BCJ 2000, Introduction to Criminal Justice Course Syllabus Course Description Examines the past, present, and future of the American criminal justice system with emphasis on changing philosophies in the American system. Course Textbook(s) Schmalleger, F. (2016). Criminal justice: A brief introduction (11th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. Course Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: 1. Summarize the core segments of the U.S. criminal justice system and the interactions between each segment. 2. Explain the evolution of the modern-day law enforcement system. 3. Compare the sentencing and court structures of the American court system. 4. Examine the role of the American correctional system to include probation, parole, and community corrections supervision models. 5. Assess the role of homeland security in the 21st century American criminal justice system. 6. Examine the use of technology in modern day criminal justice agencies. 7. Compare the crime control model and due process model within the law enforcement system. Credits Upon completion of this course, the students will earn 3 hours of college credit. Course Structure 1. Study Guide: Course units contain a Study Guide that provide students with the learning outcomes, unit lesson, required reading assignments, and supplemental resources. 2. Learning Outcomes: Each unit contains Learning Outcomes that specify the measurable skills and knowledge students should gain upon completion of the unit. 3. Unit Lesson: Unit Lessons, which are located in the Study Guide, discuss lesson material. 4. Reading Assignments: Units contain Reading Assignments from one or more chapters from the textbook and/or outside resources. 5. Suggested Reading: Suggested Readings are listed within the Study Guide. Students are encouraged to read the resources listed if the opportunity arises, but they will not be tested on their knowledge of the Suggested Readings. 6. Learning Activities (Non-Graded): Non-Graded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. 7. Discussion Boards: Discussion Boards are part of all CSU Term courses. More information and specifications can be found in the Student Resources link listed in the Course Menu bar. 8. Unit Assessments: This course contains Unit Assessments, which test student knowledge on important aspects of the course. These tests may come in many different forms, ranging from multiple choice to written response questions. 9. Unit Assignments: Students are required to submit for grading Unit Assignments. Specific information and instructions regarding these assignments are provided below. Grading rubrics are included with each assignment. Specific information about accessing these rubrics is provided below. 10. Final Exam: Students are to complete a Final Exam in Unit VIII. All Final Exams are proctored-see below for additional information. You are permitted four (4) hours to complete this exam in the presence of your approved proctor. This is an open-book exam. Only course textbooks and a calculator, if necessary, are allowed when taking proctored exams. BCJ 2000, Introduction to Criminal Justice 1
11. Ask the Professor: This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content related questions. 12. Student Break Room: This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. CSU Online Library The CSU Online Library is available to support your courses and programs. The online library includes databases, journals, e-books, and research guides. These resources are always accessible and can be reached through the library webpage. To access the library, log into the mycsu Student Portal, and click on CSU Online Library. You can also access the CSU Online Library from the My Library button on the course menu for each course in Blackboard. The CSU Online Library offers several reference services. E-mail (library@columbiasouthern.edu) and telephone (1.877.268.8046) assistance is available Monday Thursday from 8 am to 5 pm and Friday from 8 am to 3 pm. The library s chat reference service, Ask a Librarian, is available 24/7; look for the chat box on the online library page. Librarians can help you develop your research plan or assist you in finding relevant, appropriate, and timely information. Reference requests can include customized keyword search strategies, links to articles, database help, and other services. Unit Assignments Unit I Essay In a two-page essay, outline the main components of the criminal justice system. Determine the difference between the individual rights perspective and public order perspective. All sources used must be referenced. Paraphrased and/or quoted materials must have accompanying in-text citations and references in APA format. Unit II Article Review For this assignment, read parts I and II of the assigned article by Macdonald, Constructing a Framework for Criminal Justice Research: Learning from Packer s Mistakes," and write an article review addressing the following: Briefly introduce and summarize the article. Identify the author s main points. Who is the author s intended audience? Compare and contrast the crime control and due process models. Your response must be at least three pages in length. All sources used, including the article, must be referenced. Paraphrased and/or quoted materials must have accompanying in-text citations and references in APA format. Unit II Project Topic The research project for this course requires you to identify a criminal justice professional field in which you would be interested in pursuing a career. If you already work in the criminal justice field, you can use your current position as the basis for this project. The course research project will be due during Unit VI. The objectives of the course research project are as follows: Identify and analyze three competencies required within the selected field of criminal justice. Compare and contrast the competencies within the field to the student s own knowledge, skills, and abilities and identify one goal you would like to set for yourself. Examine the use of technology within the selected field of criminal justice. You will be required to not only research various aspects of the selected field, but must also interview an individual that currently works in it. For the assignment in this unit, you are encouraged to select the criminal justice field that will serve as the basis of your research project and submit it to your instructor for approval, as well as the type of individual you plan to interview. You should also include several references related to the field that can be used in the project. This submission should be no more than one page in length. Unit IV Essay Using your textbook, discuss the American court system. BCJ 2000, Introduction to Criminal Justice 2
