Harrisburg Area Community College. Virtual Campus. Introduction To Criminal Justice. Online Course Syllabus - CRN Summer Session I 2015

Transcription

1 Harrisburg Area Community College Virtual Campus Introduction To Criminal Justice Online Course Syllabus - CRN 5884 Summer Session I May through 13 August Legal Studies Wayne W. Silcox - Instructor (Lancaster Campus) wwsilcox@hacc.edu (X711490) Faculty Secretary Lancaster Campus COURSE DESCRIPTION: Orientation to criminal justice, its philosophic basis and historical development; agencies and processes; technical and legal problems; the role of the criminal justice system in American society. LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: Explain the components of the modern criminal justice system in American society and how they interact. Explain the philosophy of the American criminal justice system. Relate criminal justice historical events and persons. Demonstrate an of how the American criminal justice system effectively interacts with the various agencies within it as well as criminal justice systems throughout the world. Effectively identify, evaluate, and discuss critical issues in criminal justice. Develop a glossary of terms and concepts related to the criminal justice field, especially those often misunderstood by the general public.

2 Use a computer to access crime statistics in national electronic databases such as or Use a computer to learn about federal law enforcement agencies in electronic databases such as and Use a computer to conduct research on topics such as the U. S. Court system and capital punishment in electronic databases such as Use a computer to explore careers in criminal justice in electronic databases such as Required Text: Schmalleger, Frank, Criminal Justice: A Brief Introduction 9 th or 10th edition (if you have an older edition you may have issues with chapter titles and page numbers) NOTE: There will be NO required supplemental reading for the Summer 2015 class. Office/Contact Hours: s will be answered on a timely and regular basis. Unless I am out of town or ill, all communication will be answered within hours. If you have questions of a general or nonpersonal nature please feel free to post your question to the class site (Instructor s Forum) so that the entire class can benefit from the exchange of information. NOTE: Personal communication or concerns about grades should NOT be posted to the Instructor s Forum! Appointments may be made through the Department Secretary. Please allow 3 to 5 days advanced notice if you wish a F2F meeting. As an on-line class instructor I don't keep regular office hours. However, unless I am on vacation or out of town, I am usually available on-line Tuesday through Thursday from 8:30-9:30 AM. System Requirements: The standard computer hardware is: Personal computer with a 500-Megahertz or faster processor; 512 MB of RAM or greater (recommends 2 GB); 2 GB of available hard-disk space; CD-ROM or DVD drive 1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor Mouse Broadband connection (cable or DSL) or higher recommended; Dial up/56k

3 modem minimum requirement NOTE: New for Summer 2015 Web cam with 640X480 video pixel or higher Reliable computer running Windows XP or newer or Mac OS X or higher Headphones or working speakers on or connected to the computer A working microphone for the computer. A web cam with a built in microphone works best. A web browser with Adobe Flash Player installed. The ability to allow video and screen sharing connections to the computer you will be using to take your exam. COURSE REQUIREMENTS: I know that you are busy and so each quiz and written assignment is geared toward helping you learn the material in order to perform well on the exams and actually learn something from the class! 1. There will be TWO examinations in this course, including the final exam. Each exam will be worth 100 points. The exams will be comprised of a variety of types of questions, including, but not limited to: true/false and multiple choice. Exams will be given according to the class calendar unless circumstances force a change and will be available for a 3 day period. This will allow students to take the exams at their convenience during the respective test period. Failure to take the exam during the exam period is likely to cost you your chance to take the exam. Read materials for ProctorU!! Exams are taken on-line. Exams are not open book nor are class notes to be used. 2. Students should take the practice quiz after thoroughly reading this syllabus and the Getting Started with this Course from the homepage. The practice quiz will be available for a 5 day period beginning with the first day of classes and is worth 15 points.. It will help familiarize students with the quiz/exam format and ensure that students understand what is expected of them in the course. Also, those 15 points will help your grade at the end of the semester! You do not need to register with ProctorU to take THIS quiz.

