COURSE SYLLABUS CJUS 500 CRIMINAL JUSTICE INTEGRATION

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1 Note: Course content may be changed, term to term, without notice. The information below is provided as a guide for course selection and is not binding in any form, and should not be used to purchase course materials.

2 COURSE SYLLABUS CJUS 500 CRIMINAL JUSTICE INTEGRATION COURSE DESCRIPTION This course focuses on the interdependency of organizations and agencies in the criminal justice system. Specifically, the course will examine the competing roles of law enforcement, courts, prosecution, defense counsel, etc., in the pursuit of justice. RATIONALE CJUS 500, Criminal Justice Integration, is intended to introduce the student to the foundational concepts, terminology, and personnel that comprise the federal and state criminal justice system, thereby equipping the student for further study in the field. This introduction to the discipline of criminal justice initiates a course of study which, upon completion, prepares students who have been immersed in a Christian worldview throughout the program to become planners, practitioners and leaders in the field of criminal justice who will influence the culture for Christ. This aligns with the mission of Liberty University: To develop Christ-centered men and women with the values, knowledge, and skills essential to impact tomorrow s world. I. PREREQUISITES For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog. II. III. IV. REQUIRED RESOURCE PURCHASES Click on the following link to view the required resource(s) for the term in which you are registered: ADDITIONAL MATERIALS FOR LEARNING A. Computer with basic audio/video output equipment B. Internet access (broadband recommended) C. Microsoft Word (Microsoft Office is available at a special discount to Liberty University students.) MEASURABLE LEARNING OUTCOMES Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: A. Describe the significant steps in the criminal justice process from an academic and real-world perspective. Page 1 of 5

3 B. Compare the elements that distinguish between the federal and state criminal justice systems, including court structures. C. Identify the institutional representatives that comprise the criminal justice system and assess their roles in a courtroom setting. D. Analyze current and future challenges to the administration of justice and assess the viability of proposed solutions. E. Defend the foundations of criminal justice from a biblical perspective. V. COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND ASSIGNMENTS A. Textbook readings and lecture presentations B. Course Requirements Checklist After reading the Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in Module/Week 1. C. Discussion Board Forums (3) There will be 3 Discussion Board Forums throughout the course. Discussion boards are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to post both a thread of words in response to the provided prompt and 1 reply to a classmate of words. Threads and replies require citations from 3 scholarly criminal justice sources. All sources must be cited in current APA format. Biblical worldview integration is required for both thread and reply. D. Criminal Proceeding Project Part 1 Using online resources and personal communication, the student will identify a specific local courthouse or tribunal and choose a particular criminal proceeding to observe for this project. The student will submit a written summary of the aforementioned information. This assignment requires a title page. Any sources given must be submitted in current APA format. Note: Proceedings pursuant to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) may qualify. The student must have the instructor s approval beforehand. Law enforcement officials should observe a case with which they have no direct affiliation, if possible. Since the observation will be as a graduate student in criminal justice and not as a witness, a prior case will usually not be an acceptable substitute. The intent of this assignment is to educate the graduate criminal justice student about the realities of the criminal trial system versus its characterization by the media. The student is expected to examine the flow, nuances, and actors within criminal trial proceedings from an objective perspective. The estimated time of observation is 4 hours or less. Page 2 of 5

