Summer I 2013 (May 20-June 19)
M/W: 5:00-9:00 PM
Room: Young 305
Index # 32120
Professor: Dr. Tod W. Burke
Office: 133 Russell Hall - Dean's Suite
Office Phone: 831-5149
E-mail: tburke@radford.edu
Fax: 540-831-5970
Home Page: www.radford.edu/~tburke
This course is designed to provide students the ability to apply the lessons learned in previous criminal justice courses. Particular attention will be devoted to oral, written and critical thinking skills as applied to criminal justice issues. Topics for classroom discussion, papers, case briefs, group presentations, and the like, may include issues in constitutional law, policing, corrections, diversity, international criminal justice, research methods, ethics and criminal law.
Individual/group/classroom discussion will be divided into topic sections. The individual/group will lead discussion on that topic; summarizing key issues.
WRITING/ORAL PRESENTATIONS
Unless otherwise noted in class, all papers will follow the latest APA standards (See library homepage: http://libguides.radford.edu/apastyle).
The final oral presentation should be approximately 30 minutes in length and should be creative, interesting, and interactive. Have fun with the presentation. If you use PowerPoint, do NOT read from the slides or simply produce a handout with the exact information you are presenting to the class. This is insulting to the class and will significantly negatively affect the group grade. The final group presentation may be in the form of debates, role-playing, TV game show quizzes, etc. Students should use whatever means appropriate to provide classroom discussion and participation. In other words - engage the class! Your final grade for the oral presentation will be determined by grading sheets from both the professor and group members.
Group members will rate/score each other based on the Critical Perspectives Group Presentation Sheet Group Presentation Grading Sheet (which will be forwarded to you via e-mail) to come up with a value out of a possible 100 points maximum. The professor will also score the group (based upon the Oral Presentation Grading Policy). The student (or group) will be graded by the professor based upon the following criteria: content, creativity, structure, preparedness, and clarity. The oral report grading form can be found on my homepage under "Oral Report Guidelines" http://www.radford.edu/~tburke/oralreport.htm. I will total all the scores by your group members, divide by the number of members in the group and multiply by 20%. My score for the group will be 80% of the total points. I will simply add the two subtotals to determine your group project grade.
For example, if there are 3 other group members and they score you as follows:
92, 90, 88
I will add these scores together (totaling 270 points); divide by 3 (the number of group members) and multiply by .20 (20%) for a subtotal of 18
Let's say my score for the group (one grade for the entire group) was 88. I will then multiply 88 by .80 (80%) for a subtotal of 70.4
I will simply add the subtotals of 18 and 70.4 for a final project grade of 88.4.
Case Briefs should be in proper legal case brief format (once again, pull this off of the homepage under "How to do a case brief") http://www.radford.edu/~tburke/legalbrief.html
As noted above, the final group presentation will be valued at 100 points. All other in-class and out-of-class assignments will be valued at 10 points (0-10). The written case briefs will be valued at 25 points (0-25). There will not be any tests or quizzes!
No text will be required for this course; however, outside reading/research is likely.
The student is expected to attend each class. Any student who misses class will be deducted 30 points (whether excused or not), not including any in-class assignment. This is considered part of your classroom participation grade. If you are not in class, you are unable to participate. No exceptions or excuses! Late papers/presentations, make-up work for class assignments, etc. will not be accepted. Please do not bother to ask for an extension; it will not be granted. The student is expected to be in class at the start of the class period. Persistent tardiness will not be tolerated (the student may be denied admission into the class if tardy [2 tardies = 1 absence]). Any student not paying attention, such as falling asleep in class, working on another assignment, playing on your computer, playing with your cell phone, etc., may be counted absent for that day (without notification).
If you bring a cell phone to class, please turn off the ringer (you may wish to put the phone on vibrate). If you receive a call during class, do NOT respond to the message unless it is an emergency that the entire class should be made aware of (example - a campus emergency).
Radford University is committed to the highest standards of academic honesty. Acts of academic dishonesty include plagiarism, cheating, bribery, academic fraud, sabotage of research materials, the sale of academic papers, the purchase of academic papers, and the falsification of records. An individual who engages in these or related activities or who knowingly aids another who engages them, is acting in an academically dishonest manner and will be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the bylaws and procedures of Radford University (See Student Code of Conduct Handbook).
Each member of the academic community is expected to give full, fair, and formal credit to any and all sources that have contributed to the formulation of ideas, methods, interpretations, and findings. The absence of such formal credit is an affirmation that the work is fully the writer’s. The term "sources" includes, but is not limited to, published or unpublished materials, lectures, lecture notes, computer programs, mathematical and other symbolic formulations, course papers, examinations, theses, dissertations, and comments offered in class or informal discussions. The representation that such work of another is the writer’s represents plagiarism.
Care must be taken to document the source of any ideas or arguments. If the actual word of a source is used, it must appear within quotation marks. In cases that are unclear, the writer must take due care to avoid plagiarism.
The source should be cited whenever:
Since the intent to deceive is not a necessary element (strict liability), careful note taking and record keeping is essential in order to avoid plagiarism. In other words, it is like being a little bit pregnant (you either are or you are not). One cannot have "accidental/unintentional" plagiarism!
Students should consult members of the faculty for clarification of the definition and substance of this policy on plagiarism as it applies to their particular discipline.
(Source: City University of New York – Proposal on Plagiarism).
STUDENT ACCOMMODATIONS
Students seeking
accommodations are required to provide documentation from an appropriate health
care provider or professional. The documentation must outline the functional
limitations that substantially limit a major life activity. Providers are also
asked to provide recommendations for reasonable accommodations based upon the
disability. However, Radford University's disability services professionals
ultimately decide on what accommodations are appropriate and reasonable.
Having a diagnosis is not the same as having a disability!
ADA Statement
If you are seeking classroom accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you are required to register with the Disability Resource Office (DRO). The DRO is located in Tyler Hall, Room 64; telephone number 831-6350; email address dro@radford.edu. To receive academic accommodations for this class, please obtain the proper DRO forms and meet with me no later than the second week of class during the regular semester session (or the second day of the class during the summer session).
** This syllabus is subject to change!!