4 3. Students will also complete an average of one writing assignment per chapter. They are worth 30 points each. These assignments consist of writing a few paragraphs to answer a question OR you may be required to do instructor assisted research and answer related questions. These assignments are listed at your course website under DROPBOX. Failure to complete these assignments could cost you a passing grade in the course. More information is listed with each assignment. 4. Students will also complete an average of one discussion question per chapter as well. Post your thoughts, opinions (backed up with facts if necessary) and respond to other's postings. These are worth 30 points each and are listed under DISCUSSIONS from the menu on the course website. Failure to complete these assignments could cost you a passing grade in the course. 5. There is a Self-Assessment at the end of each chpater. This exercise is for your benefit only...you will get no points. Many of your exam questions are taken directly from these chapter/module assessments. Final Grades Final grades will be based on your final grade point average. Just remember...points possible (approximately 1,200.. but this figure can change if new assignments are added) divided into the points earned (for example you say you had 970 points, divided by 1,200...your grade is an 81 or a B) it is just that simple. The D2L management system will keep a running tally of your points and grades during the semester. Please use this tally to note your grade standing. A 90% - 100% B 80% % C 70% % D 60% % F 0% % TAKING AN EXAM New this semester is the use of an on-line proctoring service to take all major exams. Using a proctoring service is now standard procedure for all on-line CJ classes. It is anticipated that soon all on-line classes will have monitored exams. Exams are closed book with no notes and must be taken using the service called ProctorU. In order to take an exam you must connect to the service where you will be monitored by a live person. The proctor will guide you through the process through a webcam (required for this class). You must schedule your exam at least seven (7) days in advance which may be taken any time during the exam availability dates.

5 To make an appointment for your exam you have to create an account at At this point you select your exam and insert the time and date you wish to take the exam. You will receive an confirmation of your test appointment. Please note that other faculty have already successfully used ProctorU with their on-line classes. Comments from those on-line faculty urged telling students new to ProctorU the following: Be aware that the monitor at ProctorU will be taking over your computer during the exam. The monitor will ask the student to show them the student s computer, keyboard, and possibly the immediate test taking area. You will also need a picture ID your HACC ID or a driver s license both work great. The service is available seven days a week, 24 hours a day and is certainly more convenient than having students using a monitored oncampus testing center. Using the service reduces accusations that unless virtual students come to an on-campus testing center there is a lower level of honesty on exams. No notes or aids can be present anywhere in the testing area during an exam. Watch any distractions during the exam to include pets or children. IMPORTANT: Make-up exams will absolutely NOT be considered unless there is documented proof of a hospitalization or emergency and/or I am contacted BEFORE THE EXAM BY . Religious holidays will be fully accommodated, but students must contact me prior to the absence to make arrangements for a makeup exam. The instructor reserves the right for all makeup examinations to be full essay and be administered on a date and location of his choosing. PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO MAKE UP AN EXCUSE IF YOU MISS THE EXAM these policies will be enforced fairly and uniformly! TIPS FOR STUDENTS: A. Read the textbook chapters and the lecture notes that accompany each chapter (click on "lecture notes" from the course homepage.) The lecture notes contain stories, examples, and information about what you need to know for exams. The lecture notes do NOT take the place of the textbook chapters. You must read both. Questions on exams will come

6 from lecture notes, the text, and from the assignments you complete. Many of the questions come directly from your chapter/module self-assessments. B. Carefully study terms, legal cases and concepts. C. the professor about things you don't understand!! D. Remember that this is a general criminal justice course and not a Pennsylvania criminal justice course. Pennsylvania laws and practices may be different from your text or even the lecture notes. DO NOT make the mistake of thinking that you don't need to study because you already are familiar with PA laws or what the police do because you work in the system or watch lots of police shows on TV. You will be very disappointed with your grades if you do this! E. Each time you log on make sure you look for News on the homepage, then check to see if there are new s or discussion board messages for you to read. Often these contain valuable information for you. Often urgent information is also posted in the Instructor's Forum...check this area as well. F. You can organize your work by looking at the Checklist in the Navigation Bar. All of your actual assignments, and assessments will be listed at that location along with their due dates. You will find assignments also included in the Lecture Notes. F. Log on every day if possible. Staying away from the class several days can make a real difference in your grade. Studies show that internet students earn better grades when they log on at least every other day! G. Do the written assignments and participate in the discussions. You get to those by clicking on Discussions and Dropbox from the top bar of the homepage. H. Most of your questions are already answered in the syllabus or elsewhere in the class.read first! However, you can ALWAYS ask your instructor when all else fails! Class Participation in Discussion and Attendance Attendance According to guidance from the federal Department of Education, an institution must demonstrate that an online student participated in class or

