MUAP 1213 - Appl Music Instr: Appl Music Instr-Guitar
Fall 2024 Syllabus, Section 1M8, CRN 14643
Instructor Information
Dr. Gilberto D. Soto
Professor of Music Education/Guitar
Email: gsoto@tamiu.edu
Office: FPA 216A
Office Hours:
See the Syllabus via Blackboard and posted outside FPA 216A
Office Phone: 326-3046
Times and Location
Does Not Meet Face-to-Face
Course Description
Additional Course Information
The course consists of an extension of private instruction in an applied music instrument, one hour long, individual weekly lessons, and (where appropriate) a group studio class. This course number may be repeated for credit. Students must be concurrently enrolled in MUAP 1010 and a university ensemble per the requirements of the catalog.
Program Learning Outcomes
This course is designed to improve the student's technique and artistry. Upon completion of the course, the student will:
- Develop instrumental/vocal technique through practice and public solo and group performance music of diverse genres, cultures, and historical periods.
- Develop a complete understanding of the music performed through research into the historical background of the composer and the context of the music’s composition and the ability to communicate same, through oral and written presentation.
- Develop an understanding of the logistical and social elements entailed in public performance of music and the ability to interact with other musicians and teachers to problem-solve, and communicate ideas in a spirit of mutual respect.
- Obtain a concept of musical freedom and beauty and the ability to recognize the same in self and others.
Student Learning Outcomes
Core-Curriculum Learning Outcomes (CCLOs):
- Critical Thinking Skills: includes creative thinking, innovation, analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information. (SLOs #1, 2, 3, 4)
- Communication Skills: includes effective written, oral, and visual communication. (SLOs #1, 2, 3)
- Teamwork: includes the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal. (SLO #1, 3, 4)
- Social/Civic Responsibility: includes intercultural competency and civic knowledge for effectively engaging local, regional, national, and global communities (SLO #1, 3, 4)
Important Dates
Visit the Academic Calendar (tamiu.edu) page to view the term's important dates.
Textbooks
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A |
Other Course Materials
To go to the bookstore, click here.
The applied instructor selects literature and plans lessons in a logical sequence specifically designed to prepare each student to meet the stated learning outcomes. Thus, the literature and skills addressed in each lesson will vary according to each student's experience in performance repertoire and technical strengths and weaknesses. In practice, after assessing a student's skills and needs in the early lessons, the applied instructor often provides a more detailed overview of the semester's activities; however, this overview is specific to that student and the sequential activities are contingent upon that student's continued progress
Repertoire decisions will be made together by the professor and the student, but a minimum of two solo selections in addition to technical arpeggios and scales will be mandatory.
Grading Criteria
Students will be graded in 5 areas: Lessons; Recital Attendance; Repertoire; Midterm Recital or Exam; and the Final Jury.
Lessons: 30% of Final Grade – 2 Points per Lesson
Students must attend all scheduled Lessons on time, prepared, warmed up, and ready to play.* (Please see attendance and make-up policy).
• Private Lesson
Each student will receive one lesson of 50 minutes per week, for a total of 14 lessons during the Fall 2022 Semester. The lesson day and time will be arranged individually.
Preparation for the lesson will require technical practice and repertoire study every day. Lesson time is for learning techniques and applying those techniques to studies and other music. Students are expected to learn and memorize their music outside of the lesson. Lesson time will not be spent learning notes. Students who have not learned their music may be sent to a practice room, and/or receive a failing grade for the lesson.
In your daily practice, be sure to work on technical exercises, not just your repertoire. 1 (one) hour a day is the minimum required amount of practice time, which can be broken up into smaller segments. (Practice time does not include time spent on research) Failure to practice daily will result in a lower grade. Students who wish to receive an A grade will practice and study a minimum of 3 hours a day.
*Please be sure you schedule sufficient warm-up time before your lesson. Anyone arriving at the lesson un-warm will be penalized in their lesson grade that day.
