BA 5202 680: Concepts in Acc and Info Sys < Texas A&M International University

BA 5202 - Concepts in Acc and Info Sys: Concepts in Acc Info Sys(Sub I- Aug 26 to Oct 11)

Fall 2024 Syllabus, Section 680, CRN 13860

Instructor Information

Heriberto Garcia, PhD, CMA, CSCA, CFA.

Associate Professional

Office: WHTC203K

Office Hours:
Office Hours Building WHTC 203
M From 13:30 Hrs to 15:00 Hrs
T From 14:05 Hrs to 16:00 Hrs
W From 13:30 Hrs to 15:00 Hrs
TR From 13:30 Hrs to 15:00 Hrs
F From 13:30 Hrs to 15:00 Hrs

Office Phone: 956-3262510

Use Course Message inside BlackBoard to communicate with me

Times and Location

Does Not Meet Face-to-Face

Course Description

This course provides the foundation in Accounting and Information Systems necessary for admission to the MBA program. Grading for the course is on a P/F basis.

Intnl Business&Tech Studies Department, Sanchez School of Business

Additional Course Information

Teaching Methodology:

This course was designed to be fully online, ergo you must have the self-study discipline to complete this course. This course requires reading and performing several activities every week, reading and understanding the chapters is crucial to later apply the concepts to one real case firm. The discussion forum will help you to understand much better the operational part of different types of business, it is like having specific experience from different firms operating in different industries. During this course, you are going to be exposed to understanding and assimilating the concepts from the textbooks and also at the same time develop the application into one public firm traded in financial markets.

General expectations and responsibility for this course:

Online courses require several skills from the student because almost everything will be conducted remotely and students must have honesty, self-motivation, care and duty, and the ability to use technology to enhance the learning experience. This course is mixed with qualitative and quantitative use of information compared with most graduate courses, ergo students must have the ability to understand not only the concept, and fact, but it also requires almost every module to see the application using real-world business cases. Reading the modules every week seeing the assigned videos and completing the weekly report cases are some of the major responsibilities for the student during this course. Every week you must produce one business report summarizing the related chapters and the practical applications to your case company. Also, discussion forums will help you not only see your business case questions, in fact but also understand the material using different cases and businesses (learning from your colleagues) out there that will reinforce your learning experience. Each student will work with a different business case during the semester, ergo you will be exposed to almost all industries and types of firms when you interact using discussion forums. Finally, exams are going to be related to the application of some concepts using real financial data from your firm.

·Course Messages/Emails

There are several ways to communicate with your professor.

Course Messages: This is the first, most important, and faster way to have a response or feedback.

I prefer this method because it is linked to your course and your context, ergo I will reply faster than the other formats. Also, the system allows recording of everything so it can help to solve any discrepancy. I will respond within 48 hours on weekdays. Weekends will take 72 hours. Also, holidays will take 72 hours.

Emails: To give you the feedback you need, including all your information, course, assignment, phone, and email to reach you. You can expect 72 hours during weekdays and 4 days during weekends.

You have above also my office hours and my phone number. Consider that sometimes I am on campus, but not in my office so you can leave a message with all your data and phone number to call you back.

·Assignments and Assessments

All weeks end on Sunday before midnight, this includes turning in your case reports, exams, or forum discussions during different weekdays. Grades are going to be released no more than 72 hours after Sunday's closing hour.
You are going to have during the week that your grade was released to ask for additional feedback, or if you have any discrepancy in regards to your grade. After one week if there is no complaint in regards to your grade, I will consider it accepted. No further changes will be allowed.

Course Communication Guidelines (Netiquette)

There are course expectations concerning etiquette or how we should treat each other online. It is vital that we consider these values as we communicate with one another. We are going to use this tool for the Discussion Forums, you must Visit Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services’ web page on Netiquette for further instruction.

Online courses require interaction between the students and the professor in a weekly manner, if you require assistance directly from your professor, use course messages. Also, discussion forums are open to all students so be careful if you want to post something that is not required to know every student. If you have something urgent to discuss with your professor use office hours and course messages, you can leave your phone contact to call you back as soon it is possible.

