FIN5310
Financial Management
COURSE SYLLABUS
1
Table of Contents
I. Course Title
II. Course Description
III. Course Professors
IV. Course Objectives
V. Materials
VI. Course Outline and Expectations
VII. Technology Requirements
VIII. Grading and Evaluation
IX. Course Evaluation
X. Course Topics/Course Calendar
XI. Additional Course Information/Other Policies
XII. University/College/Department Policies
I. Course Title
FIN5310 – Financial Management
II. Course Description
This course focuses on the analysis, evaluation, and application of contemporary theories
of finance. The material covered includes the financial environment, valuation concepts,
capital budgeting, capital structure and dividend policy, working capital management,
issue in international finance, mergers, and acquisitions, and long-term financing. 3
credits.
III. Course Professors
Professor
Name: Dr. Heriberto Garcia, CFA, CMA, CSCA.
Title: Associate Professional (Clinical Professor)
Phone: 956.326.2510
Email: hgarcianunez@tamiu.edu
Office Hours: Monday to Thursday 9 AM. to 11 AM. You can visit / conference call for
sure during this schedule time. As an alternative I usually I am on my office during office
hours 9 Hrs. to 17 Hrs. Monday to Fridays. Sometimes I have classes or meetings, you can
leave message or email me using Black Board course message.
IV. Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, each student will:




CO1: Define the theories of finance.
CO2: Describe the financial market that involves key financial decisions.
CO3: Analyze the capital budgeting process.
CO4: Identify how international financial markets have influenced the domestic
financial markets.
V. Materials
Textbook

Foundations of Financial Management, 17th Edition. McGraw Hill eBook
ISBN10: 126001391X | ISBN13: 9781260013917
By Stanley Block, Geoffrey Hirt, Bartley Danielsen
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The required textbook will guide students through the concepts in this course.
Students will be presented with real-world situations from the textbook readings
and assignments.
IT IS MANDATORY IN THIS COURSE TO HAVE FINANCIAL CALCULATOR
VI. Course Outline and Expectations
Participation/Attendance
This is an online course. There will be no extra credit given during the course.
Academic Honesty
Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s work as one’s own. Recently, the Internet has
complicated the picture. Getting something from the Internet and presenting it as one’s own is
still plagiarism. Copying another student’s paper or a portion of the paper - is usually called
“copying”. Neither plagiarism nor copying will be tolerated. Should a faculty member discover
that a student has committed plagiarism, the student will receive a grade of ‘F’ in that course
and the matter may, if necessary, be referred to the TAMIU Honor Council for possible
disciplinary action.
Course Structure
This 7-week course will consist of 11 topics. Module folders are located under the Course
Materials, Activities, and Assessments icon in the Blackboard course. During each module, you
will find a Module Introduction that will provide you with an overview of the important concepts
for the module and an overview of the assignments that will be due for that particular module.
The Course Objectives are provided in each module folder to remind you of what you will learn
throughout the course. The Module Objectives are listed in each module folder to provide a
focus on what the main objectives will be for each module. An overview of the module activities
will provide you with an outline of the different activities and due dates for all assignments in
each module. In addition, lecture materials, such as PowerPoint presentations will be provided in
each module folder. Finally, you will find links to all of your assignments in the module folders.
Below is an overview of the different types of assignments that you will complete during this
course.
This course is more quantitative-oriented than most graduate courses, ergo students must have
the ability to understand the concepts covered in the textbook and apply the concepts to realworld business cases.
Reading the chapters every week and solving problems and exercises covered at the end of each
chapter is one of the major responsibilities of the student during this course. In addition, 2
business case reports will require the student to understand the materials in order to achieve
what is required, business reports are related to one particular real business case that you will
develop during the semester.
Discussion forums will help students to see beyond their own business case questions.
Participation in discussion forums can help students to understand the concepts we cover this
semester by seeing them applied in different situations, and to different business cases,
reinforcing students’ learning experience.
2 exams are assigned; these exams will cover concepts found in the textbook. To perform well
on exams, students should read all assigned chapters thoroughly, watch the course lectures
available with the textbook resources, and work through all guided examples for each module.
Exams become available during specific dates and hours to see the schedule table. Students
will have 2 hours to complete Students should not receive assistance from any person or any
other source.
The exams are strictly timed, and at the end of the allotted time access to the exam will end. The
exam clock will start the first time the student opens the exam. Students should ensure that
before they access an exam they have reliable access to the internet. I recommend that you
come to campus to take the exams if you do not have access to reliable internet. The instructor
cannot restart the exam clock, nor can students be given a second opportunity to take the exam.
