CRIJ 4355 - Senior Seminar in Criminal Justice

Syllabus – Fall, 2016

Office: Bus. Adm. 219Office Hours:

M W12:00-1:30

Phone: 566-7426

e-mail: ther Times by appointment

Course Description

This course is the capstone course for the Criminal Justice Program at the University of Texas at Tyler. Students must have completed 21 hours of Criminal Justice core requirements at UT Tyler to be eligible for this class. The purpose is to assure that each person completing degree requirements in the program is able to: (1) fully integrate basic criminal justice principles and practices underlying this field of study and work; (2) access and correctly interpret the most current criminal justice research findings; (3) analyze, synthesize, and evaluate complex criminal justice issues; (4) understand and correctly apply a universally recognized problem-solving, decision-making, and policy development model; (5) communicate at a professional level, both orally and in writing, and be a successful professional. The course is reading and writing intensive.

This is a seminar course with presentation and discussion. Therefore class members will be individually responsible not only for their own materials but as critical (and constructive) colleagues in the evaluation of others. The instructor will serve as a discussion facilitator and subject-matter resource person. It is incumbent on class members, therefore, to exert sufficient peer pressure on one another to assure a high level of preparedness and assertive participation from each member.

To accomplish these objectives, the public policy cycle is studied in relation to critical issues in criminal justice. A model for creating and analyzing public policy is introduced and course participants will formulate and defend new or significantly revised, narrowly focused criminal justice policy proposals. The successful student’s work product is a near equivalent to a senior thesis or a professional policy proposal for a state or federal agency and must be of such quality as to be presented to an agency or appropriately complement an application to graduate school; or be entered competitively in the student division at a major criminal justice conference.

Student Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

  • Assess the strengths and weaknesses of various public policies in criminal justice.
  • Professionally format/prepare/document reaction papers and facilitate group discussions.
  • Select an area of public policy ostensibly in need of policy development, determine a theoretically more efficacious alternative policy, and write a well-drafted proposal for implementation of a new or significantly modified policy.
  • Be prepared for professional employment with resume and self introduction
  • Successfully pass summary comprehensive exams covering the criminal justice core requirements.
  • Communicate effectively and professionally.

Course Prerequisite: By definition as a capstone course, the presumption is that students have, or by the end of the current semester will have successfully completed all criminal justice core (required) courses, and will be able to apply knowledge from those core courses directly to the requirements of this course. Students not meeting the prerequisite are advised to drop the course within 24 hours of the first class meeting. Students registered for this course on waiver of above prerequisites may be at academic disadvantage. Although one objective of a capstone course is to review basic concepts from the core and to update students just prior to their graduation, the intensity of this course clearly precludes re-teaching core concepts.

Required Resources

Texts

  • Welsh, W. N. & Harris, P. W. (2013). Criminal justice policy & planning (4thed.). Waltham, MA: Anderson Publishing.
  • Free to students: Johnson, W. A. Jr., Rettig, R. P., Scott, G. M., & Garrison, S. M. (2011). The criminal justice student writer’s manual (5thed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. (Each student should have received a copy of this text during his/her criminology class. If you have not received a copy, contact the Social Science Department Office, but each student can only receive one free copy.

The Welsh & Harris text (available in the Bookstore) provides a plan and an outline for analyzing problems and developing effective policy. Your instructor will also provide information from a different text by Lindblom (not available to you) which describes potential obstacles to policy planning and implementation.

Course Requirements and Evaluation Criteria

Criminal Justice is a professional preparation program. Graduates of this CJ program are expected to exhibit professional communication skills, appropriate business demeanor, including respect for others, cooperation, behavioral attributes considered appropriate for the business environment and dress is also required (when making presentations). Professional demeanor is expected. Career development will be an additional component of this class where possible.

