MKT 6310 160: Seminar in International Mkt

MKT 6310 - Seminar in International Mkt

Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 160, CRN 19305


Instructor Information

Yinghong Wei, PhD

Radcliffe Killam Distinguished Professor

Email: yinghongs.wei@tamiu.edu

Office: WHTC 219B

Office Hours:
Mon-Thu: 12:00pm-1:00pm

Office Phone: 956-326-2555


Times and Location

TR 10:05am-11:25am in WHT 232


Course Description

This course is an examination of current international marketing research with emphasis on understanding of theory, concept development, research design and analysis of research results. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor and Graduate Advisor.
Intnl Banking&Finance Studies Department, Sanchez School of Business

Additional Course Information

Class Format

This is a typical PhD-level seminar class that promotes depth and quality of research. Reading and discussing scholarly papers is one of the best and most important ways to comprehend and master a research area. Class time will be devoted to the presentation and discussion of the assigned readings rather than to lecturing. So, you will take charge of the seminar. You are expected to have full attendance and extensive preparation.

Given the challenging nature of the papers from elite journals in marketing, it is not uncommon for you not to fully understand the papers. In addition, because the papers are cutting-edge research, I do not expect you to understand everything. When you prepare the class, please focus more on the applications, theory, and story side of the papers, and try to relate the papers to your own experience at your previous jobs and/or with your research projects.

Last Submission and Academic Integrity Policy

Submit all assignments on time. Unless an assignment states otherwise or university policy requires an exception, late work will receive a minimum 20% deduction for each calendar day it is late. This course uses SafeAssign and Turnitin as originality-review tools. Suspected plagiarism, copying, or cheating will be addressed under the university's academic integrity procedures and may result in penalties up to and including failure in the course.

This course meets twice per week. Class participation is a very important part of this seminar, and all students are expected to play an active role in regularly presenting and discussing the assigned readings. The assessment of class performance will be based on your level of preparation and the strength of your contributions to our discussion.

Rubrics are available and will be used to evaluate most assessments. Please review them carefully, understand the evaluation criteria, and ensure you include all expected components to earn the grade you desire and deserve.

AI Policy

Students may use generative AI as a research-support tool when authorized by the instructor or assignment guidelines. AI may support questioning, brainstorming, analysis, comparison, and feedback, but it may not replace students’ reading, scholarly reasoning, writing, or final decisions. Students must evaluate and validate AI-generated information using original or credible sources, disclose relevant AI use, protect confidential or sensitive information, and consider accuracy, bias, ethics, privacy, security, authorship, and accountability. Students remain responsible for every part of their submitted work and must be able to explain and defend it independently.

Unacceptable Uses: Students may not use AI to replace reading original scholarly sources, complete quizzes or examinations, produce work they do not understand, fabricate or misrepresent evidence and citations, make final theoretical or methodological decisions, conceal AI assistance, or impersonate the student in course activities. Students may not upload confidential data, identifiable participant information, unpublished research, peer work, proprietary materials, or copyrighted content without authorization.

Weekly Required Reading Summaries (Not Graded)

To prepare for research idea development, weekly class discussions, and the midterm examination, submit a brief summary of each assigned reading by Sunday at 10:00 a.m. These summaries encourage timely reading, sustained engagement with the literature, and early development of research ideas.

Each article summary should be approximately one single-spaced page and should present the most important points concisely (for example, two to four sentences per section). Use the following format:

  1. Complete citation: in bold, at the top of the page (following Journal of Marketing format)
  2. Summarized by: Your name
  3. Research objectives: Explain why the article was written, how it fits within a broader research stream, and the authors' purpose.
  4. Theoretical foundation: This section should summarize the theoretical rationale of the reading, its basic assumptions, and major hypotheses or propositions.
  5. Methodology: This section should summarize the research methodology, such as data sources, measurements, reliability and validity, and data analysis methods.
  6. Results and conclusions: This section should summarize the major research findings.
  7. Future research ideas: This section should note those future research suggestions forwarded by the author(s) that are particularly insightful.
  8. Comments and critique: Provide constructive feedback and a critical assessment of the research.

