NURS 4410 102: Child Health Nursing

NURS 4410 - Child Health Nursing

Fall 2024 Syllabus, Section 102, CRN 14348


Instructor Information

Amy Guerra, MSN, RN, CP-SANE

Clinical Assistant Professor

Email: amy.guerra@tamiu.edu

Office: CNS 315H

Office Hours:
Tuesdays: 4pm - 6pm via Microsoft Teams, REMOTE, Not on Campus)
Thursdays - after lecture from 11:00 am - 3pm (FACE-to FACE, on campus)
Please make an appointment to meet through Microsoft Bookings linked in Blackboard.

Monika Perez, MSN, RN

Clinical Assistant Professor

Email: monika.perez@tamiu.edu

Office: CNS 313 B

Office Hours:
Wednesdays, from 4 pm to 6 pm via Microsoft Teams (REMOTE, NOT ON CAMPUS)
Thursdays, after lecture, from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm (FACE-TO-FACE, ON CAMPUS OFFICE)

Office Phone: 956.326.2577

Please make an appointment to meet with me through Microsoft Bookings linked in Blackboard.


Times and Location

R 8:30am-10:30am in Academic Innovation Center 220


Course Description

This course focuses on clinical application of the nursing process in providing culturally competent care to infants, children, adolescents, and their families. Students will utilize growth and development theories in order to provide evidence based nursing care across the pediatric phase of life. This course is 2 hours of theory and 6 hours of practicum per week. 84 hours total practicum are required in this course. Prerequisites: NURS 3310, NURS 3410, NURS 3412, NURS 3613, NURS 3614, and NURS 4310. Co-requisites: NURS 3411 and NURS 4614
Nursing Department, College of Nursing&Health Sci

Additional Course Information

TEACHING STRATEGIES

This course will include presentation guided mini-lectures, clinical judgement group activities, case studies, self-study and reflection, creation of concept maps, interactive games, and flipped classroom discussions.

COURSE STRUCTURE

In addition to lecture time, all additional content and assignments will be listed in Blackboard. Each module under ‘Content’ will contain links pertinent to each week's content such as PowerPoints, articles, videos, etc. All instructions for assignments, forms, and other resources will be available for review in Blackboard. The expectation is for the student to review these materials each week. See week-specific learning objectives on Blackboard modules. See tentative course schedule on this syllabus.

The clinical portion of this course will be taught in the nursing skills lab, simulation lab, and clinical settings (hospitals, schools, and learning centers). Clinical experiences will be instructor-supervised practice or assigned nursing preceptor supervision. The learning center clinical is based on experiential learning theories and observation.

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS AND AI

All written assignments will be submitted using the specified Turnitin drop box on the specified due date. No assignments will be accepted via e-mail.

All written assignments must comply with the 7th edition APA formatting and will include, at the minimum, a cover page and a reference page with each assignment. All written papers become the property of the school of nursing.

In our class, you may NOT use Artificial Intelligence (AI) writing tools such as ChatGPT or others. Any use of AI tools for written assignments constitutes a violation of the TAMIU Honor Code and grounds for reporting to the Honor Council. Turnitin has an AI detection tool and thus, a Turnitin report will have an AI percentage in addition to the similarity percentage.

FEEDBACK

Instructor will provide feedback to students on their submissions of an assignment within 24-48 hours of receiving the work.

Program Learning Outcomes

  1. Synthesize knowledge from the arts, humanities, sciences, and other disciplines in developing a framework for nursing knowledge and practice.

  2. Explore the effect of variations in health status, developmental processes, values, beliefs and attitudes, culture, history, and environment on nursing care needs.

  3. Use critical thinking, clinical judgment/decision making, problem-solving, and the research process in the development of nursing knowledge and practice.

  4. Assess, diagnose, plan, implement, and evaluate evidenced-based and culturally appropriate safe nursing care with patients, families, populations and communities.

  5. Evaluate utilization of health promotion strategies in the development of nursing practice.

  6. Develop professional nursing practice frameworks and roles, including the provider of patient-centered care, health care team member/collaborator, leader/manager, educator, scholar, patient-safety advocate, activist, mentor, and entrepreneur.

  7. Evaluate the impact of evolving technological, socioeconomic, political and demographic changes on nursing practice and health care systems.

  8. Adhere to legal and ethical principles in the development of professional nursing practice.

  9. Articulate a commitment to life-long learning.

  10. Participate in nursing- and health-related service opportunities

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Apply concepts and principles form the arts, sciences, humanities, and nursing when making practice decisions for infants, children adolescents, and their families experiencing multi-system and/or complex illnesses. (PLO: 1,3,9) (DEC: IIA, IIIC, IVB, IVC) (AACN: 1,6,10) (QSEN: 1,3) (ANA 1,7) (Assessments: Exams, clinical practice, plan of care).
  2. Incorporate social, cultural, ethnic, spiritual, psychological, and economic factors when providing nursing care to infants, children, adolescents and their families experiencing multi-system and/or complex illness. (PLO: 1,2,5) (DEC: IIE, IIG, IIH, IVB) (AACN: 1,2) (QSEN: 1,3,5) (ANA: 1,2,3) (Assessments: Clinical practice and plan of care).
  3. Use critical thinking, evidence-based knowledge, and interdisciplinary collaboration to develop holistic plans of care for infants, children, adolescents, and their families experiencing multi-system and/or complex illnesses. (PLO: 4) (DEC: IIA, IIB, IVA) (AACN: 1,2,6) (QSEN: 1,2,3) (ANA: 1,2,4,8) (Assessments: Exams, clinical practice, case studies, and nursing plan of care).
  4. Provide accurate, safe, and holistic nursing care to infants, children, adolescents, and their families experiencing multi-system and/ or complex illnesses within ethical, legal, and professional nursing boundaries. (PLO: 1,2,4,7) (DEC: IIB, IID, IVB) (AACN: 2,3,5) (QSEN:1,4,5) (ANA:1,2,3,5,6) (Assessments: Exams, clinical practice, plan of care).
  5. Incorporate relevant research when providing the delivery of comprehensive nursing care among diverse populations. (PLO: 3,4,6) (DEC: IIA, IIC, IIG, IIIC) (AACN: 1,4) (QSEN:1,3) (ANA: 1,4,7) (Assessments: School teaching project and Learning Center Reflection paper).
  6. Identify opportunities within the community to provide health teaching and promotion for infants, children, adolescents, and their families. (PLO: 2,4,10) (DEC: IA, IC, IVB, IVC, IVG) (AACN: 1,3,10) (QSEN:1,4) (ANA: 2.3.5.8) (Assessments: Clinical practice in local schools', community service time in partnership with local community clinical sites).

PLO: Program learning objectives; DEC: Differentiated Essential Competencies; QSEN: Quality and Safety Education for Nurses Competencies; AACN: American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials; ANA: American Nurses Association Code of Ethics. 

Important Dates

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

Textbooks

Other Course Materials

Lippincott CoursePoint+ for Tagher's Pediatric Nursing

ISBN: 9781975233662

Author: Tagher

Publisher: Wolters Kluwer Health / Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

An e-book is included in this platform, you do not need to get a separate textbook.

To go to the bookstore, click here.

Grading Criteria

CONHS/ CSON Grading and Rounding Criteria

Nursing Students must achieve a grade of "C" or higher in both theory and clinical components of a course in order to "Pass" that course and progress in the program. A grade of "F" in either theory or clinical components will constitute a course failure.

To pass a course, a nursing student must attain:

  • An exam average (Test 1, Test 2, Test 3, and Final Exam) of 75% or higher -AND- An overall course average of 75% or higher.

The weighted exam and course average total is calculated to two decimal places and rounded mathematically as follows:

  • Less than 0.45 = Rounds down to the next whole number (74.44 rounds down to a 74) 
  • 0.45 or greater = Rounds up to the next whole number (75.45 rounds up to a 75)
GRADE PERCENTAGE
A 90-100
B 80-89
C 75-79
F 74 and Below

Grade Breakdown

DIDACTIC ASSESSMENTS

ASSESSMENT GRADE
Exams (Test 1, 2, and 3) 55%
Assignments (CoursePoint+, Evolve, Attendance quizzes, Medication calculation test) 10%
HESI 10%
HESI Review packet 5%
Final Exam 20%

RUBRICS

All assessments will be graded on a 100-point scale. See all rubrics in Blackboard.

LATE WORK

In fairness to all students, late assignments will NOT be accepted. The grade for a missed assignment will be recorded as a zero "0" for didactic and an "F" for clinical assignments. Students should verify and assure a receipt after submitting any assignment in Turnitin.

EXAMS

All exams for the CONHS will be on campus, proctored, either with faculty present or at the testing center. Respondus lockdown browser is required to be used for all exams with faculty proctoring. Respondus webcam monitor will be used for all exams taken remotely at the testing center or the disabilities office. Testing guidelines are as follows:

  • After the student uses their cell phone to sign in with Duo, it must be powered-off and set it in a place designated by the proctor.
  • All smart watches will also be removed and set in a place designated by the proctor.
  • All tests will require a password that will be provided until just prior to the exam.
  • All tests will begin and end exactly at the time specified (it will automatically shut down at the end of the two-hour testing period).
  • During the test, no caps or hoodies, earphones or ear buds may be worn. Hands and forearms should be visible to faculty.
  • No personal calculators will be allowed during the exam, the student must use the test calculator on Blackboard.
  • If the student requires pencil and paper to do work during the exam, white copy paper and pencil will be provided by the proctor. Student will not be allowed to use any personal supplies during the test unless the student has approved and documented accommodations through the office of Disabilities.
  • There should be absolutely no talking during the exam either to yourself or to someone else.
  • No music can be played during the exam.
  • Student failure to follow these guidelines will result in an automatic zero on the exam.

EXAM RESULTS

Faculty will perform an item analysis on all exams. Test results will be released to students within 24-48 hours after the exam day.

Students are encouraged to review their preliminary exam score and question feedback immediately after completing the test. Exam view will close once the student exits the test.

Students who fail an exam must schedule a face-to-face meeting with the faculty to review the exam, sign a learning contract, and complete an exam wrapper with a remediation plan. Exams will not be reviewed over a remote appointment using Microsoft Teams meetings in order to conserve exam security and integrity.

LEARNING CONTRACT

All students who score 80% or below on any unit exam will be given a Learning Contract.

A Learning Contract is created to facilitate student success in the course and in the BSN program. Students will be assigned weekly NCLEX-style questions in Evolve and CoursePoint+ as part of their assignment grade. These questions will help prepare for the end of course final exam and end of course standardized exam (HESI). Failure to comply with the requirements listed in the Learning Contract signed both by faculty and student will result in an Incomplete "I" grade and will prevent a student from progressing to the next academic semester.

HESI

At the end of the semester students will be required to take a proctored standardized course exam. The score on this exam will count as a grade and will count for 10% of the course grade.
Grading for this exam will be as follows: 

  • 850 points or greater = 100%
  • 849 points and below = Will receive the conversion score assigned by HESI as the grade

HESI REVIEW PACKETS

Students will be required to complete review packets based on their performance on the HESI exam. These packets are counted as a grade for the course. Failure to complete the review packets by the due date set by the faculty will result in the student receiving an Incomplete "I" grade for the course. 

CLINICAL HOUR BREAKDOWN

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE HOURS
Direct Patient Care 60
Nursing Skills Lab (Low and medium fidelity situations) 8
Simulation Experiences (High-fidelity) 8
Computer Activities (Separate from didactic, Case Studies) 8

CLINICAL ASSESSMENTS

ASSESSMENT GRADE VALUE
Reflection paper: Growth & Development Pass/ Fail
Teaching plan and Presentation: Health Promotion for School-age Children Pass/ Fail
Priority Plan of Care for the Hospitalized Child Pass/ Fail
vSim Pass/ Fail (Complete/ Incomplete)
Case Studies Pass/ Fail (Complete/ Incomplete)

MEDICATION CALCULATION TEST

Prior to clinical rotations, all students must demonstrate proficiency in medication calculations for children (weight-based dosing). All students must attain a 100% grade on the test. Each student will be allowed 3 opportunities to achieve 100%. If the student does not reach the goal, he or she will not be allowed to participate in clinical rotations until they are fully capable of demonstrating proficiency in basic medication calculations.

