HIST 1302 - The US Since 1877
Fall 2024 Syllabus, Section 109, CRN 14612
Instructor Information
Jose Gutierrez
Email: josem.gutierrez@tamiu.edu
Office: PLG 204D
Office Hours:
MWF 9:30 -10:30
TR 2:45 - 4:15
Office Phone: 326-3034
Times and Location
Course Description
Additional Course Information
Quizzes & Discussions: We will have online quizzes based on the readings and lectures. Quizzes usually open on Fridays and are due when indicated, usually Sundays at 11:59 pm. The days a quiz are given are subject to change but the professor will give notification on Blackboard and in-class before changing a set quiz date. Each quiz is 10 questions and you will have 15 (sometimes more at my discretion) minutes to complete the quiz. You have ONE attempt for each quiz. The lowest quiz grade will be dropped. You will need to use the Respondus Lockdown Browser to access quizzes. I will also open up discussion forums (usually requiring you to post and respond to a classmate regarding material we covered or readings/videos you were instructed to watch).
Quizzes (and discussion assignments) are worth 30% of your overall grade. Please reference the schedule below for due dates.
Primary Document Essay: We will have a primary document essay analysis. You will be given a choice of primary documents (from The American Yawp chapters) and be required to analyze the document’s effectiveness within the context of its time period. The essay review must be between 2-3 pages, double spaced. Please reference the schedule below for due dates.
Exams & Final Exam: There are two regular unit exams and a comprehensive final exam. Exams may consist of multiple-choice, a map and short answer IDs. The final exam will include be formatted in the same manner as regular exams but will be comprehensive. You will receive a study guide to help you prepare in advance of each exam. Study guides are provided approximately one week before each exam.
Attendance and Participation: Much of the material you will be responsible for will be learned during lecture and discussion. Therefore, it is in your best interest to be in class and prepared to engage with the day’s readings every session. If you must miss class for any reason, please let me know via email. Powerpoints are provided on blackboard, but you will want to get notes from a classmate. At my discretion, I will make recordings of class lectures available if you are absent with a valid reason. Attendance will be tracked via Top Hat (link in Blackboard)
Note-taking: You are expected to take notes during lectures, discussions, and videos. While PowerPoint presentations will be provided ahead of class, it is important to your success in this class to take notes during lecture.
Studying & Readings: In order to be successful in this course you need to attend class AND complete the readings. The readings are meant to supplement lectures; they are not a replacement for attending class. You will be expected to integrate lecture and reading material on the quizzes and exams in a thoughtful manner. If you are having trouble understanding the readings, please come talk to me. Weekly quizzes will be based off chapter readings and lectures, and successful Responses will integrate textbook and primary source readings along with lecture information. Overall, to succeed as a student it is usually recommended you spend about 2 hours studying per 1 hour of class a week. That would mean that you may need to dedicate 7-9 hours of studying to this course to succeed at optimal levels.
Deadlines: All quizzes and exams are scheduled here in the syllabus. It is your responsibility to stay on top of deadlines.
Technical Difficulties: Technical difficulties are a constant in the 21st Century world we live in. If you have technical difficulties, you should contact the TAMIU Office of Information Technology (OIT) first for any assistance in rectifying the problem. Do not wait until after an assignment (like a quiz) is due. It is your responsibility to get in touch with OIT to fix the issue on your computer. Alternatively, there are free computer labs available to TAMIU students on-campus.
Blackboard Announcements: I make constant use of Blackboard Announcements to keep students updated on course assignments and exam reminders. I also will use announcements to announce changes/delays to assignments if needed and I also will post fun history bits for you all. Make sure to check announcements for our class several times a week!
CLASS POLICIES: See last page for College of Arts and Sciences policies.
Questions during lecture: I will stop frequently during lecture to ask if there are any questions on the material we are covering, and you should feel free to ask whatever you want during that time. Should you have additional questions that are not pertinent to the rest of the class or if you feel uncomfortable asking them during class, see me afterwards or come by my office hours.
