ARTS 1303 180: Art Hist Surv: Prehist-Renaiss < Texas A&M International University

ARTS 1303 - Art Hist Surv: Prehist-Renaiss

Fall 2024 Syllabus, Section 180, CRN 14175

Instructor Information

Cynthia Castillo

Email: cynthiae.castillo@tamiu.edu

Office: Online

Office Hours:
Office Hours Online Tues & Thurs 10 am to 12 pm
Friday 10 AM to 12 PM

Times and Location

Does Not Meet Face-to-Face

Course Description

A basic introduction to painting, sculpture, architectural and other media from pre-history to the fifteenth century, including some coverage of nonwestern cultures. The goal of the course will be to understand art in relation to its traditions of use, meaning, and technique within specific cultures and historical settings.

Fine&Performing Arts Department, College of Arts & Sciences

Additional Course Information

Participation/Attendance
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.
Academic Honesty

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:
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 7th edition of the Manual of The American
Psychological Association (APA):

Plagiarism & Use of AI: 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 (pp. 15-16). For guidance on proper
documentation, consult the Writing 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.

You are prohibited from using Chat GPT or other Generative AI to complete your coursework. If Turnitin tags your work for more than 20% AI written text, you will receive a 0 and be asked to resubmit your work. Grades will be edited after resubmission. You have 72 hrs to resubmit work.
• 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 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.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, each student will:
# Course Objectives (CO)
CO1 Demonstrate foundational knowledge of art history through application of creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, evaluation, and synthesis of information learned.
CO2 Demonstrate a clear understanding of art historical concepts through written, oral, and visual communication.
CO3 Apply art historical concepts in collaborative projects
CO4 Analyze art works through effective application of art terminology and art historical knowledge learned

As a result of all of this, successful performance in this class should help in the development of your ability to think, speak, read, and write effectively. These skills will serve you well both in your collegiate years and in your future endeavors. As such, the course is designed to reflect the specific liberal-arts aims that inform the curriculum of the College of Arts and Sciences (COAS) at TAMIU.

This course fulfills requirements toward the minors in Art or Art History and the two major
plans in Art (ART and ARTA). There are no prerequisites for this course. THEA and TSI
deficiencies in reading and writing do not preclude enrollment in this course, but success in this course will hinge VERY MUCH on your writing and reading-retention skills!! If you have not yet demonstrated college-level proficiency in reading and writing, you should seriously consider utilizing regular tutoring from both the University Learning Center and the Writing Center (see descriptions of these and other academic services at
http://www.tamiu.edu/uc/ ) if you aspire to earn a decent grade in this class.

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
• Students successfully completing ARTS 1303 will attain a basic and satisfactory competence
in understanding commonly accepted, present-day interpretive perspectives for some of
the major conceptual, stylistic, and historical frameworks of the history of Western art from
deep prehistoric times to the early fifteenth century AD, within the broader context of a
liberal-arts education.
• Successful students will learn to recognize and understand important stylistic, artistic, and
chronological terms and parameters by discussing specific works of art, by utilizing critical
thinking and applying the elements of art with responses to questions in short essays about
those works in an exam-writing format.
• Successful students will learn to utilize critical thinking in comparing and contrasting
different art-historical (as well as other relevant historical) concepts and phenomena
through long essay assignments they will write for their in-class exams.
• Successful students will actively collaborate with their peers by applying their incipient
knowledge of art history in discursive, small-group settings, including discussions designed to shape and sharpen understanding of a range of works of art that will culminate in a short assessment essay.

Important Dates

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

Textbooks

Group	Title	Author	ISBN
Required	Art a brief history	Marilyn Stokstad and Michael Watt Cothren	9780137527632

Other Course Materials

All other videos or articles will be provided online by instructor

To go to the bookstore, click here.

Grading Criteria

Grading Scale/Schema
Numerical values for grades can be found in the “Academic Regulations” section of the
current A&M International Catalog online (on main university webpage, click on “Current
Students” at top of page; then look for “Catalog” button on that new page; once in Catalog,
click on link at “Academic Regulations: Undergraduate”). N.B.:
Semester grades on the borderline are only rounded up in my classes if the student’s final
course average reaches within three-tenths of a point of the next highest letter grade.