Plan ahead and be prepared.
Minimum Technical Skills Expected
A student enrolling this course should be familiar using the latest versions of Microsoft Office and its
bundle of software such as MS Word, MS Excel, MS Power Point. A student is also expected to have ready
access to a computer and/or laptop with stable Internet access and connection. A student should also
possess basic computer interactional skills (spreadsheet and word processing, drafting presentation
materials), Internet navigations skills, and emailing skills.
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.
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.
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 Instructional Technology
and Distance Education Services’ page on University Resources and Support Services.
Student-Instructor Communication Policy and Response Time
Course Messages/Emails
The best way to contact your instructor is through email. For the purposes of this course, all
communication and exchanges will be through the Blackboard course email facility on Blackboard. The
instructor’s response to a student’s email will be within 48 hours.

Assignments and Assessments
Given the fast pace of this course, all written assignments, discussion forums, and assessments will have a
specific time and date to engage and complete. That said submission deadlines will be strictly observed.
Hence, you will need to engage and complete these assignments and assessments on time.
The specific time and date to access, engage, and complete any particular assignment or assessment are
duly posted in the syllabus and in the Blackboard course.
With regards to feedback time for exams and critique assignments, these will be available within 48 hours
from the close of these assessments and assignments’ submission portal on Blackboard. For the final
grade, feedback will be available within 48 hours after the course ends.
Course Communication Guidelines (Netiquette)
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.
VII. Technology Requirements
Computer/Technology Requirements
This course was designed and to be used in MAC IOS OPERATIVE SYSTEM OR WINDOWS
ENVIRONMENT.
EXAMS, REPORTS AND DISCUSSION REQUIRE TO USE EXCEL, WORD AND ANY BROWSER USING
THESE OS SYSTEMS BY DEFAULT.
THIS COURSE DOES NOT WORK WITH CHROME OPERATIVE SYSTEM. You must find the way to use
any of these two OS.
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 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
Students are provided with guides and online ticketing service when an LMS issues arises.
Blackboard Help is available at http://www.tamiu.edu/distance/students/elearningorientation.shtml.
Technical Support Services
Inform students on how they may acquire technical support for their online courses, such as email, LMS, or
HelpDesk support.
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, the OIT Help Desk, and E-mail support: Technical
Support Services.
VIII. Grading and Evaluation
Final Grade Calculation
Grading Scale/Schema
In determining the final course grade, the following scale is used:
90- 100%
80- 89.99%
70- 79.99%
60- 69.99%
below 60
A
B
C
D
F
There is no extra credit available in this class.
All requests regarding course record corrections (e.g. exams, case reports) must be submitted in
writing within one (1) week after graded materials are returned, reviewed, and/or after grades
have been posted in the BlackBoard grade book. After that time, all grades and records become
final. Please note that any and all changes are at the sole discretion of the instructor.
Rubrics
Rubrics are included for the written assignments in the course. The rubrics used
will be used to assess the course’s assignments.
Late Work Policy
Any late work by definition will earn a ZERO.
IX. 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.
X. Course Topics/Course Calendar Schedule Table
Listing of dates of when modules and assignments will be followed in the course. Due
dates may be listed. Important course dates, such as withdrawal dates may be listed.
Yellow Cells denote important attention for the student, keep in mind that every week we
have one quiz and one case report to fulfill.
Remember FINAL exams by TAMIU policy must be
comprehensive.
Activity Descriptions
If for any reason, you have an unexpected event (health, illness or accident) I can make exceptions, but
you must document your event and should be immediately informed to me after you know the event
that will change your agenda for the following weeks. You must send me the documented evidence
(you can delete your personal delicate information) and must be within the 2 days before or after the
event. This is the only exception that I can accept to alter the grading process. Your documented case
will be reviewed by my supervisor and then I will be able to negotiate with you how we are going to
handle your case.
Remember it should be an event that is death or life situation.
If you do not follow these important rules and submit your information in a different time, manner and
not following this protocol, I will not be able to help you.
2 Case Reports description: You will be assigned with one public firm traded into one of the major
financial markets, below are the instructions:
1. You will be assigned to one public firm during the semester.
2. You must visit the company's official web page to download the latest 3 SEC
Fillings 10K Reports. You must download the pdf’s files from the last 3 years.