Remember, THERE ARE NO STUPID QUESTIONS!
Office Hours: Office hours is time we set aside for me to meet with students. Office hours are listed above. If those times do not work for you, we can set up an appointment. You are also free to contact me through e-mail. If you email me, please be sure to use the email at the top of the syllabus and e-mail me from your TAMIU dusty/student e-mail.
Make-up exams and late papers: In the event you will miss an exam or quiz, you will need to get in contact with me prior to the exam so we can set up a make-up. In general, make-ups will be given in the event of an emergency and at my discretion. In general, I do not accept late work. I have drops worked into the course to cover any mishaps. However, if something comes up that prevents you from submitting on time, please shoot me an email to let me know what’s going on. I understand that life happens, and sometimes we find ourselves facing difficult situations. Just let me know.
Laptops & Tablets: I generally allow the use of laptops and tablets for note-taking. However, I urge students to print my powerpoints and make notations as the use of laptops requires significant self-discipline. I also reserve the right to ban laptops and tablets in my classroom if anyone is using these devices for gaming or watching videos. If your intention is to be doing so, please excuse yourself from class.
Cellphones: I expect phones to be silenced when you are in class. If you are expecting an important call, please let me know before class begins and sit near the door so you can excuse yourself and take the call as needed. During an exam, if you excuse yourself to the restroom, I must see you take out your phone and place it on your desk before you leave or your exam will be regarded as finished and picked up.
Extra Credit: There is no extra credit in this course.
Important dates to note:
- First Class Day: Aug. 26
- Last Day to Drop without Record (Census day/12th class day): Sept. 10
- Last Day to Drop a Course or to Withdraw from the University: Nov. 21
- Last Class Day: Dec. 3
- Final Exams: Dec. 4 – Dec. 10
Program Learning Outcomes
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Student Learning Outcomes
- Define and describe the foundations of the United States’ political system and its effects on the development of the nation until 1877.
- Recall and classify factors that relate to issues of gender, race, religion, and economic status in US society until 1877.
- Identify and explain how the United States interacted with the governments and peoples of other nations until 1877.
- Discuss and explain connections between historical events as well as describe historical changes over time.
- Analyze primary historical sources, thus demonstrating critical reading skills.
- Students will be able to draw conclusions about the role of the government in the US from historical examples and justify their conclusions using factual data and developed argument
Important Dates
Visit the Academic Calendar (tamiu.edu) page to view the term's important dates.
Textbooks
Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|
Required | The American Yawp (e-book) | Locke, Joseph L, Wright, Ben eds | 9781503608146 |
Other Course Materials
To go to the bookstore, click here.
- The American Yawp E-Book available at: www.americanyawp.com
- Other materials (handouts, videos, and other learning activities) provided by the instructor on Blackboard.