(Thus, for example, a student whose final course average falls below 79.700 receives a C for
the class overall, while one whose average is exactly 79.700 or higher will round up to an
80 and thus a B in the class.) Overall term grades will be calculated using the University’s
values, with the following percentage weights:

Late Work:
Late work will be accepted on all assignments except Quizzes/Tests and Midterm or Finals
unless extenuating circumstances have been discussed ad approved by your instructor.
A penalty of 10 pts off the total score will be applied for any work submitted more than 48
hrs after the due date, again this applies if the student did not previously discuss issues or
expected late submissions with instructor. After the Midterm has passed, no work for the
first part of the course will be accepted for grading and students will receive 0s for missing
work.

Activity/Graded assessment & Points Possible
Discussion Posts/Forums (Requires Peer interaction posts for each discussion) 40
Quizzes 60
Mid Term Assessment 20
Course Final Assessment 20
Total Points Possible 140

Click this link to see the official TAMIU Numerical Grade Values for A-F averages
https://www.tamiu.edu/registrar/grades_gpa.shtml#:~:text=Grades%20are%20recorded,Incomplete
PARTICIPATION ON DISCUSSION BOARD*: Regular and substantial peer interactions are
required on discussion posts to earn full credit on assignments. Successful students will
pose thoughtful questions for peers and will take the time to make thorough responses to
comments or questions posed by the instructor.

In the TAMIU Catalog, regular attendance is of course expected (whether on campus or
online). Finally, regular notetaking is also essential for a good grade in this class—thus, if
you watch posted videos, read your text or use information provided to you on blackboard
you will more than likely not be successful.

COAS Policy on textbook purchase is the following: 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 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. Also: 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
an 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 texts is against the law.

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

Tentative Readings and Assignments

Week of	Agenda/Topic	Reading(s)	Due
8/26	Syllabus Acknowledgement Intro Module 1	Pages 14-16	9/3
9/2	Module 2 Chapt 1 Quiz	Chapter 1 pgs 19-30	9/10
9/9	Module 3 Discussion Forum 2	Chapter 2 pgs 32-47	9/17
9/16	Module 4 Chapt 3 Quiz	Chapt 3 pgs 48-67	9/24
9/23	Module 5 Discussion	Chapt 5 Part 1 Pgs 93-101	10/1
9/30	Module 6- Mid Term	See Blackboard	TBA
10/7	Module 7 Discussion Chapt 5 Quiz	Chapt 5 Part 2 Pgs 102-127	10/15
10/14	Module 8 Discussion Chapt 6 Quiz	Chapt 6 pgs 128-157	10/22
10/21	Module 9 Voice Thread Discussion Chapt 7 Quiz	Chapt 7 pgs 158-183	10/29
10/28	Module 10 Discussion	Chapter 10 pgs 232-259	11/5
11/4	Module 11 Discussion Chapt 11 Quiz	Chapt 11 pgs 261-291	11/12
11/11	Module 12- Final Exam Prep
11/18	Module 13- Final		TBA

Core Curriculum Learning Outcomes

lCore-Curriculum Learning Outcomes:

Critical Thinking Skills (CT) - creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information
Communication Skills (COM) - effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication
Teamwork (TW)l - ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal
Social Responsibility (SR) - intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities
Personal Responsibility (PR) - ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making

University/College Policies

Please see the University Policies below.

COVID-19 Related Policies

If you have tested positive for COVID-19, please refer to the Student Handbook, Appendix A (Attendance Rule) for instructions.

Required Class Attendance

Students are expected to attend every class in person (or virtually, if the class is online) and to complete all assignments. If you cannot attend class, it is your responsibility to communicate absences with your professors. The faculty member will decide if your excuse is valid and thus may provide lecture materials of the class. According to University policy, acceptable reasons for an absence, which cannot affect a student’s grade, include:

Participation in an authorized University activity.
Death or major illness in a student’s immediate family.
Illness of a dependent family member.
Participation in legal proceedings or administrative procedures that require a student’s presence.
Religious holy day.
Illness that is too severe or contagious for the student to attend class.
Required participation in military duties.
Mandatory admission interviews for professional or graduate school which cannot be rescheduled.