Communication. As a college educated criminal justice practitioner, you will be expected to speak and write professionally, have a highly developed vocabulary, make appropriate word choices, use correct grammar be concise and accurate when speaking and writing. As a professional, your reports will be examined by agency superiors, prosecution and defense attorneys, judges and, under FOI, the media. Your oral communication skills will be judged both within your agency and externally as you speak daily with professionals, conduct interviews, testify in court, and are recorded by or quoted in the press. Therefore, all written assignments should be subjected to thorough spelling and grammar checks. These standards apply to your everyday speech, emails, etc. with each other and with your instructor. The instructor will take advantage of any conversation to make reminders about your grammar – don’t be offended – be reminded.

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Each class member is expected to complete all assigned readings and demonstrate an ability to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate relevant information. Active and thoughtful participation through informed comment and demonstration of leadership behavior through class discussion is expected. Mere attendance does not constitute participation. Note that missing class when others are presenting is unprofessional and the instructor will deduct grade points for such absences.

  1. PolicyProposal (25%) and Oral Presentation (5%)

Each student shall identify a current criminal justice policy or practice which is “broken or badly bent.” Then, according to his/her respective interest, subject-matter expertise and research will propose a new or significantly revised policy remedying the “old” policy’s deficiencies. The instructor must approve these projects. No exact duplicate policy proposals please.

Based on the assignment dates established in the schedule, students shall submit copies of three sequential chapters which (1) thoroughly describes the problem, (2) the history of the problem, and an evaluation of other attempts to solve the problem and (3) the student’s own policy proposal. Guidelines for this paper will be available on Black Board.(In reviewing draft material for grammar errors the instructor will make a written comment regarding a particular problem the first time it appears. It is the student’s responsibility to recognize all other instances of the same problem in the rest of the chapter and correct all of them before the next submission.Guidelines for presentations will be included on Black Board.

Submit each chapter electronically in Microsoft Word to the instructor by its due date and be prepared to include copies of sources used if requested. Update the reference page as each chapter is added. The instructor will edit and grade the first pages of chapters one and two and will return these edited copies to you..The grade on Chapter one will not count. Note that failure to adequately the source of information used will results in an automatic zero. Do not quote unless absolutely necessary. All information you use from other sources must be cited.

At the end of the course, students will submit an electronic copyof the completed study consisting of all chapters,including appropriate introductory, reference, and appendix material.Note that the instructor will compare the final (corrected chapters) to the draft copies.

Students will report the results of their respective proposals to the other students as if these students were the Board of Directors in an executive-type, oral briefing, known as a decision briefing. The use of visual aids is highly recommended. This format replicates procedures for policy development and presentation in major criminal justice agencies. Fellow students are expected to evaluate the policy recommendations according to their knowledge of the criminal justice system and according to criteria established in the policy text.

  1. Midterm Exam – 20%

The content of the examination will focus on the policy texts along with class discussions. The class member’s ability to engage in all higher order cognitive functions (analysis, synthesis, evaluation, etc.) is the crux of upper-division university education and, therefore, will be emphasized in this examination.

  1. Capstone Assessment - 15%
  1. Because this is the Criminal Justice Program’s Capstone Course, it is appropriate to assess students’ comprehension of the learning objectives of all core (required) CJ courses. That examination consists of two different exams. The first exam will consist of 10 objective style questions from each of the six core courses (excluding ethics) in the CJ program and a short essay section. Videotaped lectures from the CJ faculty will provide core class reviews and those videos will be available on BB. It is critical that you watch these videos several times and take notes. Power points for these reviews will also be available on BB.
  1. Major Field Test – 1-4 Bonus points to the semester average

The second comprehensive assessment is a national standardized exam covering key elements about the criminal justice system. This exam requires 2.5 hours and it will extend beyond the class period. You must make arrangements to stay until 5:00 p.m. Extra points are awarded for the National CJ exam. One – four points will be awarded to your final semester average depending how well you score on the exam (one point for each standard deviation above the mean).