These summaries are required but carry no numerical points or letter grades. They are formative activities used to monitor reading progress, identify concepts needing clarification, and support preparation for the midterm examination, comprehensive examinations, research-idea development, and future scholarship. Submission records verify preparation and participation. AI may be used only as permitted by the AI Policy; students remain responsible for reading and understanding each article and must be prepared to discuss and apply it in class. All summaries are due Sunday at 10:00 a.m.

Weekly Research Idea Presentations (220 Points)

Each student must use PowerPoint slides to present research ideas connected to that week's readings. Students may apply a reading to an international market or extend a marketing topic to their own research field. First-year PhD students must develop ideas from the future-research section of at least one assigned article. Presentations must explain the motivating literature, cite relevant sources, identify practical next steps (such as variables, data sources, mediators, or moderators), and include a conceptual figure showing relationships among key drivers and outcomes. Submit the slides to the course Dropbox by Monday at 10:00 p.m.

As noted earlier, your success in this seminar requires thorough preparation for each class. Excellent preparation lays the foundation for quality involvement, and I hope you make class preparation your highest priority.

Weekly Research Feedback and Discussion (55 Points)

During this seminar, you are required to provide feedback and discuss your peers’ research idea presentations. In the academic world, you may often need to serve as a conference discussant or a manuscript reviewer. These important professional activities require you to develop critical-thinking skills within the discipline. This semester, you need to provide feedback and discussions to the presentation students on the dates you are not presenting. Below is the information on how to conduct a manuscript review. It may help you learn how to provide research feedback and engage in discussions with others.

Manuscript review should include a thorough evaluation of the following: the rationale/purpose of the paper, the soundness of the hypothesis argument, the appropriateness of the methodology, the appropriateness of the data analysis, the authors' interpretation of their results, and the importance and newness of the theoretical contribution. You can use the following questions to engage with the journal article, to help you form your critical analysis:

  • Objectives: what does the article set out to do? Is there any research gap for the research?
  • Theory: is there an explicit theoretical framework? If not, are there important theoretical assumptions?
  • Concepts: what are the central concepts? Are they clearly defined?
  • Argument: what is the central argument? Are there specific hypotheses?
  • Method: what methods are employed to test these? Is it proper?
  • Evidence: is evidence provided? How adequate is it?
  • Values: are value positions clear or are they implicit?
  • Literature: how does the work fit into the wider literature?
  • Contribution: how well does the work advance our knowledge of the subject?
  • Style: how clear is the author's language/style/expression?
  • Conclusion: a brief overall assessment.

You should indicate what you think the authors should do to improve the paper, while you commend the authors for aspects of the paper that you think have been done well. Overall, your grade will be based on the quality of your comments and the consistency with which you make them throughout the semester.

Responsible AI Use and Reflective Report (110 Points)

Generative AI can explain difficult concepts, generate questions, compare perspectives, suggest alternatives, and provide feedback. Inappropriate reliance may weaken students' ability to read complex scholarship, evaluate evidence, construct theory, design research, and defend independent decisions. AI may also misinterpret research, fabricate citations, propose superficial gaps, reproduce bias, recommend unsuitable methods, or create privacy, copyright, authorship, and accountability concerns. AI should therefore function as a scholarly assistant, critical partner, or mock reviewer - not as a substitute for reading, reasoning, writing, or decision-making.

   Assessment Components

Weekly AI-use records: article summaries and research ideas: 5 x 11 = 55 points

AI-use records: final proposal presentation and proposal: 10 x 2 = 20 points

Final reflection on responsible AI use and learning: 35 points

     Due time: AI-use records and reflections are due with their corresponding tasks.

Grades emphasize evaluation, validation, independent scholarly judgment, transparency, and learning - not the quantity of AI use or the polish of AI output. A detailed guideline will be provided separately.