Recital Attendance: 10% of Final Grade – 10 points per recital report and/or program
Because one of the course objectives is to learn a variety of repertoire, students are required to attend all student, faculty, and professional voice concerts and recitals presented at TAMIU and/or by the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra. I encourage you to also attend any and all such concerts at LCC, or other venues in town or out of town. (Students are encouraged to attend instrumental recitals and concerts toward the goal of becoming well-rounded human beings and musicians.) In order to receive credit you will need to bring me a copy of the program from every required event within one week of the concert, as well as a 1-page review* of the concert for at least 3 of these concerts. 1 page will suffice; spelling and grammar count. If you have trouble with the writing process, I encourage you to seek help at the TAMIU Writing Center. At least 3 programs and reviews must be submitted to receive credit for this part of the course.
Please note: concerts of a non-classical nature will not receive credit for this requirement, (i.e. Mariachi, Tejano, rock or other popular genres), nor will events at which music was a secondary consideration, such as a choir happened to sing the National Anthem at the football game.
*Report Guidelines are the same as for your Convocation requirement
Repertoire: 20% of Final Grade – 100 points per piece; 50 points each for program notes
- Students are required to learn at least 2 pieces during the semester – these may include etudes, and sonata/concerto movements. Learning of the piece includes correct technical and musical accuracy, indicating that the piece is “concert ready.”
- Music will be assigned on an individual basis.
- Students are required to obtain their own scores for assigned music.
- Students are required to learn and memorize their music outside of lesson time.
- Program notes for all repertoire will be turned in according to the course calendar.
- All music assigned must be memorized. There will be a 10% grade penalty each week the assignment is late. The final week to fulfill the requirement is the penultimate week of classes.
Students preparing recitals will be required to learn more than 6 pieces during the semester.
Mid-term recital: 10% of Final Grade
Students will perform during their applied lesson the solo and/or music learned up to that date, which will act as the Mid-semester exam for this course.
Each student will prepare two of their assigned pieces for the junior recital (BM degree), as chosen by the instructor.
Pieces must be performed from memory and polished.
Jury: 30% of Final Grade
A final jury will be performed for and evaluated by a panel of the Music faculty. All assigned repertoire must performance performance-ready for the Jury. All music assigned must be memorized. The student will choose his or her first selection, and the faculty will choose one or more additional selections. Failure to perform a final Jury will result in an “F” grade.
Grading Criteria
Students will be evaluated based on their independent progress and achievements. Lesson and Studio Class grades will reflect the level of preparation for the assigned material. The final grade will reflect the student’s improvement, quality of performance in Studio Class and on recitals, consistent practice, attendance, preparation of assigned material, written assignments, and jury performance.
Grading criteria are listed below:
Lesson and/or Studio Class: 30%
Recital Attendance: 10%
Repertoire: 20%
Mid-term Recital: 10%
Jury Grade: 30%
A - The grade of “A” is reserved for students who do excellent work. The student has shown exemplary attendance and preparation for lessons and Studio Class, and the student exhibits improvement in technique and musicianship weekly and throughout the semester. In weekly lessons repeated material from the prior lesson has been perfected musically and technically. He or she has exceeded the minimum performance requirements for this class, is performance-ready on all assigned repertoire, and/or has exceeded the minimum repertoire requirements. The student performs an exemplary Jury that is reflective of the hard work they have done during the semester. In
addition the student has performed on one or more student recitals.
B - A “B” means very good work, and is a very good grade. Lessons are on time and well-prepared, and the student
exhibits improvement in technique and musicianship throughout the semester. In weekly lessons repeated material from the prior lesson shows improvement. All assigned repertoire is learned, although perhaps one piece may not be performance-ready. The minimum performance requirements for this class have been met. Absences are nonexistent or minimal and are excused. The student sings a solid Jury reflective of adequate effort and practice. The student has performed on at least one student recital.