3. Inside the SEC 10K Annual reports you must read the sections related to Part 1.
Business Descriptions and Risk Factors. Part 2. Selected Financial Data and
Management’s Discussion and Analysis. Part 4. Financial statements and notes to
the consolidated financial statements.
4. As is described in section X Course Topics/Course Calendar/Schedule Table, there
are some topics and chapters to read each week. For example, for Module 1,
which represents the first week of the course, we are going to cover the concept
of Framework for Analyst and Valuation Module 1. You must read this chapter.
5. After reading the SEC10K files from your firm and the related chapter for the
week. Then you will be able to make the weekly case report. Below is the content
and requisites for the report.
Content related to the 2 case reports.
Each report must provide calculations using an Excel Spreadsheet, conclusions must be included
in a word document file. The 2 cases reports are going to be related to your semester real case
company assigned by your professor at the beginning of the semester.
Each number below must be addressed in one excel tab.
Case Report 1.
1- Evaluate the 4 economic dimensions of your firm, liquidity, profitability, debt-paying ability,
and Investors. Here you must perform the FSA for your firm. Your conclusions must be based on
at least 3 years of analysis. Evaluate means if the dimension is improving, stable, or getting
worse.
2- Select one of the company bonds, issued in the past. Given the actual rates, perform an
economic valuation answering what is the market price of the bond, including the calculations in
the spreadsheet and conclusions in your word document.
3- Calculate the Beta of your firm, using 60 historical monthly data. Provide conclusions and
calculations.
Case Report 2
1-Using any of the methods from your textbook, select the most appropriate for your firm to
conclude the Value of your company stock.
2-Select one option instrument used by your firm and explain the motives, reasons, economics,
and risk management foundations. Provide specific details about the instrument.
3- Using the company's beta calculations and the all financial liabilities of the firm calculates the
Cost of Capital of your firm, using the Weighted Average Cost of Capital, WACC, and use the
previous year's tax rate to conclude the actual WACC.
4- Forecast at least 5 years of cash flow, using your own assumptions. Remember, you must
forecast the cash flow to reach the economic value of your firm.
5- Calculate using the previous point the value of your firm.
6- Conclude how the actually expected cash flow is related to the capital structure of your firm.
All Case Reports must pass the SAFE ASSIGN TOOL NO MORE THAN 10% ORIGINALITY SCORE. Visit the
following page if you need to learn more about Safe Assign Tool
http://www.tamiu.edu/distance/students/elearning-orientation.shtml or by contacting the
eLearning team at elearning@tamiu.edu.
Your report must pass the originality report with a score lower than 10%. If your case report is above the
10% originality score maximum accepted level, your grade will be zero. You will have the opportunity to
reduce your originality score as far the dropbox is open, sometimes it will be required to submit several
times the file to reach below the 10% permitted. No late submissions are accepted.
Here are some important rules before you read the rubric:
1.
Case reports with more than 10% safe-assign have a grade of ZERO. If you have more than 10%
and your excuse is that you did not receive the system update about your safe-assign score, your grade is
ZERO. Any other excuse is also not valid.
2.
If you submit a PDF file, or a file different from WORD your grade is ZERO.
3.
If you submit a different file or different version, because (any of 120 reasons I have) your grade
is ZERO.
4.
If you do not submit your file because of, bad internet connection, your full working agenda, your
computer failed or any of the 100 excuses I have in my memory, your grade is ZERO.
5.
If for any reason your file is not in the right dropbox in time, your grade is Zero. (you submitted
your file into a different week or dropbox)
6.
If you fail to submit your file because the dropbox was closed 2 or 3 minutes before your personal
clock, your grade is Zero.
Material and Content
to Cover
The application
between materials
and case company
Not Acceptable
The student was
not able to
complete the
material as is
expected or it is
incomplete
meaning less than
the expected
10/100
The report lacks the
relation between
what is covered in
chapters and the
case company
annual report
20/100
Rubric Case Reports
Below Average
Content is
complete, but it
lacks the order,
clarity, and
cohesive manner
20/100
The report has
some relation
between the
material covered in
chapters and the
application into the
case company, but
not a description of
benefits or of using
the theoretical
concepts 30/100
Good
Complete, cohesive
but it lacks the
theoretical
conclusions to
properly perform
the valuation or
analysis 35/100
Excellent
Complete, cohesive,
conclusion according to
the theory 50/100
Complete
application of all
the concepts but
without concrete
mention of how the
parts produce a
competitive
advantage 40/100
The complete link
between the theory and
practice with concrete
examples of how
concepts are related
with strategic advantage
50/100
2 Exams You must install and learn how to use the MONITOR Respondus Software. Exams will be
scheduled in advance every week, see the schedule table to know exactly the schedule for the semester,
exams will be available only at the scheduled time at the end of this document. Exams will be open-ended
questions, Multiple Choice questions, or a combination of both. For the Exams, it will be required to know
the material revised during the previous weeks. It is going to be required to have a FINANCIAL calculator
to perform calculations. The time required in each exam will vary because it required answering open
questions, but you should expect to block at minimum 120 minutes of your time. Once you start the exam
it cannot be paused or aborted; you must finish the exam. Exams results are going to be released within
48 hours after the due date. See the schedule table to know exactly the chapters that are covered for
each exam. Because here I informing you in ADVANCE due exams are graded with ZERO.
