PHLT 3302 - Writing for Public Health Prof
Fall 2024 Syllabus, Section 180, CRN 14558
Instructor Information
Cindy Salazar-Collier, PhD MPH
Assistant Professor of Public Health
Email: cindy.collier@tamiu.edu
Office: C302.L
Office Hours:
In Person: Mondays- 9am-12pm
Virtual: Wednesday's- 2-5pm (by request)
Please note that you are not restricted to visiting with me during those hours. Please email me at cindy.collier@tamiu.edu to schedule another time
with me in-person or virtually
Office Phone: 956.326.3279
Cell Phone: N/A
Times and Location
Does Not Meet Face-to-Face
Course Description
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, each student will:
- Make a distinction between writing for public health purposes and for the general public.
- Explain the purpose of writing for public health audience.
- Demonstrate skills necessary to write documents essential to public health professionals.
- Demonstrate ability to identify and prepare a grant proposal.
Important Dates
Visit the Academic Calendar (tamiu.edu) page to view the term's important dates.
Textbooks
Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|
Required | Writing for the health professions. | Terryberry, K. J. | 150669733X |
Required | Concise Guide to APA Style, Seventh Edition | American Psychological Association | 1433832739 |
Other Course Materials
- Salazar-Collier, C.L. (2020). Writing for Public Health Professionals (PowerPoint Presentations) Retrieved from Blackboard website:
- Students are required to review each PowerPoint presentation and accompanying resources. Students may choose to view recorded presentations or review transcripts of lectures. Lectures will help guide students through required readings and provide additional instruction to facilitate comprehension of course material.
- Lang, T. A. (2017). Writing a better research article. J Public Health Emerg. https://doi. org/10.21037/jphe
- Students are required to review each PowerPoint presentation and accompanying resources. Students may choose to view recorded presentations or review transcripts of lectures. Lectures will help guide students through required readings and provide additional instruction to facilitate comprehension of course material.
- The Writing Center- University of Wisconsin (2017). Planning and Writing a Proposal: The Basics. Retrieved from: https://writing.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/535/2018/07/grants.pdf
- This a required reading for the course. Article provides students with an action plan and resources to begin developing and writing a funding proposal. The article emphasizes having a clear direction and knowing your target audience.
Grading Criteria
In determining the final course grade, the following scale is used in percentage or point value.
- 90-100=A (549-610 points)
- 80-89=B (488- 548 points)
- 70-79=C (427-487 points)
- 69-60=D (366-426 points)
- Below 60=F (£365 points)
NOTE: An incomplete cannot be given if the student does not have a passing grade at the time the incomplete is given
Open Boilerplate
APA Quiz | 10 (1.64%) |
Discussions (4) | 200 (33.79%; 8.20% each) |
Participation (9) | 50 (8.20%; 0.91% each) |
Term Paper- Proposal | 50 (8.20%) |
Term Paper- Outline | 50 (8.20%) |
Term Paper- First Draft | 50 (8.20%) |
Term Paper- Peer Editing | 50 (8.20%) |
Term Paper- Final Draft | 50 (8.20%) |
Schedule of Topics and Assignments
Week of | Agenda/Topic | Reading(s) | Due |
---|---|---|---|
8/26 | Scholarly Articles | Lecture 1 Writing a Better Research Article |
Discussion #1: Due 9/1 by 11:59pm |
9/2 | Grant Proposals | Lecture 2 Planning and Writing a Grant Proposal: The Basics |
Discussion #2: Due 9/8 by 11:59pm |
9/9 | Public Health and the Media | Lecture 3 |
Discussion #3: Due 9/15 by 11:59pm |
9/16 | APA Formatting | Lecture 4 • Concise Guide to APA Style: Chapters 8 & 9 |
APA Quiz: Due 9/22 by 11:59pm |
9/23 | Conducting a Literature Search | Lecture 5 |
|
9/30 | Conducting a Literature Search | Lecture 5 |
Term Paper Proposal: Due 10/6 by 11:59pm |
10/7 | The Recursive Writing Process | Lecture 6 |
Discussion #4: Due 10/13 by 11:59pm |
10/14 | Building the Essay | Lecture 7 Writing for the Health Professions: Chapter 2 |
|
10/21 | Building the Essay | Lecture 7 Writing for the Health Professions: Chapter 2 |
Term Paper Outline: Due 10/27 by11:59pm |
10/28 | Developing Precise Writing Style | Lecture 8 Writing for the Health Professions: Chapters 3-4 |
|
11/4 | Developing Precise Writing Style | Lecture 8 Writing for the Health Professions: Chapters 3-4 |
Term Paper First Draft: Due 11/10 by 11:59pm |
11/11 | Editing and Proofreading | Lecture 9 Writing for the Health Professions: Chapters 5-6 |
|
11/18 | Editing and Proofreading | Lecture 9 Writing for the Health Professions: Chapters 5-6 |
Term Paper Peer Editing: Due 11/24 by 11:59pm |
11/25 | Editing and Proofreading | Lecture 9 Writing for the Health Professions: Chapters 5-6 |
|
12/2 | Final Paper Preparation | Final Paper: Due 12/3 by 11:59pm |
University/College Policies
Please see the University Policies below.
