NURS 5344 780: Population Health < Texas A&M International University

NURS 5344 - Population Health: Population Health (Sub II- Mar 24 to May 09)

Spring 2025 Syllabus, Section 780, CRN 25920

Instructor Information

Angel Smothers, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC

Nursing Faculty

Email: angel.smothers@tamiu.edu

Office Hours:
Virtual by appointment

Cell Phone: 304-952-4316

Times and Location

Does Not Meet Face-to-Face

Course Description

This course addresses the study of health and illness trajectories in global health systems along with frameworks designed to address these issues. Methods of predicting utilization are addressed. Topics include emerging health issues, wellness promotion and disease prevention, health education and behavior medication, and disaster preparedness. Prerequisite: NURS 5320.

Nursing Department, College of Nursing&Health Sci

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the MSN program, graduates will:

1. Critically analyze, interpret and utilize appropriate knowledge, research and theories to meet the health care needs of diverse client populations across the lifespan.

2. Collaboratively plan the delivery of culturally sensitive health care with organizations and the community.

3. Contribute to the advancement of nursing profession through evidenced-based research and practice.

4. Synthesize the leadership management, negotiating, teaching/coaching and consulting roles to foster continual improvement in order to meet changing societal and environmental needs.

5. Operationalize ethical, legal, political, and economic principles in application to management of healthcare delivery across the lifespan.

6. Advocate for advanced nursing practice through a commitment to lifelong learning and community service.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course the student is expected to be able to:

1. Identify frameworks of health and illness trajectories in global health systems.

2. Evaluate methods of predicting healthcare utilization for various populations.

3. Explain various topics effecting global populations

4. Create an evidence-based population health management program.

Important Dates

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

Textbooks

Group	Title	Author	ISBN
Required	Epidemiology (6th ed.).	Gordis, L. (2019)	978-0323552295
Required	Population health: Creating a culture of wellness (3rd ed.)	Nash, D. B., Fabius, R, J., Skoufalos, A., Clarke, J. L., & Horowitz, M. R. (2021)	978-1284047929
Required	American Psychological Association (7th ed.)	American Psychological Association (2020)	978-1433832161

Other Course Materials

To go to the bookstore, click here.

APA Course Requirements

All coursework will be submitted using the APA 7th edition format. APA format is expected throughout your MSN program. Additionally, references must be obtained from literature published and secured by TAMIU’s library database or a US government website (WHO, CDC, or similar state government websites). No other websites, including Google, should be referenced without prior approval. This course utilizes scholarly literature that has been scrutinized through a peer review process -most information obtained through a nongovernmental website will not be considered appropriate for this course.

Academic Honesty

As members in an academic community, students at TAMIU are expected to act with honesty and integrity in their pursuit of higher education, be mature, be self-directed and be able to manage their own affairs. Students who are unwilling to abide by these basic expectations may find themselves facing academic and disciplinary sanctions. Students are expected to share in the responsibility and authority with faculty and staff to challenge and make known acts that violate the TAMIU Honor Code. For more information on the Honor Code, please visit the Office of Student Conduct and Community Engagement website at https://www.tamiu.edu/scce/. TAMIU Faculty has the authority to implement academic policies or impose grade penalties as appropriate. For more information, please visit the TAMIU Faculty Handbook at: http://www.tamiu.edu/senate/handbook.shtml.

Section 7.01 - Violations of Academic Conduct

Academic dishonesty is any act, or attempt, which gives an unfair advantage to the student. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:

Plagiarism. The act of passing off some other person’s ideas, words, or works as one’s own. It includes, but is not limited to, the appropriating, buying, receiving as a “gift” or obtaining, by any other means, another’s work for submission as one’s own academic work.
Cheating. An act of deception in which a student misrepresents that he/she has mastered information related to an academic exercise.
Lying. Deliberate falsification with the intent to deceive in written or verbal form as it applies to an academic submission.
Bribery. Providing, offering or taking rewards in exchange for a grade, an assignment or the aid of academic dishonesty.
Collusion. The unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing academic assignments offered for credit and/or grade, collaborating with others on projects where such collaboration is expressly forbidden, or where the syllabus states the default as being one's own work.
Flagrant Academic Misconduct. Repeated or severe violation(s) of the academic rule.

