FIS 30500
Professional Issues in Forensic Science
Instructors
CARL SOBIERALSKI
Forensic Biology Supervisor, Indiana State Police Laboratory
Adjunct Professor— Forensic and Investigative Sciences Program
Phone :(317) 626-4425 (mobile)
E-mail: csobiera@iupui.edu
SCOTT C. NEWMAN
Visiting Assistant Professor-Forensic and Investigative Sciences Program
Phone: (317) 278-7532 (office); (317) 771-8047 (cell)
E-mail: sconewma@iupui.edu or through OnCourse
Prerequisites
Students are generally required to have taken and passed FIS 205.
Textbook
There is no textbook required for this course; the publications, textbook excerpts, forensic
science journal articles, and primary materials that will constitute the substance of the
course will be posted on OnCourse.
Course Description
This course will focus on the unique issues of which the forensic scientist must be
particularly aware when working in a forensic science laboratory, whether in the public or
the private sector. These issues include, but are not limited to, discussions of the following
issues:
• The current state of forensic science, including the reappraisals reflected in the Report
of the National Academy of Sciences, Subcommittee on Forensic Science, published in
February, 2009.
• The ethical responsibilities of a forensic scientist when conducting analyses, writing
reports, and testifying in court.
• Objective analyses of issues that have shaken the foundations of trust, and the
presumptions of regularity and competence that previously had been accorded to
forensic science laboratories and their personnel, and the formulation of some
conclusions about directions for future policy and best practices.
• Review and analyses of existing “Codes of Conduct” and similar standards documents or
publications adopted by professional organizations over the past 10-15 years, in order
to develop a fundamental grasp of what they mean, what their strengths and
shortcomings are, and how they have been applied in practice.
• Development of a richer cultural awareness of how forensic science has evolved over
the past 25 years.
• An ability to navigate the unique, nested ethical and practical issues raised by reliance
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on outsourcing of forensic laboratory work by governmental entities.
• Building constructive relationships and mechanisms for interaction with quasigovernmental oversight bodies, e.g., boards and commissions, in addition to accrediting
bodies.
• Handling the personal and institutional challenges of balancing research and
productivity.
• The fundamentals of grant-writing and grantsmanship in support of laboratory
productivity and research.
• Legislative trends affecting the forensic sciences.
• Enhancing ability to access the research library and other resources to better prepare
testimony, and to assist the court and the attorneys to properly frame and focus issues.
• The requirements for quality assurance systems and quality control procedures to
maximize the effectiveness of the laboratory work-product.
• Scientific Working Groups and their historical and evolving role in forensic science.
• A deeper understanding of accreditation of forensic science laboratories, as well as
proficiency testing and certification of forensic scientists.
Principles of Undergraduate Learning covered within the course
Core Communication and Quantitative Skills - comprehend, interpret, and analysis;
make efficient use of information resources and technology for personal and professional
needs; express ideas and facts to others effectively in a variety of written formats;
communicate orally in one-on-one and group settings
Critical Thinking – evaluate the logic, validity, and relevance of data;
Integration and Application of Knowledge – meet professional standards and
competencies; enhance their personal lives;
Intellectual Depth, Breadth, & Adaptiveness - Intellectual depth describes the
demonstration of substantial knowledge & understanding of at least one field of study.
Integration & Application of Knowledge - meet professional standards and competencies
Understanding Society and Culture - operate with civility in a complex social world
Values and Ethics – make informed and principled choices regarding conflicting situations
in their personal and public lives and to foresee the consequences of these choices, and;
Course Content
This course is designed to familiarize students with some of the principal professional
issues that can be expected to confront those who are beginning a career in forensic
science. The following are the major topics of this course:
1.
2.
3.
4.
The status and credibility of forensic science
Ethical issues in forensic science
The development and culture of crime laboratories
The fundamental resources available to forensic science researchers, and how to
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gain reliable and useful access to them
5. Quality assurance, accreditation, proficiency and certification in forensic science
6. Scientific Working Groups
Course Objectives
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:
1. Evaluate the culture of the crime laboratory system in the US as shaped by the
history and development of the science itself, and of the framework for the science
as an outgrowth of external influences (i.e., the courts, the political and fiscal
environments, professional organizations, and outside peer-group accreditation and
oversight).
2. Evaluate and critically analyze and apply the foremost codes of ethics applicable
(voluntarily or mandatorily) to forensic scientists today.
3. Determine and evaluate the ways in which ethical concerns are handled by existing
systems, and across disciplines
4. Examine how quality assurance and quality control are practiced in forensic science
laboratories
5. Describe the elements of accreditation of whats necessary; and certification
programs, and identify the components that position a laboratory to be ready to
undergo the process of accreditation
6. Examine the historical and technical importance of Scientific Working Groups in
forensic science, and become familiar with their evolving role and continuing
importance
Course Organization

One of the most important aspects of a class such as this, where important and
sometimes controversial issues and information are presented, is your presence and
participation during class periods. It is imperative that each of you attend class
regularly and even more important that you participate in class discussions. In
order to maximize attendance and participation, a major portion of your grade in the
course will be based on class attendance and participation. Attendance will be taken
at the beginning of each class period. If you arrive late, it will be your responsibility
to sign in.