COVID-19 Related Policies
If you have tested positive for COVID-19, please refer to the Student Handbook, Appendix A (Attendance Rule) for instructions.
Required Class Attendance
Students are expected to attend every class in person (or virtually, if the class is online) and to complete all assignments. If you cannot attend class, it is your responsibility to communicate absences with your professors. The faculty member will decide if your excuse is valid and thus may provide lecture materials of the class. According to University policy, acceptable reasons for an absence, which cannot affect a student’s grade, include:
- Participation in an authorized University activity.
- Death or major illness in a student’s immediate family.
- Illness of a dependent family member.
- Participation in legal proceedings or administrative procedures that require a student’s presence.
- Religious holy day.
- Illness that is too severe or contagious for the student to attend class.
- Required participation in military duties.
- Mandatory admission interviews for professional or graduate school which cannot be rescheduled.
Students are responsible for providing satisfactory evidence to faculty members within seven calendar days of their absence and return to class. They must substantiate the reason for the absence. If the absence is excused, faculty members must either provide students with the opportunity to make up the exam or other work missed, or provide a satisfactory alternative to complete the exam or other work missed within 30 calendar days from the date of absence. Students who miss class due to a University-sponsored activity are responsible for identifying their absences to their instructors with as much advance notice as possible.
Classroom Behavior (applies to online or Face-to-Face Classes)
TAMIU encourages classroom discussion and academic debate as an essential intellectual activity. It is essential that students learn to express and defend their beliefs, but it is also essential that they learn to listen and respond respectfully to others whose beliefs they may not share. The University will always tolerate different, unorthodox, and unpopular points of view, but it will not tolerate condescending or insulting remarks. When students verbally abuse or ridicule and intimidate others whose views they do not agree with, they subvert the free exchange of ideas that should characterize a university classroom. If their actions are deemed by the professor to be disruptive, they will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action (please refer to Student Handbook Article 4).
TAMIU Honor Code: Plagiarism and Cheating
As a TAMIU student, you are bound by the TAMIU Honor Code to conduct yourself ethically in all your activities as a TAMIU student and to report violations of the Honor Code. Please read carefully the Student Handbook Article 7 and Article 10 available at https://www.tamiu.edu/scce/studenthandbook.shtml.
We are committed to strict enforcement of the Honor Code. Violations of the Honor Code tend to involve claiming work that is not one’s own, most commonly plagiarism in written assignments and any form of cheating on exams and other types of assignments.
Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s work as your own. It occurs when you:
- Borrow someone else’s facts, ideas, or opinions and put them entirely in your own words. You must acknowledge that these thoughts are not your own by immediately citing the source in your paper. Failure to do this is plagiarism.
- Borrow someone else’s words (short phrases, clauses, or sentences), you must enclose the copied words in quotation marks as well as citing the source. Failure to do this is plagiarism.
- Present someone else’s paper or exam (stolen, borrowed, or bought) as your own. You have committed a clearly intentional form of intellectual theft and have put your academic future in jeopardy. This is the worst form of plagiarism.
Here is another explanation from the 2020, seventh edition of the Manual of The American Psychological Association (APA):
“Plagiarism is the act of presenting the words, idea, or images of another as your own; it denies authors or creators of content the credit they are due. Whether deliberate or unintentional, plagiarism violates ethical standards in scholarship” (p. 254). This same principle applies to the illicit use of AI.
