THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT TYLER
College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Social Sciences
Syllabus 1
CRIJ 5309 – Graduate Seminar in
Criminal Justice Administration
(Spring 2015)
David M. Scott, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor
Campus Office Hours:
By appointment only 2
Classroom: BUS TBA
Blackboard/Internet Office Hours 3
E-mail: dscott@uttyler.edu
Course Description
Using case study as its principal methodology and moving from theoretical propositions to
practical considerations, this course provides an examination of a range of concepts developed
in the management and organization literature as applied in the administration of criminal justice
agencies. A system wide perspective is achieved by examining selected issues involving all
components of the CJS. Particular emphasis is placed on leadership and quality of workplace
life.
This course is required of candidates for the degrees of Master of Criminal Justice. The
course is delivered partially through traditional classroom methods and partially through the
Internet using UT Tyler’s Blackboard ™ program. The seminar format shall apply to both on-
1
The Course Handbook: A Collection of Syllabus Addenda, uploaded to Blackboard, is attached hereto
and made a part hereof. It should be considered of equal force in establishing course criteria and
requirements.
2
Adjuncts share an office, BUS 228. Individual conferences may be scheduled in the hour preceding an
on-campus meeting date. Appointments should be made in advance and confirmed by E-mail between
9:00 a.m. and Noon on the designated meeting day.
Virtual office hours for responding to course participants’ (CPs) E-mails will be Tuesdays 5:00 – 6:00
PM before scheduled Blackboard sessions and Thursdays 6:00 PM until appropriate responses have
been provided to all unanswered messages accumulated before that time. (Please do not send a
second E-mail asking if I saw the first one on a particular subject unless a virtual office hour has passed
in the interim and I have not responded.)
3
Also regarding E-mails, the best method for assuring I received a message is to send it
requesting a “read receipt”; different from a “delivery receipt.” Often, the latter records receipt only by the
addressee’s ISP, not the individual him- or herself.
[Documents-Course Documents--Syl 5309 Draft 12-19-12]
Syllabus CRIJ 5309
Dr. David Scott
Spring 2015
Page 2
campus meetings and web-based assignments (for definition of “seminar,” see Important
Reminder, p. 6).
Course Theme
An organization’s most valuable asset is its Integrity, followed infinitesimally close by the value
of its Employees. Ultimately, the first must be protected and the second, supported. These are
the tasks of true Leadership.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

Given a series of case studies regarding operations in contemporary criminal justice
agencies, apply appropriate administrative theory to the diagnoses of organization
problems.

Given a series of case studies regarding operations in contemporary criminal justice
organizations, recommend appropriate organizational development strategies to improve
such subsystems as goals, technology, formal structure, informal norms and processes,
environment, and the interactions of these subsystems.

Extrapolate from biographies and autobiographies of prominent public- and private
sector leaders those leaders’ major administrative principles and practices, thereupon to
construct a set of administrative guidelines for the student’s future guidance.

Demonstrate an ability to think critically and reason analytically regarding course content
as evidenced in discussion and in written and oral presentation assignments.

Demonstrate a graduate-level command of American English grammar, syntax,
punctuation, spelling, and pronunciation in oral and/or written communication pertaining
to the course.
Texts and Required Resources
1. Starling, G. 2011/2010. Managing the Public Sector (9th ed.). Boston: Wadsworth.
ISBN: 978-0-495-83119-2. Earlier editions not acceptable.
2. Harari, O. 2002. The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell. New York: McGraw-Hill.
ISBN: 0-07-141861-X.
3. A book exploring management and/or leadership principles to be chosen by the student
with instructor’s approval (see Course Requirements, below).
Syllabus CRIJ 5309
Dr. David Scott
Spring 2015
Page 3
4. Not less than weekly perusal of www.ncjrs.gov, researching content relevant to (a) this
course and (b) one’s intended specialization within CJ (e.g., police, juvenile probation,
etc.).
5. A major daily newspaper (e.g., The New York Times, The Washington Post) or daily
news service on the Internet (e.g., PointCast, MSNBC, CNN On-line, NY Times On-line,
USA Today On-line) from which the student shall extract newsworthy criminal justice
items for class discussion.
6. An unabridged collegiate-level dictionary to be used in preparation of assignments and
whenever the student encounters terms, the meaning(s) of which is ambiguous. The
use of certain on-line dictionaries and so-called encyclopedias, e.g., Wikipedia, is
strictly prohibited in this course. Such sources are unreliable—often containing
misinformation, error by omission and, occasionally, disinformation. Any reference
thereto will result in an “F” for the respective assignment.