C - A “C” reflects marginal work. Lessons are prepared with minimal effort, resulting in a majority of lesson time being spent on learning notes, and the student exhibits marginal improvement in technique and musicianship throughout the semester, and/or there are unexcused absences. In weekly lessons repeated material from prior lessons shows no improvement. One or two assigned repertoire pieces may not be completely learned, and/or the student has not met the minimum performance requirements for this class. The student’s Jury has a few technical or musical problems.
D - A “D” shows consistent unsatisfactory preparation for lessons and Studio Class, and/or more than two unexcused absences. Weekly lessons show no improvement in repeated material, and it is obvious that the student has not prepared for the lesson. More than two assigned pieces are not completed by the semester’s end. The student is well below the minimum performance requirements for this class, and there is little improvement – if at all – in technique and musicianship over the semester. The student’s Jury contains many technical and musical problems, reflecting a lack of preparation.
F - Student has serious problems with attendance, and/or is consistently unprepared for lessons. The student has
probably offended the professor with his or her lack of self-discipline. The student’s Jury reflects the complete lack of consistent work, or the student failed to appear for the Jury.
ATTENDANCE AND MAKE-UP POLICY: Please read carefully!
Texas A&M International University Attendance policies apply to all scheduled class meetings (Lessons and
Studio Class), in addition to the following Studio Policies.
Tardiness:
• Tardiness of 15 minutes or more will result in an unexcused absence.
• Tardiness of less than 15 minutes will lower your Lesson or Studio grade by no less than
10%.
Excused Absences:
• Each student is allowed 2 excused absences per semester without detriment to their grade. An
absence is considered excused if the student gives the instructor prior notice of the absence. 24 hours
notice is preferred, but I will excuse an absence with no less than 1 hour’s prior notice. Do not,
however, wait until an hour before class to tell me. If you call me 1 minute after the hour, you will
receive an unexcused absence.
• A third excused absence will be considered a full absence, and the student will receive no points for the
lesson, but may make up the missed lessons by learning extra repertoire or attending extra concerts.
• If a student has 4 (or more) excused absences, he or she has missed an entire month of class. A failing
grade will result unless the student withdraws from the course before the final day to drop. It is the
student's responsibility to drop the course.
Make-up lessons:
• Make-up lessons will not be given for student-cancelled lessons.
If you know you have a conflict or are sick and know you will be sick for your lesson, you may switch lesson
times with another student for that week in place of receiving an excused absence. I can make suggestions,
but it is up to you to arrange the switch with your fellow students. The switch must be amenable to
both, and confirmed by both students. This should be done no more than once a semester.
• If I must cancel your lesson, I will always give you a make-up lesson.
Unexcused Absences:
Lessons missed without notification will be unexcused. In addition to receiving a zero grade for the unexcused absence, each will lower the student’s final grade by 5 percentage points (or half a letter grade.) 3 or more unexcused absences will result in a failing grade for the course.
Open Boilerplate
- General Description for Each Lecture/Discussion/Assignments:
Lecture #1:
Welcome and Introduction to the course.
Applied Lesson Time Scheduled
Syllabus Reading and Discussion of Grading Criteria.
Discussion of the Writing Format for Assignments.
Discussion of the Practice Sheet.
Discussion of the use of the Angel System.
Discussion of the music repertoire, scales, arpeggios, and/or other musical technical recommendations that will be used in class during the semester, after the assessment of student’s performance skills.
Lecture #2:
Performance Assessment for Selection of Music Literature.
Performance Assessment for Selection of Technical Exercises.
Discussion and Detailed Overview of Performance and Literature Selected.
Discussion and Selection of Music Topic for Final Term Paper.
Discussion of Performance Technical Strengths and Weaknesses.
Discussion and Overview of Student’s Continue Performance Skill Progress.
Lecture #3:
Performance Assessment of Selected Music Literature.
Performance Assessment of Selected Technical Exercises.
Discussion and Detailed Overview of Performance and Literature Selected.
Discussion of Performance Technical Strengths and Weaknesses.
Discussion and Overview of Student’s Continue Performance Skill Progress.