Students are responsible for providing satisfactory evidence to faculty members within seven calendar days of their absence and return to class. They must substantiate the reason for the absence. If the absence is excused, faculty members must either provide students with the opportunity to make up the exam or other work missed, or provide a satisfactory alternative to complete the exam or other work missed within 30 calendar days from the date of absence. Students who miss class due to a University-sponsored activity are responsible for identifying their absences to their instructors with as much advance notice as possible.

Classroom Behavior (applies to online or Face-to-Face Classes)

TAMIU encourages classroom discussion and academic debate as an essential intellectual activity. It is essential that students learn to express and defend their beliefs, but it is also essential that they learn to listen and respond respectfully to others whose beliefs they may not share. The University will always tolerate different, unorthodox, and unpopular points of view, but it will not tolerate condescending or insulting remarks. When students verbally abuse or ridicule and intimidate others whose views they do not agree with, they subvert the free exchange of ideas that should characterize a university classroom. If their actions are deemed by the professor to be disruptive, they will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action (please refer to Student Handbook Article 4).

TAMIU Honor Code: Plagiarism and Cheating

As a TAMIU student, you are bound by the TAMIU Honor Code to conduct yourself ethically in all your activities as a TAMIU student and to report violations of the Honor Code. Please read carefully the Student Handbook Article 7 and Article 10 available at https://www.tamiu.edu/scce/studenthandbook.shtml.

We are committed to strict enforcement of the Honor Code. Violations of the Honor Code tend to involve claiming work that is not one’s own, most commonly plagiarism in written assignments and any form of cheating on exams and other types of assignments.

Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s work as your own. It occurs when you:

Borrow someone else’s facts, ideas, or opinions and put them entirely in your own words. You must acknowledge that these thoughts are not your own by immediately citing the source in your paper. Failure to do this is plagiarism.
Borrow someone else’s words (short phrases, clauses, or sentences), you must enclose the copied words in quotation marks as well as citing the source. Failure to do this is plagiarism.
Present someone else’s paper or exam (stolen, borrowed, or bought) as your own. You have committed a clearly intentional form of intellectual theft and have put your academic future in jeopardy. This is the worst form of plagiarism.

Here is another explanation from the 2020, seventh edition of the Manual of The American Psychological Association (APA):

“Plagiarism is the act of presenting the words, idea, or images of another as your own; it denies authors or creators of content the credit they are due. Whether deliberate or unintentional, plagiarism violates ethical standards in scholarship” (p. 254). This same principle applies to the illicit use of AI.

Plagiarism: Researchers do not claim the words and ideas of another as their own; they give credit where credit is due. Quotations marks should be used to indicate the exact words of another. Each time you paraphrase another author (i.e., summarize a passage or rearrange the order of a sentence and change some of the words), you need to credit the source in the text. The key element of this principle is that authors do not present the work of another as if it were their own words. This can extend to ideas as well as written words. If authors model a study after one done by someone else, the originating author should be given credit. If the rationale for a study was suggested in the discussion section of someone else's article, the person should be given credit. Given the free exchange of ideas, which is very important for the health of intellectual discourse, authors may not know where an idea for a study originated. If authors do know, however, they should acknowledge the source; this includes personal communications (p. 11). For guidance on proper documentation, consult the Academic Success Center or a recommended guide to documentation and research such as the Manual of the APA or the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. If you still have doubts concerning proper documentation, seek advice from your instructor prior to submitting a final draft.

TAMIU has penalties for plagiarism and cheating.