7. Daily checking of Blackboard® and one’s Patriot E-Mail for categorical information.
Although messages may not be frequent, they are high priority when sent.
Course Requirements and Evaluation Criteria4
1.
Class Participation: A Primarily Qualitative Component
Each course participant will complete all assigned readings and demonstrate an
increasing ability to accurately analyze case studies by synthesizing relevant information.
Course participants may be assigned as discussion leaders relating to various course topics
and readings. Assertive participation through informed comment and demonstration of
leadership behavior shall constitute approximately one-fourth of one's course grade (see
Evaluation Summary and Mutual Responsibilities sections, below). For purposes of this course,
the term “discussion(s)” is defined as including both oral and written communication in oncampus class meetings and by interactive entries through Blackboard.
Note Required Resource No. 5: One excellent way of understanding a field of study is
consistently to ask the question, “What’s happening now?”; followed by an in-depth analysis of
the answer. Being cognizant of and understanding current events in one’s occupational field is
a mark of professionalism. Course participants, therefore, are required to peruse the news and
regularly comment in class and/or enter through Blackboard specific references to and cogent
commentary regarding news articles relevant to the course. Other participants are expected to
comment analytically on those news items.
2. Regular Reading, Reporting, and Discussing: A Primarily Quantitative Component
An Internet or hybrid course such as this one puts additional responsibility on
participants to manage time wisely. Keeping up with the reading, plus participating in Chat
4
See Table 1, p. 7.
Syllabus CRIJ 5309
Dr. David Scott
Spring 2015
Page 4
Room, Discussion Group, and document depository requirements on Blackboard often make
one’s contributions more visible and “countable” than in traditional classroom settings.
It is imperative, therefore, that each class participant contributes to these assignments
by completing the readings and making comprehensive entries timely. Course participants
should raise questions and make cogent comments regarding material from texts, course
documents, current events, and other course-relevant materials whenever appropriate. This
grading element shall constitute approximately one-fourth of one’s course grade.
It is essential to understand that Requirements 1 and 2, together clearly a “make it or
break it” portion. To tell course participants to “speak out” or “speak up” on the subject at hand
is, in this context, a gross understatement.5
3. Ad hoc Assignments
Instructor reserves the right to make ad hoc assignments when appropriate instructional
opportunities arise. Credit for such assignments will be distributed proportionately within
components 1 and 2.
4. Midterm Term Examination
The midterm examination will constitute 20% of the final average for the course.
5. Research Paper- The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell.
The research paper should be not less than 12 or more than 20 pages over the Colin
Powell text; the verbal presentation should be not less than 15 or more than 25 minutes. Each
paper will be written in APA format and graded on content, grammar and punctuation, and APA
formatting guidelines.
The course participant shall present an oral report to the class and a written report to the
instructor assuring that the strategies outlined by the author(s) or principal subject are (1) fully
compared and contrasted with other course material and (2) evaluated as to relevance in the
criminal justice workplace. (3) Printed outlines should be distributed to the class prior to the
oral presentation and visual aids (e.g., PowerPoint ®) to accompany the oral report are
encouraged.6 The research paper will count 30% for the course.
5
Course participants are given one warning regarding insufficient participation in categories 1 and 2—and
this is the one!
6
Four points regarding PowerPoint: (1) A slide should contain no more than seven discrete entries, such
as short bullet points. (2) The bullets should be of highly important points, as in an outline, and do not
have to be whole sentences. (3) It is considered extremely poor form to read from one’s slides (the
audience can do that); however, one should elaborate fully on each of the bullet points (i.e., verbally fill-in
the outline). (4) One should never turn his or her back on the audience to read the screen—use the
monitor or a printed version; the only exception is the use of a pointer to explain a table or figure (chart or
graph).
Syllabus CRIJ 5309
Dr. David Scott
6.
Spring 2015
Page 5
Final Examination
At the outset of this course, a final examination is comprehensive. The final examination
will cover questions from the Managing the Public Sector text. The final examination will count
20% for the course.
7.
Grading
Evaluation in a graduate seminar, as it should be in the workplace, is an ongoing
process. One earns a high performance rating by consistent qualitative and quantitative
production, not by mercurial output. Instructor reserves the right to employ a combination of
criterion- and norm-referenced evaluation methods in this course.7
8.