You should include the following in your discussion: a comparison of the sentencing and court structures of the American court system, a description and a comparison of indeterminate and structured sentencing, a description of the four sentencing options currently employed within the American sentencing structure, and provide examples where each would be an appropriate application for punishment. Your completed assignment should be at least two pages in length. You are required to use at least your textbook. All sources used must be referenced. Paraphrased and/or quoted materials must have accompanying in-text citations and references in APA format. Unit VI Course Project The research project for this course requires you to identify a criminal justice professional field in which you would be interested in pursuing a career. If you already work in the criminal justice field, you can use your current position as the basis for this project. The course research project will be due in Unit VI. You will be required to not only research various aspects of the selected field, but you must also interview an individual who currently works in the selected field. When interviewing the professional working in the selected criminal justice field, you should consider asking the following types of questions: Why did you decide to work in this field of criminal justice? What are three key skills or competencies a person must possess to be successful in this field of criminal justice? What steps should a person take to prepare him or herself for working in this field of criminal justice? What types of substantive changes do you currently see occurring or foresee occurring within this field of criminal justice? What types of technology do you use on a regular basis within this field of criminal justice? The research project paper should consist of the following sections: Introduction: This section identifies the criminal justice field that the student has selected and includes a brief description of why this field is of interest (recommended length: no more than one page). Competencies: In this section, you will identify at least three competencies required for the selected criminal justice field and explain why each is important to the field. This section should be based upon research that you have conducted about the selected field and supported with cited resources (recommended length: one page). Professional interview: In this section, you will summarize the interview conducted with a professional working in their selected field of criminal justice. It is important for you to begin this section by identifying the person interviewed and his or her current position within the selected criminal justice field (recommended length: one to two pages). Evaluation: In this section, you will evaluate the selected field of criminal justice by discussing the following questions and supporting the evaluation with cited resources (recommended length: one to two pages): How did the competencies you identified for this field of criminal justice align or differ from the information obtained during the interview with a criminal justice professional? What learning goal would you like to set for yourself during this course, month, or year based on the skill sets and requirements discovered during your research and based upon the interview with a criminal justice professional? While the level of detail in each section of the research paper will vary, it is anticipated that the final paper will be approximately five to six pages in length, not counting the cover and reference pages. Please click here to review the General Guidelines for Papers document to obtain a description of other formatting requirements. NOTE: Part of the purpose of a reference is to lead your reader back to the sources you used. Imagine a person reads your paper and wants to find out more information about your topic. The reader can refer to your reference list to locate the sources you used to find information. However, certain types of sources, like a private conversation, cannot be located. No one can read a transcript of your interview (unless you recorded it). The information the interviewee passed on to you is not recoverable by other researchers, so it does not go in the reference list. This kind of source (interviews, private letters and e-mail, personal conversations, phone calls, etc.) is called a personal communication. Cite it in text only, give initials as well as the surname of the person involved, and give as precise a date as possible. Again, this type of source is ONLY cited in text. There will be no reference citation on the reference list. The two examples of how personal communication citations can be done are below: 1. T. Smith (personal communication, March 19, 2013) indicates that 2. from a police custody inspector s prospective (T. Smith, personal communication, March 19, 2013). Grading Rubrics This course utilizes analytic grading rubrics as tools for your professor in assigning grades for all learning activities. Each rubric serves as a guide that communicates the expectations of the learning activity and describes the criteria for each level of achievement. In addition, a rubric is a reference tool that lists evaluation criteria and can help you organize your efforts to meet the requirements of that learning activity. It is imperative for you to familiarize yourself with these rubrics because BCJ 2000, Introduction to Criminal Justice 3