Program Learning Outcomes

This course covers the main topics in the fields of Financial Accounting and Management Information Systems. In the field of financial accounting, topics include the use of financial accounting in managerial decisions as well as coverage of financial statements. In the field of MIS, topics include the use of spreadsheets, databases, networking, and the use of MIS in the business environment.

Prerequisite

This course is designed to cover the basic business concepts for students that have no background in the business area, ergo it is required to take this course if your major is different from the Business and Administration academic area. This course is offered to fulfill the basic business concepts required to enter into the business and accounting graduate programs. Most of the concepts covered here are going to help you later to take different graduate courses. There are no prerequisites, just the graduate admission approval process.

Student Learning Outcomes

Course Goal

To provide students with an overall understanding of financial accounting and management information systems and their use in today’s business environment.

Upon successful completion of this course, each student will:

Course Objectives

CO1: Discuss how business transactions are journalized in accounting and how are translated into meaningful information to make business decisions.
CO2: Contrast how daily operations affect internal controls, cash, inventory, assets, and liabilities.
CO3: Interpret data in a balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows.
CO4: Discuss how information systems are structured inside the organization, including hardware, software, and databases.
CO5: Interpret the importance of networks, communications, E-commerce, and global information systems (Cloud) and how these concepts are related to daily operations, profitability, and future business decisions.
CO6: Describe the major information systems inside the organization such, as enterprise, intelligence, and emerging trends, and how firms can improve their competitive position using these systems and trends.

Curriculum Objectives Targeted:

Exhibit competency in the basic knowledge of how organizations use technology to improve operations, enhance efficiency, and promote a better strategic position.

Discuss how accounting is related to information systems and how organizations can use it to achieve corporate goals and business objectives.

Contrast how financial information is used to reflect the business operations and the decision-making process.

Important Dates

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

Textbooks

Group	Title	Author	ISBN
Required	Essentials of MIS 14th Edition	Laudon and Laudon	9780136500636
Required	o Fundamentals of Financial Accounting	: Fred Phillips and Robert Libby and Patricia Libby	9781260260083

Other Course Materials

To go to the bookstore, click here.

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Grading Criteria

Grading Policy: All requests regarding course record corrections (e.g. exams, case reports) must be submitted in writing within one (1) week after graded materials were handed back, reviewed, and/or after grades have been posted on Black Board System. After that time, all grades and records become final. Please note that all changes are at the sole discretion of the instructor.

This course is a pass/fail course. Pass/fail will be determined using a standard percentage point evaluation as outlined below.

80- 100% Pass

Below 80% Not Passing

Total points will be computed as follows:

Assessments and Weight %

Exams (2 Exams Total) 70%/2 exam equals 35 % of each exam

Case Reports (2 Reports Total) 15% / 2 case reports equals 7.5% each

Discussion Forum (2 Total) 15% / 2 Discussion forums equals 7.5 each%

Exams 70% + Case Reports 15% + Discussion Forums 15% = 100%

I DO NOT ACCEPT LATE WORK. IF FOR ANY REASON YOU DO NOT SUBMIT, EXAMS, CASE REPORTS, OR DISCUSSION FORUMS YOUR GRADE IS GOING TO BE EQUIVALENT TO ZERO.

Exams, Weekly case reports, and discussion forums

The assessment process for this course will be divided into 2 exams, 2 weekly case reports, and 2 discussion forums. *For example, if you have an average of 75%, 90%, and 70% respectively in all exams, all case reports, and all discussion forums then your cumulative grade will be (70% X 75) + (15% X 90) + (15% X 70) = 76.5% which is NOT passing grade.

All averages will be the arithmetic average for all the seven weeks for cases, exams, and forums, for example, if you have in your exams 95 and 85 then your cumulative average will be 90.