Plagiarism: Researchers do not claim the words and ideas of another as their own; they give credit where credit is due. Quotations marks should be used to indicate the exact words of another. Each time you paraphrase another author (i.e., summarize a passage or rearrange the order of a sentence and change some of the words), you need to credit the source in the text. The key element of this principle is that authors do not present the work of another as if it were their own words. This can extend to ideas as well as written words. If authors model a study after one done by someone else, the originating author should be given credit. If the rationale for a study was suggested in the discussion section of someone else's article, the person should be given credit. Given the free exchange of ideas, which is very important for the health of intellectual discourse, authors may not know where an idea for a study originated. If authors do know, however, they should acknowledge the source; this includes personal communications (p. 11). For guidance on proper documentation, consult the Academic Success Center or a recommended guide to documentation and research such as the Manual of the APA or the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. If you still have doubts concerning proper documentation, seek advice from your instructor prior to submitting a final draft.
TAMIU has penalties for plagiarism and cheating.
- Penalties for Plagiarism: Should a faculty member discover that a student has committed plagiarism, the student should receive a grade of 'F' in that course and the matter will be referred to the Honor Council for possible disciplinary action. The faculty member, however, may elect to give freshmen and sophomore students a “zero” for the assignment and to allow them to revise the assignment up to a grade of “F” (50%) if they believe that the student plagiarized out of ignorance or carelessness and not out of an attempt to deceive in order to earn an unmerited grade; the instructor must still report the offense to the Honor Council. This option should not be available to juniors, seniors, or graduate students, who cannot reasonably claim ignorance of documentation rules as an excuse. For repeat offenders in undergraduate courses or for an offender in any graduate course, the penalty for plagiarism is likely to include suspension or expulsion from the university.
- Caution: Be very careful what you upload to Turnitin or send to your professor for evaluation. Whatever you upload for evaluation will be considered your final, approved draft. If it is plagiarized, you will be held responsible. The excuse that “it was only a draft” will not be accepted.
- Caution: Also, do not share your electronic files with others. If you do, you are responsible for the possible consequences. If another student takes your file of a paper and changes the name to his or her name and submits it and you also submit the paper, we will hold both of you responsible for plagiarism. It is impossible for us to know with certainty who wrote the paper and who stole it. And, of course, we cannot know if there was collusion between you and the other student in the matter.
- Penalties for Cheating: Should a faculty member discover a student cheating on an exam or quiz or other class project, the student should receive a “zero” for the assignment and not be allowed to make the assignment up. The incident should be reported to the chair of the department and to the Honor Council. If the cheating is extensive, however, or if the assignment constitutes a major grade for the course (e.g., a final exam), or if the student has cheated in the past, the student should receive an “F” in the course, and the matter should be referred to the Honor Council. Additional penalties, including suspension or expulsion from the university may be imposed. Under no circumstances should a student who deserves an “F” in the course be allowed to withdraw from the course with a “W.”
- Caution: Chat groups that start off as “study groups” can easily devolve into “cheating groups.” Be very careful not to join or remain any chat group if it begins to discuss specific information about exams or assignments that are meant to require individual work. If you are a member of such a group and it begins to cheat, you will be held responsible along with all the other members of the group. The TAMIU Honor Code requires that you report any such instances of cheating.
- Student Right of Appeal: Faculty will notify students immediately via the student’s TAMIU e- mail account that they have submitted plagiarized work. Students have the right to appeal a faculty member’s charge of academic dishonesty by notifying the TAMIU Honor Council of their intent to appeal as long as the notification of appeal comes within 10 business days of the faculty member’s e-mail message to the student and/or the Office of Student Conduct and Community Engagement. The Student Handbook provides more details.
Use of Work in Two or More Courses
You may not submit work completed in one course for a grade in a second course unless you receive explicit permission to do so by the instructor of the second course. In general, you should get credit for a work product only once.
AI Policies
Your instructor will provide you with their personal policy on the use of AI in the classroom setting and associated coursework.
