The University of Southern Mississippi School of Criminal Justice CJ 480 Seminar in Criminal Justice: Terrorism Fall 2015

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1 The University of Southern Mississippi School of Criminal Justice CJ 480 Seminar in Criminal Justice: Terrorism Fall 2015 Instructor: Joshua Hill, Ph.D. Office: 101 Arthell Kelley Hall Telephone: (601) Monday: 6:30pm 9:15pm Classroom: JST 214 Turnitin ID: Turnitin Password: 1234qwerty Office Hours: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 10am -12pm; 1pm 3pm 1pm 3pm 10am 12pm By appointment only 8am 10am If you need to see me during office hours, I request (though I don t require) you to make an appointment. This helps me make sure that I m prepared to answer your questions when you come and to avoid back-ups when multiple people need to see me. You can make appointments at REQUIRED TEXTBOOK Nacos, B.L. (2012). Terrorism and Counterterrorism (4 th Ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. RECOMMENDED RESOURCES American Psychological Assn. (2009). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6 th ed.). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association Press. New York Times. Available on campus. COURSE DESCRIPTION This course provides an introduction into the theories explaining terrorist behavior. It will examine the question of what constitutes terrorism, terrorist groups, and what economic, social, religious and other issues lead to the conduct of groups like al Qaeda and ISIS. Additionally, students will be required to think critically about how terrorist groups form, what makes them disband, and how knowledge is transferred among groups and group-members. This information will then be contextualized in terms of its use in counterterrorism operations. 1

2 LEARNING OBJECTIVES By the end of the course, the student should be able to do the following. 1. Identify the widely-cited characteristics that all terrorist groups have. 2. Critically evaluate research about terrorism. 3. Demonstrate understanding of how terrorist groups form, general characteristics that terrorist groups have, and differentiate these groups from other types of paramilitary entities. 4. Be able to evaluate theories of terrorism for accuracy and utility. 5. Apply the material learned in class to current events. 6. Demonstrate the importance of understanding terrorism to counterterrorism policy and practice. ATTENDANCE POLICY Attendance for the class is mandatory. Additionally, as participation constitutes a significant portion of your grade, it will suffer if class periods are missed. This, however, does not mean that participation is solely a function of attendance. It additionally includes participation in class discussions and any in-class work that is assigned (this is detailed further below). If you must miss a class for any reason, please notify the professor 12 hours ahead of the scheduled class by . Those students who fail to notify prior to the missed class will be required to provide excuses in the form of writing to the professor. If a student misses an in-class exam with an excuse, an alternative exam time will be given at the discretion of the professor. If the student does not provide a valid excuse for missing an exam, no make-up will be given and the student will receive a 0 for the exam. Student Absences on Religious Holy Days Students will be excused from attending classes or other required activities, including examinations, for the observation of a religious holy day, including travel for the purpose. A student whose absence is excused under this subsection will not be penalized for that absence and will be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment from which the student is excused within a reasonable time after the absence. All requests to be excused from attending class for observance of a religious holy day should be made in writing within the first fifteen days of the semester or the first seven days of a summer session in which the absence(s) will occur. The professor will notify the student of a reasonable time frame in which the missed assignments and/or examinations are to be completed. 2

3 GRADES GRADING SCALE A 90% - 100% D 60% - 69% B 80% - 89% F 59% or below C 70% - 79% WITHDRAWALS and INCOMPLETES The last day to add/drop without Academic/Financial Penalty is August 26 th. After this date, no tuition refund whatsoever will be issued, and all approved drops will result in a grade of W. After October 30 th, no course withdrawals are permitted (meaning the student will receive an actual grade in the course). LATE ASSIGNMENTS Late assignments will not be accepted. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Writing Assignments 30% Exams (2) 40% Class Participation 10% Group Project 20% Class Participation (10%) Class participation is a fundamental part of this course. In order for class participation to be successful for both the student and instructor, students must read the material before coming to class. Any student who is unprepared for class may be asked to leave at the instructor s discretion. In addition to the assigned readings provided for in the class schedule below, there may be additional readings provided by the professor. Please check your s for these readings at least once a day. Exam questions may be pulled from these readings. Extra Credit: An extra credit assignment will be available upon request consisting of a book review, with the book assigned by the professor. Writing Assignments (30%) There are occasional writing assignments due as part of your grade. These assignments will be during the class and will be posted online. They will be graded for both content and grammar using the relevant parts of the rubric attached to the end of the syllabus. The papers are words, double-spaced, Times New Roman font with 1-inch margins. The papers will answer the prompt given by the professor and in the syllabus, and must use four sources. 3

