CCJS453: White Collar and Organized Crime
Spring 2011 Syllabus
Class meets Monday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. in 2205 LeFrak Hall
Instructor:
Email:
Office Phone
Office:
Office Hours:
Melissa Rorie
mrorie@crim.umd.edu
301-405-4727
2220AA LeFrak
Mondays from 5p.m. to 6 p.m. & by appointment
Course description
This course explores the history, definitions, categories, and trends of white collar crime (WCC) with an
emphasis on corporate crimes. The course also briefly examines the history of organized crime (OC)
activities in the United States. The course includes a discussion of the impact of WCC and OC, the
nature of white collar and organized criminals, theories of WCC, and WCC sentencing and deterrence.
Textbooks
Trusted Criminals by David O. Friedrichs, Thomson Wadsworth. ISBN: 978-0-4-9560082-4 (Required)
Profit Without Honor: White Collar Crime and the Looting of America by Rosoff et al., Pearson. ISBN:
978-0-1-3515468-7. (Recommended)
Course Requirements and Class Conduct
The overall success of this course, and your individual success, will depend in very large part on your
regular attendance and active involvement in class discussions, as well as maintaining a classroom
environment conducive to learning. Students are expected to attend and be prepared for all classes,
arrive on time, be actively engaged in class discussion and activities, and refrain from any disruptive
behavior (which includes talking during the lecture).
I strongly encourage you to be on time to class; it can be highly disruptive to me and to the other
students when people arrive late to class. Exams will start promptly at 6 p.m. Students arriving more
than 10 minutes later than that may not be able to take the exam at that time and will have to
provide me with written documentation explaining the absence. See the section below titled
“Instructor policy on Makeup Exams, Assignments, Class Notes, and Special Accommodations” for more
information.
You are allowed to eat during the lecture, but please be courteous and consider the ability of others
around you to hear and concentrate on the lecture. Also, please be considerate of the cleaning staff and
pick up after yourself if you bring disposable food containers into the classroom.
I will allow laptops for the purpose of note-taking only. If you are caught looking at something other
than note-taking or electronic versions of articles during lectures then laptop use will be prohibited for
the entire class. You may not have your laptops open during exams or class presentations.
Grades
The course will be graded based on two exams (including the final) and a 10-page paper. Each exam and
the paper will be graded out of 50 possible points. Therefore, your overall course grade will be based
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on 150 possible points. Students will also be able to earn extra credit points on quizzes given at the end
of each class. These various components are described in more detail below.
Paper and Presentation
The paper should be no more than ten pages and should examine an issue pertinent to WCC or OC (see
possible topics below). All papers should be APA-style, double-spaced, using Times New Roman font
(size 12) and 1-inch margins on all sides. Minimal use (if at all) of popular culture sources (e.g.,
magazines) should be employed unless these sources are integral to the research (e.g., content analysis
of popular media). Students will be graded on their grammar and spelling, evidenced critical thinking
about the topic, demonstrated comprehension of the topic, and level of research effort. Students will
also have an opportunity to give a ten-minute presentation on their paper that will count for 5 points of
extra credit to be added to their final grade. These presentations are meant for students to receive
feedback on their papers and should be used to better inform their final draft.
Some potential topics for this paper include:
 Describe a type of WCC not discussed in class, its seriousness, and current/proposed strategies
to prevent or address it
 Best practices in WCC or Corporate Crime prevention
 Apply a criminological theory not discussed in class to explain why WCC/OC occurs
 Measurement issues in WCC/OC
 Describe a specific case of WCC/OC and how it led to a specific change in law or regulatory
strategies
 Other topic pending approval from the instructor
Exams
Both exams will consist primarily of multiple choice and true/false questions. The final exam is not
cumulative. Exam questions will come from all sources: lectures, video presentations, class handouts,
guest speakers, and assigned readings. I will provide study outlines and in-class review opportunities
before each exam. Please note that the study outlines may not cover everything included on the test—
students are responsible for preparing for exams based on all class materials.
Extra Credit
In addition to the paper presentation (worth 5 points), I will also be giving a five-question quiz at the end
of every class (worth a maximum of 5 points each). The grades on these quizzes will be averaged at the
end of the semester, and the average will be added to the students’ 150 point total for a maximum of an
additional 5 points. Since the quizzes are for extra credit, if students are not present for the quiz they
will receive a grade of 0 for that quiz.
The final grading scale is:
A+ 145 to 150 points (97% to 100%)
A 139 to 144 points (93% to 96%)
A- 135 to 138 points (90% to 92%)
C+ 115 to 119 points (77% to 79%)
C 109 to 114 points (73% to 76%)
C- 105 to 108 points (70% to 72%)
F
89 points or less
B+
B
BD+
D
D-
130 to 134 points (87% to 89%)
124 to 129 points (83% to 86%)
120 to 123 points (80% to 82%)
100 to 104 points (67% to 69%)
94 to 99 points (63% to 66%)
90 to 93 points (60% to 62%)
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Instructor policy on Makeup Exams, Assignments, Class Notes, and Special Accommodations
I have a very strict policy regarding makeup exams and excused absences. Makeup exams will only be
given in cases of excused absences and official documentation is required. Excused absences are:
illness with a doctor's note, death in the immediate family, required University activities, and required
court appearance. I will not accept a Health Center honor statement to verify an illness. If you go to
the Health Center and a doctor will not write you a note, you will need to get a copy of your medical
record from them to verify your illness. By law, you are entitled to get a copy of this and it is your
responsibility to do so. I must be notified in person, e-mail, in writing, or by phone PRIOR to missing an
exam for me to consider giving you a makeup. Makeup exams are essay in nature. If you have a
problem on the day of an exam, call me. If you know in advance that you will be absent for an exam
with an approved absence, you will be expected to take the exam prior to the exam date. There will
be no makeup opportunities for missed quizzes.