The final exam is comprehensive. It covers all chapters covered in this course.
Because exams are a combination of open-ended and multiple-choice questions, here are some basic
rules and ideas in regard to the 3 exams.
1. If you have a multiple-choice question, try not to exceed 120 seconds per question or 2
minutes.
2. If you have an essay, open-end question, try not to exceed 15 minutes of your time.
3. Essay, calculations, or open-ended questions require you to calculate and support your
answers, if you just answer without the explanations, without calculations or logic behind the
answer, you will have only half the points of that question.
4. Writing something just to repeat or justify that you answered something that is unrelated to
the question, you will have no credit.
If you have for any reason more than 5 flags using the Monitor Respondus Software your grade will be
ZERO. If you have two exams with 5 flags, your case will be submitted to the Honors Student Committee.
Flags are produced when you are seeing other places except for your screen monitor. Cheating is a
serious offense in this course.
It is obvious to tell you that you cannot chat, nor communicate or talk with any other person during the
exam. Exams are individual and Cheating is a SERIOUS offense in this course.
Final Comprehensive Exam. The officially scheduled date for your final exam is on the schedule table, it is
official and cannot be modified. The final exam is comprehensive and will require no more than 120
minutes.
3 Discussion Forums: One way to enhance the learning experience is using discussion forums, for
example, if you know the importance of account receivables and inventories in your case firm in terms of
relative importance, or in terms of days or turnover and then you want to know these variables with
other firms within the industry (competitor) or with different sectors. You will be able to ask your
colleagues because they are going to have different firms within the sector or in different sectors.
Discussion forums simulate classroom experience and will require you to interact your experience and
knowledge from your case firm with your colleagues. We are going to have 3 discussion questions and
your professor can enhance the discussion using additional real case examples, you will be required to
answer the questions from your own company but also you will need to comment with at least two of
your colleague's answers every week.
Please post your initial response (first post) by Wednesday no later than 11:59 p.m.
CT of the corresponding week, and comment on the posts of two classmates by
Fridays no later than 11:59 p.m. CT of that same week. Your posts to your classmates
must be not less than 100 words.
I do not accept late discussion forums.
You must show your calculations in detail. For example using this format
$2,600 / $92,372 = 0.0281= 2.81%
Mechanics about Discussion Forum. We are going to explore some Questions per
Week and two comments in two different cases (or colleagues) per (Week). Questions
are related to your own semester case company.
Discussion forum 1
Conclude about, liquidity, profitability, debt-paying ability, and investors returns for
your case company, for each of the four dimensions, use the correct ratios to produce
your assessment, and follow this format below to post your discussion. Use 3 years
framework for your calculations.
Dimension
Ratio used
Calculations Results
Conclusion
You may need to visit the management discussions and financial statements to
perform this task.
Now assume the following, your company's total assets are the initial investment
negative number, then the cash flows per year are the average operating cash flows
from the last 3 years, this number is going to be the same for five years, there is
perpetuity during the year 6, the operating cash flow in perpetuity will be divided by
the actual financial cost using in any of the financial debt instruments from your
company, calculate the net present value and the IRR for these cash flows.
NPV/IRR
cost
average operative cash flow
financial
What is your final conclusion in all these calculations? Explain.
Yes, you may need to revisit the SEC10Ks.
Discussion 2
Using any of the methods to value the stock, determine if your stock is under or
overvalued, and use the following format to post your discussion.
The method used
under or over
Actual stock value vs the calculation
Why is
Conclude why the methods can end in 3 different numbers, which one is the correct
one? Support below all your calculations.
You probably will need to make some assumptions, describe here under your
explanations.