TAMIU E-Mail and SafeZone
Personal Announcements sent to students through TAMIU E-mail (tamiu.edu or dusty email) are the official means of communicating course and university business with students and faculty –not the U.S. Mail and no other e-mail addresses. Students and faculty must check their TAMIU e-mail accounts regularly, if not daily. Not having seen an important TAMIU e-mail or message from a faculty member, chair, or dean is not accepted as an excuse for failure to take important action.
Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to download the SafeZone app, which is a free mobile app for all University faculty, staff, and students. SafeZone allows you to: report safety concerns (24/7), get connected with mental health professionals, activate location sharing with authorities, and anonymously report incidents. Go to https://www.tamiu.edu/adminis/police/safezone/index.shtml for more information.
Copyright Restrictions
The Copyright Act of 1976 grants to copyright owners the exclusive right to reproduce their works and distribute copies of their work. Works that receive copyright protection include published works such as a textbook. Copying a textbook without permission from the owner of the copyright may constitute copyright infringement. Civil and criminal penalties may be assessed for copyright infringement. Civil penalties include damages up to $100,000; criminal penalties include a fine up to $250,000 and imprisonment. Copyright laws do not allow students and professors to make photocopies of copyrighted materials, but you may copy a limited portion of a work, such as article from a journal or a chapter from a book for your own personal academic use or, in the case of a professor, for personal, limited classroom use. In general, the extent of your copying should not suggest that the purpose or the effect of your copying is to avoid paying for the materials. And, of course, you may not sell these copies for a profit. Thus, students who copy textbooks to avoid buying them or professors who provide photocopies of textbooks to enable students to save money are violating the law.
Students with Disabilities
Texas A&M International University seeks to provide reasonable accommodations for all qualified persons with disabilities. This University will adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as required to afford equal education opportunity. It is the student's responsibility to register with the Office of Student Counseling and Disability Services located in Student Center 126. This office will contact the faculty member to recommend specific, reasonable accommodations. Faculty are prohibited from making accommodations based solely on communications from students. They may make accommodations only when provided documentation by the Student Counseling and Disability Services office.
Student Attendance and Leave of Absence (LOA) Policy
As part of our efforts to assist and encourage all students towards graduation, TAMIU provides
LOA’s for students, including pregnant/parenting students, in accordance with the Attendance Rule (Section 3.07) and the Student LOA Rule (Section 3.08), which includes the “Leave of Absence Request” form. Both rules can be found in the TAMIU Student Handbook (URL: http://www.tamiu.edu/studentaffairs/StudentHandbook1.shtml).
Pregnant and Parenting Students
Under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, harassment based on sex, including harassment because of pregnancy or related conditions, is prohibited. A pregnant/parenting student must be granted an absence for as long as the student’s physician deems the absence medically necessary. It is a violation of Title IX to ask for documentation relative to the pregnant/parenting student’s status beyond what would be required for other medical conditions. If a student would like to file a complaint for discrimination due to his or her pregnant/parenting status, please contact the TAMIU Title IX Coordinator (Lorissa M. Cortez, 5201 University Boulevard, KLM 159B, Laredo, TX 78041,TitleIX@tamiu.edu, 956.326.2857) and/or the Office of Civil Rights (Dallas Office, U.S. Department of Education, 1999 Bryan Street, Suite 1620, Dallas, TX 75201-6810, 214.661.9600). You can also report it on TAMIU’s anonymous electronic reporting site: https://www.tamiu.edu/reportit.
TAMIU advises a pregnant/parenting student to notify their professor once the student is aware that accommodations for such will be necessary. It is recommended that the student and professor develop a reasonable plan for the student’s completion of missed coursework or assignments. The Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity (Lorissa M. Cortez, lorissam.cortez@tamiu.edu) can assist the student and professor in working out the reasonable accommodations. For other questions or concerns regarding Title IX compliance related to pregnant/parenting students at the University, contact the Title IX Coordinator. In the event that a student will need a leave of absence for a substantial period of time, TAMIU urges the student to consider a Leave of Absence (LOA) as outlined in the TAMIU Student Handbook. As part of our efforts to assist and encourage all students towards graduation, TAMIU provides LOA’s for students, including pregnant/parenting students, in accordance with the Attendance Rule and the Student LOA Rule. Both rules can be found in the TAMIU Student Handbook (https://www.tamiu.edu/scce/studenthandbook.shtml).
Anti-Discrimination/Title IX
TAMIU does not discriminate or permit harassment against any individual on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity in admissions, educational programs, or employment. If you would like to file a complaint relative to Title IX or any civil rights violation, please contact the TAMIU Director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity/Title IX Coordinator, Lorissa M. Cortez, 5201 University Boulevard, Killam Library 159B, Laredo, TX 78041,TitleIX@tamiu.edu, 956.326.2857, via the anonymous electronic reporting website, ReportIt, at https://www.tamiu.edu/reportit, and/or the Office of Civil Rights (Dallas Office), U.S. Department of Education, 1999 Bryan Street, Suite 1620, Dallas, TX 75201-6810, 214.661.9600.
Incompletes
Students who are unable to complete a course should withdraw from the course before the final date for withdrawal and receive a “W.” To qualify for an “incomplete” and thus have the opportunity to complete the course at a later date, a student must meet the following criteria:
- The student must have completed 90% of the course work assigned before the final date for withdrawing from a course with a “W”, and the student must be passing the course;
- The student cannot complete the course because an accident, an illness, or a traumatic personal or family event occurred after the final date for withdrawal from a course;
- The student must sign an “Incomplete Grade Contract” and secure signatures of approval from the professor and the college dean.
- The student must agree to complete the missing course work before the end of the next long semester; failure to meet this deadline will cause the “I” to automatically be converted to an “F”; extensions to this deadline may be granted by the dean of the college. This is the general policy regarding the circumstances under which an “incomplete” may be granted, but under exceptional circumstances, a student may receive an incomplete who does not meet all of the criteria above if the faculty member, department chair, and dean recommend it.
WIN Contracts
The Department of Biology and Chemistry does not permit WIN contracts. For other departments within the college, WIN Contracts are offered only under exceptional circumstances and are limited to graduating seniors. Only courses offered by full-time TAMIU faculty or TAMIU instructors are eligible to be contracted for the WIN requirement. However, a WIN contract for a course taught by an adjunct may be approved, with special permission from the department chair and dean. Students must seek approval before beginning any work for the WIN Contract. No student will contract more than one course per semester. Summer WIN Contracts must continue through both summer sessions.
Student Responsibility for Dropping a Course
It is the responsibility of the student to drop the course before the final date for withdrawal from a course. Faculty members, in fact, may not drop a student from a course without getting the approval of their department chair and dean.
Independent Study Course
Independent Study (IS) courses are offered only under exceptional circumstances. Required courses intended to build academic skills may not be taken as IS (e.g., clinical supervision and internships). No student will take more than one IS course per semester. Moreover, IS courses are limited to seniors and graduate students. Summer IS course must continue through both summer sessions.
Grade Changes & Appeals
Faculty are authorized to change final grades only when they have committed a computational error or an error in recording a grade, and they must receive the approval of their department chairs and the dean to change the grade. As part of that approval, they must attach a detailed explanation of the reason for the mistake. Only in rare cases would another reason be entertained as legitimate for a grade change. A student who is unhappy with his or her grade on an assignment must discuss the situation with the faculty member teaching the course. If students believe that they have been graded unfairly, they have the right to appeal the grade using a grade appeal process in the Student Handbook and in the Faculty Handbook.
Final Examination
All courses in all colleges must include a comprehensive exam or performance and be given on the date and time specified by the Academic Calendar and the Final Exam schedule published by the Registrar’s Office. In the College of Arts & Sciences all final exams must contain a written component. The written component should comprise at least 20% of the final exam grade. Exceptions to this policy must receive the approval of the department chair and the dean at the beginning of the semester.
Mental Health and Well-Being
The university aims to provide students with essential knowledge and tools to understand and support mental health. As part of our commitment to your well-being, we offer access to Telus Health, a service available 24/7/365 via chat, phone, or webinar. Scan the QR code to download the app and explore the resources available to you for guidance and support whenever you need it. The Telus app is available to download directly from TELUS (tamiu.edu) or from the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Distance Education Courses
Course Structure
Students should first begin becoming acquainted with the course by visiting “Start Here” on Blackboard and completing all tasks in that section. The class is structured to be completed across nine modules. Each module has its respective readings, recorded lectures and assignments. Modules 1-4 are “standalone” modules while Modules 5-9 build on one another. Module assignments are meant to help students apply the course material to enhance students’ understanding of key concepts. All module materials can be accessed by visiting “Content” on blackboard.
