Article 3: General University Information
Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008
Federal regulations require the University to release specific information to the student body, visit the HEOA Disclosure Site for more information.
Faculty/Staff Contact Information
For your convenience, Texas A&M International University offers an online directory with useful information that provides office phone numbers, e-mails and office location. A printable directory with all phone numbers is also available. Please visit http://www.tamiu.edu/directory for this information or call (956) 326-2001.
Financial Obligations
Students are expected to pay all financial obligations to the University when due. Failure to pay such obligations may result in the student being dropped from classes and/or exclusion from final exams and/or further enrollment. Financial obligations, are not limited to, returned checks, returned check charges, lost or damaged library book charges, loss or breakage of instructional material or equipment, emergency loans or tuition installment loans and/or parking violations. Delinquent accounts are in jeopardy of being sent to a collection agency where the collection fees are an additional charge incurred by the student.
Behavioral Assessment and Intervention Team
The purpose of the Behavior Assessment and Intervention Team is to review behavioral incidents and ensure a systematic response to students whose behavior may be disruptive or harmful to themselves or the TAMIU community and to assist in protecting the health, safety, and welfare of students and other members of the TAMIU community. Members of the University community may report concerns to Report It.
Specifically, the charge for this team is to:
1) Assess situations involving a student who poses a potential risk of harm to persons or property in the University community or is of substantial disruption to University activities in accordance with policies stated in the Student Code of Conduct.
2) Consult with administration, faculty, staff and other students affected by the inappropriate behaviors of a disruptive student.
3) Coordinate the University response to a violent, threatening, or significantly disruptive student.
4) Develop a specific strategy to manage the threatening or disruptive behavior with regard to the safety and rights of others and to minimize the disruption to the University community.
5) Make recommendations to responsible University officials on appropriate action consistent with University policy and procedure statements and with state and federal law.
Identification Card
The TAMIU OneCard is the official identification card for students of TAMIU. The OneCard allows access to services, the library, computer labs, recreation center, other academic resources and University athletic events. The OneCard has a debit account called Dusty Dollars. Dusty Dollars are a convenient, cashless way of paying for goods or services on campus. You can obtain your OneCard at Campus Card Services located at the University Success Center room 128. For more information, please visit Campus Card Services.
Official University Notifications
All official communications from the University will be distributed through student e-mail accounts. It is the responsibility of each student to obtain a student e-mail account and check that address on a regular basis. Students must request a TAMIU e-mail account through the Office of Information Technology. Failure to keep up with TAMIU e-mail will not be an excuse for being unaware of announcements, deadlines, or other pertinent information to students.
Emergency Notifications
In the event of a campus emergency a text message, e-mail or pager notification will be sent out using the DustyALRT system. All faculty, staff and students are recommended to register at http://dustyalrt.tamiu.edu.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that was put in place to protect the educational records of students. In most cases, information from a student’s record cannot be released without prior written consent of the student.
Visit of the University Registrar for more information.
Hazing
Hazing is a criminal violation under Texas Law. A person may be found guilty of criminal conduct for hazing, encouraging hazing, permitting hazing, or having knowledge of the planning of hazing incidents and failing to report in writing his/her knowledge to the Dean of the College for Student Success.
Both failing to report hazing and hazing that does not result in serious bodily injury are Class B misdemeanors. Hazing that results in serious bodily injury is a Class A misdemeanor. Hazing resulting in a death is a state jail felony. An organization found guilty of hazing may be fined $5,000 to $10,000 or, for incident causing personal injury or property damage, an amount double the loss or expenses incurred because of the hazing incident.
It is not a defense to prosecution that the person hazed consented to the hazing activity.
Any person reporting a specific hazing incident to the Dean of the College for Student Success or other appropriate institutional official is immune from civil and criminal liability unless the report is in bad faith or malicious.
This state law does not limit or affect an education institution’s right to enforce its own penalties against hazing.
The Education Code defines hazing as “any intentional, knowing, or reckless act occurring on or off the campus of an educational institution by one person or acting with others, directed against a student, that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of pledging, being initiated into, affiliating with, holding office in, or maintaining membership in an organization.” The statute contains a list of conduct which constitutes hazing.
Examples of hazing include, but are not limited to:
- Any type of physical brutality such as whipping, beating, striking, branding, electronic shocking, placing of a harmful substance on the body, or similar activities;
- Any type of physical activity that subjects the individual to risk or harm or that adversely affects the mental or physical health or safety of an individual, such as sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement in a small space, calisthenics, etc.;
- Any activity involving the large and/or unreasonable consumption of food, liquid, alcoholic beverages, drugs, or other substance which subjects the individual to risk of harm or which adversely affects the mental or physical health or safety of the person;
- Any activity that intimidates or threatens the person with ostracism, subjects the individual to mental stress, shame, or humiliation, or adversely affects the mental health or dignity of the individual;
- Any activity that induces or requires the student to perform a duty or task which involves a violation of the Penal Code.
If you have firsthand knowledge of the planning or occurrence of a specific hazing incident, you must report it or you will have committed a hazing offense. Report any incidence of hazing to the Vice President for Student Success, SC 226, or call (956) 326-2273.
HIV/AIDS
Texas A&M International University will not use a person’s HIV status to make employment or admission decisions nor to determine how services are delivered, except as allowed by state or federal law. The University will not ask students if they are HIV infected. HIV positive students are allowed to attend class without restriction as long as the students is physically and mentally able to participate and perform assigned work and reasonably poses no health risk to others.