Grades and Rankings
Interim and final course grades will be based on the following 4-point scale: 8
A ≥ 3.90; B = 3.89 – 3.00; C = 2.99 – 2.33; F < 2.32.
An Important Reminder about Seminars
A reminder about the seminar format may be appropriate. Within a particular structure
prescribed by the course objectives, a seminar is student-directed rather than instructordirected. Participants are significantly more responsible for their own learning than in a
traditional teacher-centered class. Many participants bring public agency experience to the
table; all bring critical insights from organizational and life experiences that are most instructive
in their own right. Participants often contribute agency materials to reinforce certain course
concepts.
Participants are teachers of one another, whereas the instructor is a discussion facilitator
and subject-matter resource person. Although the university grading system perforce requires
individual assessment, progress is measured in a graduate seminar more in
terms of team accomplishment. Each participant, therefore, is expected to be a highly
motivated team player with ever-increasing competencies in the job-tasks assigned.9
Related to the above is but one of several rules regarding oral presentations available from the
instructor or Toastmasters, Inc.® website: Except for short quotes, never read from a written report or
detailed outline. If one doesn’t know enough about his or her subject to discuss it in a conversational
manner while smiling and keeping eye contact with the audience, he or she simply does not know enough
about the subject! Without further reminder, therefore, the result of violating this rule will be significantly
diminished credit for the oral presentation portion of the assignment.
7
8
Cf.: Student Handbook, Ch. 4.
Newly enrolled students are reminded that in graduate programs no grade below B is considered
satisfactory. Further, all students are reminded that one letter-grade is equivalent to approximately 10%
of one’s available “points”; loss of more than 20%, therefore, constitutes unsatisfactory performance.
Syllabus CRIJ 5309
Dr. David Scott
Spring 2015
Page 6
Mutual Responsibilities
Student. It is the responsibility of the student to: (a) attend class regularly10 and arrive
promptly,11 (b) study diligently (2-3 hours study time per hour of class is the accepted norm),
(c) complete reading and other assignments timely and in accordance with assignment-specific
criteria, (d) make informed comments and/or ask critical questions regarding the subject matter,
(e) participate actively in class discussions, (f) be informed regarding relevant current events in
the subject area, and (g) seek additional assistance at the first sign of difficulty.
Instructor. It is the responsibility of the instructor to: (a) explain difficult concepts
presented in assigned readings, either of his own volition or in response to a student's question
or comment, (b) introduce cognate and support material deemed relevant by him or her, and
(c) be reasonably available outside of class to provide academic assistance via electronic
communication or as arranged in advance by appointment.
____________________________________________________________________________
TABLE 1
Evaluation Summary
Discussion Board entries
10
Weekly Chapter Quizzes
20
Midterm Examination
20
Final Examination
20
Term Research Project
(Oral, 10%; Written, 20%)
30
Total
100%
____________________________________________________________________________
Full Compliance Requirement
All tests, projects, assignments, and other course requirements must be completed
independently and timely in order to receive a passing grade for the course.
9
Peers should come quickly to the assistance and encouragement of one another, particularly to one who
appears to be faltering in accomplishing assigned tasks or matching team efforts.
10
Including Blackboard sessions.
11
Including return from breaks.
Syllabus CRIJ 5309
Dr. David Scott
Spring 2015
Page 7
Requests for the Grade of Incomplete
The grade of Incomplete may be granted to students who, under extenuating
circumstances, are unable to complete all course requirements by the end of the term in which
the course is presented. A formal application to the instructor is required. The term
“extenuating circumstances” implies prolonged adversity beyond the student’s control. Poor
academic performance does not constitute an “extenuating circumstance.”
Review of Draft Material
The instructor welcomes opportunities to review course participants’ work in progress
and encourages the submission of draft reports for critique. For this process to be effective,
however, participants must submit work far enough in advance of the assignment deadline to
allow adequate time for both a full review by the instructor and subsequent revision, if indicated,
by the student.
Cellular Phones, Pagers, Laptops
Cellular telephones and other audible paging devices must be muted while class is in
progress. Professionals “on call” should excuse themselves from class and respond to their
page outside the classroom.
The use of laptops or tablet computers is welcomed under the following conditions: Only
material pertaining to the current topic of discussion shall be displayed while class is in
session.12 If students seated behind computer users are distracted by screen glare or
otherwise, users will be asked to move to a back row.