4 Exams (40%) There will be a total of 2 exams in this class covering the material from the book and the lectures a midterm and a final. Each of the exams will be worth 20% and will include all material covered until that point in the course. Per University exam schedule, the final exam will be administered on Monday, November 30: 6:30 p.m. Class Participation (10%) Class participation is essential to the success of this course. Points for class participation will be awarded based on attendance, and participation in the context of the class in areas such as discussions. Group Project (20%) See Additional Attachment ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION Delays and cancellations: Students are expected to wait 10 minutes in the event the professor is delayed. Whenever possible, the professor will post announcements about delays and class cancellations prior to the class meeting. In the rare event that class is cancelled, the material scheduled for the cancelled date is automatically rescheduled for the next class meeting. This includes exams and homework assignments. correspondence: Any class announcements sent via will be sent to the student s USM account so it is important to check that account regularly. is the preferred method of getting in touch with the professor outside of class. You should sign any correspondence with your full name and include your course number and section. Also, USM policy dictates that I only respond to s sent through your student accounts, so responses will not be sent to correspondence initiated through your private account. Additionally, please use capitalization, punctuation and correct spelling as it is distracting to deal with unprofessional s. If you choose to write an as you would a text message, you should not expect a response. Confidentiality: If you would like to discuss your course performance, an appointment with the professor may be made at a mutually agreeable time. In order to protect student confidentiality, the professor will not discuss grades by telephone or through . Any discussions about the student s course performance must be conducted with the instructor in person. In order to provide information about your grade to a third party, a written waiver form must be signed before any information is released to a third party. ASSUMPTIONS I make specific assumptions about students taking my course and feel that it is important that students understand what these assumptions are in order to successfully navigate what is a generally demanding course. The assumptions are as follows: 1) Students are capable of understanding the information presented. 4

5 2) Students have the capacity for work. 3) Students will make education their priority. 4) Students are responsible for their own reading. 5) Students will seek help if they do not understand something. 6) Any student can get an A if they are willing to do the work required of them. In total, these assumptions are what I believe a student needs to succeed in this course. However, some specific, helpful steps are listed in the following section. HOW TO SUCCEED Read the assigned textbook chapters before the lecture. Lectures are intended to clarify and reinforce the material presented in the textbook. If you do not read the assigned material prior to class (or at all), you will find this course unnecessarily difficult. Show up! Attendance is critical. It is unwise to miss class. I will not spend time in class or during my office hours covering material missed due to absences. Ask questions. I cannot stress this enough. If you do not understand something, chances are excellent that you are not alone. No matter how small the question, ask it! I am here to help you understand the material; by asking questions you are helping yourself and your classmates. Take advantage of office hours. Invariably, the students who seek me out in my office during the appropriate office hours do better than students who do not do so. ACADEMIC HONESTY Students are expected to conduct their academic work with integrity and honesty in all of their courses, but this is particularly important in courses dealing with criminal justice. Acts of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and can result in the failure of a course and dismissal from the University. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to: cheating on a test, plagiarism presenting another person s words and/or thoughts as your own without proper citation, fabrication of information used in an assignment, and collusion the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing work offered for credit. It is expected that students will learn in an environment where they work independently in the pursuit of knowledge, conduct themselves in an honest and ethical manner, and respect the intellectual work of others. Depending on the form of academic dishonesty, students may fail an assignment, fail the class, and/or be reported to the Dean of Students for disciplinary action. For the official university policy on academic honesty, see: ACADEMIC SERVICES Student Success Site: The Student Success Site provides directions to a wide range of student support services on campus. Everything from academic skills counselors who work with students individually or in small groups to strengthen abilities or make referrals to other qualified 5

