Upper-division Writing Requirement Review Form (12/1/08)
I. General Education Review – Upper-division Writing Requirement
Dept/Program
Course # (i.e. ANTH SOC 438
Sociology
Subject
455) or sequence
Course(s) Title
Seminar in Crime and Deviance
Description of the requirement if it is not a single course
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office.
Please type / print name Signature
Instructor
Daniel Doyle
Phone / Email
Date
Dusten Hollist
James Burfeind
243-5912
243-2843
243-4811
Celia Winkler
Program Chair
III Overview of the Course Purpose/ Description
This course is designed to provide upper division Sociology students in the Criminology option the opportunity to
read, think, discuss, and write about important issues in the study of crime and the operation of the justice system.
Specifically, writing is used to help students learn to find, synthesize, analyze, evaluate, and retain information
about crime and justice. This is a “special topics” course that is taught by multiple instructors. Consequently, the
topics covered and the particular configuration of assignments will vary from semester to semester. Nevertheless,
there are particular learning outcomes common to all versions of the course. And all versions of the course meet
the ASCRC requirements for upper division writing courses.
Students will develop their writing skills by doing a series of carefully structured writing assignments with
considerable feedback and guidance from the instructor. All writing assignments are required to be well organized,
to exhibit clarity, and demonstrate appropriate English language usage. Formal writing assignments will utilize the
American Sociological Association (ASA) style for citations and references. Students will also enhance their oral
communication skills by participating in class discussions.
IV Learning Outcomes: Explain how each of the following learning outcomes will be achieved.
Student learning outcomes :
Identify and pursue more sophisticated
questions for academic inquiry
Find, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize
information effectively from diverse sources
(see http://www.lib.umt.edu/informationliteracy/)
Manage multiple perspectives as appropriate
Beyond learning outcomes specific to the course topic
(see attached syllabus), this special topics course
shares the requirement that students write a final
research paper formatted for publication in a
criminological journal. Topics are selected based on
assigned readings, class discussion, and instructor
recommendations for supplementary readings.
Students will search for appropriate information
related to their chosen topic and will present a
synthesis of this as part of the requirements for
completion of the final research paper and other
writing assignments. This will require an investigation
of multiple sources and the use of multiple resourcegathering tools.
The course is organized around the various
perspectives that have emerged to explain the presence
of crime and the operation of the justice system in
modern society. In order to adequately understand the
phenomenon, students will examine issues from
multiple perspectives on crime and the justice system.
Recognize the purposes and needs of
discipline-specific audiences and adopt the
academic voice necessary for the chosen
discipline
Use multiple drafts, revision, and editing in
conducting inquiry and preparing written work
Follow the conventions of citation,
documentation, and formal presentation
appropriate to that discipline
Develop competence in information
technology and digital literacy
Instruction will be provided regarding general writing
and formatting issues. In addition special attention
will be given to the technical aspects associated with
professional writing within the field of criminology.
Faculty and peers will provide reviews of draft copies
for at least 20 pages of graded writing. Students will
then revise and resubmit these papers for formal
evaluation and grading.
The final paper will include a reference list and in-text
citations that will follow guidelines outlined in the
American Sociological Association Style Guide.
Students will be instructed in how to use library
resources to do research on criminological topics. This
includes evaluation of digital content and how to
effectively utilize electronic data search engines.
V. Writing Course Requirements Check list
Is enrollment capped at 25 students?
If not, list maximum course enrollment.
Explain how outcomes will be adequately met
for this number of students. Justify the request
for variance.
Are outcomes listed in the course syllabus? If
not, how will students be informed of course
expectations?
Are detailed requirements for all written
assignments including criteria for evaluation in the
course syllabus? If not how and when will students
be informed of written assignments?
Briefly explain how students are provided with
tools and strategies for effective writing and editing
in the major.
Yes
No
Enrollment is capped at 20 students.
⌧ Yes
No
⌧ Yes No
Requirements are included on the syllabus and
students also receive multiple handouts detailing
organization and coverage, development, clarity,
grammar, punctuation, and mechanics (citations and
references etc.).
1. Students are required to purchase a style manual
(see syllabus).
2. Handouts (see above).
3. The major writing assignment involves faculty and
peer evaluation. Students are given specific instruction
for peer evaluation of papers.
4. Students are given the opportunity to revise their
written work after editing by the instructor.
5. Students rewrite the major paper after thorough
peer review.
Will written assignments include an opportunity for ⌧ Yes No
revision? If not, then explain how students will
receive and use feedback to improve their writing
ability.
Are expectations for Information Literacy listed in
⌧ Yes No
the course syllabus? If not, how will students be
informed of course expectations?
VI. Writing Assignments: Please describe course assignments. Students should be required to
individually compose at least 20 pages of writing for assessment. At least 50% of the course grade
should be based on students’ performance on writing assignments. Clear expression, quality, and
accuracy of content are considered an integral part of the grade on any writing assignment.
The particular configuration of assignments will vary
Formal Graded Assignments
somewhat. What follows is an example from the
attached syllabus.
1. Summaries of Readings: In order to promote class
Informal Ungraded Assignments
preparation, you will be required to turn in 20 one
paragraph summaries of assigned readings (there are
27 reading assignments). Each summary must be no
longer than one-half typed page (1 inch margins and
single spaced). Summaries should provide an
overview to the reading=s content and coverage,
and it should identify the significance of the reading
to youth assessments and PDRs. Provide a full
reference to the reading at the top of the summary,
using ASA style. Summaries will be accepted only on
the day the reading assignment is discussed. Each
summary will be scored on the basis of 5 points (100
total possible points). Five points will be awarded if
your summary shows excellent understanding of the
reading, 4 points for above average understanding, 3
points for average understanding, 2 points for limited
understanding, and 1 point for turning in something
that is written poorly. Organization, development,
and writing style (clarity, grammar, mechanics, and
punctuation) will be considered in scoring your
summaries. You may rewrite your summaries for a
higher score.
2. Predisposition Report: Toward the end of the
semester, you will write a predisposition report (PDR).
Based on an interview with a willing university
student, friend, or family member, you will gather
relevant information, and organize and write a
predisposition report. Over the course of this
semester, we will discuss the context in which the
report is conducted, the relevant factors to be
considered, the organization of the report, the
necessary skills to conduct a predisposition
investigation, and the writing techniques needed for
clear, accurate and valid predisposition report writing.
The paper is worth 100 possible points. Scoring will
be based on organization, development, and writing
style (including clarity, grammar, punctuation, and
mechanics). The PDR should be about ten pages in
length, using 1 inch margins, 1.5 spacing, and ASA
style.
The particular configuration of informal assignments
will vary somewhat. What follows is an example from
the attached syllabus.
Awkward Sentences: The AWriting Skills@ section of
the course will involve a review of Hackler=s Style
Manual (2004) and the rewriting of awkward
sentences that you provide. By 11:00am on each of
these class sessions, you will have to submit several
poorly written sentences, as assigned. As a class, we
will diagnose and rewrite each of these sentences to
better understand key writing skills. The sentences
that you provide for these four class periods will be
worth 5 points for each day (20 total possible points).
VII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form. ⇓ The syllabus
should clearly describe how the above criteria are satisfied. For assistance on syllabus preparation
see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html
SAMPLE SYLLABUS
Department of Sociology
The University of Montana
PREDISPOSITION REPORT WRITING
(Sociology 438 - 3 credits)
Meeting:
Professor:
Telephone:
e-mail:
Office:
Office
Hours:
1:10-2:00pm, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Social Science Building #330/338
James W. Burfeind, Ph.D.
243-4811 (office and voice mail); 243-5281(Sociology Department Office)
james.burfeind@umontana.edu
Social Science Building #331
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 2:10 - 3:00pm;
Tuesday: 9:10 - 10:30am; and by appointment
READINGS:
Juvenile Delinquency: An Integrated Approach. 2006. James W. Burfeind and Dawn Jeglum Bartusch.
Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
A Pocket Style Manual (4th edition). 2004. Hacker, Diana. New York, NY: Bedford/St. Martin=s.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
This is an upper division writing course that will offer a careful study of juvenile delinquency and the
application of this knowledge to writing predisposition reports. More specifically, students will:
Study and understand the nature of delinquent offenses, offenders, and patterns of
offending, and apply this knowledge to individual cases through predisposition reports.
Gain a working understanding of the major explanations of delinquency, including key
theoretical concepts, propositions, and arguments, and apply this knowledge to individual
cases through predisposition reports.
Identify and understand the major causes and correlates of delinquency, and apply this
knowledge to individual cases through predisposition reports.
