EDCU 5322 780: Fund of Addictions Counseling

EDCU 5322 - Fund of Addictions Counseling: Fund of Addictions Counseling (Sub II- Oct 21 to Dec 10)

Fall 2024 Syllabus, Section 780, CRN 15587


Instructor Information

Ryan Liberati, PhD, LPC, LCPC, RPT-S

Email: ryan.liberati@tamiu.edu

Office: Virtual

Office Hours:
by appointment


Times and Location

Does Not Meet Face-to-Face


Course Description

This course is an intermediate course that will provide students with a thorough and in-depth exploration of the professional knowledge, skills, and practices related to addictions counseling, treatment, and prevention. Emphasis is placed on etiology of addictions and addictive behaviors including, but not limited to, gambling, sex, eating, alcohol, and drug addictions. In addition, this course will assist students in understanding strategies for the prevention, intervention, and treatment of addictions. Course activities include reflective discussions regarding treatment plan development for clients suffering from addiction. Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Educational Programs Department, College of Education

Additional Course Information

Classroom Behaviors

TAMIU values academic freedom in the classroom and, thus, classroom discussion and academic debate are encouraged. 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 accept different or unpopular points of view, but it will not tolerate condescending, insulting, or discriminatory 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 the Student Handbook for more information) and professors may ask the student to leave the class. 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).

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 carefully read the Student Handbook Article 7 and Article 10 available at https://www.tamiu.edu/scce/studenthandbook.shtml.

TAMIU Honor Code: Plagiarism and Cheating

The university is committed to strict enforcement of the Honor Code. Students should conduct themselves ethically in all activities, in and out of the classroom. Ethical behavior also includes reporting violations of the Honor Code to the appropriate office. Please read the Student Handbook to review the university’s Honor Code.

There are several violations of the Honor Code that involve plagiarism and cheating.

1) Plagiarism: The act of passing off some other person’s ideas, words, or works as one’s own. It includes, but is not limited to, the appropriating, buying, receiving as a “gift,” or obtaining, by any other means, another’s work for submission as one’s own academic work. Examples include, but are not limited to:

a. Failing to credit sources used in a work product in an attempt to present the work as one’s own.

b. Intentionally, knowingly, or carelessly presenting the work of another as one’s own (i.e., without crediting the author or creator).

c. Copying test answers or the words or phrases of another without crediting the author or claim credit for the ideas of another.

d. Borrowing or lending a term paper, handing in as your own work a paper purchased from an individual or off the Internet, or submitting, as one's own any papers or work product from the files of any group, club, or organization.

e. Submitting the same paper in more than one class without the permission of the instructor.

Students must provide citations for facts, ideas, and opinions that are not their own. If students are unsure about providing proper documentation, they are encouraged to seek advice from professors or the Academic Center of Excellence (ACE).

It is the professor’s prerogative to ask students to submit work to one of TAMIU’s Plagiarism detection tools: Turnitin or Blackboard’s SafeAssign.

Professors must report incidents of plagiarism to the Honor Council. It is the professor’s prerogative and/or discretion, to issue an “F” in the course should he/she discover that a student has committed plagiarism. The professor, however, may elect to give students, particularly freshmen and sophomore students, a “zero” for the assignment if he/she believes that the student plagiarized out of carelessness and not out of an attempt to deceive the professor to earn an unmerited grade. Serious cases of plagiarism, especially those that involve flagrant incidents of plagiarism by graduate or doctoral students, may lead to suspension or expulsion from the university.

2) Cheating: An act of deception in which a student misrepresents that he/she has mastered information related to an academic exercise. Examples include, but are not limited to:

a. Copying from another student’s test, lab report, computer file, data listing, logs, or any other type of report or academic exercise.

b. Using unauthorized materials during a test. Consulting a cell phone, text messages, PDAs, programmable calculators with materials that give an advantage over other students during an exam.

c. Using crib sheets or other hidden notes in an examination or looking at another student's test paper to copy strategies or answers.

d. Having another person supply questions or answers from an examination to be given or in progress.

e. Having a person other than oneself (registered for the class) attempt to take or take an examination or any other graded activity. In these cases, all consenting

parties to the attempt to gain unfair advantage may be charged with an Honor Pledge violation.

f. Deliberately falsifying laboratory results, or submission of samples or findings not legitimately derived in the situation and by the procedures prescribed or allowable.

g. Revising and resubmitting a quiz or exam for regrading, without the instructor's knowledge and consent.

h. Giving or receiving unauthorized aid on a take-home examination.

i. Facilitating academic violation: intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another to violate the Honor Pledge.

j. Signing in another student's name on attendance sheets, rosters, Scantrons.

k. Submitting in a paper, thesis, lab report, or other academic exercise falsified, invented, or fictitious data or evidence, or deliberate or knowingly concealing or distorting the true nature, origin, or function of such data or evidence.

l. Procuring and/or altering without permission from appropriate authority of examinations, papers, lab reports, or other academic exercises, whether discarded or used, and either before or after such materials have been handed in to the appropriate recipient.

m. Using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, soliciting, copying or possessing the contents of an un-administered test, a required assignment or a past test which has, by the professor, not been allowed to be kept by their students.

n. Using generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT. Unless allowed by each professor, students are expected to complete each assignment without assistance from others, including automated writing tools.