Penalties for Plagiarism: Should a faculty member discover that a student has committed plagiarism, the student should receive a grade of 'F' in that course and the matter will be referred to the Honor Council for possible disciplinary action. The faculty member, however, may elect to give freshmen and sophomore students a “zero” for the assignment and to allow them to revise the assignment up to a grade of “F” (50%) if they believe that the student plagiarized out of ignorance or carelessness and not out of an attempt to deceive in order to earn an unmerited grade; the instructor must still report the offense to the Honor Council. This option should not be available to juniors, seniors, or graduate students, who cannot reasonably claim ignorance of documentation rules as an excuse. For repeat offenders in undergraduate courses or for an offender in any graduate course, the penalty for plagiarism is likely to include suspension or expulsion from the university.
- Caution: Be very careful what you upload to Turnitin or send to your professor for evaluation. Whatever you upload for evaluation will be considered your final, approved draft. If it is plagiarized, you will be held responsible. The excuse that “it was only a draft” will not be accepted.
- Caution: Also, do not share your electronic files with others. If you do, you are responsible for the possible consequences. If another student takes your file of a paper and changes the name to his or her name and submits it and you also submit the paper, we will hold both of you responsible for plagiarism. It is impossible for us to know with certainty who wrote the paper and who stole it. And, of course, we cannot know if there was collusion between you and the other student in the matter.
Penalties for Cheating: Should a faculty member discover a student cheating on an exam or quiz or other class project, the student should receive a “zero” for the assignment and not be allowed to make the assignment up. The incident should be reported to the chair of the department and to the Honor Council. If the cheating is extensive, however, or if the assignment constitutes a major grade for the course (e.g., a final exam), or if the student has cheated in the past, the student should receive an “F” in the course, and the matter should be referred to the Honor Council. Additional penalties, including suspension or expulsion from the university may be imposed. Under no circumstances should a student who deserves an “F” in the course be allowed to withdraw from the course with a “W.”
- Caution: Chat groups that start off as “study groups” can easily devolve into “cheating groups.” Be very careful not to join or remain any chat group if it begins to discuss specific information about exams or assignments that are meant to require individual work. If you are a member of such a group and it begins to cheat, you will be held responsible along with all the other members of the group. The TAMIU Honor Code requires that you report any such instances of cheating.
Student Right of Appeal: Faculty will notify students immediately via the student’s TAMIU e- mail account that they have submitted plagiarized work. Students have the right to appeal a faculty member’s charge of academic dishonesty by notifying the TAMIU Honor Council of their intent to appeal as long as the notification of appeal comes within 10 business days of the faculty member’s e-mail message to the student and/or the Office of Student Conduct and Community Engagement. The Student Handbook provides more details.

Use of Work in Two or More Courses

You may not submit work completed in one course for a grade in a second course unless you receive explicit permission to do so by the instructor of the second course. In general, you should get credit for a work product only once.

AI Policies

Your instructor will provide you with their personal policy on the use of AI in the classroom setting and associated coursework.

TAMIU E-Mail and SafeZone

Personal Announcements sent to students through TAMIU E-mail (tamiu.edu or dusty email) are the official means of communicating course and university business with students and faculty –not the U.S. Mail and no other e-mail addresses. Students and faculty must check their TAMIU e-mail accounts regularly, if not daily. Not having seen an important TAMIU e-mail or message from a faculty member, chair, or dean is not accepted as an excuse for failure to take important action.

Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to download the SafeZone app, which is a free mobile app for all University faculty, staff, and students. SafeZone allows you to: report safety concerns (24/7), get connected with mental health professionals, activate location sharing with authorities, and anonymously report incidents. Go to https://www.tamiu.edu/adminis/police/safezone/index.shtml for more information.

Copyright Restrictions

The Copyright Act of 1976 grants to copyright owners the exclusive right to reproduce their works and distribute copies of their work. Works that receive copyright protection include published works such as a textbook. Copying a textbook without permission from the owner of the copyright may constitute copyright infringement. Civil and criminal penalties may be assessed for copyright infringement. Civil penalties include damages up to $100,000; criminal penalties include a fine up to $250,000 and imprisonment. Copyright laws do not allow students and professors to make photocopies of copyrighted materials, but you may copy a limited portion of a work, such as article from a journal or a chapter from a book for your own personal academic use or, in the case of a professor, for personal, limited classroom use. In general, the extent of your copying should not suggest that the purpose or the effect of your copying is to avoid paying for the materials. And, of course, you may not sell these copies for a profit. Thus, students who copy textbooks to avoid buying them or professors who provide photocopies of textbooks to enable students to save money are violating the law.

