Chair, Department of Criminal Justice SUBJECT: Proposed Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice Education DATE: April 1, 2014

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1 1 MEMORANDUM TO: Educational Policies and Planning Committee FROM: Dr. William P. Bloss Chair, Department of Criminal Justice SUBJECT: Proposed Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice Education DATE: April 1, 2014 The Department of Criminal Justice, College of Human Ecology, proposes to establish a new Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice Education. It would enable interested students to obtain a post-baccalaureate credential which will qualify them for a college-level instructor position. Thus, the two-prong aim of the certificate is to first insure that the student has a sufficient competency in foundational and contemporary subject matter in the discipline; and second, prepare the student to effectively deliver criminal justice instructional material. An evaluation of applicant statements of purpose and Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) retention data showed that a subgroup of students entered the MSCJ graduate program for the sole purpose of completing 18 semester hours of graduate coursework to become credentialed to teach criminal justice at the college level. Hence, these students withdrew from the MSCJ program once the 18 semester hours were completed, which has an adverse impact on retention and graduation rates in the program. After analyzing these data and conversing with students interested in obtaining the credential, it became apparent that the MSCJ program should provide students with a certificate opportunity to meet the demand without compelling them to become admitted into the 36 semester hour Master s degree program. Since none of the UNC constituent institutions offers this certificate option, we seek to fill that void by creating an avenue for interested students to obtain a credential necessary to teach criminal justice courses in some higher education institutions. Together, the core and elective courses provide the subject matter content and instructional delivery familiarity needed. The required core courses (9 semester hours) will insure mastery of essential criminal justice content and acquaint the student with instructional best practices. The remaining 9 semester hours of elective courses, as approved by the advisor, enables the student to tailor his/her coursework to individual interests and needs. With the exception of the new course, JUST 6002 Seminar in Criminal Justice Education, all courses needed to satisfy the certificate requirement are available in the current MSCJ course inventory. Since to obtain the credential all of the graduate coursework must be in the teaching field (i.e., criminal justice), other units or disciplines would not be participating in the certificate program. MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: Graduate Curriculum Committee Dr. William P. Bloss Chair, Department of Criminal Justice

2 2 SUBJECT: Application for New Certificate: Certificate in Criminal Justice Education DATE: February 19, 2014 The Department of Criminal Justice, College of Human Ecology, proposes to establish a new Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice Education. Educational Objectives The objective of the graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice Education is to enable interested students to obtain a post-baccalaureate credential which will qualify them for a College-level instructor position. Thus, the two-prong aim of the Certificate is to first insure that the student has a sufficient competency in foundational and contemporary subject matter in the discipline; and second, prepare the student to effectively deliver criminal justice instructional material. Meeting the Educational Objectives As noted below, the 18 s.h. Certificate provides the graduate coursework necessary to satisfy the credentialing requirements for college-level instructors. And the core and elective courses provide the subject matter content and instructional delivery familiarity needed. The required core courses (9 s.h.) will insure mastery of essential criminal justice content and acquaint the student with instructional best practices. The remaining 9 s.h. of elective courses, as approved by the advisor, enables the student to tailor his/her coursework to individual interests and needs. Need for the Certificate An evaluation of applicant statements of purpose and Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) retention data showed that a subgroup of students entered the MSCJ graduate program for the sole purpose of completing 18 s.h. of graduate coursework to become credentialed to teach criminal justice in a community college. Hence, these students withdrew from the MSCJ program once the 18 s.h. were completed, which has an adverse impact on retention and graduation rates in the program. After analyzing these data and conversing with students interested in obtaining the credential, it became apparent that the MSCJ program needed to provide students with a Certificate opportunity to meet the demand without compelling them to become admitted into the Master s degree program. Admission standards To be admitted into the graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice Education applicants must: 1. Complete the Graduate School online application with paid fee;

3 3 2. Have a bachelor s degree from an accredited academic institution with a minimum overall undergraduate grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale; 3. Submit official transcripts for all colleges/universities attended; 4. Submit a Statement of Purpose/Intent that describes a) the applicant s relevant educational background and work experience; b) short-and long-term goals; and c) specific interests in the graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice Education program ( words, single spaced, typewritten); and 5. Submit three letters of reference. Certificate in Criminal Justice Education requirements: 18 s.h. CORE (9 s.h.) JUST 6000 Criminal Justice Principles Systemic nature of current crime control efforts in criminal justice system. JUST 6002 Seminar in Criminal Justice Education Effective delivery of instruction of foundational and contemporary criminal justice issues. JUST 6201 Seminar in Criminal Behavior Theories and systems of criminological thought. Analysis of conceptual foundations of contemporary institutions and policies, formulation of crime prevention strategies, and development of responses to practical problems which arise in delivery of criminal justice. ELECTIVES (9 s.h. of JUST courses) JUST Seminar in Research Methods and Statistical Interpretation JUST Seminar in Corrections JUST Seminar in Law Enforcement JUST Advanced Criminology JUST Statistics in Criminal Justice JUST Principles of Criminal Justice Administration and Management JUST Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice JUST Seminar in Criminal Justice Courts JUST Civil Liability in Criminal Justice JUST Criminal Justice and Terrorism JUST Special Topics JUST Directed Study in Criminal Justice JUST Diversity Issues in Criminal Justice JUST Program Evaluation (Applied) JUST Professional Paper JUST 5000 Comparative Criminal Justice

4 4 Certificate course delivery Courses required for the Certificate in Criminal Justice Education may be delivered face-to-face, hybrid, or online depending on student needs. Certificate award estimates Estimate the number of certificates to be awarded in the first five years Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year Evaluating Certificate effectiveness As with all programs offered by the Department, the Certificate application, admission, retention, completion, and time of completion data will be regularly collected and analyzed. Instructional efficacy will be evaluated using SPOTS, course material portfolios, teaching observations (peer and/or Unit administrator), and review of online delivery content. Furthermore, the Certificate will join other departmental degree programs which are all subject to periodic review to insure course and content currency, discipline relevance, and fulfillment of educational objectives. After evaluating these data, a quality enhancement plan will be developed to modify the program and improve student performance, course content, or instruction as indicated. Graduate faculty Dr. James Anderson Dr. William Bloss Dr. Heidi Bonner Dr. Abdullah Cihan Dr. Patrick Cundiff Dr. Mark Jones Dr. John Kerbs Dr. Megan Magers Dr. John Sorensen Dr. Michele Stacey and Chair Associate Program Coordinator (C.V. attached) Dr. Jon Sorensen Office: Rivers, 238 Tel.: Graduate Program Director Department of Criminal Justice

5 5 Licensure No professional licensure is applicable to the Certificate Classification of Instructional Program CIP Weeks to completion The minimum time period to complete the Certificate would be 30 weeks (fall and spring) at 9 s.h. per semester.