As you will see when you examine the components of your grade in this class (below
in this syllabus), a substantial part of your grade will depend upon your attendance
and participation in the class. Of the 28 class periods in the semester, we will meet
for approximately 23 of them. Just showing up to class is not enough— you must
come prepared to contribute and participate. The maximum total points you can
earn are 414 (18 X 23). Perfect attendance will earn you 15 bonus points. Perfect
attendance minus one excused absence will earn you 10 bonus points. Thus,
missing as few as 2 classes during the semester could cost you the difference
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between, for example, an A- and a B+.

A number of the major assignments in this course will include oral presentations.
For these assignments, you will work mostly in groups of 2, with a couple of groups
having 3. You may be given an opportunity to choose a partner, or one may be
assigned to you. Each member of the group must contribute substantively and
significantly to each group assignment. When a group assignment is turned in, an
accompanying form listing the contributions made by each group member may be
required; if such a document is required on a given assignment, all members of the
group will be required to concur in and sign the document as being truthful,
complete and accurate.

It is anticipated that, unlike in prior years, the group memberships or pairings will
be varied for purposes of each assignment, so that each student has the opportunity
to work with a variety of peers, and to collaborate effectively with other
professionals with whom the student may not be personally acquainted.

In order to provide enough class time for the group presentations without taking up
too much time, the class will be split into two halves for the oral assignments. A
second classroom will be secured for the class and half of the students will make
their presentations with one of the course instructors in that classroom. The oral
assignments will be made such that groups 1 and 6 have the same assignment, as
will 2 and 7, 3 and 8, etc. This way, each half of the class will get the same mix of
presentations. The actual assignments are described elsewhere in this syllabus.
Each group will get a single group grade for the oral presentations.

In addition to the oral assignments described above, there will be 4 written
assignments. These are individual assignments. No group work will be accepted.
The actual assignments are described elsewhere in this syllabus. These assignments
must be submitted using the “drop box” feature of the OnCourse site. The use of this
feature is described elsewhere in this syllabus.