Students with Disabilities

Texas A&M International University seeks to provide reasonable accommodations for all qualified persons with disabilities. This University will adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as required to afford equal education opportunity. It is the student's responsibility to register with the Office of Student Counseling and Disability Services located in Student Center 126. This office will contact the faculty member to recommend specific, reasonable accommodations. Faculty are prohibited from making accommodations based solely on communications from students. They may make accommodations only when provided documentation by the Student Counseling and Disability Services office.

Student Attendance and Leave of Absence (LOA) Policy

As part of our efforts to assist and encourage all students towards graduation, TAMIU provides
LOA’s for students, including pregnant/parenting students, in accordance with the Attendance Rule (Section 3.07) and the Student LOA Rule (Section 3.08), which includes the “Leave of Absence Request” form. Both rules can be found in the TAMIU Student Handbook (URL: http://www.tamiu.edu/studentaffairs/StudentHandbook1.shtml).

Pregnant and Parenting Students

Under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, harassment based on sex, including harassment because of pregnancy or related conditions, is prohibited. A pregnant/parenting student must be granted an absence for as long as the student’s physician deems the absence medically necessary. It is a violation of Title IX to ask for documentation relative to the pregnant/parenting student’s status beyond what would be required for other medical conditions. If a student would like to file a complaint for discrimination due to his or her pregnant/parenting status, please contact the TAMIU Title IX Coordinator (Lorissa M. Cortez, 5201 University Boulevard, KLM 159B, Laredo, TX 78041,TitleIX@tamiu.edu, 956.326.2857) and/or the Office of Civil Rights (Dallas Office, U.S. Department of Education, 1999 Bryan Street, Suite 1620, Dallas, TX 75201-6810, 214.661.9600). You can also report it on TAMIU’s anonymous electronic reporting site: https://www.tamiu.edu/reportit.

TAMIU advises a pregnant/parenting student to notify their professor once the student is aware that accommodations for such will be necessary. It is recommended that the student and professor develop a reasonable plan for the student’s completion of missed coursework or assignments. The Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity (Lorissa M. Cortez, lorissam.cortez@tamiu.edu) can assist the student and professor in working out the reasonable accommodations. For other questions or concerns regarding Title IX compliance related to pregnant/parenting students at the University, contact the Title IX Coordinator. In the event that a student will need a leave of absence for a substantial period of time, TAMIU urges the student to consider a Leave of Absence (LOA) as outlined in the TAMIU Student Handbook. As part of our efforts to assist and encourage all students towards graduation, TAMIU provides LOA’s for students, including pregnant/parenting students, in accordance with the Attendance Rule and the Student LOA Rule. Both rules can be found in the TAMIU Student Handbook (https://www.tamiu.edu/scce/studenthandbook.shtml).

Anti-Discrimination/Title IX

TAMIU does not discriminate or permit harassment against any individual on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity in admissions, 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.

Distance Education Courses

Courses and On-Campus Meetings

Texas Administrative Code (TAC), Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 2, Subchapter J, Section 2.202, defines distance education as the formal educational process that occurs when students and instructors are not in the same physical setting for the majority (more than 50%) of instruction. Distance education includes hybrid and 100% online courses and programs as defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)

We are a 100-Percent Online Course - A distance education course in which 100 percent of instructional activity takes place when the student(s) and instructor(s) are in separate physical locations. Requirements for on-campus or in-person orientation, testing, academic support services, internships/fieldwork, or other non-instructional activities do not exclude a course from this category.

In this online course, be sure to confirm what in-person meetings may be required of you (if applicable).

Course Structure

This is an asynchronous online only course. Material will be delivered via pre-recorded instructor videos and presentations, educational supplemental videos, and student required posts and written assignments.

Student-Instructor Communication Policy and Response Time

Announcements/Course Messages/Emails
I may be reached via Blackboard messages or by emailing cynthiae.castillo@tamiu.edu.
If you try to reach out with an emergency related to course content and receive no response within 2 hrs, you may email me at cynt.castillo@gmail.com. This is to be used for EMERGENCIES only.

Assignments and Assessments
Discussion board posts will be graded within 72 hours of due date. Assignments submitted late will be graded in order of being received.
Tests will be graded within in 48 hrs of completion.
Large written assignments will have a 5-day turnaround for grading unless they are Mid-Terms or Finals. This is due to large enrollment numbers in which 40 to 50 papers may have been submitted. In order to give you more in-depth feedback, more time is needed.