Midterm Examination (300 Points)

A midterm examination will be administered through Blackboard to support preparation for the doctoral comprehensive examination. Students must use Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor and follow the published setup instructions and testing rules. Failure to comply may result in a zero, subject to applicable university policies and approved accommodations.

Anonymous grading for the midterm exam will be used to ensure students' identities remain hidden and to maintain objectivity.

Research Project Proposal on the Interface between Marketing and Your Research Field with an International Business Focus (250 Points + 65 Points)

You will be required to generate an idea for a publishable international marketing strategy research project. This will include an integrative review of the relevant literature published in a major, refereed marketing, management, finance, information system, or economics journal; a clear delineation of the major concepts/constructs that are central to the research idea; a clear theoretical rationale for anticipated relationships and related research propositions to be tested; a detailed exposition of precisely where and how the research will contribute to international marketing knowledge; an outline of how the research project will be completed (measurement, data collection, analysis procedures, etc.).

You are the author and accountable decision-maker for the research proposal. AI may be used only as permitted by the AI Policy and assignment guidelines; it may not replace your scholarly reasoning, writing, or final decisions. Contact the instructor whenever you need assistance or guidance.

Examples of Research Project Topics:

A productive way to begin is to examine the assigned readings and identify a research problem that can be connected to your field. The proposal must explain how data could be collected through surveys, experiments, or secondary sources. When appropriate, students are encouraged to consider archival resources available through the business school, including WRDS, COMPUSTAT, CRSP, and Bloomberg. For access assistance, contact Hugo Garcia at 956-326-5070 or hgarcia@tamiu.edu. Apply for a WRDS account early and select the PhD student account type, listing the instructor as the supporting professor.

In the process, think of what industry/sector you would like to focus on (car industry, pharmaceutical, insurance, banking, travel, oil, telecom, computers, retailing...), then try to collect data about what you are interested in.

You may restrict the sample to R&D intensive industries: chemicals and pharmaceuticals(Standard Industrial Classification code [SIC] 28), machinery and computer hardware (SIC 35), electrical and electronics (SIC 36), transportation vehicles (SIC 37), and scientific instruments (SIC 38) (see berhart, Maxwell, and Siddique 2008, J. of Ace. Research, p. 34).

In general, I am quite flexible and open-minded regarding your research project topic and data types. Here are some examples of marketing topics that you can link with your field:

Customer Satisfaction/loyalty/participation/co-creation:deciding on how to measure and develop a strategy to respond

Segmentation: deciding which (and where) segments should be targeted & their benefits

Product/New Product/Innovation Strategy: determining features, packaging, and desired market position

Distribution Strategy: determining the number and type of retail outlets & setting the mark-up amount

Communication Strategy/Advertising & Promotion/social media: determining how much to spend and on which media outlets

Personal selling: setting goals and sales force territories, and the number of sales staff

Price Strategy: setting level, responding to competitors, using pricing strategies

Branding Strategy: building and capitalizing on brand equity/loyalty

A good research topic usually comes from an extensive review of the literature and strong critical thinking, both of which require considerable work. I encourage you to start working on the project as early as possible (i.e., idea, model, data, hypothesis, theory, etc). I will discuss and approve your research topic in the middle of the semester.You would need to submit a half-page description of your intended title, potential data source, and research questions to me.

Research Project Proposal (250 Points)

The proposal may contain no more than six pages of main text, excluding the cover page and references. Use 12-point Times New Roman, single spacing, and one-inch margins. The suggested section lengths below are guidelines; the complete main text must remain within the six-page limit.

Follow the Journal of Marketing paper style until the results section. The proposal developed must have an international marketing strategy focus and include the following:

1. Cover page (the title of the paper, your name, and email addresses)

2. Abstract: (100~200 words: research gap, objective, framework, research method, expected major findings) (half page)

3. Introduction - an overview of the proposed research: Research purposes, gaps, and importance as well as research question (1-2 pages)

4. Literature review (concepts and principles), theoretical framework, research hypotheses, theory justification of hypotheses (draw a picture) (2-3 pages) (ideally, this section should be sufficient in depth and breadth so as to lead to a publishable review article).