- Students will be required to use Respondus Lockdown Browser to complete quizzes (you will NOT need Respondus Monitor): https://www.tamiu.edu/distance/technology/respondus-ldb-and-monitor.shtml
- 3 Small Blue/Green books and 3 scantrons (for exams & final exam)
Grading Criteria
GRADE | PERCENTAGE |
A | 91-100 |
B | 80-90.9 |
C | 70-79.9 |
D | 60-69.9 |
F | Below 60 |
Open Boilerplate
ASSIGNMENT | VALUE |
Quizzes/Discussion Assignments | 30% |
Primary Document Essay | 20% |
Exams | 30% |
Final Exam | 20% |
Schedule of Topics and Assignments
Week of | Agenda/Topic | Reading(s) | Due |
---|---|---|---|
8/26 | Chapter 16 – Capital & Labor | The American Yawp: Chapter 16 Rec. Primary Docs: "William Graham Sumner on Social Darwinism" |
Obtain all necessary materials for the course by the weekend. |
9/2 | Chapter 17 - The West | The American Yawp: Chapter 17 Rec. Primary Docs: "William T. Hornady on the Extermination of the American Bison" & "Turning Hawk and American Horse on the Wounded Knee Massacre" |
Quiz 1: Open Sept. 6 - 8 Chapters 16 & 17 |
9/9 | Chapter 18 - Life in Industrial America | The American Yawp: Chapter 18 Rec. Primary Docs: "Andrew Carnegie on 'The Triumph of America' 1885" |
Begin your selection of a primary document for the essay. |
9/16 | Chapters 19 - The American Empire | The American Yawp: Chapter 19 Rec. Primary Docs: "William James on 'The Phillippine Question, 1903" |
Quiz 2: Open Sept. 20 - 22 Chapters 18 & 19 |
9/23 | Chapter 20 – The Progressive Era | The American Yawp: Chapter 20 Rec. Primary Docs: "Eugene Debs, 'How I became a Socialist' April, 1902" |
Exam 1: Friday, Sept. 27 |
9/30 | Chapter 21 - World War I | The American Yawp: Chapter 21 Rec. Primary Docs: "Woodrow Wilson Requests War" & "WEB DuBois, 'Returning Soldiers'" |
Selection of Primary Document you will write about is due on Sunday, Oct. 6 @ 11:59pm |
10/7 | Chapter 22 - The New Era (Roaring 20s) | The American Yawp: Chapter 22 Rec. Primary Docs: "George Washington, 'Farewell Address', 1796" & "Congress debates going to war, 1811" |
Quiz 3: Open Oct. 11 - 13 Chapters 21 & 22 |
10/14 | Chapter 23 - The Great Depression | The American Yawp: Chapter 23 Rec. Primary Docs: "Herbert Hoover on the New Deal" |
Discussion Forum Assignment #1: Topic TBA from Unit 2 - Oct. 14 - 25 |
10/21 | Chapter 24 - World War II | The American Yawp: Chapter 24 Rec. Primary Docs: "FDR, Executive Order No. 9066" & "Harry Truman announcing the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima" |
Quiz 4: Open Oct. 25 - 27 Chapters 24 |
10/28 | Chapter 24 & 25 - The Cold War | The American Yawp: Chapter 25 Rec. Primary Docs: "Joseph McCarthy on Communism" & "Lillian Hellman Refuses to Name Names" |
Exam 2: Friday, Nov. 1 |
11/4 | Chapter 26 - The Affluent Society (1950s) | The American Yawp: Chapter 26 |
Primary Doc. Essay: Due by Sunday, Nov. 10 @ 11:59pm |
11/11 | Chapter 27 - The 1960s | The American Yawp: Chapter 27 Required Video: "This Jet Terrified the West: The MiG-25 Foxbat" - by Mustard (youtube) & "Why the F-15 Terrified the Soviets" - by Mustard (youtube) |
Quiz 5: Open Nov. 15 - 17 Chapters 26 & 27 |
11/18 | Chapter 28 & 29 - The 1970s & 1980s | The American Yawp: Chapter 28 & 29 Rec. Video: "Ollie North" - American Dad! (youtube) Suggested video: Scenes from "Charlie Wilson's War" (2007) |
Discussion Forum Assignment #2: Topic TBA from Unit 3 - Open Nov. 18 - 26 |
11/25 | Chapter 30 - The 1990s & Recent Past | The American Yawp: Chapter 30 |
Study for Final Exam |
12/2 | Final Exam Week: Dec. 4 - 10 | Prepare for Final Exam | Final Exam: Monday, Dec. 9 |
Core Curriculum Learning Outcomes
Core-Curriculum Learning Outcomes:
- Critical Thinking Skills (CT) - creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information
- Communication Skills (COM) - effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication
- Empirical and Quantitative Skills (EQS) - manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions
- Teamwork (TW) - ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal
- Social Responsibility (SR) - intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities
- Personal Responsibility (PR) - ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making
University/College Policies
Please see the University Policies below.
COVID-19 Related Policies
If you have tested positive for COVID-19, please refer to the Student Handbook, Appendix A (Attendance Rule) for instructions.
Required Class Attendance
Students are expected to attend every class in person (or virtually, if the class is online) and to complete all assignments. If you cannot attend class, it is your responsibility to communicate absences with your professors. The faculty member will decide if your excuse is valid and thus may provide lecture materials of the class. According to University policy, acceptable reasons for an absence, which cannot affect a student’s grade, include:
- Participation in an authorized University activity.
- Death or major illness in a student’s immediate family.
- Illness of a dependent family member.
- Participation in legal proceedings or administrative procedures that require a student’s presence.
- Religious holy day.
- Illness that is too severe or contagious for the student to attend class.
- Required participation in military duties.
- Mandatory admission interviews for professional or graduate school which cannot be rescheduled.
Students are responsible for providing satisfactory evidence to faculty members within seven calendar days of their absence and return to class. They must substantiate the reason for the absence. If the absence is excused, faculty members must either provide students with the opportunity to make up the exam or other work missed, or provide a satisfactory alternative to complete the exam or other work missed within 30 calendar days from the date of absence. Students who miss class due to a University-sponsored activity are responsible for identifying their absences to their instructors with as much advance notice as possible.
Classroom Behavior (applies to online or Face-to-Face Classes)
TAMIU encourages classroom discussion and academic debate as an essential intellectual activity. It is essential that students learn to express and defend their beliefs, but it is also essential that they learn to listen and respond respectfully to others whose beliefs they may not share. The University will always tolerate different, unorthodox, and unpopular points of view, but it will not tolerate condescending or insulting remarks. When students verbally abuse or ridicule and intimidate others whose views they do not agree with, they subvert the free exchange of ideas that should characterize a university classroom. If their actions are deemed by the professor to be disruptive, they will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action (please refer to Student Handbook Article 4).
TAMIU Honor Code: Plagiarism and Cheating
As a TAMIU student, you are bound by the TAMIU Honor Code to conduct yourself ethically in all your activities as a TAMIU student and to report violations of the Honor Code. Please read carefully the Student Handbook Article 7 and Article 10 available at https://www.tamiu.edu/scce/studenthandbook.shtml.
We are committed to strict enforcement of the Honor Code. Violations of the Honor Code tend to involve claiming work that is not one’s own, most commonly plagiarism in written assignments and any form of cheating on exams and other types of assignments.
Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s work as your own. It occurs when you:
- Borrow someone else’s facts, ideas, or opinions and put them entirely in your own words. You must acknowledge that these thoughts are not your own by immediately citing the source in your paper. Failure to do this is plagiarism.
- Borrow someone else’s words (short phrases, clauses, or sentences), you must enclose the copied words in quotation marks as well as citing the source. Failure to do this is plagiarism.
- Present someone else’s paper or exam (stolen, borrowed, or bought) as your own. You have committed a clearly intentional form of intellectual theft and have put your academic future in jeopardy. This is the worst form of plagiarism.
Here is another explanation from the 2020, seventh edition of the Manual of The American Psychological Association (APA):
“Plagiarism is the act of presenting the words, idea, or images of another as your own; it denies authors or creators of content the credit they are due. Whether deliberate or unintentional, plagiarism violates ethical standards in scholarship” (p. 254). This same principle applies to the illicit use of AI.
Plagiarism: Researchers do not claim the words and ideas of another as their own; they give credit where credit is due. Quotations marks should be used to indicate the exact words of another. Each time you paraphrase another author (i.e., summarize a passage or rearrange the order of a sentence and change some of the words), you need to credit the source in the text. The key element of this principle is that authors do not present the work of another as if it were their own words. This can extend to ideas as well as written words. If authors model a study after one done by someone else, the originating author should be given credit. If the rationale for a study was suggested in the discussion section of someone else's article, the person should be given credit. Given the free exchange of ideas, which is very important for the health of intellectual discourse, authors may not know where an idea for a study originated. If authors do know, however, they should acknowledge the source; this includes personal communications (p. 11). For guidance on proper documentation, consult the Academic Success Center or a recommended guide to documentation and research such as the Manual of the APA or the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. If you still have doubts concerning proper documentation, seek advice from your instructor prior to submitting a final draft.
TAMIU has penalties for plagiarism and cheating.
- Penalties for Plagiarism: Should a faculty member discover that a student has committed plagiarism, the student should receive a grade of 'F' in that course and the matter will be referred to the Honor Council for possible disciplinary action. The faculty member, however, may elect to give freshmen and sophomore students a “zero” for the assignment and to allow them to revise the assignment up to a grade of “F” (50%) if they believe that the student plagiarized out of ignorance or carelessness and not out of an attempt to deceive in order to earn an unmerited grade; the instructor must still report the offense to the Honor Council. This option should not be available to juniors, seniors, or graduate students, who cannot reasonably claim ignorance of documentation rules as an excuse. For repeat offenders in undergraduate courses or for an offender in any graduate course, the penalty for plagiarism is likely to include suspension or expulsion from the university.
- Caution: Be very careful what you upload to Turnitin or send to your professor for evaluation. Whatever you upload for evaluation will be considered your final, approved draft. If it is plagiarized, you will be held responsible. The excuse that “it was only a draft” will not be accepted.
- Caution: Also, do not share your electronic files with others. If you do, you are responsible for the possible consequences. If another student takes your file of a paper and changes the name to his or her name and submits it and you also submit the paper, we will hold both of you responsible for plagiarism. It is impossible for us to know with certainty who wrote the paper and who stole it. And, of course, we cannot know if there was collusion between you and the other student in the matter.
- Penalties for Cheating: Should a faculty member discover a student cheating on an exam or quiz or other class project, the student should receive a “zero” for the assignment and not be allowed to make the assignment up. The incident should be reported to the chair of the department and to the Honor Council. If the cheating is extensive, however, or if the assignment constitutes a major grade for the course (e.g., a final exam), or if the student has cheated in the past, the student should receive an “F” in the course, and the matter should be referred to the Honor Council. Additional penalties, including suspension or expulsion from the university may be imposed. Under no circumstances should a student who deserves an “F” in the course be allowed to withdraw from the course with a “W.”
- Caution: Chat groups that start off as “study groups” can easily devolve into “cheating groups.” Be very careful not to join or remain any chat group if it begins to discuss specific information about exams or assignments that are meant to require individual work. If you are a member of such a group and it begins to cheat, you will be held responsible along with all the other members of the group. The TAMIU Honor Code requires that you report any such instances of cheating.
- Student Right of Appeal: Faculty will notify students immediately via the student’s TAMIU e- mail account that they have submitted plagiarized work. Students have the right to appeal a faculty member’s charge of academic dishonesty by notifying the TAMIU Honor Council of their intent to appeal as long as the notification of appeal comes within 10 business days of the faculty member’s e-mail message to the student and/or the Office of Student Conduct and Community Engagement. The Student Handbook provides more details.
Use of Work in Two or More Courses
You may not submit work completed in one course for a grade in a second course unless you receive explicit permission to do so by the instructor of the second course. In general, you should get credit for a work product only once.
AI Policies
Your instructor will provide you with their personal policy on the use of AI in the classroom setting and associated coursework.
TAMIU E-Mail and SafeZone
Personal Announcements sent to students through TAMIU E-mail (tamiu.edu or dusty email) are the official means of communicating course and university business with students and faculty –not the U.S. Mail and no other e-mail addresses. Students and faculty must check their TAMIU e-mail accounts regularly, if not daily. Not having seen an important TAMIU e-mail or message from a faculty member, chair, or dean is not accepted as an excuse for failure to take important action.
Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to download the SafeZone app, which is a free mobile app for all University faculty, staff, and students. SafeZone allows you to: report safety concerns (24/7), get connected with mental health professionals, activate location sharing with authorities, and anonymously report incidents. Go to https://www.tamiu.edu/adminis/police/safezone/index.shtml for more information.
Copyright Restrictions
The Copyright Act of 1976 grants to copyright owners the exclusive right to reproduce their works and distribute copies of their work. Works that receive copyright protection include published works such as a textbook. Copying a textbook without permission from the owner of the copyright may constitute copyright infringement. Civil and criminal penalties may be assessed for copyright infringement. Civil penalties include damages up to $100,000; criminal penalties include a fine up to $250,000 and imprisonment. Copyright laws do not allow students and professors to make photocopies of copyrighted materials, but you may copy a limited portion of a work, such as article from a journal or a chapter from a book for your own personal academic use or, in the case of a professor, for personal, limited classroom use. In general, the extent of your copying should not suggest that the purpose or the effect of your copying is to avoid paying for the materials. And, of course, you may not sell these copies for a profit. Thus, students who copy textbooks to avoid buying them or professors who provide photocopies of textbooks to enable students to save money are violating the law.
Students with Disabilities
Texas A&M International University seeks to provide reasonable accommodations for all qualified persons with disabilities. This University will adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as required to afford equal education opportunity. It is the student's responsibility to register with the Office of Student Counseling and Disability Services located in Student Center 126. This office will contact the faculty member to recommend specific, reasonable accommodations. Faculty are prohibited from making accommodations based solely on communications from students. They may make accommodations only when provided documentation by the Student Counseling and Disability Services office.
Student Attendance and Leave of Absence (LOA) Policy
As part of our efforts to assist and encourage all students towards graduation, TAMIU provides
LOA’s for students, including pregnant/parenting students, in accordance with the Attendance Rule (Section 3.07) and the Student LOA Rule (Section 3.08), which includes the “Leave of Absence Request” form. Both rules can be found in the TAMIU Student Handbook (URL: http://www.tamiu.edu/studentaffairs/StudentHandbook1.shtml).
Pregnant and Parenting Students
Under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, harassment based on sex, including harassment because of pregnancy or related conditions, is prohibited. A pregnant/parenting student must be granted an absence for as long as the student’s physician deems the absence medically necessary. It is a violation of Title IX to ask for documentation relative to the pregnant/parenting student’s status beyond what would be required for other medical conditions. If a student would like to file a complaint for discrimination due to his or her pregnant/parenting status, please contact the TAMIU Title IX Coordinator (Lorissa M. Cortez, 5201 University Boulevard, KLM 159B, Laredo, TX 78041,TitleIX@tamiu.edu, 956.326.2857) and/or the Office of Civil Rights (Dallas Office, U.S. Department of Education, 1999 Bryan Street, Suite 1620, Dallas, TX 75201-6810, 214.661.9600). You can also report it on TAMIU’s anonymous electronic reporting site: https://www.tamiu.edu/reportit.
TAMIU advises a pregnant/parenting student to notify their professor once the student is aware that accommodations for such will be necessary. It is recommended that the student and professor develop a reasonable plan for the student’s completion of missed coursework or assignments. The Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity (Lorissa M. Cortez, lorissam.cortez@tamiu.edu) can assist the student and professor in working out the reasonable accommodations. For other questions or concerns regarding Title IX compliance related to pregnant/parenting students at the University, contact the Title IX Coordinator. In the event that a student will need a leave of absence for a substantial period of time, TAMIU urges the student to consider a Leave of Absence (LOA) as outlined in the TAMIU Student Handbook. As part of our efforts to assist and encourage all students towards graduation, TAMIU provides LOA’s for students, including pregnant/parenting students, in accordance with the Attendance Rule and the Student LOA Rule. Both rules can be found in the TAMIU Student Handbook (https://www.tamiu.edu/scce/studenthandbook.shtml).