Certain University Policies
Certain University policies must appear on each course syllabus or be provided as an
informational sheet, and web-links to these policies may be used in print or electronic syllabi.
For the purpose of this syllabus, the following link is provided:
http://www.uttyler.edu/academicaffairs/syllabuspolicies.pdf
Students’ Rights and Responsibilities
Further, to know and understand the policies that affect your rights and responsibilities
as a student at UT Tyler—in addition to those contained in this syllabus—the following link is
provided:
http://www.uttyler.edu/wellness/StudentRightsandResponsibilities.html
12
Blatant violations of this provision—not unlike engaging in prohibited personal activity in the
workplace—shall result in disciplinary action.
Syllabus CRIJ 5309
Dr. David Scott
Spring 2015
Page 8
Statement Regarding Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty is a violation of University policy and community standards. If
compared to a violation of the criminal law, it would be classed as a felony. It is also a strict
liability offense—proof of intent is not required for conviction. Academic dishonesty is defined
as cheating, plagiarism, or otherwise obtaining grades under false pretenses. Currently, the
most common form of plagiarism among university students is using material taken from
Internet sources without proper citation. In this class, the penalty for academic dishonesty shall
be no less than immediate failure of the course and establishment of a permanent student
record noting “F for cheating.” 13
13
There is no excuse for a graduate student not to know the full and complete definition of plagiarism. To
refresh one’s recollection, however, see Course Handbook, Appendix A.
Syllabus CRIJ 5309
Dr. David Scott
Spring 2015
Page 9
Tentative Course Outline 14
Week One
January 14, 2015
Introductions / Chapter One: Nature of Public Administration
Colin Powell Leadership Chapter 1 Know When to Piss People
Off
Colin Powell Leadership Chapter 2 Promote a Clash of Ideas
Week Two
January 21, 2015
Chapter Two- Political-Legal Environment of Administration
Colin Powell Leadership Chapter 3 The Ego Trap
Colin Powell Leadership Chapter 4 Don’t Go Looking for “No”
Week Three
January 28, 2015
Chapter Three- Intergovernmental Relations
Colin Powell Leadership Chapter 5 The Chief “Dis-organizer”
Week Four
February 4, 2015
Chapter Four- Administrative Responsibility and Ethics
Colin Powell Leadership Chapter 6 When to Challenge the Pros
Week Five
February 11, 2015
Chapter Five- Planning
Colin Powell Leadership Chapter 7 Close with the Enemy
Week Six
February 18, 2015
Chapter Six- Decision Making
Colin Powell Leadership Chapter 8 People over Plans
Week Seven
February 25, 2015
Chapter Seven- Organizing
Colin Powell Leadership Chapter 9 Vigilance in Detail
Week Eight
March 4, 2015
Midterm Examination (Chapters 1-7)
Week Nine
March 11, 2015
Spring Break Vacation- No Class!
Week Ten
March 18, 2015
Chapter Eight- Leading
Colin Powell Leadership Chapter 10 Situation Dictates Strategy
Week Eleven
March 25, 2015
Chapter Nine- Implementation
Colin Powell Chapter 11 Powell’s Rules for Picking People
Week Twelve
April 1, 2015
Chapter Ten- Human Resources Management
Colin Powell Chapter 12 Trust Those in the Trenches
Colin Powell Chapter 13 The Powell Way
Week Twelve
April 8, 2015
Chapter Eleven- Public Financial Management
Colin Powell Chapter 14 Optimism is a “Force Multiplier”
14
Based on the progress, special interests of the class, or other instructional contingencies, the instructor
reserves the right to modify this outline—including dates and numbers of on-campus and Internet sessions,
as well as related assignments. This tentative outline is based on average times required by a 15-person
graduate class to master the planned material. In smaller classes, when less discussion takes place and
fewer persons have projects to present, opportunities develop to take on additional and/or advanced courserelated material. Under such circumstances, students are encouraged to nominate relevant topics of special
interest.
Syllabus CRIJ 5309
Dr. David Scott
Spring 2015
Page 10
Week Thirteen April 15, 2015
Chapter Twelve- Information Management
Colin Powell Chapter 15 Take Leave when You’ve Earned It
Colin Powell Chapter 16 Prepare for Loneliness
Week Fourteen April 22, 2015
Presentations and Review of Materials and Powell Book
Week Fifteen
Final Examination (Comprehensive Examination)
April 29, 2015