5. Proposed Research Design and Methodology, including intended data source, variables, model specification, statistical tests, and tables (the variables, measurement, and data sources) as well as figures (drawing the antecedents, outcomes, moderators, and/or mediators) (1-2 pages)

6. References (1 page, J of Marketing style)

At the end of the semester, you will need to present the project proposal (65 Points).

Technology Use During Class: To encourage deeper engagement and reduce distractions, laptops and phones should not be used during seminar discussions unless the instructor authorizes them for presentations, examinations, AI-integration activities, accessibility accommodations, or other coursework. When technology is not authorized, students should take notes with a pen and paper.

Program Learning Outcomes

This doctoral seminar is designed to advance scholarship in the field of international marketing. It provides an in-depth overview of marketing strategies and their applications in global markets, with a focus on a managerial perspective. This course aims to enhance the doctoral students’ ability to teach, conduct research, and publish in the international marketing domain. Moreover, the course is structured to prepare students for their comprehensive doctoral examinations. Students are expected to demonstrate their mastery of the discipline by integrating key concepts into a research paper. A detailed description of the topics covered is included in the provided Reading List.

Student Learning Outcomes

At the end of the semester, students' improvements include:

  1. Developing the ability to critically integrate findings from marketing strategy research programs that may or may not be directly related to one another.
  2. Developing an appreciation for the interdisciplinary nature of marketing strategy.
  3. Developing skills to identify major gaps in the marketing strategy literature, and as a result, formulating research projects that address high-priority areas for inquiry.
  4. Enhancing scholarly communication abilities, including presenting, explaining, and defending academic positions, as well as professionally engaging with the work of other scholars.
  5. Strengthening the research capabilities to conduct original international marketing strategy research, with the goal of publishing in leading journals in international business and marketing strategy.

Overall, the course tasks and assignments are designed to build in-depth research knowledge and develop students’ scholarly abilities, including critical thinking, effective communication, ethical judgment, and the capacity to produce, present, and publish high-quality, peer-reviewed research.

Important Dates

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

Textbooks

Other Course Materials

Reading List includes 44 top-journal publications in the semester.

Grading Criteria

You may assume approximately 90% of the total (A: more than 900 Points), 80% (B: more than 800 Points), 70% (C: more than 700 Points), 60% (D: more than 600 Points), less than 60% (F: less than 600 Points) cut off for final grades.  However, your final grades will be curved based on overall class performance.  Your grade is available in the Blackboard’s grade book

Open Boilerplate

Assessment Types VALUE
Mid-term Exam 300 Points
Weekly Research Idea Presentation 220 Points
Weekly Discussions 55 Points
Research Project Presentation 65 Points
Research Project Proposal 250 Points
AI Integration in Research Tasks 110 Points
Total 1000 Points

Schedule of Topics and Assignments

Week of Agenda/Topic Reading(s) Due
8/25 Introduction & Syllabus
1. The Value of Marketing
9/1 1. The Value of Marketing
9/8 2. Marketing Strategy
9/15 3. The Resource-Based View (RBV)
9/22 4. The Dynamic Capabilities Perspective
9/29 5. Understand the Value of Customers
10/6 6. Market Orientation
10/13 Mid-Term Exam
10/20 7. New Product Innovation
10/27 8. Service Marketing and Others
11/3 9. Cross-Functions
11/10 10. Relationship Marketing
11/17 11. Branding, Alliances and Network
11/24 Prepare Research Proposal Presentation
12/1 Dec 3 (Thursday): Final Research Proposal Due at 10:00 pm
Dec 3 (Thursday): Reflection on AI Integration into Research Due at 10:00 pm

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.