A comprehensive, in-class final examination will be given in this course, and will
constitute 20% of the student’s final grade.
The OnCourse Site
Syllabus: This syllabus will be posted in the syllabus section of the OnCourse site.
Announcements: Check this frequently. We will post upcoming events, preparation,
assignments and changes to the class schedule.
Resources: Many supplementary materials will be posted in this section. These will
include assigned readings and instructions on writing papers and subject abstracts.
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Assignments: All class assignments will be posted in this section and they are also at the
end of the syllabus. Start dates and deadlines will be given and the assignments will be
explained. All written assignments are due by 5pm on the day listed in this syllabus and on
Oncourse. Assignments that are not turned in on time will be docked 10 points for
every day they are late. After 5 days, no credit will be given for that assignment.
Grade book: Your grades will be posted in here and you will have access to them at all
times
Drop Box: This is where you will upload assignments to us and we will upload corrected
assignments back to you. Only you and the instructors can view your drop box. When you
wish to upload a document to the drop box, you MUST give it a file name using the
following format: LAST NAME.ASSIGNMENT ___. For example, if I was turning in
assignment #3, I would name it: newman.assignment 3. If I have been asked to revise an
assignment, I would submit the revision as: newman.assignmnent 3 revised. You will have
points deducted from your grade on an assignment that fails to follow this format
and procedure for submission.
Web Content: We will post web addresses where you can get information about forensic
science in general and sites that apply to particular assignments.
Grading
Your grade for this course will be determined by your performance on all of the
assignments, the final exam, and the quality of your attendance and participation. The
components and point values are given below:
THIS COMPILATION AND WEIGHTED GRADING SYSTEM MAY BE UPDATED OR
EDITED FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT WILL NOT BE FUNDAMENTALLY ALTERED.
Assignment 1: Accreditation, Certification, Proficiency and Quality Assurance Systems in
an Imperfect World
Group PowerPoint presentation: 50 Points
Indiv. Written Assignment
75 Points
Assignment 2: Ethical Issues Facing the Forensic Scientist
Group PowerPoint presentation: 50 Points
Indiv. Written Assignment
75 Points
Assignment 3: Case Studies of Misconduct
Mid-term written assignment
125 Points
Assignment 4: Structure, Culture and Accountability of the Forensic Science Profession . . .
the Current Critique
Group PowerPoint presentation: 50 Points
Indiv. Written Assignment
75 Points
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Quiz
100 Points
Class Participation
200 Points
Final Exam
200 Points
Total Points:
1000 Points
Proposed Grading Scale (total points):
1000-980 A+
979-940 A
939-900 A899-860 B+
859-820 B
819-780 B779-740 C+
739-700 C
699-660 C 659-620 D
< 620 F
Oral and Written Assignments
Formatting
All written assignments must be submitted by computer using Microsoft Word. You can
choose your font but it must be 12-point. Margins must be 1” on all sides and you must use
double spacing. All pages except the first page must be numbered at the bottom, in the
center. References may be as footnotes or on a separate page, as endnotes. If you use
outside sources for background information, you must in addition to the footnotes or
endnotes, submit a Bibliography on a separate page.
Remember, in the group oral assignments, each member of the group must contribute to the
project. For example, all may share in the oral presentation or one member may put
together the PowerPoint, and the others may present it. Each group must turn in a form
(template will be posted on the Resource section of OnCourse) that indicates what each
member contributed to the project, and each member must sign the form.
CAMPUS-WIDE POLICIES
Every student in this course is expected to be familiar with the following policies relative to
academic misconduct. The following are excerpted from IU’s Academic Handbook, as well
as the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct.
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Academic Misconduct
(Taken from Academic Handbook, 2001and the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct)
http://www.indiana.edu/~deanfac/acadhbk/acad_handbk_2001.pdf
http://www.life.iupui.edu/Who/Dean/Code
The Academic Handbook states that faculty members have the responsibility of fostering the “intellectual honesty
as well as the intellectual development of students....The faculty member should explain clearly the meaning of
cheating and plagiarism as they apply to the course....Should the faculty member detect signs of plagiarism or
cheating, it is his or her most serious obligation to investigate these thoroughly, to take appropriate action with
respect to the grades of students, and in any event to report the matter to the Dean of Students. The necessity to
report every case of cheating, whether or not further action is desirable, arises particularly because of the
possibility that this is not the student’s first offense, or that other offenses may follow it. Equity also demands that
a uniform reporting practice be enforced; otherwise, some students will be penalized while others guilty of the
same actions will go free.” (p. 172).
Academic Misconduct: (from the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct)
1. Cheating: A student must not use or attempt to use unauthorized assistance, materials, information, or study
aids in any academic exercise, including, but not limited to, the following:
a. A student must not use external assistance on any "in-class" or "take-home" examination, unless the instructor
specifically has authorized external assistance. This prohibition includes, but is not limited to, the use of tutors,
books, notes, and calculators.
b. A student must not use another person as a substitute in the taking of an examination or quiz.
c. A student must not steal examinations or other course materials.
d. A student must not allow others to conduct research or to prepare work for him or her without advance
authorization from the instructor to whom the work is being submitted. Under this prohibition, a student must
not make any unauthorized use of materials obtained from commercial term paper companies or from files of
papers prepared by other persons.
e. A student must not collaborate with other persons on a particular project and submit a copy of a written report
which is represented explicitly or implicitly as the student's individual work.
f. A student must not use any unauthorized assistance in a laboratory, at a computer terminal, or on field work.
g. A student must not submit substantial portions of the same academic work for credit or honors more than once
without permission of the instructor to whom the work is being submitted.
h. A student must not alter a grade or score in any way.
2. Fabrication: A student must not falsify or invent any information or data in an academic exercise including, but
not limited to, records or reports, laboratory results, and citations to the sources of information.
3. Plagiarism: A student must not adopt or reproduce ideas, words, or statements of another person without
appropriate acknowledgment. A student must give credit to the originality of others and acknowledge
indebtedness whenever he or she does any of the following:
a. Quotes another person's actual words, either oral or written;
b. Paraphrases another person's words, either oral or written;
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c. Uses another person's idea, opinion, or theory; or
d. Borrows facts, statistics, or other illustrative material, unless the information is common knowledge.
4. Interference
a. A student must not steal, change, destroy, or impede another student's work. Impeding another student's work
includes, but is not limited to, the theft, defacement, or mutilation of resources so as to deprive others of the
information they contain.
b. A student must not give or offer a bribe, promise favors, or make threats with the intention of affecting a grade
or the evaluation of academic performance.
Faculty Action
If a faculty member has information that one of his/her students committed an act of academic misconduct, the
faculty member is required to hold an informal conference with the student. The conference should be prompt
and private. If the faculty member concludes that the student is responsible for the misconduct, then the faculty
member is authorized to impose an appropriate academic sanction (i.e., lower or failing grade on the assignment,
assessing a lower or failing grade for the course).
After reporting the information to the Dean of Students, he/she will review the information to determine if
additional sanctions should be applied.
Sanctions are outlined in the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct. This document appears on the
web at the following address: http://www.life.iupui.edu/Who/Dean/Code/
Policy on Student Academic Misconduct
Faculty are required to report all incidents of academic misconduct to the Dean of Students. For information
about policies and procedures, including due process requirements, see the Code of Student Rights,
Responsibilities, and Conduct, especially part III: Student Misconduct and Part IV: Student Disciplinary
Procedures. The code is accessible on the internet at http://www.life.iupui.edu/Who/Dean/Code
If you need any special accommodations due to a disability, please contact Adaptive Educational
Services at (317)-274-3241. The office is located in CA 001E
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