit, or share another student's creative work with any AI platform or chatbot. Workshop drafts and peer writing should remain within the classroom community. This policy helps protect the originality of student work, particularly for those who may wish to revise, submit, or publish their writing in the future.

Students who have questions about whether a particular technology or tool is permitted should consult the instructor before using it. Any unauthorized use of AI may be treated as a violation of the course's academic integrity expectations.

Communication

The instructor’s preferred method of communication is email. Only messages sent from official Dusty email accounts will receive a response. While the instructor strives to maintain timely communication, not all emails may receive a reply. Messages concerning information that is readily available in the syllabus, assignment guidelines, or course announcements may go unanswered. Blackboard course messaging has been disabled; the instructor does not receive notifications or message content through that system. Therefore, all course-related communication must be conducted via email.

Writing Development and Submission Policy

Students are required to maintain a dedicated journal or notebook for this course. Throughout the semester, we will complete weekly writing exercises, brainstorming activities, reflections, workshop notes, and other forms of creative exploration. Unless otherwise directed, these activities should be completed by hand during class. Students should bring their journal to every class and be prepared to write.

The purpose of these exercises is to help you develop ideas, experiment with techniques, and/or discover material that may later grow into larger projects. Many of our strongest stories begin as quick exercises or fragments. For this reason, students should keep all writing completed throughout the semester, even work they initially consider unsuccessful. Weekly writing exercises are evaluated primarily on completion and effort rather than grammar or perfection. Creative writing requires risk-taking and sometimes failure. Students will receive credit when it is clear that they have made a genuine attempt to engage with the prompt and explore the assigned concept.

Because this course emphasizes revision as a central part of the creative process, students may choose to expand, revise, and develop class exercises into major writing projects later in the semester. Keeping organized records of your writing will therefore be essential. At the end of the semester, students will submit a portfolio that includes selected revised pieces as well as evidence of their writing process and development. The instructor may periodically collect journals, notebooks, drafts, workshop materials, or other process documents to assess participation and engagement with course activities.

Major writing projects and portfolio submissions must be typed and submitted electronically through Blackboard (or other designated platform). Students are expected to save drafts and revision materials throughout the semester as evidence of their creative development and revision process.

Attendance and Participation

You are expected to arrive on time, remain for the full duration of the class period, and participate actively in class discussions and activities. Attendance and sustained presence are essential components of participation. Class meetings will include discussions, writing exercises, workshops, and/or activities that cannot be fully replicated outside of class. Attendance is therefore a significant component of your participation grade. Students are allowed one unexcused absence during the semester with no questions asked. Please notify me before class, if possible, but no documentation is required.

After the first unexcused absence, additional absences may negatively affect your participation grade. Excessive absences may result in failure of the course. Workshop days and presentations cannot be covered by the no-questions-asked absence. Missing these activities may result in reduced participation credit or additional requirements at the instructor's discretion. In-class writing exercises are designed to become part of your final portfolio and cannot be made up unless the absence is officially excused.

If you miss class, it is your responsibility to obtain notes and assignments from classmates and Blackboard. Please do not email asking what you missed before checking those resources. Official university absences will be honored. Documentation for excused absences should be submitted within a reasonable timeframe; otherwise, the absence may be recorded as unexcused.

TAMIU’S ATTENDANCE POLICY

With the exception of online courses, students are expected to attend every class in person 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. According to University policy, acceptable reasons for an absence (physical or virtual), 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 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. The right to view recorded class meetings depends upon receiving an excused absence from the faculty member teaching the class.

Late Work

Late submissions will not be accepted. This includes homework, essays, and the final Portfolio project. In the case of an emergency or an unforeseen issue, be sure to request an extension for the task ahead of time via email. Requesting an extension does not automatically mean you will be approved. I reserve the right to use my own discretion when approving extensions depending on the situation/explanation for being unable to fulfill a task for the course.

The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the course agenda, including due dates and assignments. Any changes to the schedule will be communicated in advance.

Student Learning Outcomes

In this course, students will:

  • Deepen their understanding of horror literature and storytelling.
  • Gain greater understanding of why humans create and consume stories of fear, the uncanny, and the unknown.
  • Develop their own creative writing process.
  • Deepen knowledge of their artistic aesthetic and style as horror writers.
  • Identify artistic influences in themselves and others.
  • Read and analyze horror literature from a writer's perspective.
  • Engage in analytical discussion of readings.
  • Explore the traditions, conventions, and evolving forms of horror as a literary genre.
  • Conceptualize writing as a recursive process of drafting, revising, and editing.
  • Learn the process of submitting creative work for publication.
  • Cultivate and maintain a supportive artistic community.
  • Effectively and humanely supply criticism and feedback to peers.
  • Effectively process criticism and feedback from peers and authority figures.
  • Develop techniques for creating atmosphere, tension, suspense, and emotional impact in their writing.
  • Examine how horror engages with cultural anxieties, social issues, and the human experience.

Important Dates

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

Textbooks

Group Title Author ISBN
Required On Writing Horror: A Handbook by the Horror Writers Association Mort Castle (Editor) 978-1582974200

Other Course Materials

To go to the bookstore, click here.