6 personnel on campus to writing assistance is referenced on the site. The site can be found at Career Services: The Career Services Office offers employment-related services to the university community. Among these are: career counseling, advising, and information about job opportunities. The CDO also can assist you with resume writing skills, interviewing skills and creating cover and thank you letters. While the office is not an employment service and does not guarantee jobs, they can offer the tools to help in searching for a job. The CDO can be found at DISABLED STUDENT POLICY If a student has a disability that qualifies under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and requires accommodations he/she should contact the Office for Disability Accommodations (ODA) for information on appropriate policies and procedures. Disabilities covered by ADA may include learning, psychiatric, physical disabilities, or chronic health disorders. Students can contact ODA if they are not certain whether a medical condition/disability qualifies. They can be reached at The University of Southern Mississippi Office for Disability Accommodations 118 College Dr. #8586 Hattiesburg, MS Tel: o Fax: Individuals with hearing impairments can contact ODA using the Mississippi Relay Service at (TTY) or Suzy Hebert at Suzanne.Hebert@usm.edu Veterans If you are a veteran, please use the veterans/service member s resources on campus. They can be found at CLASS CONDUCT General Conduct All students are expected to be respectful to others and the instructor at all times. Class discussions may include sensitive and/or controversial topics. Students should be respectful of others viewpoints and opinions, even those that they may not agree with. Any conduct deemed by the professor to be disruptive to the class may result in the student s removal from the class. The removal will count as an unexcused absence. 6

7 Use of Electronic Devices in the Classroom I generally have a very loose policy regarding technology in the classroom. However, if your technology becomes disruptive, I will ask you to turn it off and not bring it back. COURSE SCHEDULE This schedule is subject to change. All changes will be announced in class. You will be held responsible for knowing about schedule changes, whether you are in class or not. The anticipated schedule of lectures, readings, assignments, and examinations is as follows: Week Date Reading/Topic Assignments Week 1 Aug. 24th Course Introduction/Syllabus; Overview of Terrorism Nacos Ch. 1 Week 2 Aug. 31st Nacos Ch. 2 - Definitions Week 3 LABOR DAY Week 4 Sep. 14th Nacos Ch. 3 International Terrorism Week 5 Sep. 21st Nacos Ch. 4 Domestic Terrorism; Nacos Ch. 5 - Religious Terrorism Week 6 Sep. 28th Nacos Ch. 6 Causes Week 7 Oct. 5th Nacos Ch. 7 State Sponsors and Involuntary Hosts; Nacos Ch. 8 - Commonalities: Goals, Targets, Tactics ASSIGNMENT 1 DUE Importance of Definitions w/in Terrorism Studies and Counterterrorism ASSIGNMENT 2 DUE What causes terrorism and what allows it to spread? Week 8 Oct. 12th MIDTERM EXAM! Week 9 Oct. 19th Nacos Ch. 9 Structures and Financing Week 10 Oct. 26th Nacos Ch. 10 National Security Strategy; Nacos 11 Hard and Soft Power Week 11 Nov. 2nd Nacos Ch. 12 Security vs. Human Rights; Nacos ASSIGNMENT 3 DUE What is 7

8 Ch. 13 Homeland Security Week 12 Nov. 9th Nacos Ch Propaganda Week 13 Nov. 16th Nacos Ch. 15 Terrorism Online Week 14 Nov. 23rd Nacos Ch. 16 Terrorism in the News; Class Conclusion FINAL Nov. 30 th (6pm) the correct approach to antiand counterterrorism? Group Project Due! 8

9 Absolute Minimum Standard for Acceptance The paper meets the assignment. The paper contains no plagiarism. The paper has your name on the title page. The paper is generally intelligible. Paper Rubric Joshua B. Hill, PhD If these criteria are not met you will receive a 0% on the assignment/paper. Important Points to Remember: APA Citation is to be used for all papers. THIS MEANS YOU NEED TO CITE IN EVERY SINGLE PAPER. Title pages and references DO NOT count towards your page limit. Any gimmicks you use to reach your page length (e.g. 13pt periods, strange spacing, etc.) will result in a 0% on the assignment. Paper Grading Categories Category #1 - Ideas and Content Paper: Paper is focused and detailed Paper is clear and rich in details Paper demonstrates knowledge of literature Details go beyond the obvious or predictable Writing has purpose, makes a point Every piece adds something to the whole Paper: Paper is beginning to define topic, but still pretty basic It s easy to see where the writer is headed, but there are gaps The ideas are clear, but need more specifics Doesn t go far enough to make the point 9-11 Paper: Has no clear purpose or central theme Information is limited or unclear Writing is repetitive, random, or both Lacks focus 9