Student-Instructor Communication Policy and Response Time
Announcements/Course Messages/Emails
Instructor will log into the course on at least 4 days during each week and responses to inquiries can be expected between 24-48 hours of receipt by the instructor.
Assignments and Assessments
Grades for your assignments will be posted within 7-10 days from the due date. The instructor may provide limited to no feedback on late submissions. In addition, grades for late submissions are not guaranteed to be posted within 7-10 days from the due date.
Course Communication Guidelines (Netiquette)
There are course expectations concerning etiquette or how we should treat each other online. We must consider these values as we communicate with one another. Visit Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services’ web page on Netiquette for further instruction.
Online communication is a very critical component of any online environment. There could be asynchronous communication (which means you are involved in a communication that IS NOT coordinated in time; such as a discussion forums, emails, blogs, wikis, etc.) or synchronous communication (which means you are involved in a communication that IS coordinated in time; such as a LIVE chat sessions, LIVE office hours, web-conferences, etc.) in an online environment.
By definition, etiquette is "the customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group." In cyberspace, netiquette is "acceptable way of communicating and behaving on the Internet."
Regardless of the type of communication used, you should always keep in mind the following:
- be respectful
- be considerate of others
- think through before responding
- write clearly and concisely
- respond in a timely manner
- use short paragraphs
- spell-check your responses
Avoid:
- CAPITAL LETTERS may be used to EMPHASIZE, but avoid typing in only capital letters as it may "sound" AS THOUGH YOU'RE SHOUTING!
- rambling writing style; get to the point quickly
- screens full of text
Accommodations/Accessibility Policy
Texas A&M International University seeks to provide reasonable accommodation for all qualified persons with disabilities. This University will adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as required to afford equal educational opportunity. It is the student's responsibility to register with the Director of Student Counseling and to contact the faculty member in a timely fashion to arrange for suitable accommodation. For more information, contact the online at Office of Disability Services for Students (DSS), via phone at 956.326.3086 or by visiting the staff at the Student Center, room 118. A link to the Disabilities Services for Students site has also been included under the "Resources" tab inside the course.
Student Support Resources
The University wishes to have all students succeed in their courses. To provide support to our students, an array of services in the areas of technology support, academic support, student support, and accessibility support may be found at the University. For more information, visit the Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services page on University Resources and Support Services.
Computer/Technology Requirements
Students in distance education should have knowledge of basic computer and Internet skills, as mentioned on the Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services’ webpage.
Required Basic Technical Knowledge and Skills
- Getting online.
- Using an Internet browser. (Recommended browsers: Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. Avoid: Internet Explorer, since this is no longer supported by Blackboard.)
- Downloading, saving, opening, and printing material found online.
- Conducting Internet searches.
- Composing e-mail/course messages and attaching documents. (Blackboard Student Help Link: Course Messages)
- Posting to a discussion forum. (Blackboard Student Help Link: Threads)
- Submitting to a drop box or assignment. (Blackboard Student Help Link: Submit Assignments)
- Writing and editing with a word processor, such as Notepad, MS Word, etc.
- Take online examinations.
- Learning new computer skills.
It is recommended that you meet the technical requirements listed on the Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services’ webpage when using the learning management system (LMS) of the University.
Additional Hardware. For this class, you will need the following additional hardware: a webcam and microphone for VoiceThread discussions. Recently purchased laptops may have these built-in web cameras. If you do not have this equipment, it is recommended to purchase a stand-alone webcam, microphone or a webcam with a built-in microphone from your local electronic store or any online store.
Additional Software. You will need the following additional software: Microsoft PowerPoint for viewing lesson presentations and Microsoft Word for viewing course files and submitting assignments. TAMIU Students may access online versions of this software through their Dusty Office 365 account at https://dusty.tamiu.edu/. This site also provides students access to download the Microsoft suite for educational use. See instructions for downloading the Microsoft Office suite.
Note: Students if you do not own the required hardware, software or do not have access to internet, it will be highly challenging for you to make any progress in this class. However, my goal is to assist you to find solutions and guide you appropriately most of the required materials can either be found free of charge at TAMIU’s library, computer labs, and classrooms. In addition, you may also purchase any of these items at any electronic store.
