Office Hours:

Tuesday and Thursday
09:30 - 11:00

Wednesday
10:00 - 11:00

Or by appointment
 

COURSE OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to organization and administration in the criminal justice system. To understand the challenges of the administrators of justice organizations we begin by discussing the nature of the U.S. justice system, the state of our country with respect to crime and governmental control, and the evolution of justice administration in all three components: police, courts, and correction. In addition, we will examine administrative problems and factors that span and influence the entire system, including rights of criminal justice employees, labor relations, civil liability, AIDS, accountability, and the future, and financial administration.

TEXT

The following book is required for this course:

Champion, Dean John. (2003). Administration of Criminal Justice: Structure, Function, and Process.  Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

Students are expected to complete the assigned readings prior to class on the week indicated and be prepared to participate in meaningful discussion of the subject matter.  Information about the class will be posted to the professor's web site (http://www.wiu.edu/users/mfkac). Students are expected to check this site before each class and to bring the class notes and handouts with them to class.

REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING

There will be two examinations during the course and one paper project. Requirements for the project will be given to the students during class, along with the date that the paper is due.

There will be a written paper and a student evaluation of the paper. The paper will not be accepted outside of class either on or after the due date.   Therefore, any paper left in my mailbox or presented to me outside of class will not be accepted and will receive a grade of zero.  Any student evaluation not turned in on the due date will result in a grade of zero for the paper.

Students will have 1 hour and 50 minutes to complete the final examination. The final examination may be comprehensive. Each previous examination will encompass the materials analyzed during that portion of the course and the final examination will cover material presented during the entire course. Each test can consist of multiple-choice, true-false, and short answer questions.

Students are expected to take all examinations at their scheduled times and dates. For the instructor to provide the proper
accommodation(s), you must obtain documentation of the need for an accommodation through Disability Support Services (298-2453) and provide it to the instructor at least two weeks before any scheudled assignment. Students arriving late for an examination will not be permitted to take the exam and will receive a zero for that test. No make-up exams will be given without a written doctor's excuse or other appropriate documentation. Students who miss the scheduled exam but has a documented excuse approved by the instructor must take the test within two weeks of the original test date. If a student fails to make-up an examination during this period, a grade of zero will be given for that test. Extra-credit projects, such as book reviews or term papers, are not acceptable substitutes for an undesirable grade.  If a student cannot do the regularly required work in this course, what would the point be of giving them more?

All work, including homework assignments, article critiques, and take home exercises, are to be done on your own. Work assignments are not to be done by a group (2 or more persons), nor are answers to be copied from another. You are to receive no help from anyone except the instructor. Any cheating or plagiarizing on an assignment or test will result in a "F" being entered as your grade for the course.

The final grade for the course is based on the following:

The paper is worth 34% of the final grade. Each test is worth 33% of the final grade. The grading scale for the course is given below:

It is solely the responsibility of the student to determine whether or not she or he needs to drop the course.  The instructor may or may not suggest that course of action to the student, but it is the individual's obligation to make the determination of whether or not they need to take this step.  "The instructor did not tell me to drop the course" is not a valid argument and will not result in a change of grade.

The University states that "attendance is mandatory in all class session." A daily roll will be taken (see the Western Illinois Student Handbook). Each student may sign in only him or herself. Signing the roll for another student is a violation of the academic honor code. On random days, attendance will be taken and roll called. Anyone's name that appears on the sign-up attendance roll who is not physically present in class when roll is called receives an automatic "F" for the course. Absences are counted from the first day of classes.

The expressed policy of this instructor is to allow students to miss up to 4 days for any reason (excused or unexcused, for example: football games, university activities, sickness, court appearances, etc.).  Excused absences are being in court for more than 1 week, being ill for more than 1 week, military duty that exceeds one week. When appropriately documented with written materials these days will not be counted toward the 4 allowable days.  Being sick for a couple of days, being out for University functions, going to court, etc. are the reason that this instructor allows students to miss 4 days without penalty.    IF A STUDENT MISSES 5 OR MORE DAYS FOR ANY OTHER REASONS THAN THOSE DISCUSSED ABOVE, HE OR SHE WILL RECEIVE AN "F" FOR THE COURSE.  Students who come in after the roll has been called or passed around will be counted absent for the class. You are responsible for keeping track of your absences and your grades.  Do not ask me how many absences you have.  If you are already aware that you will miss more days than are permissible for any reason, including extracurricular university athletic activities, DROP THE CLASS.  Arranging to make up work missed because of legitimate class absence is the responsibility of the student.  Please check the student rights and responsibilities web page for information about academic dishonesty and other issues.

For the few to whom it applies, there are some basic rules for classroom behavior.  Students are to refrain from talking or reading newspapers or other materials when the instructor is giving the lecture.  Computers may only be used for note-taking purposes during class.  Sending or reading e-mail, playing computer games, watching DVDs, or any computer activity other than note-taking during class time will result in a course grade of "F."  Being late for class and walking in after the class is in session is both disruptive and rude.  Students are expected to be on time.  Tardy student will be counted absent for the day.  If a student needs to leave the class early, he or she must inform the instructor before class begins, and sit near an exit so as not to unduly disturb the class when leaving.  Simply getting up and exiting class and returning during a lecture is not acceptable--this is a live lecture, not television.  All portable phones and pagers are to be turned off prior to entry into the classroom.  If you are required by an employer to remain on call, or there is an emergency necessitating leaving such an article activated, turn it to its silent mode of operation, if possible, and inform this instructor immediately (obviously this means before the device might go off).  Otherwise, a ringing phone or beeping pager will result in the deduction of 1 day as an absence. I am certain a majority of you already know these guidelines, but recent experience has proved to me that not everyone has gotten the message on proper classroom behavior.  It became necessary to formally present it in writing.

All material submitted in fulfillment of course requirements will conform to the Honor Code and to the usual academic standards governing appropriate behavior. More specifically, it is expected that all students will refrain from plagiarism and cheating. If you are caught cheating or plagiarizing, you will receive an "F" for the course. Use of any electronic device during a test period, be it cell phone, cell video phone, PDA, etc. in any mode- audio, text messaging, or scanning- will result in an automatic "F" for the class.  It is also held to be a violation to turn in one paper you have written to two or more different classes without all the instructors' express permission. It is the student's responsibility to find out what is meant by plagiarism and cheating (see the Western Illinois Student Handbook or the Western Illinois Student Services Academic Calendar). For the few that this section applies to, you will fail yourself by cheating. Please do not embarrass yourself this way. Remember, a plea of ignorance is not an acceptable defense.

IMPORTANT DATES