10 Category #2 - Organization Paper: Clear direction Introduction gets reader s attention and provides direction as to what will be covered Every detail adds a little more to the main idea All details are in the right place - the material fits like a puzzle The paper concludes at a good spot doesn t drag on too long, and leaves the reader with something to think about Paper: Some really smooth parts, others need work Has an introduction, but doesn t grab the reader s attention or give any kind of direction as to what will follow Sometimes it is not clear how the details presented connected to the research question Some of the details are in the right spot, but others should have been discussed earlier or later Lingers too long in some places, and too abrupt in others Has a conclusion but it goes on for too long, ends abruptly, or leaves the reader waiting for more information 9-11 Paper: Paper has no clear purpose or central theme There isn t really a beginning or ending to the paper. It just kind of takes off Leaves readers confused about how the details fit with the main research question Thoughts seem scrambled, jumbled, and disconnected. Overall, it s confusing No conclusion Category #3 - Sentence Fluency Paper: Varied and natural Sentences are clear and the paper is easy to read Sentences vary in length Good use of transitions, shows how sentences connect Writing is succinct and there is a sense of a careful selection of words Paper: Routine and functional Some sentences are smooth and natural, but others are halting Sentences beginnings are more alike than different Lack of transitions to show connections between sentences Some sentences should be merged, others need to be separated Too wordy in parts - need to pare down 9-11 Paper: Needs work Lack of sound sentence structure makes the paper difficult to read aloud, even with practice Have to keep re-reading sentences and groups of sentences to figure out what is being said Sentence patterns are repetitive Sometimes words are left out or additional words need to be added in order for sentence to make sense 10

11 Category #4: Proofreading Paper: Mostly correct There are very few errors, it needs very little additional editing Punctuation is used appropriately Spelling is accurate Grammar is consistent and shows control Paper: About halfway home The paper presents itself more like and early draft, rather than a finished product A number of spelling errors are identified A few problems with grammar and punctuation cause the reader to stumble or pause now and again 9-11 Paper: Paper has no clear purpose or central theme It takes a first reading to decode and then a second reading to get the meaning of the paper Spelling errors are common Replete with grammatical errors are misuse of punctuation Category #5: Citation Paper: Information is well documented All sources cited in the text match those presented on the reference list Everything that needs to be cited, has been cited Citations are done correctly and are varied in style (e.g., some at end of sentence, others incorporated into the text) Limited use of quotations Paper: Good Start, but needs some more practice Makes a good attempt at citing, but there are some errors in the format Some cites are placed in the wrong place Limited variation (e.g., most are placed at end of sentences, etc.) Over relies on quotations, although they are cited properly May have an errant missing citation or two 9-11 Paper: Grounds for Plagiarism Missing a significant number of citations, or does not cite at all Quotes without using quotation marks. Category #6: Sources Paper: Quantity and Quality Uses at least the minimum number of sources required for the paper All of the sources are academic Sources vary in type (e.g., journal articles, chapters in books, technical reports, etc.) Reference list is consistent with APA format Provides a complete set of all sources cited 11

12 12-14 Paper: Paper is beginning to define topic, but still pretty basic Uses the minimum number of sources but there are few that aren t considered academic Not much variation in the type of sources used Good attempt at presenting the sources in APA format on the reference list, but it needs some additional editing The majority of the sources are listed, but may have forgotten one or two or are not complete 9-11 Paper: Paper has no clear purpose or central theme Does not use the minimum number of sources Many of the sources are not academic Relies heavily on one type of source Reference list is barely in APA format Fails to have a reference page 12

13 Joshua B. Hill, PhD School of Criminal Justice The University of Southern Mississippi ACADEMIC HONESTY PLEDGE & SYLLABUS AGREEMENT Academic Honesty I hereby attest that work turned in to fulfill requirements of this course is my work, done largely for this course, from materials gathered by me and in my own words. If this is shown not to be the case, I agree to accept an F for this work and understand that plagiarism is a serious violation of student ethics which might subject me to expulsion from the program and the University. Syllabus Agreement I further attest that I have read and understand the syllabus, agree to abide by its policies and understand that the failure to do so may result in a failing grade for the course. Course: Seminar in Criminal Justice: Terrorism Student Signature Date Print Name 13