Course Communication Guidelines (Netiquette)

There are course expectations concerning etiquette or how we should treat each other online. We must consider these values as we communicate with one another. Visit Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services’ web page on Netiquette for further instruction.

Accommodations/Accessibility Policy

Texas A&M International University seeks to provide reasonable accommodation 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 educational opportunity. It is the student's responsibility to register with the Director of Student Counseling and to contact the faculty member in a timely fashion to arrange for suitable accommodation. For more information, contact the online at Office of Disability Services for Students (DSS), via phone at 956.326.3086 or by visiting the staff at the Student Center, room 118. A link to the Disabilities Services for Students site has also been included under the "Resources" tab inside the course.

Student Support Resources

The University wishes to have all students succeed in their courses. To provide support to our students, an array of services in the areas of technology support, academic support, student support, and accessibility support may be found at the University. For more information, visit the Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services page on University Resources and Support Services.

Computer/Technology Requirements

When participating in distance education courses, it is vital to consider the technology involved in order to have a successful course. Online students will need regular access to a personal computer that runs on a broadband Internet connection.

It is recommended that you meet the technical requirements listed on the Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services’ webpage when using the learning management system (LMS) of the University.

Additional Hardware. For this class, you will need the following additional hardware:
Recently purchased laptops may have these built-in web cameras. If you do not have this equipment, it is recommended to purchase a stand-alone webcam, microphone, or a webcam with a built-in microphone from your local electronic store or any online store.

NOTE: Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services may check out available webcams to students on a first-come, first-served basis. To check out a webcam, please stop by Killam Library, Room 259, and request an available webcam.

Additional Software. You will need the following additional software: TAMIU Students may access online versions of this software through their Dusty Office 365 account at https://dusty.tamiu.edu/. This site also provides students access to download the Microsoft suite for educational use. See instructions for downloading the Microsoft Office suite. You will also need Adobe Acrobat.

Note: Students, if you do not own the required hardware or software or do not have access to the Internet, it will be highly challenging for you to make any progress in this class. However, my goal is to assist you in finding solutions and guide you appropriately most of the required materials can either be found free of charge at TAMIU’s library, classrooms, and available computer labs. Visit Media Services’ web page on the availability of on-campus computer labs. In addition, you may also purchase any of these items at any electronic store.

Learning Management System (Blackboard)

Students are provided with an orientation (*eLearning (Blackboard) Student Orientation*) and access to guides on how to use the Blackboard LMS. Guides may be available at Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services' Student eLearning Tutorial Videos page or by contacting the eLearning team at elearning@tamiu.edu.

Minimum Technical Skills Expected

When participating in distance education courses, it is vital to consider the technology involved in order to have a successful course. Students in distance education should have knowledge of basic computer and Internet skills, as mentioned on the Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services’ webpage.

Technical Support Services

Because of the nature of distance education courses, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) computing and information services are vital to the success of online students. This webpage covers contact information for Distance Education Services (Blackboard Support), the OIT Help Desk, and E-mail support: Technical Support Services.

Web Conferences/Synchronous sessions

This course has no planned synchronous meetings, but some may be planned at student request or to offer tutoring opportunities.

Grading Scale/Schema (after Grade Breakdown section)

In determining the final course grade, the following scale is used in percentage or point value.
•   91-100 = A
•   89-79.9 = B
•   79-69.9 = C
•   69-61 = D
•   60 and below = F

Course Evaluation

At the end of this course, students are encouraged to complete a course evaluation that will be distributed to them via email and through a course link.

Turnitin Policy Or Other Types of Assignments in Other Systems

Accessibility and Privacy Statements on Course Technologies

At Texas A&M International University, we believe that all students should have equal technology opportunities in the classroom. These technologies/sites may also require user data, such as the creation of a username and password. You may find the accessibility and privacy policies of the technologies used in this class on the following pages: Accessibility Statements and Privacy Statements.

Syllabus Subject to Change

While information and assurances are provided in this course syllabus, it should be understood that content may change in keeping with new research and literature and that events beyond the control of the instructor could occur. Students will be informed of any substantive occurrences that will produce syllabus changes.