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CJ 498 – Senior Seminar (ONLINE) – Fall 2015
CJ 498 – Senior Seminar – Fall 2015
Instructor: Lynn Greenwood
Course and Contact Information
Class Time and
Online
Location:
Office:
Founder’s Hall, Room 217L
Office Hours:
Email:
Tuesdays 4pm-7pm; Wednesdays 10am-1pm; or by appointment
lgreenwood@tamuct.edu – when emailing, always identify
yourself and the course number. In general, when
communicating electronically, you should use complete sentences
and be very clear about what you are asking or saying to avoid
miscommunication. I do not check Blackboard email regularly.
Phone:
Mobile: 512-525-9173 – if texting or leaving voicemail, please
identify yourself and the course number. This is my mobile
number; I do not regularly check or answer my office phone.
Preferred Mode of
Communication:
I prefer emails or office visits to phone calls, unless absolutely
necessary.
Catalog Description: This is a capstone course that will assist the student in completing
their knowledge of the criminal justice system through a study of current practice
related to operations, recruitment, testing, training, law, and other issues to prepare the
student for entry into a criminal justice profession.
Prerequisites: Course is restricted to Senior Criminal Justice Majors.
Expanded Course Description: This course is intended for senior level students. CJ 498
is a study of emerging issues in law, justice policy, operational techniques, human
resources flow, and the application of social and demographic trends to criminal justice
operations. Students will be required to demonstrate oral and written competencies
appropriate to senior level standing.
Course Objectives:
1. Students will demonstrate writing skills appropriate to the discipline of Criminal
Justice.
2. Students will demonstrate proficiency in use of technology appropriate to the
discipline of Criminal Justice.
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CJ 498 – Senior Seminar (ONLINE) – Fall 2015
3. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the value of ethics in Criminal
Justice.
4. Students will demonstrate multi-cultural awareness and respect for cultural
diversity.
5. Students will demonstrate understanding of basic theoretical perspectives of
Criminal justice.
6. Students will apply theoretical perspectives in Criminal Justice to create
operational strategies and formulate justice policy.
Required Textbooks:
There is no required textbook for this class. All course materials will be in the form of
articles/websites provided by the instructor via Blackboard. Additional readings may be
required for assignments involving research.
Supplementary Materials:
Students will receive additional reading and viewing materials throughout the semester
to enhance, expand on, and aid in discussions.
Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. To insure you comply with the standards of
academic integrity set forth by TAMUCT, please read the following information, and
follow the links. By now you should all understand what plagiarism is and is not. If you
are unsure, please follow the link I’ve provided and read all material on the subject. Any
student caught plagiarizing will receive a 0 (zero) for that assignment and may be
referred to the university for further discipline.
Academic
Integrity
Texas A&M University - Central Texas expects all students to maintain high
standards of personal and scholarly conduct. Students found responsible
of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action. Academic
dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or
other academic work, plagiarism, collusion, and the abuse of resource
materials. The faculty member is responsible for initiating action for each
case of academic dishonesty and report the incident to the Associate
Director of Student Conduct. More information can be found at
http://www.tamuct.edu/departments/studentconduct/facultyresources.p
hp.
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CJ 498 – Senior Seminar (ONLINE) – Fall 2015
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty. Plagiarism, most simply
defined, is not properly crediting your sources of information through the
use of textual citations and the provision of a works cited list. If something
is not your own original idea, thought, words, or the product of your
original data collection and analysis, you need to cite your source in the
text. You may expand on work you have submitted in other classes. If you
would like to do so, please contact me to discuss the terms. To learn more
about plagiarism, please visit
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/02/
Mode of Instruction and Course Access:
This course is a 100% online course and uses the TAMUCT Blackboard system. To be
able to successfully complete this course, the student must have reliable and frequent
access to a computer and to the Internet. In addition, the student must be able to
access Blackboard. Online learning requires students to be very self-disciplined, so be
sure you understand and are prepared to comply with all required class assignments
and deadlines. If you are unfamiliar with Blackboard, there is a Blackboard Student
Orientation link under the My Courses tab. There is also a link to Blackboard Help.
Please utilize these features of Blackboard before contacting your instructor with noncourse related issues regarding Blackboard.
In addition, you must claim and use your university email. All announcements made in
Blackboard will also be emailed to students – these emails only go to university email
accounts. The same applies to all university-level announcements. You may miss out on
vital announcements and information if you do not check your university email
regularly. You can have your university email forwarded to your personal email.
Accessing Blackboard:
 Logon to https://tamuct.blackboard.com to access the course
 Username: your MyCT username (xx123 or everything before the “@” in your
MyCT email address)
 Initial password: MyCT password
 Select Senior Seminar from the course list
Technology issues are not an excuse for missing a course requirement. Make sure your
computer is configured correctly and address issues well in advance of deadlines. If you
have problems with your personal computer and/or Internet, you have access to the
computer lab in Warrior Hall (Room 104). Operating times and days can be found on
the TAMUCT website.
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CJ 498 – Senior Seminar (ONLINE) – Fall 2015
Technology Support
For technology issues, students should contact Help Desk Central. 24 hours a day, 7
days a week:
Email: helpdesk@tamu.edu
Phone: 254-519-5466
Web Chat: http://hdc.tamu.edu
When calling for support please let your support technician know you are a TAMUCT
student.
For issues related to course content and requirements, contact your instructor.
Student-Instructor Interaction:
Since this is an online class, most communication between the instructor and students
will be electronic in nature; however, all students are welcome and encouraged to
attend office hours or make an appointment for an office visit.
I will be checking and replying to student emails on a daily basis - students should
expect a response within 24 hours during the week. Emails sent on a weekend will be
responded to the following Monday, unless it is a holiday. Deviations from this will be
announced on Blackboard. During office hours, emails will be responded to more
quickly, and Blackboard chat, Skype, Facetime, or some other method of communication
can also be utilized if pre-arranged. If the answer to a student question applies to all
students, an announcement will be made to the entire class.
Conduct:
Mastery of course content is greatly enhanced through professional conduct in the
classroom. Although this is an online class, professional conduct must still be observed
in your written communication. You will be expected to conduct yourself in a
professional manner at all times in this class. As in many criminal justice and social
science courses, the issues of racial and ethnic diversity must be considered part of the
course content. In addition, topics may come up in class that not everyone will be
comfortable with or agree upon. Civility and courtesy to everyone in the class, including
the instructor, is expected. Incivility or discourtesy to anyone in the class will not be
tolerated and may result in your expulsion from the course.
Netiquette – Communication Courtesy Code: All members of the class are expected to
follow rules of common courtesy in all email messages, threaded discussions and chats.
If I deem any of them to be inappropriate or offensive, I will forward the message to the
Chair of the department and the online administrators and appropriate action will be
taken, not excluding expulsion from the course.
_______________________________________________________________________
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CJ 498 – Senior Seminar (ONLINE) – Fall 2015
REQUIRED COURSE WORK:
Students will be required to participate in discussion boards throughout the semester,
conduct independent research, and submit several writing assignments. Expectations
and requirements for coursework are listed below.
I. Class Discussions
0-25 points, for a total of 175 points
There will be seven (7) discussion topics posted in Blackboard throughout the semester.
In order to properly answer the discussion questions/prompts, you will be required to
read or view additional material. These additional materials will be posted with the
discussion question/prompt. You will earn points for your submission if you answer
discussion questions/prompts on time, adequately, and completely. Students are
required to post their initial response (typically about one-half page, single-space
type) to the issue and comment on a minimum of two other student responses.
Students may respond to more than two student responses, but are required to
respond to a minimum of two.
Quality of Discussion Posts: The responses to other student posts are usually only a
few sentences. Some students provide very well-thought-out, comprehensive answers
to each question, along with thoughtful responses to other student answers. However,
many students provide only a cursory answer (2 or 3 lines) for their initial response and
follow-up with “I agree….” or “I disagree….” responses to other student answers. This is
not acceptable. I expect to see substantive responses, approximately one-half page to
the Blackboard discussion question for an initial response from a student. The two
comment responses that you are required to make do not have to be lengthy, but more
substantive than 5-6 words of “I agree with you on that.” Students should provide
support for their opinions, pro or con, with appropriate reference citations tied to the
respective course materials, websites, etc. The discussion question will typically be
posted by Sunday at midnight; you will be required to post your response by Sunday of
the same week, no later than midnight.
Proofreading your discussion board postings will also increase readability for others;
you should also be checking for grammar, spelling, and content to make sure others
would understand your point. In addition, please make discussion postings relevant
to the topic under discussion.
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CJ 498 – Senior Seminar (ONLINE) – Fall 2015
Grading criteria for Blackboard discussions:
10 or below – Unacceptable Does not meet the intent of the assignment; student
does not reply to other students’ responses
15 – Acceptable/Weak
Meets the intent of the assignment, but lacks detail,
clarity, or specifics
20 – Acceptable
Meets the intent of the assignment; shows
understanding of class content
25 – Excellent/Superior
Meets the intent of the assignment and goes beyond the
required/expected performance; e.g., bringing in outside
resources; provided detailed and specific examples of
concepts and ideas being discussed
II. Issues Papers
0-50, for a total of 250 points
Students will be responsible for completing five (5) issues papers on the assigned
articles included in this syllabus and available on Blackboard. Students may choose only
from the articles provided. These papers are not opinion pieces. Your paper should
reflect all sides of the issue. Students are expected to:
(1) Thoroughly read the article provided and identify the main points the article
is making. Identify what sources the authors use to support their claims.
(2) Find those sources and read the research. For example, if the article cites
crime statistics, find those crime statistics. If they quote research, find the
original source of the research. If they cite anything as fact, find sources
supporting or refuting that fact.
(3) Demonstrate research skills appropriate to a BS in criminal justice, objectivity
in your writing, and critical thinking.
EACH ISSUE PAPER SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING PARTS (IN SEPARATE
PARAGRAPHS):
 What are the main points in the article? And, what does the research and
statistics say about the topic?
 How does the issue affect the area of criminal justice it falls into (this is indicated
on the side bar – there are 5 areas)?
 Who has an interest in the issue, the problem causing it, or the solution? And
who does the problem directly and indirectly affect?
 What solutions are presented?
ISSUE PAPERS MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:
 2-4 pages in length
 Double-spaced, 12-point font
 Must be produced in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx format)
 Must be submitted on Blackboard via the Turnitin assignment link
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CJ 498 – Senior Seminar (ONLINE) – Fall 2015


Name and issue listed at the top of the page
Cite sources according to APA standards. In-text citations and reference page are
required for all submissions.
 No more than one quotation; quotations must include the page number in the
citation
Proofread carefully: grammar, spelling, mechanics, citations, etc. will be part of your
grade.
Grading Criteria for Issue Papers
Content – up to 35 points
Did the student answer all of the prompts? Does the
paper cover the topic adequately and appropriately?
Were all sides presented, including counter arguments?
Is the level of thought, logic, and reasoning appropriate
to the level of the course?
Mechanics – up to 15 points Grammar, spelling, and vocabulary are appropriate for
the level of the course. Proper use of APA format for
citations and reference list
ARTICLES
The articles you have to choose from for the issue papers are listed below and posted
on Blackboard. I suggest you review all articles to find topics you will enjoy researching.
LAW
Law entries should focus on issues related to a specific law and the effects of
that law on law enforcement.
1. Study: Marijuana legalization doesn't increase crime
http://www.msnbc.com/all/does-marijuana-lower-the-crime-rate
2. Don’t support laws you are not willing to kill to enforce
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokhconspiracy/wp/2014/12/05/dont-support-laws-you-are-not-willing-to-kill-toenforce/
3. With so many laws, we could all be felons
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-eric-garnerlaws-felons-chokehold-perspec-1125-20141204-story.html
Law enforcement entries should focus on the issue and it’s effect on policing,
specifically law enforcement officers.
LAW
ENFORCEMENT
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4. Senators Criticize Growing Militarization of Local Police Departments
Democrats, Republicans Question Federal Programs Giving Military-Style Gear
to Local Law Enforcement http://www.wsj.com/articles/senators-criticizemilitarization-of-local-police-departments-1410287125
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CJ 498 – Senior Seminar (ONLINE) – Fall 2015
5. Feds release profiling restrictions
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/08/racial-profilingfeds/20074329/
6. First scientific report shows police body-worn-cameras can prevent
unacceptable use-of-force http://phys.org/news/2014-12-scientific-policebody-worn-cameras-unacceptable-use-of-force.html
COURTS
Courts entries should focus on issues related to trials, sentencing, and the rights
of the accused.
7. Grand Juries Should Be Abolished
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2014/12/abo
lish_grand_juries_justice_for_eric_garner_and_michael_brown.html
8. Prosecuting preteens as adults defies logic
http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/1/juvenilejusticeuscourtschildrencriminalprosecution.html
9. "Kids for Cash" Judge Ciavarella Found Liable for Enactment of Zero-Tolerance
Policies and Violation of Kids' Constitutional Rights in Federal Civil Rights
Action http://www.jlc.org/news-room/press-releases/kids-cash-judgeciavarella-found-liable-enactment-zero-tolerance-policies-a
CORRECTIONS
Corrections entries should focus on finances, staffing, and prisoner rights.
10. There's A Huge Financial Drain on US Prisons Nobody Is Talking About
http://www.businessinsider.com/theres-a-huge-financial-drain-on-us-prisons2014-8
11. Are private prisons better or worse than public prisons?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokhconspiracy/wp/2014/02/25/are-private-prisons-better-or-worse-than-publicprisons/
12. California female inmates sterilized illegally
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/06/20/californiafemale-inmates-sterilized/11037129/
Policy entries should focus on the effect of a policy on one of the other areas the
criminal justice system.
POLICY
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13. Criminal Immigrants? Americans believe newcomers ”legal and illegal" are
more likely to commit crimes. Research suggests the opposite is true
http://reason.com/archives/2014/09/07/criminal-immigrants
14. New reports give conflicting takes on Colorado marijuana legalization
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_27268184/new-reports-giveconflicting-takes-colorado-marijuana-legalization
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CJ 498 – Senior Seminar (ONLINE) – Fall 2015
15. Eric Garner Was Choked to Death for Selling Loosies
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/03/the-policies-behind-ericgarner-s-death.html
III. Research Paper
0-100, for a total of 100 points
Each student will prepare a research paper on a new or emerging technology, program,
law, or some other innovation in the field of criminal justice.
RESEARCH PAPERS SHOULD ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING:
 Information about the technology/program/innovation (who, what where, why,
how)
 The area of criminal justice that would be/is affected
 Challenges to implementation (expected or known) (e.g. costs, problems with
adoption)
 Benefits to the field of criminal justice
RESEARCH PAPERS MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:
 4-5 pages in length
 Double-spaced; 12-pt font
 Grammatically correct and free from proofreading errors
 Paragraph, narrative format – no lists
 Name and topic listed at the top of the page
 Must be submitted on Blackboard via the Turnitin assignment link
 Cite sources according to APA standards. In-text citations and reference page are
required for all submissions - this includes websites
 Free from quotations
Grading Criteria for Research Papers
Content – up to 75 points
Does the paper cover the topic adequately and
appropriately? Were all sides presented, including
counter arguments? Is the topic appropriate to the
assignment/course? Is the level of thought, logic, and
reasoning appropriate to the level of the course?
Mechanics – up to 25 points Grammar, spelling, and vocabulary are appropriate for
the level of the course. Proper use of APA format for
citations and reference list
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CJ 498 – Senior Seminar (ONLINE) – Fall 2015
IV. Area Content Achieve
Test (ACAT)
0 or 25 points
Students will complete the ACAT in Criminal Justice. The ACAT is a testing program
intended to evaluate criminal justice seniors nationwide. Students will not be graded on
how well they do on the ACAT. If you take the ACAT, you will receive 25 points towards
the final grade. More information on this will be provided in Blackboard later in the
semester.
There are no optional assignments for extra credit and late discussion posts or writing
assignments are not accepted.
Grading Criteria Rubric and Conversion:
Final course grades will be assessed on the following scale:
Assignment
Discussions (x7)
Issue Papers (x6)
Research Paper
ACAT
Total
POINT SCALE
537-600
477-536
417-476
357-416
0-356
Points
175 (7x25)
300 (6x50)
100
25
600
PERCENT CONVERSION
89.5%-100%
79.5%-89.4%
69.5%-79.4%
59.5%-69.4%
59.4% and below
My Grade
LETTER GRADE
A
B
C
D
F
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CJ 498 – Senior Seminar (ONLINE) – Fall 2015
Course Calendar: Subject to revision, if necessary, during the semester
Due Dates
Materials Due
August 30, 11:59pm
Discussion 1
September 6, 11:59pm
Issue Paper 1
September 13, 11:59pm
Discussion 2
September 20, 11:59pm
Issue Paper 2
September 27, 11:59pm
Discussion 3
October 4, 11:59pm
Issue Paper 3
October 11, 11:59pm
Discussion 4
October 18, 11:59pm
Issue Paper 4
October 25, 11:59pm
Discussion 5
November 1, 11:59pm
Research Paper
November 8, 11:59pm
Issue Paper 5
November 15, 11:59pm
November 22, 11:59pm
Discussion 6
ACAT
Issue Paper 6
Thanksgiving Week
Nothing due
Discussion 7 due by 11:59pm via Blackboard
November 29, 11:59pm
December 6, 11:59pm
Other important dates:
August 26
Add/Drop/Late registration ends
August 31
Last day to drop 1st 8-week class with no record
September 7
Labor Day – University Closed
September 9
Last day to drop 16-week class with no record
September 25
Last day to Q-drop or withdraw from a class (1st 8 weeks)
October 2
Deadline for fall graduation application
October 23
TAMUCT Picnic
October 30
Last day to Q-drop or withdraw from a class (16-weeks)
November 11
Veteran’s Day – University Closed
November 26-27
Thanksgiving – University Closed
December 11
Last Day of Fall 2015 classes
December 11
Commencement – 7pm at Bell County Expo Center
Dec 24-Jan 1
Winter Break – University Closed
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CJ 498 – Senior Seminar (ONLINE) – Fall 2015
Please review and become familiar with our TAMUCT policies. In addition to TAMUCT
policies, I included sections on Academic Integrity and Plagiarism. Please review both of
those sections and visit the links provided. Any student caught plagiarizing receives a
zero for that particular assignment and may receive a zero for the course.
COURSE AND UNIVERSITY PROCEDURES AND POLICIES
UNILERT
Disability
Support
Services
Tutoring
Library
Services
Drop
Policy
Emergency Warning System for Texas A&M University – Central Texas
UNILERT is an emergency notification service that gives Texas A&M University-Central
Texas the ability to communicate health and safety emergency information quickly
via email, text message, and social media. All students are automatically enrolled in
UNILERT through their myCT email account. Connect at www.TAMUCT.edu/UNILERT
to change where you receive your alerts or to opt out. By staying enrolled in UNILERT,
university officials can quickly pass on safety-related information, regardless of your
location.
If you have or believe you have a disability and wish to self-identify, you can do so by
providing documentation to the Disability Support Coordinator. Students are
encouraged to seek information about accommodations to help assure success in
their courses. Please contact Vanessa Snyder at (254) 501-5836 or visit Founder's Hall
114. Additional information can be found at
http://www.tamuct.edu/departments/disabilitysupport/index.php.
Tutoring is available to all TAMUCT students, both on-campus and online. Subjects
tutored include Accounting, Finance, Statistics, Mathematics, and Writing (APA).
Tutors are available at the Tutoring Center in Founder's Hall, Room 204, and also in
the Library in the North Building. Visit www.tamuct.edu/AcademicSupport and click
"Tutoring Support" for tutor schedules and contact info. If you have questions, need
to schedule a tutoring session, or if you're interested in becoming a tutor, contact
Academic Support Programs at 254-501-5830 or by emailing
cecilia.morales@tamuct.edu. Chat live with a tutor 24/7 for almost any subject on
your computer! Tutor.com is an online tutoring platform that enables TAMU-CT
students to login and receive FREE online tutoring and writing support. This tool
provides tutoring in Mathematics, Writing, Career Writing, Chemistry, Physics,
Biology, Spanish, Calculus, and Statistics. To access Tutor.com, click on
www.tutor.com/tamuct.
Information Literacy focuses on research skills that prepare individuals to live and
work in an information-centered society. Librarians will work with students in the
development of critical reasoning, ethical use of information, and the appropriate use
of secondary research techniques. Help may include, yet is not limited to: exploration
of information resources such as library collections and services, identification of
subject databases and scholarly journals, and execution of effective search strategies.
Library resources are outlined and accessed at
http://www.tamuct.edu/departments/library/index.php.
If you discover that you need to drop this class, you must go to the Records Office
and ask for the necessary paperwork. Professors cannot drop students; this is always
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CJ 498 – Senior Seminar (ONLINE) – Fall 2015
the responsibility of the student. The record’s office will give a deadline for which the
form must be returned, completed, and signed. Once you return the signed form to
the records office and wait 24 hours, you must go into DuckTrax and confirm that you
are no longer enrolled. If you are still enrolled, you must FOLLOW-UP with the
records office immediately. Should you miss the deadline or fail to follow the
procedure, you will receive an F in the course.
Graduation
Application
Graduation
Date
Deadline to Apply for
Degree &
Commencement
Deadline to Apply for
Degree Conferral
Only
Spring 2015
November 21, 2014
May 14, 2015
Summer 2015
April 17, 2015
August 5, 2015
Fall 2015
June 26, 2015
December 9, 2015
Ceremony
Date
May 16,
2015
August 8,
2015
December
11, 2015
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