7 was otherwise engaged in an academically-related activity for attendance purposes. Logging into an online class without active participation does not meet their definition of attendance. Faculty at the College must confirm a student's participation in an academic activity when reporting attendance. Examples of academic activities include, but are not limited to, the following : Submitting an assignment Taking a quiz or exam Participating in an interactive tutorial or computer-assisted instruction Participating in online discussion about academic matters Initiating contact with the faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject being studied in the course Students who fail to engage in a listed activity (as noted above) by noon on the 12 th of June will be dropped from the class for nonattendance. Just checking in does NOT count as an educational activity. Once you have missed 1/3 of the assignments or available points you will be subject to being dropped from the class regardless of the number of hours that you have "live" in the actual course. Please note that the setup of D2L allows the instructor to view all class activity undertaken by the student. Just logging into the class will NOT keep you enrolled. The above policy is consistent with College Regulation AP 661. Your class attendance and participation in class discussion is imperative. Barring approval of your absence, you are required to post submissions or you will lose points towards your final grade. Before you submit a post it is always best if you refer to the grading rubrics included at the end of the syllabus. Under no circumstances are students to make postings late in the segment writing that they agree with everything that has been said beforehand. We want to generate thoughtful and insightful dialog about the issues at hand. Your timely participation in this dialog is crucial to the success of the forum and to your successful completion of this course. Some of the criteria to keep in mind when posting to the discussion threads are: 1. Relevance of content (are you answering all of the questions)

8 2. Frequent interaction with other students and instructor (are you giving agreement or are you generating discussion) 3. Timeliness of the postings (don't wait until the last minute or hour). Those discussion postings which are submitted less that 5 (five) hours before the final closing time for the assignment will be subject to up to a 5 (five) point deduction from the normal grade as late postings prevent an adequate amount of time for all members of the class to view and respond to the assignment. You have been warned! 4. Quality and quantity of postings...you don't have to write a thesis, but too brief just won't work. Your work in online discussions will be graded in accordance with the Grading Rubric for Discussion Postings found on the final pages of the syllabus. A grade will be generated and posted to the course site grade book as the assignments are graded. Generally assignments are graded within hours of the closing date (notice the word generally was bolded). ACADEMIC HONESTY : Students who are guilty of academic dishonesty on any evaluation or assignment may be given a 0 for that evaluation or assignment. Academic dishonesty shall be defined as plagiarism, fabrication of research, cheating, or any other academic misconduct. Should a pattern of dishonest behavior be observed, further action will be taken by the instructor. See also Pennsylvania Title 18, Section Academic dishonesty is defined as an intentional act of deception in which a student seeks to claim credit for the work or effort of another person, or uses unauthorized material or fabricated information in any academic work. It includes, but is not limited to: 1. Cheating: giving or receiving answers on assigned material, using materials or aids forbidden by the instructor, alteration of academic records, unauthorized possession of examinations, the falsification of admissions, registration or other related college materials, or any other intentional use or attempted use of unauthorized materials, information, or study aid. 2. Plagiarism: the offering of someone else s work, works, or idea as one s own or using material from another source without acknowledgement. 3. Interference: interfering without permission with the work of another student either by obtaining, changing, or destroying the work of another student.

9 4. Buying or selling of term papers, homework, examinations, laboratory assignments, computer programs, etc. 5. Falsifying of one s own or another s records. 6. Knowingly assisting someone who engages in A-E above. 7. Infractions reported through ProctorU will be evaluated and discussed with the Department Chair. This shall include use of notes, the text, talking to others, not following reasonable directions...other concerns will be evaluated. Students who are guilty of academic dishonesty on any evaluation or assignment will be given a 0 for that evaluation or assignment. Should any pattern (two or more confirmed incidents) of dishonest behavior be observed, it will result in an automatic withdrawal from the course with an F grade. Evaluation considerations: Quality of thought is difficult to explain but easy to see. At a bare minimum, you must demonstrate the ability to adequately explain yourself. To do well, however, you must go beyond simply repeating from the text and instead demonstrate that you have invested some independent thought in the questions presented. Here are a few considerations for what constitutes quality, in order of difficulty: Clean presentation. I firmly believe in substance over form. Yet, college level structure, grammar, and spelling are required and expected. Accuracy in describing concepts and facts. At a bare minimum, you need to write in a manner that conveys an accurate of the facts. Completion in describing concepts and facts. Ability to draw conclusions from facts. Ability to discuss patterns by drawing upon many parts to describe a whole. Creative ability to not only describe patterns but also to demonstrate some independent thought. Level of participation - I would rather not say quantity as that is not the adjective that conveys the proper message. It is vital for class members to participate in class discussion, to do well, you should post more than an obligatory check-in during each class.

10 With that said, here is a quick check-list for what you need to do to attain excellence: Complete all assignments Meet all deadlines Provide consistent quality in all assessments Be a positive presence in class discussion Instructor s Comments and Suggestions Self-discipline, self-motivation and self-direction are three components important to success in life. All challenges involve these components but this is particularly true in virtual work situations. You are expected to invest considerably more independent effort learning the material for this course than you would in a traditional face to face lecture course. Online courses work best only for students who are dedicated to the task. I suggest that you set aside a minimum of three 90 minute blocks per week for your weekly course work. Taking a virtual class, taking a summer or regular semester class if you aren t disciplined and organized, you simply will not make it! If you must miss a deadline and are able to leave me a message, please do. If you know you are going to be absent for an extended period of time, please let me know. Simply due to time constraints, I prefer for almost every communication. I certainly, however, will take phone calls for any issue of significance. My general rule is that once the work is missed, it is gone forever. However, I do understand that sometimes exigent circumstances just happen. You will most certainly be asked to provide proof of what you are using for a justification to miss work. It is better to be asked and turned down than to not ask for leniency for an assignment. When in doubt..ask! Withdrawal If you need to withdraw from the class please let me know. You must follow all HACC guidelines to officially withdraw from the class. Should you just stop taking part in the class after you have signed on one time, you will still be considered part of the class and will get a grade ( obviously an F ). Class Etiquette:

11 Respect fellow classmates. There is a great deal that we can learn from each other, but this cannot happen if students feel uncomfortable in class about speaking up (afraid that their ideas will be treated harshly or not listened to respectfully) or are worried about what will be said to them or about them once they do speak up. Make sure you do everything you can to make our virtual classroom culture a comfortable and positive learning environment for everyone in the class. We may have people from many different backgrounds in this class and people with many different levels of academic preparation. You should all feel comfortable and make each other comfortable with discussing the issues. Sarcasm, heavily judgmental or confrontational comments break down goodwill and create an inhospitable virtual classroom atmosphere. Bullying comments are inappropriate and unacceptable in this class. This is extremely important in a virtual classroom, where tone of voice is often difficult to sense from the language on screen (although the use of emotions helps reduce this difficulty in some ways). If you are able to be funny without offending others feel free to do so but please be careful. Take responsibility for making this class successful. I am the facilitator/instructor but class discussion will be largely accomplished by the students and as a result of collaborative effort. Ask yourself what you can do during each class discussion to move the class forward in a constructive way. I may ask a class member to assume responsibility to lead particular discussions but that does not excuse the remainder of the class from vigorous participation. INCOMPLETE "I" GRADE POLICY: In accordance with College Regulation 667, an "I" grade will only be awarded to students who request it and if it is determined by the instructor that, due to extenuating circumstances, a student needs additional time beyond the semester to complete the course objectives. The "I" grade indicates that course work is incomplete and must be completed within eight weeks of the ensuing fall or spring semesters. W Grade: A W grade will be granted by the instructor upon request of the student from the end of the refund period until the midpoint of the course as defined by the College calendar. The student must be attending class in a manner consistent with the instructor s attendance policy, have completed the required graded material, and have not been charged with academic dishonesty by the instructor in order to be eligible for a W grade. The instructor may take into account extenuating circumstances. The policy is consistent with College Regulation AP 667.

