Institutional Policies

The UTRGV disability accommodation, mandatory course evaluation statement and sexual misconduct statement are required on all syllabi. Additional policy statements are optional, such as those covering attendance, academic integrity, and course drop policies.

COVID-19 Resources

Required on all syllabi. Do not modify.

Please visit the UTRGV COVID-19 protocols web page for the most up-to-date COVID-19 campus information and resources. The COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) web page offers additional guidance to specific questions. To submit a question for the FAQ, please email WelcomeBack@utrgv.edu.

Starting Monday, May 16, 2022, UTRGV’s COVID-19 Response Team will no longer manage cases. Instead, members of the UTRGV community will be responsible for managing their own screening, testing, and reporting process.

This transition in our COVID-19 screening and reporting effort means the university will:

Discontinue the Preliminary COVD-19 Screening Form.
No longer require students and employees to report COVID-19 symptoms, exposure, or test results to the university.
No longer conduct contact tracing.
No longer schedule testing.
No longer isolate or quarantine patients.
No longer track cases and will remove the Confirmed Cases dashboard from our Commitment website.
Redirect and/or remove any mentions or links to the current screening and reporting process, as needed.

For more information and the latest updates, visit the Committed to Your Safety website.

Students With Disabilities

Required on all syllabi. Do not modify.

Students with a documented disability (physical, psychological, learning, or other disability which affects academic performance) who would like to receive reasonable academic accommodations should contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) for additional information. In order for accommodation requests to be considered for approval, the student must apply using the mySAS portal located at UTRGV.edu/mySAS and is responsible for providing sufficient documentation of the disability to SAS. Students are required to participate in an interactive discussion, or an intake appointment, with SAS staff. Accommodations may be requested at any time but are not retroactive, meaning they are valid once approved by SAS. Please contact SAS early in the semester/module for guidance. Students who experience a broken bone, severe injury, or undergo surgery may also be eligible for temporary accommodations.

Pregnancy, Pregnancy-related, and Parenting Accommodations

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination, which includes discrimination based on pregnancy, marital status, or parental status. Students seeking accommodations related to pregnancy, pregnancy-related condition, or parenting (reasonably immediate postpartum period) are encouraged to apply to Student Accessibility Services using the following link: Pregnancy Accommodations Request Form

Student Accessibility Services

Brownsville Campus: Student Accessibility Services is located in 1.107 in the Music and Learning Center building (BMSLC) and can be contacted by phone at (956) 882-7374 or via email at ability@utrgv.edu.

Edinburg Campus: Student Accessibility Services is located in 108 University Center (EUCTR) and can be contacted by phone at (956) 665-7005 or via email at ability@utrgv.edu.

Mandatory Course Evaluation Period

Required on all syllabi. Do not modify.

Students are required to complete an ONLINE evaluation of this course, accessed through your UTRGV account (my.utrgv.edu); you will be contacted through email with further instructions. Students who complete their evaluations will have priority access to their grades. Online evaluations will be available on or about:

Spring 2022 Course Evaluation Period
Semester	Date Range
Module 1	February 23, 2022-March 1, 2022
Module 2	April 20-26, 2022
Full Spring Semester	April 15, 2022 - May 4, 2022

For more information please visit the Student Course Evaluations website.

Sexual Misconduct and Mandatory Reporting

Required on all syllabi. Do not modify.

In accordance with UT System regulations, your instructor is a "Responsible Employee" for reporting purposes under Title IX regulations and so must report to the Office of Institutional Equity & Diversity (OIED@utrgv.edu) any instance, occurring during a student's time in college, of sexual misconduct, which includes sexual assault, stalking, dating violence, domestic violence, and sexual harassment, about which she/he becomes aware during this course through writing, discussion, or personal disclosure. More information can be found at UTRGV.edu/equity, including confidential resources available on campus. The faculty and staff of UTRGV actively strive to provide a learning, working, and living environment that promotes personal integrity, civility, and mutual respect that is free from sexual misconduct, discrimination, and all forms of violence. If students, faculty, or staff would like confidential assistance, or have questions, they can contact OVAVP (Office for Victim Advocacy & Violence Prevention ) at (956) 665-8287, (956) 882-8282, or OVAVP@utrgv.edu.