Accommodations/Accessibility Policy

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 Director of Student Counseling and to contact the faculty member in a timely fashion to arrange for suitable accommodations. For more information, contact the Office of Disability Services for Students (DSS) via phone at 956.326.2230, online at http://www.tamiu.edu/wellness/disability.shtml, or by visiting the staff at the Senator Judith Zaffirini Student Success Center, room 138. A link to the Disabilities Services for Students site has also been included under the "Resources" tab inside the course.

Blackboard Student Orientations

Online Orientations: You can access your course(s) via Blackboard. We encourage you to view the Blackboard Student Training Videos (found below).
Face-to-Face Orientations: Face-to-face Blackboard orientations are available the first two weeks of every semester. To check the Blackboard Student Orientation schedule, go to the OIT Professional Development website, log in with your student credentials, and self-register for a workshop. You can also schedule a one-on-one Blackboard orientation by contacting the OIT Helpdesk at (956) 326-2310 and asking for eLearning Coordinator's assistance.
For accessibility on necessary course technology, visit: http://www.tamiu.edu/distance/technology/accessibility-statements.
For statements on privacy policies on the use of third-party websites, visit http://www.tamiu.edu/distance/technology/privacy-statements.shtml to find links to the company’s privacy policies.

Course Communication Guidelines (Netiquette)

What Is Netiquette?

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.”

Netiquette Tips

be respectful
Regardless of the type of communication used, you should always keep in mind the following:
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.
There are course expectations concerning etiquette or how we should treat each other online. It is vital that we consider these values as we communicate with one another. Visit Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services’ web page on Netiquette for further instruction.

Course Communication Policy and Response Time

1. Communication and Response Time Policy

Students must check their dusty email account every 24 hours to ensure that they are able to respond to any email communication from their course faculty with 24-48 of receiving the email. Emails sent to the course faculty should be emailed to BB email address and the faculty will respond within 24-48 business hours. If the faculty has not responded within 48 business hours, the student must call or resend the email the faculty to ensure that the original email was received. Students should read any email sent by the course faculty thoroughly to ensure that they respond within the designated time frame or within the requested time frame. This is considered a professional responsibility.

2. Feedback and Response time to Assignments and Assessments

The faculty will grade assignments and return assignments submitted within 7-14 business days. Exams will be graded within 72 hours. Quizzes will be graded and grades will be submitted within one week and formal paper assignments will be graded and feedback provided to students within 7-14 days.

3. Formal Paper Policy

All scholarly papers are expected to be written using APA Format 7th Edition. Please ensure that the final draft is the copy the student plans to submit. If the copy submitted into Blackboard is found to have plagiarism, the excuse of “it was my rough draft I accidentally submitted,” will NOT be a valid reason. The student will receive a “zero” for the assignment and the matter will be forwarded to the University Honor Council and possible sanction or dismissal.

4. Late Assignment Policy

Papers must be submitted by 11:59 pm on the due date. Late papers will not be accepted for grading and will be given a score of 0 (Zero), unless the course faculty grants permission in advance. It is the student’s responsibility to request permission to submit a late paper as soon as the student is aware that they will be late in submitting their paper. It is also the responsibility of the student to make sure that the faculty member has received the paper through blackboard or TurnItIn receipts by the due date and time.

Assessment/Discussion Forums

The instructor will respond to student posts in the forum each week and will be in the forums reviewing all comments making additional responses to students and asking questions to promote further discussion. The instructor will review and grade all posts following the end of the week’s discussion forum deadline. The discussion week begins on Monday mornings at 12:01 a.m. CST and ends on Sunday nights at 11:59 p.m. CST.

Discussion Forum Submission Instructions: For each discussion forum, your initial post should be substantial and complete. A “substantial and complete” initial post includes a synthesis of evidence from the literature and contains a real-world example. It is a post that is at least 250 words in length, and includes three or more peer-reviewed journals as references, which are provided at the end of the posting, in which citations are provided in APA format. This initial post should be made by the Wednesday of the week (by 11:59 pm CST).