  1. Projects 25% -
  2. Professional Development Activities. 15% total
  3. What do employers look for in an applicant? 2-4 pages (5%) Conduct a brief internet search for employers’ needs in general and then your desired agency or career criteria. What can you do to insure you develop skills to meet those needs? Distinguish between entry level jobs and those with career advancement potential.
  4. Using Career Services as a resource (5%)
  5. Develop your Resume – (one page)
  6. Create a hypothetical cover letter for a job application (one page)
  7. Review Career Services tips for job interviews
  8. Create and deliver “elevator speech” describing yourself and your talents. – (60 seconds or less, presentation plus copy) (5%)
  9. Group Topic Review and Response Paper – (4-8 pages)15%

Groups will be assigned one of the topics below. Provide a brief review of the pro and con sides of the question then take a position and defend it. Be prepared to discuss in class.Preliminary resources will be provided.

Group members will need to act as peer reviewers for each other. Leadership and participation are important aspects of this project. Members will rate their peers’ performance which will be included in the grade for the project.

  1. Pros and Cons of Plea Bargaining
  2. Are Supermax Prisons an Appropriate Way to Punish Hardened Criminals?
  3. Should Private “For Profit” Corporations Be Allowed to Run U.S. Prisons?
  4. Are Female Police Officers as Effective as Male Officers
  5. Should Cameras Be Allowed Inside U.S. Courtrooms?
  6. Should Law enforcement Agencies Use Affirmative Action programs to Increase the Number of minority Police Officers.
  1. Quizzes 5%

Quizzes may be unscheduled, use less than full class meeting time, or they may be online via Black Board. They are mostly objective or single essay question in form. The total number of quizzes necessary to reinforce the importance of class preparedness is unknown until the course is complete. There are no make ups for quizzes since part of their function is to check class preparation and attendance. Quizzes may cover any topic but especially topics dealing with vocabulary, APA documentation, and grammar rules and writing facts from the Johnson, text.

Assignments: 5%

Assignments/homework will be graded on the basis on 100% regardless of its length. The average of all those grades will count as 5% of the total semester grade.

Style.All written assignments shall conform to the American Psychological Association (APA) style (see, e.g.: APA. 2001. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6thed.). Washington, DC: Author). The Johnson, et al. text can also serve as your guide. Many other guides offer additional information online – “The Purdue Owl” is especially useful. Any plagiarism violates the academic dishonesty of this University and the minimum result will be a failing grade. Remember you cannot use someone else’s information without giving them credit. You cannot use anyone else’s words unless you place them in quotation marks and include the page number with the citation. But these assignments are to be in your own words. Do not quote unless absolutely necessary.

Tentative Schedule by week

August 29-31Class Introduction

Views of the Criminal Justice System

In Class - Assignment for August 29 –

  1. In your opinion what are the top five challenges to the American Criminal Justice System – Why? Discussion
  2. Introduce yourself, your career goals, and past professional experience

Readings: Welch and Harris Introduction, pp. 1-30

Johnson pp. 1-51

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September 5 – Labor Day

September 7Readings:

Welch – Chapter One,- Analyzing the Problem – pp. 31-76

Quiz#1: Johnson pp. 49-51

Group Assignments and Handout of Preliminary Source materials for Response Paper

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September 12-14Readings:

Welch Chapter Two – Setting Goals and Objectives

Lindblom Chapters 1-3

Lecture: Writing Tips

Guest Speaker ?

Discussion on What Employers’ Need

Quiz #2Johnson Text pp 49-51

Turn In - Assignment due by Sept. 12: What do Employers Look For?

Turn in - Assignment due by Sept. 14: Have policy topic approved

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September 19-21Readings:

Welch Chapter Three – Designing the Program Policy

Lindblom Chapters 4-5

Welch: Chapter Four – Action Planning

Lindblom Chapter 6-7

Lecture - Johnson Text APA documentation

Quiz #3Johnson Text Grammar

Turn in - Assignment due Sept 19:Following the guidelines in the Welch text - Create two goals each with two objectives for a hypothetical employment training program for ex-inmates in Tyler, Texas

Turn in – Assignment due by Sept 19: Your “elevator speech” introduction – Be prepared to deliver your introduction and practice within your group.

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September 26-28Lecture – Presentations tips

Welch: Chapter Five – Program/Policy

Lindblom Chapters 8-9

Quiz #4 APA documentation

Turn in - Assignment Due Sept 26: Group Topic Reports. Discussion in Class

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October 3-5Readings:

Welch: Chapter Six - Evaluating Outcomes

Welch: Chapter Seven – Reassessment & Review

Turn in - Assignment Due October 3: Chapter One of Policy Paper (electronically)

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October 10-12MidTerm Review

Midterm Exam

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October 17-19Capstone Exam Review – Policing (Helfers)

Capstone Exam Review – Corrections (Klein or Hart)

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October 24-26Capstone Exam Review – Criminology (Scott)

Capstone Exam Review – Research Methods (Bailey/Hart)

Turn in – Assignment October 24 – Resume and Cover Letter

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October 31-Nov 2Capstone Exam Review – Law and the Courts (Law & Procedure –Klein/Scott)

Turn in - Assignment Due November 2: Chapter Two of Policy Paper (electronically)

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November 7Capstone Exam

November 9 Major Field Test 2:30 – 5:00 p.m.

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November 14-16Guest Speakers

Mrs. Susan Doty –

?

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November 21-23 Thanksgiving Week Holiday

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November 28-30Policy Presentations 1-8

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December 5-7Policy Presentations 9-16

Turn in – (electronically) Dec. 5 – Final complete copy of Policy Paper (Chapter 3, Chapters 1 & 2 corrected, plus Cover page, Table of Contents, Executive Summary, References.

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December 12-14Policy Presentations 17-22

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POLICIES THAT MUST APPEAR IN EACH COURSE SYLLABUS

Statement Regarding Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty is a violation of University policy and professional standards. If compared to a violation of the criminal law, it would be classed as a felony. Academic dishonesty is defined as cheating, plagiarism, or otherwise obtaining grades under false pretenses. The penalty for academic dishonesty in this class will be no less than immediate failure of the course and a permanent student record of the reason therefore. In most cases, a written record of academic dishonesty or an instructor’s report of same to an agency investigator during a background check will bar an individual from employment by a criminal justice agency as it is considered Indicative of subsequent corrupt acts.

Many students have an inadequate understanding of plagiarism. Any idea or verbiage from another source must be documented. Anytime the exact words from another author are used they must be enclosed with quotation marks and followed by a citation. However quotations should only be used on rare occasions. Student papers should be written in the student’s own words; therefore, excessive quotations will result in a failing grade.

Make-up Tests: The University Catalogdoes not establish make-ups as a student right. Major tests are forecasted; therefore, no make-up opportunities are contemplated. Opportunities to make-up missed examinations will be provided only for exceptional reasons and must be documented (e.g., hospital records, obituaries). Make-up examinations may be in forms completely different from original examinations and will be scheduled at the convenience of the instructor.

The following University policies must appear on each course syllabus or be provided as an informational sheet (web-links to these policies may be used in the print or electronic syllabus)

Students Rights and Responsibilities

To know and understand the policies that affect your rights and responsibilities as a student at UT Tyler, please follow this link:

Grade Replacement/Forgiveness and Census Date Policies

Students repeating a course for grade forgiveness (grade replacement) must file a Grade Replacement Contract with the Enrollment Services Center (ADM 230) on or before the Census Date of the semester in which the course will be repeated. Grade Replacement Contracts are available in the Enrollment Services Center or at Each semester’s Census Date can be found on the Contract itself, on the Academic Calendar, or in the information pamphlets published each semester by the Office of the Registrar. Failure to file a Grade Replacement Contract will result in both the original and repeated grade being used to calculate your overall grade point average. Undergraduates are eligible to exercise grade replacement for only three course repeats during their career at UT Tyler; graduates are eligible for two grade replacements. Full policy details are printed on each Grade Replacement Contract. The Census Date is the deadline for many forms and enrollment actions that students need to be aware of. These include: