Office Hours: Monday: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00
p.m.; 1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Tuesday: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00
p.m.; 1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Special emphasis will be placed upon understanding the
basics of the aforementioned issues, and providing information to assist
students in their own current research endeavors. An understanding of
these materials will also allow students to better understand the literature
of criminal justice and criminology.
ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION
This is a graduate level course, and as such there should be little need
to discuss the importance of attendance. Students who are not in class
will find they have difficulty in managing the coursework and the
examinations. Any student who misses more than 2 classes will be
penalized two letter grades for each subsequent absence. Any student who
misses more than 4 classes will receive and automatic grade of “F” for the
class. Also, arriving late to class on a regular basis will not be
tolerated. If you have a situation that will result in your continued
tardiness, then you need to speak with the professor as soon as possible.
Each class meeting will consist of a presentation of
materials, as well as a discussion of assigned readings. Students are
expected to have read the assigned readings and come to class prepared to
discuss the materials. Failure to participate in class, as noted by an
apparent lack of participation on the student’s part, will result in a one
letter grade penalty.
GRADING
Examinations:
There will be a minimum of two examinations and a maximum of three
examinations. One (or two) regular exams and then a
final examination. While the examinations themselves are not
comprehensive in nature, the materials are rather comprehensive.
Students are encouraged to keep up with assignments and be prepared for
examinations. These examinations will consist of a combination of short
answer (10) and essay questions (4 or 5).
The examination will account for 40% of the participant’s
final grade.
Research Project:
Students will be divided into three research groups (groups will be
selected by the professor). Each group will be assigned a research
project the second week of class. Groups will be required to complete a
research proposal on a selected topic (topics will be discussed during week
two and settled upon). This research proposal will consist of the
following three components: 1) introduction (5 to 10 pages), 2) literature
review (see paper requirements below) and 3) methodology (5 to 10 pages).
Each of these components will be discussed in detail during class.
Upon completion of these research endeavors, each group
will be responsible for preparing a thought-provoking and engaging
presentation to the other members of the class. While the format of the
presentation is up to the group, the group’s grade will be based upon the
creativity of the presentation, the presenters’ familiarity with the
materials, and the presenters’ ability to answer questions related to the
topic in question. The research project itself will account for 15% of
the student’s final grade. The presentation component will then also
account for 15% of the student’s final grade.
Paper:
Each student will also prepare an individual paper on their associated
topic. These papers are not group projects and should be independent of
the group’s work. For example, the three students in group (a) could
write three independent research reports on the following: 1) the history and
development of the death penalty, 2) the historical view many other countries
have on the death penalty, and 3) the legality of the death penalty in regards
to the mentally ill or children. Students who are having trouble
thinking of a topic are welcome to approach the professor for additional
guidance. These papers must meet the following guidelines: All
papers will be 15 to 20 pages in length, acceptable margins will be either
[1.5 inches on the left, 1 inch on the top, right, and bottom] or [1.25 inches
on the left, 1 inch on the top and bottom, and 1.25 inches on the right], the
acceptable font for this paper will be Times New Roman [10 point or 12 point –
students electing to use another font must complete a minimum of 20 pages],
spacing is to be no greater than 2.0, all citations are to be APA format [if
you are unfamiliar with the APA format of citation, then it is strongly
recommended that you purchase a copy of the APA writing guide], and page
counts do not include title page and reference page [abstract is included in
the page count].
References for the paper must meet the following
guidelines: students must have a minimum of 15 sources for their paper.
Of this fifteen, no more than 5 may be electronic based. The 5 that may
be electronic may not come from websites that are not official organizations
or government websites. For example, the website for the American
Correctional Association may be used, but John’s Criminal Justice Page on AOL
Hometown may not. Journal articles that are located through the
university’s EBSCOHost or Full-text database do
not count as electronic sources, and therefore must be correctly cited as if
they were in print. Citations to webpages must be so complete that the
professor may view the actual reference material by typing in the URL (uniform
resource locator). Failure to follow these guidelines will result in an
automatic one letter grade reduction. The paper will be graded on
organization, content, grammar, and adherence to APA guidelines. Any
student who is caught plagiarizing will receive and automatic grade of “F” for
the course, and will face possible removal from Delta State University.
If you are unsure of what plagiarism is, then you need to contact the
professor as soon as possible. The paper will account for 30% of the
student’s final grade.
Grading Scale:
100 - 90 = A
80 - 89 = B
70 - 79 = C
60 - 69 = D
Below 59 = F
ACADEMIC HONESTY
The University expects all students to engage in all academic pursuits in
a manner that is above reproach. Students are expected to maintain
complete honesty and integrity in the academic experiences both in and out of
the classroom. Any student found guilty of dishonesty in any phase of
academic work will be subject to disciplinary action.