Anti-Discrimination/Title IX
TAMIU does not discriminate or permit harassment against any individual on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity in admissions, educational programs, or employment. If you would like to file a complaint relative to Title IX or any civil rights violation, please contact the TAMIU Director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity/Title IX Coordinator, Lorissa M. Cortez, 5201 University Boulevard, Killam Library 159B, Laredo, TX 78041,TitleIX@tamiu.edu, 956.326.2857, via the anonymous electronic reporting website, ReportIt, at https://www.tamiu.edu/reportit, and/or the Office of Civil Rights (Dallas Office), U.S. Department of Education, 1999 Bryan Street, Suite 1620, Dallas, TX 75201-6810, 214.661.9600.
Incompletes
Students who are unable to complete a course should withdraw from the course before the final date for withdrawal and receive a “W.” To qualify for an “incomplete” and thus have the opportunity to complete the course at a later date, a student must meet the following criteria:
- The student must have completed 90% of the course work assigned before the final date for withdrawing from a course with a “W”, and the student must be passing the course;
- The student cannot complete the course because an accident, an illness, or a traumatic personal or family event occurred after the final date for withdrawal from a course;
- The student must sign an “Incomplete Grade Contract” and secure signatures of approval from the professor and the college dean.
- The student must agree to complete the missing course work before the end of the next long semester; failure to meet this deadline will cause the “I” to automatically be converted to an “F”; extensions to this deadline may be granted by the dean of the college. This is the general policy regarding the circumstances under which an “incomplete” may be granted, but under exceptional circumstances, a student may receive an incomplete who does not meet all of the criteria above if the faculty member, department chair, and dean recommend it.
WIN Contracts
The Department of Biology and Chemistry does not permit WIN contracts. For other departments within the college, WIN Contracts are offered only under exceptional circumstances and are limited to graduating seniors. Only courses offered by full-time TAMIU faculty or TAMIU instructors are eligible to be contracted for the WIN requirement. However, a WIN contract for a course taught by an adjunct may be approved, with special permission from the department chair and dean. Students must seek approval before beginning any work for the WIN Contract. No student will contract more than one course per semester. Summer WIN Contracts must continue through both summer sessions.
Student Responsibility for Dropping a Course
It is the responsibility of the student to drop the course before the final date for withdrawal from a course. Faculty members, in fact, may not drop a student from a course without getting the approval of their department chair and dean.
Independent Study Course
Independent Study (IS) courses are offered only under exceptional circumstances. Required courses intended to build academic skills may not be taken as IS (e.g., clinical supervision and internships). No student will take more than one IS course per semester. Moreover, IS courses are limited to seniors and graduate students. Summer IS course must continue through both summer sessions.
Grade Changes & Appeals
Faculty are authorized to change final grades only when they have committed a computational error or an error in recording a grade, and they must receive the approval of their department chairs and the dean to change the grade. As part of that approval, they must attach a detailed explanation of the reason for the mistake. Only in rare cases would another reason be entertained as legitimate for a grade change. A student who is unhappy with his or her grade on an assignment must discuss the situation with the faculty member teaching the course. If students believe that they have been graded unfairly, they have the right to appeal the grade using a grade appeal process in the Student Handbook and in the Faculty Handbook.
Final Examination
All courses in all colleges must include a comprehensive exam or performance and be given on the date and time specified by the Academic Calendar and the Final Exam schedule published by the Registrar’s Office. In the College of Arts & Sciences all final exams must contain a written component. The written component should comprise at least 20% of the final exam grade. Exceptions to this policy must receive the approval of the department chair and the dean at the beginning of the semester.
Mental Health and Well-Being
The university aims to provide students with essential knowledge and tools to understand and support mental health. As part of our commitment to your well-being, we offer access to Telus Health, a service available 24/7/365 via chat, phone, or webinar. Scan the QR code to download the app and explore the resources available to you for guidance and support whenever you need it. The Telus app is available to download directly from TELUS (tamiu.edu) or from the Apple App Store and Google Play.