It is important to note that professors may ask students to work in groups. However, if someone

in a group commits academic misconduct, the entire group could be held responsible for it as well. Members of groups must clearly document who contributes what parts of the joint project and know what group members are doing and how they are getting the material they provide. Ignorance is no excuse.

It is also important to be aware of group texts or chats. If another student is attempting to violate the Honor Code, it is your ethical responsibility to report him/her to the Honor Council. Again, membership in a group that attempts or engages in cheating may lead to all members of the group being subject to disciplinary action including suspension or expulsion.

Should professors discover that a student has cheated 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 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.”

Appeals of Academic Dishonesty

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

CO 1:Compare and contrast the various types and manifestations of addiction.

CO 2: Explain the role, process, and importance of assessment of substance use disorders.

CO 3: Apply the most common best practice treatment modalities, including those for comorbid disorders.

CO 4: Apply research on the impact of family-of-origin, culture, race, and ethnicity on substance use and their implications for treatment.

CO 5: Apply research on the impact of sexual orientation and gender identity on substance use and their implications for treatment. 

Important Dates

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

Textbooks

Group Title Author ISBN
Required Foundations of Addictions Counseling (2021) Capuzzi, D. & Stauffer, M.D. 9780138233549
Required More, Now, Again: A Memoir of Addiction (2003) Wurtzel, E. 10. 0743223314.

Grading Criteria

GRADE PERCENTAGE
A 90-100
B 80-89
C 70-79
D 60-69
F Below 60

Open Boilerplate

ASSIGNMENT POINT VALUE
Assignment #1: Discussion 1 100
Assignment #2: Discussion 2 100
Assignment #3: Discussion 3 100
Assignment #4: Discussion 4 100
Assignment #5: Exam 1 100
Assignment #6: Discussion 5 100
Assignment #7: Discussion 6 100
Assignment #8: Discussion 7 100
Assignment #9: Exam 2 100
Assignment #10: Reflection Paper 100

Schedule of Topics and Assignments

Week of Agenda/Topic Reading(s) Due
10/21 Module #1: Substance and Process Addictions
Module #2: Assessment and Diagnosis
Module #3: Motivational Interviewing and Psychodynamic Approaches
Module #4: Comorbid Disorders and Group Modalities
Module #5: The 12 Steps and Relapse Prevention
Module #6: Families and Culture in Counseling
Module #7: Gender, Sex, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
-Read Chapters 2 & 3 in our Text (MO 1.1 – MO 1.4) -Review Presentations for Chapters 2 & . (MO 1.1 – MO 1.4) - Wurtzel Reading Chapters 1-4 - Watch: The Power of Addicton https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=66cYcS ak6nE&app=desktop& ab_channel=TEDxTalk s (MO 1.1-MO 1.4)
- Read Chapters 5 & 6 in our Text (MO 2.1 – MO 2.4) -Review Presentations for Chapters 3 & 4. (MO 2.1 – MO 2.4) - Wurtzel Reading Chapters 5-9 - Read: The Sad Saga of Tommy https://grantland.com /features/tommy- gaines-atlanta- georgia-basketball- legend-addiction-nba- atlanta-hawks- university-of-georgia- basketball/ (MO 2.1-MO 2.4)
- Read Chapters 7 & 8 in our Text (MO 3.1 – MO 3.4) -Review Presentations for Chapters 7 & 8. (MO 3.1 – MO 3.5) Wurtzel Reading Chapters 10-14 - Watch: Shopaholic: I’ve ‘Hit Rock Bottom’ https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=3Q1Vy1 Fq2lA&ab_channel=A BCNews (MO 3.1-MO 3.5) - Read: 25 Years in Exile https://www.espn.co m/mlb/story/_/id/113 84095/mlb-pete-rose- walking-contradiction- 25-years-ban (MO 3.1-MO 3.5)
- Read Chapters 9 & 10 in our Text (MO 4.1 – MO 4.4) -Review Presentations for Chapters 9 & 10. (MO 4.1 – MO 4.4) Wurtzel Reading Chapters 15-18 Watch: The Real Shawshank Redemption https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phU_sb5106E (MO 4.1 - MO4.4)
- Read Chapters 12 & 13 in our Text (MO 5.1 – MO 5.4) -Review Presentations for Chapters 12 & 13. (MO 5.1 – MO 5.4) Wurtzel Reading Chapters 19-22: Watch: Group Therapy - Jere Burns Monologue https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=9zmOl3 YW2lw&ab_channel=i amtinailimay (MO 5.1-MO 5.4) Breaking Bad - self acceptance https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=R1w38L D7lnI&ab_channel=valentinTool%27S (MO 5.1-MO 5.4)
- Read Chapters 14 & 17 in our Text (MO 6.1 – MO 6.4) -Review Presentations for Chapters 14 & 17. (MO 6.1 – MO 6.4) Wurtzel Reading Chapters 23-26 Read: Billy Bob’s Blues http://grantland.com/ features/ron-lester- varsity-blues-billy- bob-weight-loss- hollywood/ (MO 5.1-MO 5.4) James Marcia’s Identify Formation Theory https://steemit.com/psychology/@nolnocluap/james-marcia-s-identity-formation-theory (MO 5.1-MO 5.4) Erikson's identity vs. role confusion stage https://harddrivingtig ers.weebly.com/erikso ns-identity-vs-role- confusion-stage.html (MO 5.1-MO 5.4)
- Read Chapters 18 & 19 in our Text (MO 7.1 – MO 7.5) -Review Presentations for Chapters 18 & 19. (MO 7.1 – MO 7.5) Wurtzel Reading Chapters 27, 28, and Epilogue Watch: Dallas Buyer’s Club video clip https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=C5y7Pc GHiaE (MO 7.1-MO 7.5) The History of Manipulative Female YouTube Video: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=1fhZ0G 7aVlE&ab_channel=Remember This (MO 7.1-MO 7.5)
Discussion Board 1- Initial Response Due Day 3 (Wednesday) by 11:59pm (CST) and Peer Response due Day 7 (Sunday) by 11:59pm (CST)
Discussion Board 2- Initial Response Due Day 3 (Wednesday) by 11:59pm (CST) and Peer Response due Day 7 (Sunday) by 11:59pm (CST)
Discussion Board 3- Initial Response Due Day 3 (Wednesday) by 11:59pm (CST) and Peer Response due Day 7 (Sunday) by 11:59pm (CST)
Discussion Board 4- Initial Response Due Day 3 (Wednesday) by 11:59pm (CST) and Peer Response due Day 7 (Sunday) by 11:59pm (CST)
Exam 1- Due Day 7 (Sunday)
Discussion Board 5- Initial Response Due Day 3 (Wednesday) by 11:59pm (CST) and Peer Response due Day 7 (Sunday) by 11:59pm (CST)
Discussion Board 6- Initial Response Due Day 3 (Wednesday) by 11:59pm (CST) and Peer Response due Day 7 (Sunday) by 11:59pm (CST)
Discussion Board 7- Initial Response Due Day 3 (Wednesday) by 11:59pm (CST) and Peer Response due Day 5 (Friday) by 11:59pm (CST)
Exam 2- Due Day 5 (Friday)
Reflection Paper- Due Day 5 (Friday)

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:

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

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

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

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

TAMIU has penalties for plagiarism and cheating.

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

Use of Work in Two or More Courses

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

AI Policies

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

TAMIU E-Mail and SafeZone

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

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

  1. The student must have completed 90% of the course work assigned before the final date for withdrawing from a course with a “W”, and the student must be passing the course;
  2. The student cannot complete the course because an accident, an illness, or a traumatic personal or family event occurred after the final date for withdrawal from a course;
  3. The student must sign an “Incomplete Grade Contract” and secure signatures of approval from the professor and the college dean.
  4. The student must agree to complete the missing course work before the end of the next long semester; failure to meet this deadline will cause the “I” to automatically be converted to an “F”; extensions to this deadline may be granted by the dean of the college. This is the general policy regarding the circumstances under which an “incomplete” may be granted, but under exceptional circumstances, a student may receive an incomplete who does not meet all of the criteria above if the faculty member, department chair, and dean recommend it.

WIN Contracts

The Department of Biology and Chemistry does not permit WIN contracts. For other departments within the college, WIN Contracts are offered only under exceptional circumstances and are limited to graduating seniors. Only courses offered by full-time TAMIU faculty or TAMIU instructors are eligible to be contracted for the WIN requirement. However, a WIN contract for a course taught by an adjunct may be approved, with special permission from the department chair and dean. Students must seek approval before beginning any work for the WIN Contract. No student will contract more than one course per semester. Summer WIN Contracts must continue through both summer sessions.

Student Responsibility for Dropping a Course

It is the responsibility of the student to drop the course before the final date for withdrawal from a course. Faculty members, in fact, may not drop a student from a course without getting the approval of their department chair and dean.