You will need to calculate the cost of capital, you will need to use two versions, using
book values for debt and equity and then using market values for the same measures.
Use the following format. For taxes you just need to use taxes for the period divided
by the pre-tax income, that will be the effective tax rate.
Measure
planation
Kd/Ks Market value and Book Value
Value
Conclude why the cost of capital is different and why one of the methods is the
correct one.
Discussion 3
Ex
Assume that your company is going to enter into a new investment project worth 30%
of the actual total assets base, the investment can lead to increase revenues 2 times
the actual revenues, and to keep the same gross margins, no additional expenses are
required, assume the project will last only five years. Using the actual cost of capital of
your firm determine if the project is accepted or rejected. Show your calculations and
fill in the format below. Include any assumptions used in your calculations.
Marginal Change
Five Years
Flows
Investment
Cash Flows
Cost of Capital used
Value at the end of the five years? Accepted or Rejected?
PV of Cash
Having identified the potential economic opportunity from your previous discussion,
then identify how and why you can expand the balance sheet to fulfill those
opportunities, to do so first, 1) Describe the actual financial instruments from your
firm, notes, bonds, derivatives, leases, and loans 2) What is the actual financial cost of
these liabilities 3) What is the credit rating of your firm, please use the format below
to post your findings.
Type of Security
rating
Amount Absolute$ and Relative%
Cost in %
Credit
The total amount of liabilities with financial cost =
You probably will need to summarize some liabilities, summarize by type and amount.
See the notes to the consolidated financial statements.
The following rubric will be used to grade responses in Discussion Forums:
1- If you do not post your discussion as indicated, in a form of a table, your grade
will have 50%.
2- If your comments to your colleagues are related to how good they are or based
on personal opinions, your grade will be 50%.
3- Comments to your colleagues are related to how similar or different are the
ratios, calculations, or business events, and the related theoretical background
to your case company. Comments are not related to how well your colleague
writes his post and that you agree with everything.
4- If you do not comment to your colleagues your grade will be 25%.
5- If you do not include details in calculations, your grade will be 50%.
6- If you post your discussion in a form of a paragraph, your grade will be 50%.
7- If you post a vague explanation not answering the question directly as is
required, your grade will be 25%.
8- If you post your discussion in a form of “file” to read, your grade will be ZERO.
9- If you do not post on time, your grade will be ZERO.
To have a full grade read carefully the rubric below.
Criterion
Below Expectations
1. 30%
Meets Expectations
2. 70%
Exceeds Expectations
3. 100%
(Score 0 if the
element is absent) /
Grade
Completed response
to the question
Counts 50%
The student’s response
does not include
references to the concepts
at issue. The student’s
response partially answers
the question or explains
the concept. The student’s
response contains
numerous grammatical
errors. Students response
have less than 100 words.
The student’s response
references adequately and
exhibits an understanding
of, the concepts at issue.
The student’s response
adequately addresses the
question that has been
posted. The student’s
response is written with
few grammatical errors.
The student’s response
references well and
exhibits a thorough
understanding of, the
concepts at issue. The
student’s response
completely addresses the
question that has been
posted. The student’s
response is written
without grammatical
errors.
Use of logic and/or
evidence to support
assertions in
responses to the
questions and your
colleagues
Counts the other
50%
Assertions are based on
personal opinions
only. Assertions are based
on empty citations:
citations given as support
for an assertion but no
information is provided
about the content of the
cited work or how or why
the cited work/author
supports the assertion
made. Factual or logical
errors: the cited work
does not actually support
the assertion made, or the
concept and supporting
evidence are explained
illogically or otherwise
incorrectly.
Assertions are supported
with partly appropriate
evidence and/or plausible
logic. Appropriate
evidence and logic include
an interpretation of
empirical data, a
description of arguments
or evidence presented in a
scholarly source that
supports the assertion
(with appropriate citation
of the source), and a
correct explanation of the
concept. Evidence
supporting an argument is
explained logically and
correctly.
Assertions are supported
with wholly appropriate
evidence and sound logic.
Assertions are supported
by multiple sources of
evidence. When relevant,
opposing positions are
considered and arguments
discounting these
positions are supported
with relevant
evidence. Synthesizes
evidence to draw relevant
and logical inferences.
XI. Additional Course Information/Other Policies
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.
Proctoring
Respondus LockDown Browser/Monitor OR Examity. Contact elearning@tamiu.edu for
the syllabus statement and other information.