Develop oral discussion skills by participating frequently in class discussion.
Develop writing skills, including organization and development, and writing style (clarity,
grammar, mechanics, and punctuation).
REQUIREMENTS
1. Preparation and Participation B Reading and Discussion: This course is intended to be a seminar where
students learn through reading, discussion, and the application of knowledge. A seminar is very different from
a traditional lecture course. You are expected to be an engaged student by actively participating in class
discussion with informed ideas (based on the readings), rather than personal or popular opinion. Some of you
will not be comfortable speaking in front of a group; you will have to "push" yourselves to participate. More
than one-third of your grade (125 possible points, with 14 base points) will be derived from my assessment of
your class participation. Your participation in each class period will be scored, assigning a score of 0 if you fail
to attend, 1 for an excused absence (obtained before class), 2 if you attend and don=t participate, and 3 if you
contribute in a meaningful way. Thirty-seven class periods will be scored in this way.
Reading assignments are from the text or from pdf files available from my Web page at:
http://www.umt.edu/sociology/faculty_staff/burfeind/. These Online readings are noted on the class schedule as
AWeb,@ with the author=s name and year of publication.
2. Summaries of Readings: In order to promote class preparation, you will be required to turn in 20 one
paragraph summaries of assigned readings (there are 27 reading assignments). Each summary must be no
longer than one-half typed page (1 inch margins and single spaced). Summaries should provide an overview to
the reading=s content and coverage, and it should identify the significance of the reading to youth
assessments and PDRs. Provide a full reference to the reading at the top of the summary, using ASA style.
Summaries will be accepted only on the day the reading assignment is discussed. Each summary will be scored
on the basis of 5 points (100 total possible points). Five points will be awarded if your summary shows
excellent understanding of the reading, 4 points for above average understanding, 3 points for average
understanding, 2 points for limited understanding, and 1 point for turning in something that is written poorly.
Organization, development, and writing style (clarity, grammar, mechanics, and punctuation) will be
considered in scoring your summaries. You may rewrite your summaries for a higher score.
3. Awkward Sentences: The AWriting Skills@ section of the course will involve a review of Hackler=s Style
Manual (2004) and the rewriting of awkward sentences that you provide. By 11:00am on each of these class
sessions, you will have to submit several poorly written sentences, as assigned. As a class, we will diagnose
and rewrite each of these sentences to better understand key writing skills. The sentences that you provide for
these four class periods will be worth 5 points for each day (20 total possible points).
4. Predisposition Report: Toward the end of the semester, you will write a predisposition report (PDR).
Based on an interview with a willing university student, friend, or family member, you will gather relevant
information, and organize and write a predisposition report. Over the course of this semester, we will discuss
the context in which the report is conducted, the relevant factors to be considered, the organization of the report,
the necessary skills to conduct a predisposition investigation, and the writing techniques needed for clear,
accurate and valid predisposition report writing. The paper is worth 100 possible points. Scoring will be based
on organization, development, and writing style (including clarity, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics). The
PDR should be about six pages in length, using 1 inch margins, 1.5 spacing, and ASA style.
5. Paper presentation: All students will present their predisposition report the class during the last week of
class, or during Finals Week. The paper presentation will be scored on the basis of 5 possible points.
6. Academic Misconduct: All students must practice academic honesty. AAcademic misconduct is subject to
an academic penalty by the course instructor and/or disciplinary sanction by the University.@ All students need
to be familiar with the Student Conduct Code; the code is available for review online at:
http://ordway.umt.edu/SA/documents/fromWeb/StudentConductCode1.pdf.
GRADES:
Your grade for the course will be based on the total number of points earned throughout the semester.
There are 325 total possible points.