PRE-SIMULATION ASSIGNMENTS (v-Sim)

All students will be assigned pre-simulation activities counting as part of their clinical hours. Pre-simulation preparation or vSim assignments must be submitted prior to beginning the assigned group simulation session. Completion will be graded as a Pass or a Fail (complete/ incomplete). If the vSim is not completed by a student, he or she will not be allowed to participate in the group simulation activity and he or she will obtain a clinical "F" as a grade.

CLINICAL "F" DAY

Unacceptable nursing practice that results in patient harm or near harm, in a clinical setting (school, learning center, hospital, simulation or skills lab), unprofessional behaviors (eye rolling, rude comments, tone of voice, tardiness, lack of proper appearance, lack of name tag), violating HIPAA, an unexcused absence, using a cellphone on the clinical areas, or being unprepared for the care of a child is grounds for receiving an "F" as the clinical day. The faculty member reserves the right to send a student home iA student who receives 3 clinical "F" grades in any clinical course in a semester will receive a final grade of "Fail" for the entire course even when the student is passing the didactic portion.

Making up a lost clinical day will be subject to clinical site and faculty's availability. The student may receive an Incomplete "I" grade for the course if he/she does not complete the amount of clinical hours required by the State of Texas.

To review the Canseco School of Nursing policies please see the CNHS BSN Handbook

Schedule of Topics and Assignments

Week of Agenda/Topic Reading(s) Due
8/29 Introductions in Discussion board
Syllabus Acknowledgement
CoursePoint+ Assignment
Evolve Assignment
Syllabus
Chapter 16 to Chapter 20
Sunday, 9/1 @11:59 pm
9/5 CoursePoint+ Assignment
Evolve Assignment
Medication Calculation Test
SKILLS DAY
Skills Overview
Chapter 21 and Chapter 35
Medication Calculation Review
Sunday, 9/8 @11:59 pm
9/12 CoursePoint+ Assignment
Evolve Assignment
Case Study 1
vSim
SIMULATIONS
Chapter 22 and Chapter 35 Sunday, 9/15 @11:59 pm
vSim due prior to entering into simulation room
9/19 TEST 1
9/26 CoursePoint+ Assignment
Evolve Assignment
Chapter 23, Chapter 34, and Chapter 35 Sunday, 9/29 @ 11:59 pm
10/3 CoursePoint+ Assignment
Evolve Assignment
Case Study 2
Chapter 28 and Chapter 29 Sunday, 10/6 @ 11:59 pm
10/10 CoursePoint+ Assignment
Evolve Assignment
Case Study 3
Chapter 24 and Chapter 25 Sunday, 10/13 @ 11:59 pm
10/17 SIMULATIONS
TEST 2
vSim due prior to entering into simulation room
10/24 CoursePoint+ Assignment
Evolve Assignment
Case Study 4
Chapter 26 and Chapter 27 Sunday, 10/27 @ 11:59 pm
10/31 CoursePoint+ Assignment
Evolve Assignment
Case Study 5
Chapter 32 and Chapter 33 Sunday, 11/3 @ 11:59 pm
11/7 CoursePoint+ Assignment
Evolve Assignment
Case Study 6
Chapter 30 and Chapter 31 Sunday, 11/10 @ 11:59 pm
11/14 TEST 3
11/21 HESI Practice Assignments Sunday, 11/24 @ 11:59 pm
11/28 HESI EXAM
12/5 FINAL EXAM Proof of 1000 Questions for Learning Contracts due Friday, Dec. 6 @ 11:59 pm

University/College Policies

Please see the University Policies below.

COVID-19 Related Policies

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

Required Class Attendance

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

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

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

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

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

TAMIU Honor Code: Plagiarism and Cheating

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

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

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

  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.