4 The preference is that this observation should be in person; however, for some, this may not be practical. If the student desires an exception to the in person requirement, he/she must contact his/her course instructor. As Part 1 is due in Module/Week 3, student requests for exceptions must be made within the first two modules/weeks of the term and clearly articulated in a manner that allows the instructor to make a timely decision. If after a case is selected, the case is continued or rescheduled, the student may request an extension or seek an exception from the course instructor. The instructor can permit a student to complete the assignment by observing a criminal proceeding online. The following web site provides video streaming that is not edited for the television or the infotainment industry and is approved as the best alternative to the sights, sounds, and flow of an actual criminal courtroom: United States Courts Part 2 After the actual observation of the criminal proceeding that was identified in Part 1, the student will prepare a second summary. This summary will describe the criminal proceeding in a 3 5-page paper. Additionally, a title page and abstract must be included. The paper must be in current APA format. E. Article Critique The student will choose 2 articles from 5 provided in the course. In a single document, the student will write a summary that compares and contrasts issues in 2 articles. The critique and analysis must be from a biblical and criminal justice perspective. The critique must be 3 5 pages. Additionally, a title page and abstract must be included. Assertions must be supported with references in current APA format. F. Book Critique This Book Critique is a to-the-point summary and evaluation of one of the preselected books. The Book Critique must be 5 7 pages of content, in addition to a title page and abstract. Assertions must be supported with references in current APA format. This assignment will be submitted in 3 parts: Draft, OWC Confirmation, and Final Submission. G. Exams (3) There are 3 exams for this course. Each exam will cover the Reading & Study material for the assigned modules/weeks. Each exam will be open-book/opennotes, contain 30 multiple-choice and 2 essay questions, and have a 1-hour and 30-minute time limit. VI. COURSE GRADING AND POLICIES A. Points Page 3 of 5

5 Course Requirements Checklist 10 Discussion Board Forums (3 at pts ea) 300 Criminal Proceeding Project Part 1 50 Part 2 Article Critique Book Critique Draft 40 OWC Confirmation 10 Final Submission Exam 1 (Modules 1 2) Exam 2 (Modules 3 5) Exam 3 (Modules 6 8) Total 1010 B. Scale A = A- = B+ = B = B- = C+ = C = C- = D+ = D = D- = F = C. CJUS Policy The nature of the criminal justice community demands that persons involved be of a high level of integrity, and education is not merely academic in nature, but is holistic. Students enrolled in CJUS courses will be held to a high standard. Selfcontrol is imperative for CJUS practitioners. If not merely to honor Christ, your family, and this academic institution, on a purely pragmatic level, in anticipation of future employability in the career field of your choice, conduct yourselves so as not to place yourselves in difficult and embarrassing situations. D. Late Assignment Policy If the student is unable to complete an assignment on time, then he or she must contact the instructor immediately by . Assignments that are submitted after the due date without prior approval from the instructor will receive the following deductions: 1. Late assignments submitted within one week of the due date will receive a 10% deduction. 2. Assignments submitted more than one week late will receive a 20% deduction. 3. Assignments submitted two weeks late or after the final date of the course will not be accepted. 4. Late Discussion Board threads or replies will not be accepted. Special circumstances (e.g. death in the family, personal health issues) will be critiqued by the instructor on a case-by-case basis. E. Disability Assistance Page 4 of 5

6 Students with a documented disability may contact Liberty University Online s Office of Disability Academic Support (ODAS) at LUOODAS@liberty.edu to make arrangements for academic accommodations. Further information can be found at Page 5 of 5

7 COUR ### Course Schedule COURSE SCHEDULE CJUS 500 Textbooks: Neubauer & Fradella, America s Courts and the Criminal Justice System (2014). Select one for Book Critique: Jones, Criminals of the Bible (2006). Nemeth, Aquinas in the Courtroom (2001). Standiford & Matthews, Bringing Adam Home (2011). MODULE/ WEEK READING & STUDY ASSIGNMENTS POINTS 1 Neubauer & Fradella: chs. 1 2 Course Requirements Checklist Class Introductions DB Forum Neubauer & Fradella: chs. 3 4, 16 Exam 1 3 Neubauer & Fradella: chs websites DB Forum 2 Criminal Proceeding Project Part Neubauer & Fradella: ch. 7 3 websites DB Forum 3 Book Critique Draft Book Critique Draft: OWC Confirmation Neubauer & Fradella: ch. 9 2 websites Exam 2 6 Neubauer & Fradella: ch. 8 5 websites Criminal Proceeding Project Part 2 Article Critique 7 8 Neubauer & Fradella: chs. 10, 13, 15 1 website Neubauer & Fradella: chs. 10, 13, 15 Book Critique Final Submission Exam 3 TOTAL 1010 DB = Discussion Board NOTE: Each course module/week begins on Monday morning at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends on Sunday night at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The final module/week ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday.