JUSTICE, SOCIETY AND LAW
JUS 111  SYLLABUS (Section 01)
Offered every semester/JUS major core class

INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
 

For instructions on how to use these Instructional Supplements, see Navigation Guide

COURSE DESCRIPTION (from College Catalog):
    JUS 111 Justice, Society, and the Law (3 semester hours) This introductory course will acquaint the student with the theoretical foundation of the criminal justice system. It will cover the relationship of law and morality, giving the student a philosophical base from which to establish a personal theory of the missions of the justice system. (no prerequisites)

COURSE PURPOSE:
    This course provides a traditional and multimedia exploration of the criminal justice system which facilitates learning the functional and dysfunctional components of American justice, gaining a broadened view on diverse perspectives, and enabling ethically sound decision making skills that are typical of an informed, responsible citizen who has acquired knowledge through critical information gathering.  Both textbook and classroom technology maximize an exchange of fascination and love for the subject matter.  Democratic classroom management techniques are used for open discussions as well as the grading of some assignments and exercises of power.

    Most experts assert that knowledge of criminal justice typically consists of theoretical and applied understanding of crime, criminology, law, policing, the judiciary, community corrections, corrections, and juvenile justice. These topics make up the first fourteen (14) chapters of the textbook, and we also try to cover the remaining three chapters (war, terrorism, and technology) as time permits. Let the instructor worry about pace and coverage while you absorb yourself in reading, listening, and exploring and as many Internet and printed resources as possible.  While topics in the course calendar are subject to change, allowing for some flexibility, due dates for readings, assignments, exams, and other deadlines are less flexible.

    This course is extensively Internet-augmented. Students will need to regularly use the Internet to review lecture notes, keep track of course announcements, get details on assignments, take some exams, check their grades, and interact with the instructor and other students electronically. This is NOT an internet or online course. It meets face-to-face each time as scheduled. The instructional supplements posted on the instructor's website are NOT any substitute for the textbook, and the textbook is essential to have.  Do not rely on printout of Lecture Notes in advance of their assigned dates because I frequently update them. Make sure you manually or automatically refresh your browser view of a webpage you last visited. The Announcements page is the final say-so on all deadlines and instructions. ALWAYS include your name in any email and attachment. Symbols like asterisks, X's, and scores like 50 or 51 on the grades page sometimes indicate things like grace periods, elapsed grace periods, missed assignments, and extremely low-scoring assignments. Use the sample exam as a guide; as you should with the lecture notes and book because actual exam questions do NOT come verbatim from course materials.

OBJECTIVES:
    1. To obtain an informed perspective on the basic components of justice processes.
    2. To recognize the major sources of crime data, their uses and limitations.
    3. To understand the role of policing in a modern society.
    4. To understand criminal court systems and adversarial concepts.
    5. To understand correctional systems and purposes of punishment.
    6. To understand the basic differences between juvenile and adult systems.
    7. To be familiar with emerging and international forms of justice.

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS:
    (A) The required textbook, and any study guide or CD-Rom
    (B) O'Connor website for instructional supplements and other resources
    (C) Library website, holdings, reserve, and NCLive

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
    Most assignments will be related to the book, oral and written lectures, and websites. The book must be purchased, but the websites are free. Students are expected to not only attend class, but devote out-of-class time to reading, checking websites, and using other college resources. A Library card, and at least access to a computer equipped with Microsoft office (Word), Internet access, and a web browser such as Internet Explorer will need to be obtained by the end of the first week of class.  Students are also expected to have an NCWC email address since outside addresses (e.g., Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.) are not supported by college distribution lists.  Students should check the Instructional Supplements for pertinent information at least once every 48 hours. 

    There are basically two areas of required assignments: exams and practicums. There are three to four exams (explained below), and about four practicums. A practicum is the name for any sort of short project the instructor assigns, which may include written essays to Library work to web search assignments, or participation in a mock crime scenario. Among the Instructional Supplements, one is marked Announcements and another marked Assignments. Click on them regularly to see what assignments have been announced, their deadlines, and detailed instructions on how to do assignments.  Student teams may be tolerated on some assignments, but not exams.  There is no Term Paper requirement in this course.

GRADING CRITERIA (Examination):
    Although each exam has 100 possible points, some exams are worth more than others, and the exam average counts 50% of the final grade. They are almost always in Multiple Choice (A-B-C-D) format with occasional essay questions (see sample exam). The lowest score (one column only for a 2x exam) in the exam category is thrown out. Each exam generally consists of 30-50 questions at a rather high degree of difficulty, and reflect your understanding rather than ability to memorize and/or look up information.  In other words, you will not easily find the correct (or best) answer by looking in the textbook or on the websites, and certainly, none of the sample exam questions are recycled.  Those resources may guide you to the right answers, but are not a substitute for thinking, intuition, or understanding.  The instructor reserves the right to override any disagreement over right answers.  Exams are unproctored and open book, open note, and open internet.  You are NOT allowed to work together, work in groups, or receive any outside help on exams. Violation of this honor code will result in a final letter grade drop each time it is observed.  Exams are generally posted online as an Instructional Supplement every four weeks (every two weeks in ADP) according to the following Schedule of Exams and Weights, with a deadline of a week from posting to submission (turning in answers by email is allowed, as is turning them in by hand).  In fact, both methods of submission are encouraged, as the Instructor is NOT tolerant of "lost email" or "lost under door" excuses.  Grades are posted on the grades page no later than 24 hours after submission, with online grade posts serving as your only receipt.  This means that those who wait until the last day to take an exam will not see their grade (receipt) until after it is too late to claim any "lost" excuse.    

GRADING CRITERIA (Practicum):
    All practicums count equally and have 100 points each, and the practicum average counts 50% of the final grade. There are about 3-4 practicums in this course, and each are evaluated differently, but grading rubrics, detailed instructions, and templates are usually provided as an Instructional Supplement (see assignments page). The general evaluation criteria are Neatness (always typed) and application of the REOS grading rubric (Reasoning, Evidence, Organization, and Substance). There is also an overall discussion score that is recorded in this category and cannot be thrown out even if it is the lowest grade, so participation is expected. There is a practicum scheduled about every third week in this course, according to the following Schedule of Practicums.

    It is important to note that although the lowest score is thrown out in both areas of graded assignments, it is up to the instructor to decide which assignments those are from the student's completion of ALL assignments. Students who deliberately do three out of four assignments (in any category) in order to do less work will be penalized by a full letter for their final grade, regardless of their scores on other assignments. There are no bonus point exercises in this course, and there are no grading curves.  

EVALUATION and ASSIGNMENT OF GRADES:
    There are eight graded assignments, but ten scores for each student because the midterm and final count twice.  Since exam and practicum categories count equally (50%), each assignment in this course counts the same (12.5%). At the end of the semester, a letter grade is determined by the average on all assignments.  The lowest two scores (in separate categories) are thrown out, resulting in an average based on eight scores.  Two examples should suffice:

    Note only one of the columns for the MT with Student B is struck out.  The MT and FE count twice, but if either one is the low score, only one column for them is struck out. This has the effect of reducing the harm of doing poorly on the MT and FE, but it also rewards high scores on the MT and FE. The Grade Scale used in this course is as follows: 

MAKEUP POLICY:
    There is a one week grace period (with penalty) after all deadlines (except the final). Try not to fall into the Grace Period, as there is a 1/2 letter grade penalty per day for each day into the grace period.  Students are also discouraged from turning in assignments too early. The announcements page always indicates the start and end of an assignment period.  An "X" on the grades page means the student hasn't yet done the assignment and is in the grace period. A "0" means the grace period has elapsed, and too late to turn anything in.  The accumulation of a "0" by missing the grace period can NOT be part of any lowest grade thrown out.

INCOMPLETE POLICY (and Withdrawals):
    Incompletes (a grade of "Inc") and Withdrawals (a grade of "W") are not automatic, and never given as a substitute for missing makeup periods or low scores.  To receive an incomplete, a real emergency must exist for which the student misses a series of adjacent assignments, such as the last quiz, final exam, and 4th practicum, but this is only an example, as circumstances vary, and in all cases must involve notice beforehand and instructor approval of the emergency. Incompletes must be removed before eight weeks after the semester ends (otherwise they convert to a grade of "F").  In some cases, the instructor supports extensions beyond the eight week period, but a Work Needed for Incomplete form should be filled out, and the student must request such extension (in writing) to the VPAA.  Instructors can also change a grade of "F" to some other letter. Students with incompletes are ineligible from registering for Independent Study, Unscheduled Courses, and Special Topics courses. 

    Withdrawals arranged between the student and Registrar are allowed up to the midpoint of a semester (or whenever scheduled in the college's Academic Calendar).  After that date, any withdrawal is processed as a grade of "F" unless extenuating circumstances exist which are discussed with the instructor, the Registrar, and/or VPAA. Withdrawals do not compute into grade point averages, but do appear on transcripts, and may affect academic standing and/or financial aid. Tuition refund policies are set by the Business Office, with strict deadlines. 

PASS/FAIL POLICY (and Audit):
    If pass/fail, audit, or other grade notation scheme is chosen by the student at registration (up to the end of the Drop/Add period), then it should be understood that the instructor expects that student to complete ALL assignments that the regular students have to do.  This also applies to any ADP, Online, Non-Degree, or High School students in the course.  Work must be turned in by the same deadlines, and all policies (including absenteeism) are in force. Even though the College Catalog says a grade of "D" is passing, the instructor reserves the right to require an average of "C" work for a grade of "P" or "AU."   

ABSENTEEISM POLICY (and Tardiness):
    The 20% Rule is applied. For a course that meets twice a week (over fifteen weeks), that is a total of 30 class meetings. 20% of 30 is 6.  After that many (6) absences, the student will be administratively withdrawn (grade of "W") from the course.  For a course that meets three times a week (over fifteen weeks), that is a total of 43 class meetings (45 minus Advising Day and Break), and 20% of 43 is 9.  These numbers amount to three weeks of absences.  If a student manages to bypass administrative withdrawal, and has accumulated 20% absences by the end of the course, a final letter grade of "F" is turned in.  There are additional procedures, as per the College Catalog, and as follows:

    Excuses are only allowed for cases of illness, unavoidable circumstances, or college extracurricular activities approved by the VPAA.  Illnesses should be documented by a medical professional or by the school's Wellness Center.  Unavoidable circumstances should be described in writing, and the Instructor reserves the right to override what the student deems as unavoidable.  Extracurricular activities are normally notified to the faculty via email from the organization's advisor or coach.

    The Three Tardies Equals One Absence Rule is applied.  Tardiness is defined as twenty minutes of any class meeting time, regardless of whether it occurs at the beginning of class (late), the middle of class (break), or end of class (leaving early).  Anyone suspected of abusing or exploiting this definition by deliberately and repeatedly keeping it just under twenty minutes will be penalized the same as others, and referred for behavioral disruption. No sleeping, music, TV, or electronic devices are allowed in class.  Follow the calendar religiously; do not skip chapters or assignment sequences.  Read everything and pay close attention (taking notes) to what the instructor says in class.  Each student is responsible, on their own, for obtaining material they may have missed in class. Do not ask for the instructor's notes.

    Roll is taken every class meeting by signature.  Use a distinctive signature consistently, and do not print or make other marks on the roll sheet (unless instructed to do so).  Above all, do NOT sign for someone else, as this constitutes a serious offense (cheating), and any suspected cases of it are investigated and penalized without recourse to appeal.  If an asterisk (*) appears behind your name code on the grades page, that means a pattern of absenteeism has been detected in your case, and that absenteeism penalties may apply if performance does not improve.

DISABILITIES POLICY:
    Any student with a disability that is within the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act must inform their instructor at the beginning of the term of their special needs, including equipment, that they feel are essential for completing the requirements of this course.  Students with disabilities must self-identify before any accommodations can be made.  The Disabilities Coordinator in Student Support is the appropriate party to contact and prepare an accommodation plan.  The instructor will make every effort to provide reasonable accommodations when and where appropriate.  Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Support Services (DSS) at 985-5369 as soon as possible to coordinate and implement accommodations in a timely fashion. The Office of DSS is located in the Student Support Center, PC 188.