Students with a documented disability or other situation requiring academic accommodations should
see the instructor within the first two weeks of the semester (by February 4th, 2011). Students having
academic difficulty are also strongly encouraged to consult with the instructor as early as possible.
It is the student's responsibility to inform the instructor of any intended absences for religious
observances in advance; prior notification is especially important in connection with final examinations,
since failure to reschedule a final examination before the conclusion of the final examination period may
result in loss of credits during the semester. I will make every feasible effort to accommodate students'
requests based on attendance of religious observances.
Academic integrity
Academic integrity is an absolute requirement. Dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. The
University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity,
administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code sets standards for academic integrity at
Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students. Students are responsible for upholding these
standards for this course. It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating,
fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. For more information on the Code of Academic Integrity or the
Student Honor Council, please visit http://www.shc.umd.edu.
Class schedule and reading assignments
The following is a TENTATIVE schedule for lecture topics and exams. I will do my best to keep as close as
possible to this schedule. I hope to have guest lecturers making class presentations. The availability of
guest lecturers is subject to change depending on their personal schedules and this may require some
flexibility in our class schedule. All exams will be given on the dates indicated. In the event the
University is closed on a scheduled exam date (e.g., weather emergency) the exam will be given on the
next day that class meets.
The required and recommended readings for each lecture topic can be found in the right-hand column.
Any readings not from your textbook can be found on the Blackboard website—you can log onto our
class page by going to www.elms.umd.edu. Supplemental required and recommended readings may be
assigned during the semester.
3
Week
Date
Topic
Reading Assignment
Course Introduction and Orientation
1
2
1/24/2011
1/31/2011
Defining White Collar and Corporate
Crime
Historical and Contemporary examples
of WCC
The Study of WCC: Methods and
Difficulties
3
2/7/2011
Varieties of WCC:
Organizational/Corporate Crime;
Occupational Crime; Financial Crime
4
2/14/2011
Extent and cost of WCC, organized, and
corporate crime
What do White Collar Criminals look
like?
5
2/21/2011
Images of Corporate and White-Collar
Crime: Citizen Perceptions and Media
Portrayal
Friedrichs: Chapters 1 (pp. 1 – 11) and 2
(pp. 34 - 44)
Simpson, Harris, and Mattson (1995):
“Measuring corporate crime”
*Rosoff: Chapter 1
Friedrichs: Chapters 3 and 4
*Rosoff: Chapters 2, 3, and 4
Friedrichs: Chapters 2 (pp. 44 - 59)
*Rosoff—Chapters 6, 7, and 8
Friedrichs: Chapter 1 (pp. 13 - 20)
Wright, Cullen, and Blankenship (1995):
“The social construction of corporate
violence”
Friedrichs: Chapter 8 (pp. 219 - 238)
6
2/28/2011
Theories of White Collar/Corporate
Crime: Individual-level
Benson (1985): “Denying the guilty
mind”
Hirschi and Gottfredson (1987):
“Causes of white collar crime”
Theories of White Collar/Corporate
Crime: Macro-level
7
3/7/2011
Multilevel
EXAM 1 REVIEW
8
3/14/2011
EXAM 1
9
3/21/2011
SPRING BREAK—NO CLASS
3/28/2011
Organized Crime: Definitions, Theories,
and Evolution of Organized Crime
Business and Activities
10
Friedrichs: Chapter 8 (pp. 238 - 249)
Simpson and Koper (1997): “The
changing of the guard”
Coleman (1987): “Towards an
integrated theory of white collar crime”
Friedrichs: Chapter 7
McIllwan (1999): “Organized crime: A
social network approach”
4
Week
11
Date
Topic
Reading Assignment
Friedrichs: Chapter 7
4/4/2011
Interaction of White Collar Crime,
Organized Crime, Legitimate Business,
Government, Politics, and Terrorism
PAPER PRESENTATIONS
Szasz (1986): “Corporations, organized
crime, and the disposal of hazardous
waste”
Policing and Regulating WCC and OC
12
13
4/11/2011
4/18/2011
Contemporary responses to WCC:
Legislative responses, criminal and civil
statutes
Contemporary response to WCC (cont.):
Investigative Priorities and Responses
Friedrichs: Chapter 1 (pp. 20 – 32)
Whistleblowers, Qui Tams and other
sources
Miethe and Rothschild (1994):
“Whistleblowing and the control of
organizational misconduct”
PAPER DUE
Contemporary Responses to WCC
(cont.):
14
4/25/2011
Friedrichs: Chapter 9 and 10 (pp. 277 –
299, 303 – 307)
Prosecution and criminal defense
The Role of Gatekeepers
Reporting and Evidence Considerations
Friedrichs: Chapter 10 (pp. 299 – 303)
and Chapter 11 (pp. 309 – 324)
Coffee (2005): “A theory of corporate
scandals: Why the USA and Europe
differ”
Friedrichs: Chapter 11 (pp. 324 – 343)
Legal and Social Controls of WCC:
15
5/2/2011
Sentencing and Deterrence
Social and Economic pressures,
individual characteristics
Kagan, Gunningham, and Thornton
(2003): “Explaining corporate
environmental performance”
Parker and Atkins (1999): “Did the
corporate criminal sentencing
guidelines matter?”
Applying What We’ve Learned to the
Recent Financial Meltdown
16
5/9/2011
Future responses to WCC and OC
Friedrichs: Chapter 12
FINAL EXAM REVIEW
17
5/16/2011
FINAL EXAM
* The Rosoff chapters are recommended, but not required, reading.
5