Solicitation
It is a violation for any person to solicit or sell to individual students at any time on the property, campus, or grounds of Texas A&M International University except in those cases where specific authorization has been extended by the Board of Regents of the Texas A&M University System (APRM C.11.11). This rule also includes solicitation via e-mail. All requests for access to solicitation or sales on University grounds must be directed to the Office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration.
Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act
Federal Regulations (Part 668.41 - Student Assistance General Provisions) mandate that a Notice of Required disclosures be provided to all enrolled students on an annual basis. Contact the Office of the Vice President for Student Success for details on the disclosure.
Equal Opportunity/Non-Discrimination
Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) provides equal opportunity to all employees, students, applicants for employment, and the public regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, or veteran status. Texas A&M International University will promptly and thoroughly investigate all complaints of discrimination, sexual harassment, and related retaliation in accordance with applicable federal and state laws, A&M System Policy 08.01, A&M System Regulation 08.01.01, and University rules and/or procedures.
Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination based on sex. It is defined as unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature, which includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Sexual violence, which includes rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, and sexual coercion, is a form of sexual harassment.
Any member of the campus community or public who witness, are subjected to, or are informed about incidents of discrimination, sexual harassment, and/or related retaliation involving faculty, staff, or students should contact Sandra V. Pena (5201 University Boulevard, Laredo, TX 78041, Killam Library Room 158, (956) 326-2365, sandra@tamiu.edu).
Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act
The Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act is a federal law that provides for the tracking of convicted, registered sex offenders enrolled as students at institutions of higher education or working or volunteering on campus. The act requires sex offenders to provide notice, as required under state law, to each institution of higher education in that state at which the person is employed, carries out a vocation, or is a student. The act also requires that state procedures ensure that this registration information is promptly made available to law enforcement agencies with jurisdiction where the institutions of higher education are located and that is entered into appropriate state records or data systems. For more information about the Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act, please visit the University Police Department.
In compliance with State and federal law, information to registered sex offenders may be obtained through the TAMIU Police Department or searched at the Texas Department of Public Safety Sex Offender Database website
Further, the University offers Rape, Aggression, Defense (R.A.D.) System. R.A.D. is a program of realistic self-defense tactics and techniques for women. R.A.D. is a comprehensive, women-only course that begins with awareness, prevention, risk reduction and risk avoidance, while progressing on to the basics of hands-on defense training. R.A.D. is not a Martial Arts program. Our courses are taught by nationally certified R.A.D. Instructors and provide each student with a workbook/reference manual. The manual outlines the entire Physical Defense Program for reference and continuous personal growth, and is the key to our free lifetime return and practice policy for R.A.D. graduates. For more information, please visit the R.A.D. page.
Campus Parking / Non-motorized Vehicles
All students, faculty, and staff who operate a motor vehicle on campus must register their vehicle with the Texas A&M International University Police Department and obtain a University permit before they are allowed to park their vehicle on University property. Students are expected to pay parking violations as outlined in the Financial Obligations section. For more information on parking regulations, please visit the University Police Department
Students are expected to refrain from disruptive behavior at all times and failure to do so may result in disciplinary action.
Pedestrians have the right of way at all times. Bicycles are permitted on campus, however they must yield the right of way to pedestrians and must beparked in bicycle racks available throughout campus. Bicycles are not permitted inside University buildings. Other non-motorized vehicles including, but not limited to, skateboards, roller skates, and in-line roller blade skates may not be operated on any of the sidewalks or driveways or in any building on the TAMIU campus. This does not apply to any TAMIU owned property.
Pets on Campus
Pets are not allowed on campus at any time. The only exceptions are service animals assisting the blind, deaf or mobility impaired.
Housing and Residence Life
Housing and Residence Life provides a variety of on-campus living options. In order to protect students, specific rules have been implemented by the Housing and Residence Life staff, and the TAMIU administration. Those who reside on campus are provided such rules, and would be adjudicated by the staff of Housing and Residence Life if found in violation of listed housing rules. Student may face adjudication by the University based on the severity of the violation and/or if the Code of Conduct/Student Rules were violated.
Student Organizations
Student Organizations are formed to further the common interest of its members and the University community. Organizations are open to all students and serve an essential component to the co-curricular programs at TAMIU. Student organizations and their advisors are responsible for compliance with the University Code of Conduct, state and federal laws. More information and guidelines concerning recognized student organizations are available in The Leader, a guide book published by the Office of Student Affairs.
Life Threatening Behavior
The University shall, through the Student Counseling Service, provide evaluation, referral, and appropriate treatment, within the available resources of the institution, for students manifesting serious psychological problems. The personnel of all departments of the University are expected to refer students with apparent psychological problems to Student Counseling Services. Students who display dangerous or disruptive behavior caused by manifestations of a serious psychological problem may be withdrawn from the university, and this withdrawal may be involuntary.
Dangerous or disruptive behavior caused by manifestations of a serious psychological problem includes but are not limited to:
instances where a student engages in, or threatens to engage in, inappropriate behavior which poses a danger of causing physical harm to self or others, or inappropriate behavior that demonstrates a student’s inability to care for self, and/or
instances of inappropriate behavior, which would cause significant property damage, or would directly and substantially impede the lawful activities of others, or that substantially interferes with or impedes the educational experiences of others, or would interfere with the educational process and the orderly operation of the University, and/or instances where a student engages in inappropriate behavior where a contributing factor is failure to follow a prescribed medical or psychological treatment plan, and/or instances of inappropriate behavior that causes a chronic, inordinate use of university resources including, but not limited to, staff time, psychological services, medical services, and/or emergency services, thereby resulting in an undue burden to the University.
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