12 PHRC Statement EEOC POLICY 005: It is the policy of Harrisburg Area Community College, in full accordance with the law, not to discriminate in employment, student admissions, and student services on the basis of race, color, religion, age, political affiliation or belief, gender, national origin, ancestry, disability, place of birth, General Education Development Certification (GED), marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, genetic history/information, or any legally protected classification. HACC recognizes its responsibility to promote the principles of equal opportunity for employment, student admissions, and student services taking active steps to recruit minorities and women. The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act ( PHRAct ) prohibits discrimination against prospective and current students because of race, color, sex, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, handicap or disability, record of a handicap or disability, perceived handicap or disability, relationship or association with an individual with a handicap or disability, use of a guide or support animal, and/or handling or training of support or guide animals. The Pennsylvania Fair Educational Opportunities Act ( PFEOAct ) prohibits discrimination against prospective and current students because of race, religion, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, handicap or disability, record of a handicap or disability, perceived handicap or disability, and a relationship or association with an individual with a handicap or disability. Information about these laws may be obtained by visiting the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission website at If an accommodation is needed, please contact: HACC Virtual Campus Amy Withrow (aswithro@hacc.edu) Arts 120 G One Hacc Drive Harrisburg, PA Phone:

13 GENERAL CLASS ISSUES: From time to time issues arise between the student and the instructor. Student concerns should be directed to the instructor FIRST to allow for issues to be discussed and worked out. However, if after discussion with the instructor a student feels he or she has been treated in an unfair manner, complaints for the Virtual Campus can be directed to: Ms. Lise-Pauline Barnett Interim Director of Operations Virtual Campus 2.0 York Campus Goodling 101C X1522 lmbarnett@hacc.edu Class Calendar See the Course Homepage for the Summer I class calendar! You can ALWAYS use the Checklist in the Navigation Bar Grading Rubric for Discussion Postings Contribution to the Classroom Inspires Reply Postings from Other Students 10 (Excellent) 9 (Good) 8 (Fair) 7 (Poor) Posting is Posting is Posting is Posting is insightful, thorough and interesting but uninteresting thorough, and interesting. lacks insight and/or too interesting. and depth. brief for the assignment. A serious effort is made to frame the discussion posting in such a way as to encourage others to reply. Posting generates questions and A serious effort Some effort is is made to made to frame frame the the discussion discussion posting in such posting in such a way as to a way as to encourage encourage others to reply. others to reply. No effort is made to frame the discussion posting in such a way as to encourage others to reply.

14 Demonstrated Understanding of the Reading Assignment Grammar, Mechanics, Spelling, and Sentence Structure opens up new avenues for discussion. Posting demonstrates a thorough of the reading assignment and is substantiated by several examples from the textbook and/or companion website. Posting is highly polished; no grammar or spelling errors. Posting demonstrates an of the reading assignment and is substantiated by at least one example from the textbook and/or companion website. Posting is polished; maximum of one grammar or spelling error. Posting demonstrates an of the reading assignment but is not substantiated by examples from the textbook and/or companion website. Posting is adequate; maximum of two grammar or spelling errors. Posting demonstrates very little of the reading assignment. Inadequate posting; more than two spelling or grammar errors. Grading Rubric for Written Activity Assignments Thoroughness Answered all questions in the exercise completely and in the appropriate order. Supporting Details 10 (Excellent) 9 (Good) 8 (Fair) 7 (Poor) Answered all Answered questions in most of the the exercise questions in but not the exercise completely but not and/or not in completely the and/or not in appropriate the order. appropriate Answered all questions in the exercise and provided a substantial amount of Answered all questions in the exercise and provided an adequate amount of order. Answered most of the questions in the exercise and provided an adequate Did not answer an adequate number of the questions in the exercise. Answered some of the questions in the exercise and provided an inadequate

15 relevant details. Demonstrated Response Understanding demonstrates of the a thorough Assignment Grammar, Mechanics, Spelling, and Sentence Structure of the exercise and is substantiated by several examples from the textbook and/or companion website. Response is highly polished; no grammar or spelling errors. relevant details. Response demonstrates of the exercise and is substantiated by at least one example from the textbook and/or companion website. Response is polished; maximum of one grammar or spelling error. amount of relevant details. Response demonstrates some of the exercise but is not substantiated by any examples from the textbook and/or companion website. Response is adequate; maximum of two grammar or spelling errors. amount of relevant details. Response demonstrates very little of the exercise.