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. In this class, we
will utilize Blackboard, Echo360, SoftChalk, VoiceThread, and Turnitin. You may find
the accessibility and privacy policies of these technologies on the following pages:
Accessibility Statements and Privacy Statements.
XII. University/College/Department Policies
Classroom Behavior or online interactions
The A.R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business 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.
ARSSB will always tolerate diverse, 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, which may include being
involuntarily withdrawn from the class.
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 an
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.
Plagiarism and Cheating
Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s work as one’s own. Recently, the
Internet has complicated the picture. Getting something from the Internet and
presenting it as one’s own is still plagiarism. Copying another student’s paper or a
portion of the paper - is usually called “copying”. Neither plagiarism nor copying
will be tolerated. Should a faculty member discover that a student has committed
plagiarism, the students will receive a grade of ‘F’ in that course and the matter
may, if necessary, be referred to the TAMIU Honor Council for possible
disciplinary action.
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 Disabilities
Services Coordinator located in the Student Counseling Center and to contact the
faculty member in a timely fashion to arrange for suitable accommodations.
XIII. Student Attendance and Leave of Absence
(LOA) Policy:
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: 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 University 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).
AntiAnti-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 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.
Safety and Security- You are the Difference
Your safety and security are of prime concern here at Texas A&M International
University, and the University police department work hard to ensure the campus
is a safe place to live, learn, work and play. TAMIU is not, however, exempt from
crime. To be safe and secure, you must take common sense precautions. Be alert
and aware of those around you; look out for the safety of others. Do not leave
valuables unattended; do not attempt to touch or interfere with our wildlife.
Student Responsibility For Dropping a Course
It is the responsibility of the STUDENT to drop the course before the drop date.
Faculty are not responsible for dropping students who suspend class attendance.
Final Examination
The University requires all final Examinations be comprehensive and be given on
the day specified.
Texas A&M International University
Course Policies
(To be attached to all university syllabi)
Last Revised: December 20, 2021
COVID
Students are strongly encouraged to get fully vaccinated and to get booster shots after an appropriate
number of months. Students are also strongly encouraged to wear masks when entering buildings or
when congregating with other students in close proximity outdoors. Maintaining at least 3 feet of
social distance with others is also highly recommended. TAMIU offers free COVID testing.
Class Attendance Required
With the exception of online courses, students are expected to attend every class in person 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. According to
University policy, acceptable reasons for an absence (physical or virtual), 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 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. The right to view recorded class meetings depends upon
receiving an excused absence from the faculty member teaching the class.
Classroom Behavior
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 diverse, 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 2010, sixth edition of the Manual of The American
Psychological Association(APA):
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 (pp. 15-16). For guidance on proper
documentation, consult the Writing 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.
• 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 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 email
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.
Extra-Credit Work
Faculty may not give extra-credit opportunities to individual students. They must be made available
to all students in a class. Assignments for extra-credit must be directly related to the learning
outcomes of the specific course. No extra-credit opportunities at all may be given after final grades
for the semester are submitted.
UConnect, TAMIU E-Mail, and Dusty Alert
Personal Announcements sent to students through TAMIU’s Uconnect Portal and TAMIU E-mail 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 UConnect and their
TAMIU e-mail accounts regularly, if not daily. Not having seen an important TAMIU e-mail or
UConnect 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 sign-up for Dusty Alert(see
www.tamiu.edu). Dusty Alert is an instant cell phone text-messaging system allowing the university
to communicate immediately with you if there is an on-campus emergency, something of immediate
danger to you, or a campus closing.
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: 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 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
WIN Contracts are offered only under exceptional circumstances and are limited to 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 Withdrawing from 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 as described 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.
__________________
Support Services
To receive free tutoring in most subjects, including help with writing skills:
Academic Center of Excellence: Cowart 203 and 204 (326-2723)
To receive academic advising for freshmen, transfer students, and select others:
Advising & Retention Center: ZSC 222 (326-2886)
To receive academic advising for all other students, by college:
A. R. Sanchez, Jr., School of Business Advising: WHT 204 C and 213 A (326-2483 / 2489)
College of Arts & Sciences Advising: ACI 3rd floor (COASadvisors@tamiu.edu)
College of Education Advising: Pellegrino 3rd floor (326-2427 /3148)
College of Nursing & Health Sciences Advising: CNS 111 (326-3269 /3110/ 3277)
University College: Advising & Retention Center (see above)
To receive personal counseling:
Student Counseling Services: Student Center 128 (326-2230)
To receive health services:
Student Health Services: Student Center 125 (326-2235)