Discussion and Practice Recommendations of Selected Music Literature.
Lecture #4:
Performance Assessment of Selected Music Literature.
Performance Assessment of Selected Technical Exercises.
Discussion and Detailed Overview of Performance and Literature Selected.
Discussion of Performance Technical Strengths and Weaknesses.
Discussion and Overview of Student’s Continue Performance Skill Progress.
Discussion and Practice Recommendations of Selected Music Literature.
Lecture #5:
Performance Assessment of Selected Music Literature.
Performance Assessment of Selected Technical Exercises.
Discussion and Detailed Overview of Performance and Literature Selected.
Discussion of Performance Technical Strengths and Weaknesses.
Discussion and Overview of Student’s Continue Performance Skill Progress.
Discussion and Practice Recommendations of Selected Music Literature.
Lecture #6:
Performance Assessment of Selected Music Literature.
Performance Assessment of Selected Technical Exercises.
Discussion and Detailed Overview of Performance and Literature Selected.
Discussion of Performance Technical Strengths and Weaknesses.
Discussion and Overview of Student’s Continue Performance Skill Progress.
Discussion and Practice Recommendations of Selected Music Literature.
Lecture #7:
Performance Assessment of Selected Music Literature.
Performance Assessment of Selected Technical Exercises.
Discussion and Detailed Overview of Performance and Literature Selected.
Discussion of Performance Technical Strengths and Weaknesses.
Discussion and Overview of Student’s Continue Performance Skill Progress.
Discussion and Practice Recommendations of Selected Music Literature.
Lecture #8:
Performance Assessment of Selected Music Literature.
Performance Assessment of Selected Technical Exercises.
Discussion and Detailed Overview of Performance and Literature Selected.
Discussion of Performance Technical Strengths and Weaknesses.
Discussion and Overview of Student’s Continue Performance Skill Progress.
Discussion and Practice Recommendations of Selected Music Literature.
Lecture #9:
Mid-Semester Performance Assessment (Please see Syllabus)
Lecture #10:
Performance Assessment of Selected Music Literature.
Performance Assessment of Selected Technical Exercises.
Discussion and Detailed Overview of Performance and Literature Selected.
Discussion of Performance Technical Strengths and Weaknesses.
Discussion and Overview of Student’s Continue Performance Skill Progress.
Discussion and Practice Recommendations of Selected Music Literature.
Lecture #11:
Performance Assessment of Selected Music Literature.
Performance Assessment of Selected Technical Exercises.
Discussion and Detailed Overview of Performance and Literature Selected.
Discussion of Performance Technical Strengths and Weaknesses.
Discussion and Overview of Student’s Continue Performance Skill Progress.
Discussion and Practice Recommendations of Selected Music Literature.
Lecture #12:
Performance Assessment of Selected Music Literature.
Performance Assessment of Selected Technical Exercises.
Discussion and Detailed Overview of Performance and Literature Selected.
Discussion of Performance Technical Strengths and Weaknesses.
Discussion and Overview of Student’s Continue Performance Skill Progress.
Discussion and Practice Recommendations of Selected Music Literature.
Lecture #13:
Performance Assessment of Selected Music Literature.
Performance Assessment of Selected Technical Exercises.
Discussion and Detailed Overview of Performance and Literature Selected.
Discussion of Performance Technical Strengths and Weaknesses.
Discussion and Overview of Student’s Continue Performance Skill Progress.
Discussion and Practice Recommendations of Selected Music Literature.
Lecture #14:
Performance Assessment of Selected Music Literature.
Performance Assessment of Selected Technical Exercises.
Discussion and Detailed Overview of Performance and Literature Selected.
Discussion of Performance Technical Strengths and Weaknesses.
Discussion and Overview of Student’s Continue Performance Skill Progress.
Discussion and Practice Recommendations of Selected Music Literature.
Lecture #15:
Final Performance/Jury
Schedule of Topics and Assignments
| Week of | Agenda/Topic | Reading(s) | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/26 | SEEABOVE |
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.