In addition, you are to respond to others in the class, the instructor and/or peers on at least three occasions with follow-up replies that are substantial and which promote further discussion by asking follow-up questions on three separate days of the week. A “substantial” follow-up post is at least 150 words in length, which is more than a simple “I agree with you” type of reply. It should be thoughtful and reflect a rationale for the statement made, and it should pose a question to promote ongoing and further discussion on the topic. You are to include a peer-reviewed article to support your substantial replies to your peers.

Late Work

Papers must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CST on the due date. Late papers will not be accepted for grading and will be given a score of 0, unless the course faculty grants permission in advance. It is the student’s responsibility to request permission to submit a late paper as soon as the student is aware that they will be late in submitting their paper. It is also the responsibility of the student to make sure that the faculty member has received the paper through Blackboard or TurnItIn receipts by the due date and time.

Instructor Feedback

The instructor will review and grade all written assignments and provide feedback within one week following the due date of the assignment. The instructor will respond to emails within 48 hours.

Course Outline

1. Introduction to Population Health

2. The Spectrum of Care

3. Policy Implications

4. Population Health Education

5. The Political Landscape

6. Behavior Change

7. Patient Engagement

8. Behavioral Economics

9. Health System Navigation

10. Transitions of Care

11. Health Quality and Safety Across the Care Continuum

12. Information Technology

13. Decision Support

14. Population Health in Action

15. Health Reform

16. A Healthy Workforce

17. Research and Population Health

Grading 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 nursing course and progress in the program, a nursing student must attain an exam average (includes tests and the final) of 75% or higher.
To pass a nursing course and progress in the program, a nursing student must attain an overall course average of 75% or higher.

Read the CSON Grading and Grade Rounding Policy found in the student handbook for additional information on examinations (pg.51).

The use of AI including ChatGPT and CoPilot among others is not allowed in the creation of written assignments. You can use this technology to assist you in outline concepts and ideas, but not in the generation of assignment.

Grading Policies
Grade	Value
GRADE	PERCENTAGE
A	90-100
B	80-89
C	70-79
F	69 and below

Schedule of Topics and Assignments

Week of	Agenda/Topic	Reading(s)	Due
3/24	Studying systemic problems in populations	Nash, et al. Chapters 1 & 2 Gordis Chapters 1, 2, & 3	Introduction Forum - Not graded Discussion Forum 1 Initial post due Wednesday, Responses due Sunday Exercise 1 - Due Sunday by midnight
3/31	Population health and education and government policies	Nash, et al. Chapters 3, 4, & 5 Gordis Chapters 4 & 6	Discussion Forum 2 Initial post due Wednesday, Responses due Sunday Exercise 2 - Due Sunday by midnight Assignment 1 - Due: Sunday by midnight
4/7	Noncompliance and behavioral economics	Nash, et al. Chapters 6, 7, & 8 Gordis Chapters 5, 10, & 11	Discussion Forum 3 Initial post due Wednesday, Responses due Sunday Exercise 3 - Due Sunday by midnight
4/14	Population health models	Nash, et al. Chapters 9, 10, & 11 Gordis Chapters 7, 8, 12, & 13	Discussion Forum 4 Initial post due Wednesday, Responses due Sunday Exercise 4 - Due Sunday by midnight Assignment 2 - Due Sunday by midnight
4/21	Genetic and environmental barriers to health	Nash, et al. Chapters 12, 13, & 14 Gordis Chapters 9, 14, 15, & 16	Discussion Forum 5 Initial post due Wednesday, Responses due Sunday Exercise 5 - Due Sunday by midnight
4/28	Wellness program projects	Nash, et al. Chapters 15, 16, & 17 Gordis Chapters 17 & 18	Discussion Forum 6 Initial post due Wednesday, Responses due Sunday Exercise 6 - Due Sunday by midnight Assignment 3 - Due Sunday by midnight
5/5	Global health and frameworks of health and illness trajectories	Nash, et al. Chapters 18, 19, & 20 Gordis Chapters 19 & 20	Discussion Forum 7 Initial post due Wednesday, Responses due Sunday

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

This is an all online course where the students will interact with each other and faculty using the online discussion area. Students will have online discussion assignments that require peer to peer interaction. Students will also be supported by faculty with discussion interaction. In addition to course discussion assignments, there will be 6 exercises and three assignments due in this course.

Student-Instructor Communication Policy and Response Time

Announcements/Course Messages/Emails

Course Communication Policy and Response Time

Communication and Response Time Policy: Students must check their dusty email account every 24 hours to ensure that they are able to respond to any email communication from their course faculty with 24-48 of receiving the email. Emails sent to the course faculty should be emailed to Bb email address and the faculty will respond within 24-48 business hours. If the faculty has not responded within 48 business hours, the student must call or resend the email the faculty to ensure that the original email was received. Students should read any email sent by the course faculty thoroughly to ensure that they respond within the designated time frame or within the requested time frame. This is considered a professional responsibility.
Feedback and Response time to Assignments and Assessments. The faculty will grade assignments and return assignments submitted within 7-14 business days. Exams will be graded within 72 hours. Quizzes will be graded and grades will be submitted within one week and formal paper assignments will be graded and feedback provided to students within 7-14 days.
Formal Paper Policy
It is expected that all scholarly papers will be written using APA Format 7th Edition. Please ensure that the final draft is the copy the student plans to submit. If the copy submitted into Blackboard is found to have plagiarism, the excuse of “it was my rough draft I accidentally submitted,” will NOT be a valid reason. The student will receive a “zero” for the assignment and the matter will be forwarded to the University Honor Council and possible sanction or dismissal.
Late Assignment Policy: Papers must be submitted by 10:00 pm on the due date. Late papers will not be accepted for grading and will be given a score of 0 (Zero), unless the course faculty grants permission in advance. It is the student’s responsibility to request permission to submit a late paper as soon as the student is aware that they will be late in submitting their paper. It is also the responsibility of the student to make sure that the faculty member has received the paper through blackboard or TurnItIn receipts by the due date and time.

Examity

In this class, tests will be administered remotely by an online authentication and proctoring service called Examity®, which gives you the flexibility to schedule exams at your convenience and take them wherever you want. To prepare for using Examity®, you will need to meet the following technical requirements:

Working Webcam and Microphone which can be tested at www.testmycam.net
An Internet connection of at least 3Mbps (www.speedtest.net)
Chrome/ Mozilla/ Safari/ Internet Explorer/ Microsoft Edge browser
Up to date Operating system (Windows or Mac OS)
Please click on the link below to run an automated systems check http://prod.examity.com/systemcheck/ComputerReadinessCheck.aspx If you do not pass the systems check or have any questions or concerns, you can contact Examity’s® technical support team 24/7 via email at support@examity.com or phone at (855) 392-6489.

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.

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

It is recommended that students meet the technical requirements listed on the Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services’ webpage when using the Blackboard, the learning management system (LMS) of the University. Below is information regarding orientation to Bb. Additionally, students can find assistance in Bb under the “Student Support” tab of Bb, information on technology support services, academic support services, student support services, and accessibility support services may be found there. Additionally, Atomic Learning training videos may be beneficial if any students lacking technology skills. Students should have knowledge of basic computer and Internet skills, as mentioned on the TAMIU Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services’ webpage.

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. Additional skills required for this course include knowing how to use VoiceThread and Turnitin.

NOTE: Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services may check out available webcams to students on a first-come, first-served basis. To check out a webcam, please stop by Killam Library, Room 259, and request an available webcam.

Note: Students, if you do not own the required hardware or software or do not have access to the Internet, it will be highly challenging for you to make any progress in this class. However, my goal is to assist you in finding solutions and guide you appropriately most of the required materials can either be found free of charge at TAMIU’s library, classrooms, and available computer labs. Visit Media Services’ web page on the availability of on-campus computer labs. In addition, you may also purchase any of these items at any electronic store.

When participating in distance education courses, it is vital to consider the technology involved in order to have a successful course. Online students will need regular access to a personal computer that runs on a broadband Internet connection. It 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 already. 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.

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.

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.

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.