Other readings will be required for the course; however, they will be made available through Blackboard and will not require any additional purchase. This course will also focus on different mediums of horror, including film and television. Some of the assigned movies will be available free of charge through Kanopy and Swank; however, you will also need access to Netflix for a few others. If you have any issues accessing or paying for course materials, please let me know as soon as possible so that we can come to an arrangement and ensure you have access to the required content.

Grading Criteria

Grading Policy:
Grades will not be rounded. For example, a final average of 69.9999% is considered a failing grade. I do not offer additional extra credit to individual students. While I understand students may have GPA goals, you are encouraged to work toward those goals from the start of the semester, rather than request grade changes at the end. I’m happy to discuss your grades after a 24-hour “cool-down” period during office hours.

GRADE PERCENTAGE
A 90-100
B 80-89.9
C 70-79.9
D 60-69.9
F Below 60

Open Boilerplate

ASSIGNMENT VALUE
Final Portfolio 25%
In Class Exercises 20%
Workshops 20%
Presentation 15%
Mid Term 20%

Schedule of Topics and Assignments

Week of Agenda/Topic Reading(s) Due
8/25 What Is Horror? Stephen King, Why We Crave Horror Movies
On Writing Horror: “Why Horror?” (Castle), “The Emotional Core of Horror”		 In Class Exercise 1
9/1 Fear, Dread, Terror, Disgust On Writing Horror: “Building Suspense,” “Atmosphere”
Poe and other selections		 In Class Exercise 2
9/8 The Monster as Other On Writing Horror: “Creating Monsters,” “The Psychology of Fear”
Frankenstein excerpts
Carmen Maria Machado “The Husband Stitch”		 In Class Exercise 3
Student Presentations
9/15 Vampires, Zombies, Contagion, Cultural Fear On Writing Horror: “The Changing Monster”
 In Class Exercise 4
Student Presentations
9/22 The Uncanny On Writing Horror: “Psychological Horror,” “Fear of the Familiar”
The Haunting of Hill House clips		 In Class Exercise 5
Student Presentations
9/29 Unreliable Narrators & Narrative Ambiguity On Writing Horror: “Point of View in Horror,” “Ambiguity”
Other selections		 In Class Exercise 6
Student Presentations
10/6 Landscape, Region, and Borderland Horror On Writing Horror: “Setting as Character,” “Regional Horror”
Indigenous & borderland horror selections		 In Class Exercise 7
Student Presentations
10/13 Folk Horror in Film On Writing Horror: “Folk Horror,” “Ritual and Tradition”
Hereditary clips 		Midterm Paper
10/20 Body Horror On Writing Horror: “Body Horror,” “The Grotesque”
The Substance clips
Contemporary body horror selections		 In Class Exercise 8
Student Presentations
Workshop
10/27 Gender & Horror On Writing Horror: “Gender in Horror,” “The Monstrous Feminine”
Silvia Moreno-Garcia selections		 In Class Exercise 9
Student Presentations
Workshop
11/3 Horror Across Media On Writing Horror: “Writing for New Media,” “Interactive Horror”
Podcast selections		 In Class Exercise 10
Workshop
Student Presentations
11/10 Social Horror On Writing Horror: “Social Horror,” “Horror as Cultural Critique”
Get Out selections		 Workshop
Student Presentations
11/17 Revisions Workshop
Student Presentations
11/24 Revisions Workshop
Student Presentations
12/1 Revisions Workshop
12/8 Final Portfolio Final Portfolio

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)

In the classroom, students are expected to listen attentively, participate respectfully, and adhere to established rules. Behavior that interferes with the class lecture may result in disciplinary action, ensuring a productive and respectful learning environment for everyone. Any disputes over academic matters should be addressed calmly and constructively, ideally during designated times such as office hours or after class. If a student does not agree with a decision, they can request a meeting with the instructor to discuss their concerns in more detail. Should further resolution be needed, the student may escalate the matter to the department head or use formal grievance procedures as outlined in the sections below. (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 Student Handbook.

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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 SafeZone 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 Disability Services for Students located in Student Center 124. 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 Office of Disability Services for Students.

For accommodations or assistance with disabilities, contact the Disability Coordinator, Karla Pedraza, at karla.pedraza@tamiu.edu, call 956.326.2763, or visit Student Center 124. 

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: Student Handbook).

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. Students who experience or observe alleged or suspected discrimination due to their pregnant/parenting status, should report to 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, Report It, at 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 Compliance (Lorissa M. Cortez, lorissam.cortez@tamiu.edu) can assist the student and professor in working out the reasonable accommodation. For other questions or concerns regarding Title IX compliance related to pregnant/parenting students, contact the Title IX Coordinator. In the event that a student needs 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 LOAs 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.

For parenting-related rights, accommodations, and resources, contact the Parenting Liaison, Mayra Hernandez, at mghernandez@tamiu.edu, call 956.326.2265, or visit Student Center 226.

For pregnancy-related rights, accommodations, and resources, contact the TIX Coordinator, Lorissa Cortez, at lorissaM.cortez@tamiu.edu, call 956.326.2857, or visit Killam Library 159.

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 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:

  1. 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;
  2. 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;
  3. The student must sign an “Incomplete Grade Contract” and secure signatures of approval from the professor and the college dean.
  4. 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.