Independent Study Course

Independent Study (IS) courses are offered only under exceptional circumstances. Required courses intended to build academic skills may not be taken as IS (e.g., clinical supervision and internships). No student will take more than one IS course per semester. Moreover, IS courses are limited to seniors and graduate students. Summer IS course must continue through both summer sessions.

Grade Changes & Appeals

Faculty are authorized to change final grades only when they have committed a computational error or an error in recording a grade, and they must receive the approval of their department chairs and the dean to change the grade. As part of that approval, they must attach a detailed explanation of the reason for the mistake. Only in rare cases would another reason be entertained as legitimate for a grade change. A student who is unhappy with his or her grade on an assignment must discuss the situation with the faculty member teaching the course. If students believe that they have been graded unfairly, they have the right to appeal the grade using a grade appeal process in the Student Handbook and in the Faculty Handbook.

Final Examination

All courses in all colleges must include a comprehensive exam or performance and be given on the date and time specified by the Academic Calendar and the Final Exam schedule published by the Registrar’s Office. In the College of Arts & Sciences all final exams must contain a written component. The written component should comprise at least 20% of the final exam grade. Exceptions to this policy must receive the approval of the department chair and the dean at the beginning of the semester.

Mental Health and Well-Being

The university aims to provide students with essential knowledge and tools to understand and support mental health. As part of our commitment to your well-being, we offer access to Telus Health, a service available 24/7/365 via chat, phone, or webinar. Scan the QR code to download the app and explore the resources available to you for guidance and support whenever you need it. The Telus app is available to download directly from TELUS (tamiu.edu) or from the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Distance Education Courses

Online 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):

  • Hybrid Course - A distance education course in which more than 50 percent but less than 100 percent of instructional activity takes place when the student(s) and instructor(s) are in separate physical locations.
  • 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, asynchronous course, there are no in-person meetings required of you.

Course Structure

Students are expected to be actively engaged, demonstrate effective time management, and complete weekly assignments as scheduled. Students can remain actively engaged in the course through, 1) consistent reading and retention of assigned readings and supplemental course material, 2) timely and robust, Graduate-level responses to the discussion board (initial and peer responses), being mindful of the minimum word count, 3) timely submission of exams, and 4) a thorough final reflection paper.  

Student-Instructor Communication Policy and Response Time

Announcements/Course Messages/Emails

Students will receive weekly announcements/assignment reminders on Mondays. Any course messages or emails sent to the instructor will receive a response within 24-48 hours. 
Assignments and Assessments
Feedback on assignment submissions, with the exception of multiple choice exams, will be provided no later than one week after the assignment deadline. Feedback will be provided in the feedback/comments section of each assignment in Bb. 

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. While you do not need additional hardware for this course, you will likely need the following additional hardware for future courses: Webcam and microphone for VoiceThread discussions. 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: 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.

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

Instructor may host a synchronous virtual meeting at least once during the semester as a "check-in." The meeting would be optional for students and coordinated by the instructor at least one week in advance of the meeting.  

Grading Scale/Schema (after Grade Breakdown section)

In determining the final course grade, the following scale is used in percentage or point value.
•    900 - 1000 = A (90-100%)
•    800 - 890  =  B (80-89%)
•    700 - 790  = C (70-79%)
•    600 - 690 = D (60-69%)
•    500 - 590 = F (50-59%)

Rubrics 

Rubrics for each assignment are provided on Bb.

Late Work Policy

All assignments are due on the date and time indicated in the syllabus. If you have experienced a medical/family emergency that impacts your ability to submit your work by the deadline, please contact me as soon as possible (within a minimum of 24 hours prior to the assignment deadline) and be prepared to provide medical/written documentation.

Late submissions will incur a penalty of 5-point deduction for each day the work is late, up to three calendar days (including weekends and holidays). No late work will be accepted after three days from the original due date. Work that is emailed or submitted otherwise after class on the day that it is due will be considered late and subject to point deductions. Grades for late assignments may not be immediately posted and work may be returned graded without feedback or comments. Under absolutely no circumstances will late work be accepted after the last day of class.

Again, if an emergency arises that prevents you from submitting your assignment on time, you are required to contact me within a minimum of 24 hours prior to the assignment deadline. You are encouraged to email the instructor regarding your circumstances as soon as possible.

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

Students may be required to submit work to TurnItIn. Students are encouraged to submit their work to TurnItIn before they submit the assignment for a grade in order to view the similarity index. To do this, go to “Optional Settings” select “No-repository” and submit.

Proctoring

For online courses, professors may require students to use a proctoring service such as Respondus Monitor, Proctorio, or Examity. Students are responsible for signing up and paying the required fees. This information will be stated under the “Course Materials” section of your syllabus.

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.

In this class, we will utilize Blackboard Ultra and Turnitin.

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.