For Exams it is required to have a financial calculator for the exam, the exam will be scheduled in advance during the course, and exams will be available from Saturday 8:00 p.m. CT. to Saturday 9:59 p.m. CT. Exams will be multiple choice questions where you will be required to know the material revised during weeks. It is going to be required to have a calculator to perform some calculations. All answers will be graded according to the material and all answers count the same. You should expect to block a minimum of 90 minutes of your time for each exam. Once you start the exam it cannot be paused or aborted; you must finish the exam. Exam results are going to be released within 48 hours after the due date. See the schedule table to know exactly the chapters that are covered for each exam.
I DO NOT ACCEPT LATE WORK. IF FOR ANY REASON YOU DO NOT SUBMIT, EXAMS, CASE REPORTS, OR DISCUSSION FORUMS YOUR GRADE IS GOING TO BE EQUIVALENT TO ZERO.

Case Reports Description: You will be assigned one public firm traded in one of the major financial markets, below are the instructions:

You will be assigned to one public firm during the semester.
You must visit the company's official web page to download the latest 3 SEC Fillings 10K Reports. You must download the PDF files from the last 3 years.
Inside the SEC 10K Annual reports you must read the sections related to Part 1. Business Descriptions and Risk Factors. Part 2. Selected Financial Data and Management’s Discussion and Analysis. Part 4. Financial statements and notes to the consolidated financial statements.
As is described in section X Course Topics/Course Calendar, there are some topics and chapters to read each week. For example, for Module 1, which represents the first week of the course, we are going to cover the ACCOUNTING textbook chapters 1 and 2 and for the MIS textbook also chapters 1 and 2. You must read all these chapters.
After reading the SEC10K files from your firm and the related chapters for the week. Then you will be able to make the weekly case report. Below are the content and requisites for the report.

Content weekly case report. Total of 2 Case Reports. All reports are individual work.

You are going to have specific instructions for each case report, we are going to use Excel and Word documents to complete these 2 case reports.

Each case report will be turned in using the designated drop box. The drop box will be closed during the designated week after Fridays at 11:59 p.m. CT. Case reports are going to be graded within 48 hours after the due date.

All files of Weekly Case Reports must pass the SAFE ASSIGN TOOL NO MORE THAN 10% ORIGINALITY SCORE. Visit the following page if you need to learn more about the Safe Assign Tool http://www.tamiu.edu/distance/students/elearning-orientation.shtml or by contacting the eLearning team at elearning@tamiu.edu.

Your report must pass the originality report with a score lower than 10%. If your case report is above the 10% originality score maximum accepted level, your grade will be zero. You will have the opportunity to reduce your originality score as far as the drop box is open, sometimes it will be required to submit several times the file to reach below the 10% permitted. No late submissions are accepted.

Discussion Forums: One way to enhance the learning experience is using discussion forums, for example, if you know the importance of account receivables and inventories in your case firm in terms of relative importance or terms of days or turnover and then you want to know these variables with other firms within the industry (competitor) or with different sectors. You will be able to ask your colleagues because they are going to have different firms within the sector or in different sectors. Discussion forums simulate classroom experience and will require you to interact with your experience and knowledge from your case firm with your colleagues. We are going to have two discussion questions and your professor can enhance the discussion using additional real-case examples, you will be required to answer the two questions from your own company but also you will need to comment with at least two of your colleague's answers every week.

Please post your initial response (first post) by Wednesday no later than 11:59 p.m. CT of the corresponding week, and comment on the posts of two classmates by Friday no later than 11:59 p.m. CT of that same week.

If you did not post your first post before Wednesday midnight then you are going to earn zero, because will be a late submission. I do not accept excuses; I do not give exceptions.

Mechanics about Discussion Forum. We are going to explore two discussions during the semester, one discussion question, and two comments in two different cases (or colleagues) per discussion. Questions are related to your own semester case company, per discussion, one question will be related to the Accounting area, and the other with the use of Information Systems. See below the questions that we are going to explore during the semester.

Discussion 1 is due 9/4 before midnight

Explain the most important products or services from your firm and describe the most important expenses according to the income statement of your firm. Describe how assets and liabilities are distributed. Answer this question, Does your firm make profits because of the ability to control expenses or because of the ability to deliver products with higher gross profit margins?
In the process of operating the business explain why databases and organizational structure are important to human resources to cooperate and coordinate efforts to achieve corporate goals.

Discussion 2 is due 9/25 before midnight

Describe using your firm as context if your firm is producing profits or operative cash flow. Explain in detail if your firm is producing cash flow from the income statement or due to a change in the operational assets and liabilities.
Discuss if your firm is on the path to use AI (Artificial Intelligence) as a part of being more competitive or due to changes in the market or product conditions, describe in detail how these new trends in virtual reality, robotics, or AI can be utilized to be more competitive or to enhance profits.

Open Boilerplate

Assessments and Weight %

Exams (2 Exams Total) 70%/2 exam equals 35 % of each exam

Case Reports (2 Reports Total) 15% / 2 case reports equals 7.5% each

Discussion Forum (2 Total) 15% / 2 Discussion forums equals 7.5 each%

Exams 70% + Case Reports 15% + Discussion Forums 15% = 100%

I DO NOT ACCEPT LATE WORK. IF FOR ANY REASON YOU DO NOT SUBMIT, EXAMS, CASE REPORTS, OR DISCUSSION FORUMS YOUR GRADE IS GOING TO BE EQUIVALENT TO ZERO.

Schedule of Topics and Assignments

Week of	Agenda/Topic	Reading(s)
8/26	1. Business Decisions and Financial ACC 2. The Balance Sheet 1. Business Information Systems in your Career 2. Global E-Business and Collaboration	Live Session on Tuesday 8/27 at 11 AM
9/2	3. The Income Statement 4. Adjustments, Financial Statements and Financial Results 3. Achieving Competitive Advantage with IS 4. Ethical and Social Issues in IS	Discussion 1 due 9/4 before midnight
9/9	5. Fraud, Internal Control and Cash 6. Merchandising Operations and Multistep Income Statement 5. IT Infrastructure: Hardware and Software 6. Foundations of Business Intelligence: Databases and Information Management	Live Session on Tuesday 9/10 at 11 AM Case Report 1 due 9/13 before midnight
9/16	7. Inventory and Cost of Goods Sold 8. Receivables, Bad Debt Expense and Interest Revenue 7. Telecommunications, Internet, and Wireless Technology 8. Securing Information Systems	Exam 1 on 9/21 from 8 to 10 PM
9/23	9. Long Lived Tangible and Intangible Assets 10. Liabilities 9. Achieving Operational Excellence and Customer Intimacy: Enterprise	Live Session on Tuesday 9/24 at 11 AM Discussion 2 due 9/25 before midnight
9/30	11. Stockholders’ Equity 10 E-Commerce: Digital Markets, Digital Goods 11 Improving decision Making and managing Artificial Intelligence	CR2 due 10/4, before midnight
10/7	12. Statement Cash Flows 13. Measuring and Evaluating Financial Performance 12 Making the business case for information systems and managing projects	Final Comprehensive on 10/12 from 8 to 10 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)

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

I.Technology Requirements

Important notice before technology requirements.

This course is online, ergo we all assume here that technology does not fail. But sometimes we have problems with the network connection, either from the University server to your computer or the other way around. From the university side, only a few times networks have failed, very, very few times. The university always makes the announcement or official communication when this event exists, in this case, you will be excused from any exam or case report if this unexpected event (system failure) is on the date and hour before cases or exams are due, only in this particular rare event (we haven’t seen yet, but it can happen).

Now, if for any reason, excluding the university side, you cannot upload, turn in, or submit your files or exams at the proper time and date to the proper drop box or folder, then your grade will be ZERO because it will be late submission.

If you for any reason cannot submit your files at the proper time to the proper folder, please do not send me the file to my email or course message, only the system is allowed to receive your files and then I will be able to give you my feedback and your grades. Again, I cannot alter the system, I cannot modify the system and I cannot move files within the system, I do not know how the system works internally and I do not have the authorization level to do that.

Before you read the requisites below, please be sure that your computer, tablet, or smartphone has the apps, operating system, browser, and security software updated, also please review your router, mobile connection account, and VPN connections so that everything works perfectly.

Computer/Technology Requirements

When participating in distance education courses, it is vital to consider the technology involved 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.

Hardware: Recent computer laptop or desktop (no older than five years), with internet access, speakers, and microphone. Web cam is necessary.

Additional Software. You will need the following additional software: Microsoft PowerPoint for viewing lesson presentations and Microsoft Word for viewing course files and submitting assignments. 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. Windows or IOS for computers. Microsoft office Excel, PowerPoint and Word programs. Browser (Chrome, FireFox or Explorer) Visit https://dusty.tamiu.edu/. To have access to these program.

Note: Students if you do not own the required hardware, and 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 to find solutions and guide you appropriately most of the required materials can either be found free of charge at TAMIU’s library, computer labs, and classrooms. In addition, you may also purchase any of these items at any electronic store.

Learning Management System (Blackboard)

Because most of the communication will be online, you must know how to use the Blackboard System. Students are provided with guides on how to use the Blackboard LMS. Guides may be available at http://www.tamiu.edu/distance/students/elearning-orientation.shtml or by contacting the eLearning team at elearning@tamiu.edu.

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.

Additional Course Information/Other Policies

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.

THE INSTRUCTOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THIS SYLLABUS AS NEEDED AND WITH NOTIFICATION TO STUDENTS

Blackboard SafeAssign Policy

SafeAssign is a tool used to promote originality and to create opportunities to help students identify how to properly attribute sources rather than paraphrase. It compares submitted assignments against a set of sources to identify areas of overlap between the submitted assignment and existing works. After a paper submission is processed, SafeAssign generates an originality report detailing the percentage of text in the paper that matches existing sources. All files of Weekly Case Reports will be submitted to SafeAssign and must pass the SAFE ASSIGN TOOL NO MORE THAN 10% ORIGINALITY SCORE.

Proctoring

LockDown Browser Requirement
This course requires the use of LockDown Browser for online exams. Watch this video to get a basic understanding of LockDown Browser:

https://www.respondus.com/products/lockdown-browser/student-movie.shtml

Download Instructions

Click the Student Support top-middle tab located in Blackboard. Scroll down to the Instructional Technologies section, and click on the Respondus LockDown Browser icon. Download is free.

Once Installed

Open LockDown Browser
Log into Blackboard Learn
Navigate to the test and begin

Note: You won't be able to access tests with a standard web browser. If this is tried, an error message will indicate that the test requires the use of LockDown Browser. Simply start LockDown Browser and navigate back to the exam to continue.

Guidelines

When taking an online test, follow these guidelines:

Select a location where you won't be interrupted
Before starting the test, know how much time is available for it, and also that you've allotted sufficient time to complete it
Turn off all mobile devices, phones, etc., and don't have them within reach
Clear your area of all external materials - books, papers, other computers, or devices
Remain at your desk or workstation for the duration of the test
LockDown Browser will prevent you from accessing other websites or applications; you will be unable to exit the test until all questions are completed and submitted

Getting Help

Several resources are available if you encounter problems with LockDown Browser:

The Windows and Mac versions of LockDown Browser have a "Help Center" button located on the toolbar. Use the "System & Network Check" to troubleshoot issues.

If you have problems downloading, installing, or taking a test with Respondus LockDown Browser, email the TAMIU eLearning Team at elearning@tamiu.edu.

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. In this class, we will utilize Blackboard. You may find the accessibility and privacy policies of this technology on the following pages: Accessibility Statements and Privacy Statements.

II.University/College/Department Policies

Classroom Behavior

The A.R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business 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. ARSSB will always tolerate diverse, 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, which may include being involuntarily withdrawn from the class.

Copyright Restrictions

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 textbooks to enable students to save money are violating the law.

Plagiarism and Cheating

Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s work as one’s own. Recently, the Internet has complicated the picture. Getting something from the Internet and presenting it as one’s own is still plagiarism. Copying another student’s paper or a portion of the paper - is usually called “copying”. Neither plagiarism nor copying will be tolerated. Should a faculty member discover that a student has committed plagiarism, the students will receive a grade of ‘F’ in that course and the matter may, if necessary, be referred to the TAMIU Honor Council for possible disciplinary action.

Student Responsibility For Dropping a Course

It is the responsibility of the STUDENT to drop the course before the drop date. Faculty are not responsible for dropping students who suspend class attendance.

Final Examination

The University requires all final Examinations be comprehensive and be given on the day specified.

III.Student Attendance and Leave of Absence (LOA) Policy:

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: 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 University 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 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.