Class Participation:
Reading Summaries (20 @ 5 points):
Awkward Sentences
Predisposition Report:
Class Presentation of Paper:
TOTAL POINTS:
Points
125
100
20
100
5
350
Your grade will be calculated on a straight percentage basis:
> 93% = A
90 - 92 = A87 - 89% = B+
83 - 86% = B
80 - 82% = B77 - 79% = C+
73 - 76% = C
70 - 72% = C-
67 - 69% = D+
63 - 66% = D
60 - 62% = D=F
< 59
CLASS SCHEDULE
WRITING SKILLS and JUVENILE COURT PROCESSES
Jan. 25
28
30
Feb. 1
Hacker: 1-22
Clarity
Referral, Intake, Petition, and Detention
B&B: 628-635 B summary due
Hacker: 24-54
Grammar
Adjudication
B&B: 635-636 B summary due
4
Punctuation
Hacker: 64-82
6
Mechanics
Hacker: 88-99
8
11
Disposition
B&B: 636-638 B summary due
Organization and Development
Predisposition Reports
B&B: 636-637; Web: Griffin & Torbet
(2002:63-71)
ADOLESCENCE, PATTERNS OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR, AND YOUTH ASSESSMENT
13
Adolescent Development
Web: Steinberg & Morris (2001)
15
Adolescents AAt-Risk@
B&B: 604-605; Web: Hawkins et al.
(2000); Loeber et al. (2003); OJJDP
(1998); Wasserman et al. (2003)
18
PRESIDENT=S DAY HOLIDAY
20
Extent of Delinquent Offenses
B&B: Chapter 4
22
Social Correlates of Delinquent Offenders
B&B: Chapter 5
25
Developmental Patterns of Offending
B&B: Chapter 6
27
Areas of Assessment for Offense Section
THEORY AND YOUTH ASSESSMENT
29
Deterrence and Rational Choice
B&B: 260-270
Biological Influences
B&B: 290-310
5
Personality, Self-Control, and Intelligence
B&B: 310-323; 393-399
7
Mental Health and Juvenile Justice
Web: Skowyra & Cocozza (2007)
10
Social Bonds
B&B: 375-388
12
Characteristics of Family Life
B&B: 399-407
March 3
Schools and Delinquency: Attachment, Commitment,
14
Involvement, and Behavior Related to School
B&B: 382-383
17
Peer Group Influences
B&B: 425-442
19
Gangs
B&B: 442-454; Web: Hill et al. (2001)
21
Community
B&B: 468-486
March 24-28: SPRING BREAK
31
April 2
Strain
B&B: 486-503
Areas of Assessment for Social History Section
YOUTH ASSESSMENT AND PREDISPOSITION REPORT WRITING
4
Youth Assessment Instruments
7&9
11
14
Interview Skills and Procedures
Outline of Offense Section Due
Draft of Offense Section Due
16
18
21
23
25
28
28, 30, 2
May 5
Web: Washington State Juvenile Court
Assessment (2001)
Outline of Social History Section Due
Draft of Social History Section Due
Outline of Summary and Recommendation Due
Draft of Summary and Recommendation Due
First Draft of Full PDR due
PDR due
Presentations of PDR=s during class
Presentations of PDR=s: Monday of Finals Week: 3:20 - 5:20
RESERVE REFERENCES
(available on Website)
Griffin, Patrick and Patricia Torbet (editors). 2002, Desktop Guide to Good Juvenile Probation
Practice. Pittsburgh, PA: National Center for Juvenile Justice.
Hawkins, J. David, Todd I. Herrenkohl, David P. Farrington, Devon Brewer, Richard F. Catalano,
Tracy W. Harachi, and Lynn Cothern. 2000. APredictors of Youth Violence.@ Washington,
DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Hill, Karl G., Christina Lui, and J. David Hawkins. 2001. AEarly Precursors of Gang Membership:
A Study of Seattle Youth.@ Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention.
Loeber, Rolf, David P. Farrington, and David Petechuk. 2003. AChild Delinquency: Early
Intervention and Prevention.@ Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention.
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. 1998. ASerious and Violent Juvenile
Offenders.@ Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Steinberg, Laurence and Amanda Sheffield Morris. 2001. AAdolescent Development.@ Annual
Review of Psychology 52:83-110.
Skowyra, Kathleen R. and Joseph J. Cocozza. 2007. Blueprint for Change: A Comprehensive
Model for the Identification and Treatment of Youth with Mental Health Needs in Contact with
the Juvenile Justice System. Delmar, NY: Policy Research Associates, Inc.
Wasserman, Gail A., Kate Keenan, Richard E. Tremblay, John D. Coie, Todd I. Herrenkohl, Rolf
Loeber, and David Petechuk. 2003. ARisk and Protective Factors of Child Delinquency.@
Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Washington State Juvenile Court Assessment (2001). This assessment instrument is now called the
Youth Assessment and Screening Instrument (YASIJ), available commercially at
http://www.orbispartners.com/yasi/yasi.htm.