these are the primary tools your professor uses for assessing learning activities. Rubric categories include: (1) Discussion Board, (2) Assessment (Written Response), and (3) Assignment. However, it is possible that not all of the listed rubric types will be used in a single course (e.g., some courses may not have Assessments). The Discussion Board rubric can be found within Unit I s Discussion Board submission instructions. The Assessment (Written Response) rubric can be found embedded in a link within the directions for each Unit Assessment. However, these rubrics will only be used when written-response questions appear within the Assessment. Each Assignment type (e.g., article critique, case study, research paper) will have its own rubric. The Assignment rubrics are built into Blackboard, allowing students to review them prior to beginning the Assignment and again once the Assignment has been scored. This rubric can be accessed via the Assignment link located within the unit where it is to be submitted. Students may also access the rubric through the course menu by selecting Tools and then My Grades. Again, it is vitally important for you to become familiar with these rubrics because their application to your Discussion Boards, Assessments, and Assignments is the method by which your instructor assigns all grades. APA Guidelines The application of the APA writing style shall be practical, functional, and appropriate to each academic level, with the primary purpose being the documentation (citation) of sources. CSU requires that students use APA style for certain papers and projects. Students should always carefully read and follow assignment directions and review the associated grading rubric when available. Students can find CSU s Citation Guide by clicking here. This document includes examples and sample papers and provides information on how to contact the CSU Success Center. Final Examination Guidelines Final Exams are to be administered to students by an approved Proctor. CSU approves two flexible proctoring options: a standard Proctor, who is chosen by the student and approved by the university, or Remote Proctor Now (RP Now), an ondemand, third-party testing service that proctors examinations for a small fee. Students choosing RP Now must have an operational webcam/video with audio, a high-speed Internet connection, and the appropriate system rights required to download and install software. To review the complete Examination Proctor Policy, including a list of acceptable Proctors, Proctor responsibilities, Proctor approval procedures, and the Proctor Agreement Form, go to the mycsu Student Portal from the link below. http://mycsu.columbiasouthern.edu You are permitted four (4) hours to complete this exam in the presence of your approved Proctor. This is an open book exam. Only course textbooks, writing utensils, and a calculator, if necessary, are allowed when taking proctored exams. You may use only your textbook as source material for your response. All source material must be referenced (paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations). You may use the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA Style Guide) or the CSU Citation Guide for reference. Communication Forums These are non-graded discussion forums that allow you to communicate with your professor and other students. Participation in these discussion forums is encouraged, but not required. You can access these forums with the buttons in the Course Menu. Click here for instructions on how to subscribe/unsubscribe and post to the Communication Forums. Ask the Professor This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content questions. Questions may focus on Blackboard locations of online course components, textbook or course content elaboration, additional guidance on assessment requirements, or general advice from other students. Questions that are specific in nature, such as inquiries regarding assessment/assignment grades or personal accommodation requests, are NOT to be posted on this forum. If you have questions, comments, or concerns of a nonpublic nature, please feel free to e-mail your professor. Responses to your post will be addressed or e-mailed by the professor within 48 hours. Before posting, please ensure that you have read all relevant course documentation, including the syllabus, assessment/assignment instructions, faculty feedback, and other important information. Student Break Room BCJ 2000, Introduction to Criminal Justice 4
This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Communication on this forum should always maintain a standard of appropriateness and respect for your fellow classmates. This forum should NOT be used to share assessment answers. Schedule/Grading The following pages contain a printable Course Schedule to assist you through this course. By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. Unit I Introduction to the Criminal Justice System [ Weight: 10% ] Unit I Study Guide Chapter 1: What is Criminal Justice? Discuss: Unit I Discussion Board 2% Submit: Unit I Essay 8% Unit II Crime Control vs. Due Process Model [ Weight: 14% ] Unit II Study Guide Reading Assignment (1 article, 1 presentation): See Study Guide There is no textbook reading assignment in this unit. Discuss: Unit II Discussion Board 2% Submit: Unit II Article Review Unit II Project Topic Proctor Approval Form 10% 2% Unit III The American Court Structure [ Weight: 10% ] Unit III Study Guide Chapter 7: The Courts Discuss: Unit III Discussion Board 2% Submit: Unit III Assessment 8% Unit IV Sentencing [ Weight: 10% ] Unit IV Study Guide Chapter 9: Sentencing Discuss: Unit IV Discussion Board 2% Submit: Unit IV Essay 8% BCJ 2000, Introduction to Criminal Justice 5
Unit V The Correctional System [ Weight: 10% ] Unit V Study Guide Chapter 10: Probation, Parole, and Community Corrections Chapter 11: Prisons and Jails Reading Assignment (2 presentations): See Study Guide Discuss: Unit V Discussion Board 2% Submit: Unit V Assessment 8% Unit VI Technology and the Criminal Justice System [ Weight: 22% ] Unit VI Study Guide Chapter 2: The Crime Picture Reading Assignment (1 article): See Study Guide Discuss: Unit VI Discussion Board 2% Submit: Unit VI Course Project 20% Unit VII Homeland Security [ Weight: 10% ] Unit VII Study Guide Chapter 6: Policing: Issues and Challenges, pp. 182-186 Reading Assignment (1 article): See Study Guide Discuss: Unit VII Discussion Board 2% Submit: Unit VII Assessment Request to take Final Exam 8% Unit VIII Policing in the United States [ Weight: 14% ] Unit VIII Study Guide Chapter 4: Policing: Purpose and Organization Discuss: Unit VIII Discussion Board 2% Submit: Final Exam 12% BCJ 2000, Introduction to Criminal Justice 6