Learning Management System (Blackboard)
Students are provided with an orientation (*eLearning (Blackboard) Student Orientation*) and access to guides on how to use the Blackboard LMS. Guides may be available at Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services' Student eLearning Tutorial Videos page or by contacting the eLearning team at elearning@tamiu.edu.
Minimum Technical Skills Expected
When participating in distance education courses, it is vital to consider the technology involved in order to have a successful course. Students in distance education should have knowledge of basic computer and Internet skills, as mentioned on the Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services’ webpage.
Technical Support Services
Because of the nature of distance education courses, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) computing and information services are vital to the success of online students. This webpage covers contact information for Distance Education Services (Blackboard Support), the OIT Help Desk, and E-mail support: Technical Support Services.
Web Conferences/Synchronous sessions
Students are not required to attend synchronous lecture sessions to successfully complete this course; however, students are required to review all recorded lectures. Moreover, students may request one-on-one web conference sessions with the course instructor to address any questions or concerns with the course. If you feel that you may benefit from such support, you are encouraged to attend my virtual office hours.
Grading Scale/Schema (after Grade Breakdown section)
In determining the final course grade, the following scale is used in percentage or point value.
- 90-100=A (549-610 points)
- 80-89=B (488- 548 points)
- 70-79=C (427-487 points)
- 69-60=D (366-426 points)
- Below 60=F (£365 points)
NOTE: An incomplete cannot be given if the student does not have a passing grade at the time the incomplete is given
Rubrics (may be included here and in the Syllabus and Overview in the course)
Rubrics for each assignment can be found on Blackboard under “Content” and by then visiting the respective module page. Each rubric provides a breakdown of key features that will be assessed for each assignment. Students are highly encouraged to review the assignment’s rubric before developing and submitting each assignment.
Late Work Policy
Timely submission of course assignments is important and enables timely feedback that is valuable for your progress, improvement and success in the course. Therefore, it is necessary to manage your time accordingly. If an unexpected or uncontrollable life event presents itself and will impact your ability to meet a submission deadline, it is critical for you to contact the instructor immediately to request an extension, if possible. Note that all approvals for late submissions and whether or not deductions apply for late submissions are completely at the discretion of the instructor. Standard course requirements and expectations are not eligible for consideration of late submissions (e.g., occupational commitments; lack of preparation through readings and/or other materials; travel; poor time management; lack of awareness of deadlines; failure to obtain necessary course textbooks, materials, and equipment; issues with internet access; etc.). If you have any questions about when an assignment is due, please ask for clarification.
Course content (e.g., assignments, discussions, quizzes, projects, exams) submitted late without prior communication with and approval by the instructor, outside of emergency absences, or in violation of established agreements for late submission, will receive deductions of 10% per day until 3 days beyond the due date at 11:59 pm CST. Any submissions received after this point will not be accepted and receive a score of 0%.
Course Evaluation
At the end of this course, students are encouraged to complete a course evaluation that will be distributed to them via email and through a course link.
Turnitin Policy Or Other Types of Assignments in Other Systems
Students agree that by taking this course, all required papers, exams, class projects or other assignments submitted for credit may be submitted to turnitin.com or similar third parties to review and evaluate for originality and intellectual integrity. A description of the services, terms and conditions of use and privacy policy of turnitin.com is available on its website: <http://www.turnitin.com/>. Students understand all work submitted to turnitin.com will be added to its database of papers. Students further understand that if the results of such a review support an allegation of academic dishonesty, the course work in question as well as any supporting materials may be submitted to the Honor Council for investigation and further action.
Proctoring
Proctoring is not required for this course.Accessibility and Privacy Statements on Course Technologies
At Texas A&M International University, we believe that all students should have equal technology opportunities in the classroom. These technologies/sites may also require user data, such as the creation of a username and password. You may find the accessibility and privacy policies of the technologies used in this class on the following pages: Accessibility Statements and Privacy Statements.
In this class, we will utilize: In this class, we will utilize Blackboard, Echo360, and Turnitin.
Syllabus Subject to Change
While information and assurances are provided in this course syllabus, it should be understood that content may change in keeping with new research and literature and that events beyond the control of the instructor could occur. Students will be informed of any substantive occurrences that will produce syllabus changes.