Attendance

Recommended on all syllabi; may be modified by the instructor as long as it is consistent with UTRGV policy.

Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes and may be dropped from the course for excessive absences. UTRGV’s attendance policy excuses students from attending class if they are participating in officially sponsored university activities, such as athletics; have been provided such an accommodation by Student Accessibility Services (SAS); for observance of religious holy days; or for military service. Students should contact the instructor in advance of the excused absence and arrange to make up missed work or examinations.

Scholastic Dishonesty

Recommended on all syllabi.

Members of the UTRGV community uphold the Vaquero Honor Code’s shared values of honesty, integrity and mutual respect in our interactions and relationships. In this regard, academic integrity is fundamental in our actions, as any act of dishonesty conflicts as much with academic achievement as with the values of honesty and integrity. Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to: cheating, plagiarism (including self-plagiarism), and collusion; submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person; taking an examination for another person; any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student; or the attempt to commit such acts (Board of Regents Rules and Regulations, STU 02-100, and UTRGV Academic Integrity Guidelines). All violations of Academic Integrity will be reported to Student Rights and Responsibilities through Vaqueros Report It.

Course Drops

Recommended on all syllabi; may be modified by the instructor as long as it is not inconsistent with UTRGV policy.

According to UTRGV policy, students may drop any class without penalty earning a grade of DR (drop) until the official drop date. Following that date, students must be assigned a letter grade and can no longer drop the class. Students considering dropping the class should be aware of the "3-peat rule" and the "6-drop" rule so they can recognize how dropped classes may affect their academic success. The 6-drop rule refers to Texas law that dictates that undergraduate students may not drop more than six courses during their undergraduate career. Courses dropped at other Texas public higher education institutions will count toward the six-course drop limit. The 3-peat rule refers to additional fees charged to students who take the same class for the third time.

Student Services

Recommended on all syllabi.

Students who demonstrate financial need have a variety of options when it comes to paying for college costs, such as scholarships, grants, loans and work-study. Students should visit the Student Services Center (U Central) for additional information. U Central is located in BMAIN 1.100 (Brownsville) or ESSBL 1.145 (Edinburg) or can be reached by email (ucentral@utrgv.edu) or telephone: (956) 882-4026. In addition to financial aid, U Central can assist students with registration and admissions.

Students seeking academic help in their studies can use university resources in addition to an instructor’s office hours. University Resources include the Advising Center, Career Center, Counseling Center, Learning Center, and Writing Center. The centers provide services such as tutoring, writing help, counseling services, critical thinking, study skills, degree planning, and student employment. In addition, services such as the Food Pantry are also provided. Locations are listed below.

Student Support Services
Center Name	Brownsville Campus	Edinburg Campus	Email Address
Advising Center	BMAIN 1.400 (956) 665-7120	ESWKH 101 (956) 665-7120	AcademicAdvising@utrgv.edu
Career Center	BINAB 1.105 (956) 882-5627	ESSBL 2.101 (956) 665-2243	CareerCenter@utrgv.edu
Counseling Center	BSTUN 2.10 (956) 882-3897	EUCTR 109 (956) 665-2574	Counseling@utrgv.edu
Food Pantry	BCAVL 101 & 102 (956) 882-7126	EUCTR 114 (956) 665-3663	FoodPantry@utrgv.edu
Learning Center	BMSLC 2.118 (956) 882-8208	ELCTR 100 (956) 665-2585	LearningCenter@utrgv.edu
Writing Center	BLIBR 3.206 (956) 882-7065	ESTAC 3.119 (956) 665-2538	WC@utrgv.edu

Student Confidentiality (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records whereby parents or eligible students have the right to inspect and review the student's education records, and the right to request that a school correct records, and that schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student's education record.

More information about FERPA.

Center for Online Learning and Teaching Technology Office of Student Success