Adelphi · Syllabus ·
CCJS 380 6382 Ethical Behavior in Criminal Justice (2228)CCJS-380
- Fall 2022
- Section 6382
- 3 Credits
- 08/17/2022 to 10/11/2022
Faculty Contact
Robert Patton robert.patton@faculty.umgc.edu
Course Description
Prerequisite: CCJS 100. A survey of the standards for ethical behavior that guide criminal justice professionals in different roles and responsibilities. The aim is to make ethical decisions based on informed personal and accepted professional standards. Rules, laws, and codes of conduct are explored as a foundation for discussing individual ethical responsibilities.
Course Introduction
Welcome to Ethical Behavior in Criminal Justice. The study of ethics and ethical behavior is one of the most important and necessary prerequisites for criminal justice professionals. This core course in the criminal justice curriculum is designed to assist you in becoming a well-rounded and ethical criminal justice professional. In this course, we will cover a variety of issues, models, and practical applications of ethical standards to real-life situations.
Course Outcomes
After completing this course, you should be able to
• define and distinguish ethical issues and moral dilemmas in the context of criminal justice
• make ethical decisions and choices based on informed personal and accepted professional standards
• decide when and how to confront an unjust individual or power structure
Course Materials
Click to access your course materials information
Class Guidelines
Faculty Information
To locate information within your LEO classroom, log in and review your faculty member’s information, which is found in the Overview section of your classroom after clicking on the Content link.
Contacting your Faculty Member
You can use the Instant Messages feature within the classroom to send a message to your faculty member.
Click the Classroom Walkthrough Videos link below, and then click The Instant Messages link, to view a how-to video on how to use the Instant Messages function within the classroom:
Classroom Walkthrough Videos Link
Within the Content section of your classroom, view the Overview section or Additional Course Information section within the Syllabus to learn more about contacting your faculty member.
Preparation:
In anticipation of beginning this class the student should:
- Review the orientation to LEO
- Review the Course Contents for the weekly schedule of reading assignments and projects
- Prepare a personal schedule that will accommodate
- Frequent participation in the weekly discussions
- Research to support discussion responses as well as course projects
- Preparation of course projects and papers
- Check any computer system requirements to support access to LEO and any software used by the course.
Classroom Management:
Students should make a habit of checking the class ANNOUNCEMENTS on a regular (daily) basis. This is where the instructor will advise the entire class of any changes to the syllabus, anticipated assignments, grade posting and other items impacting on the entire class.
Students will be responsible for reading all assigned course materials scheduled for the week. When this class is conducted in an on-line environment, students will be presented with one or more questions about a topic for responses and comments in Discussions. The topic, selected by the instructor, will align with the reading assignments and the course outcomes. Students will have an opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of the materials, and the course outcomes by their asynchronistic participation in Discussions. Personal research is always appreciated and may be required.
Time on Task
For an eight-week course, you should expect to spend about five hours per week in class discussion and activities (online or on-site) and two – three times that number of hours outside the class in study, assigned reading, and preparation of assignments.
You are expected to achieve the same intended learning outcomes and do the same amount of work in an online course as you would in any on-site course. Active participation is required in all online courses, and you should expect to log in to your online courses several times a week.
Participation
In registering for a Web-based course, you have made a commitment to participate in your course discussions as well as in other online activities. Please plan to participate regularly. Participation for this course is defined as proactive discussion in weekly discussions and engagement in discussion questions. You will need to actively reflect on the weekly reading assignments of course materials or other assigned research to develop original ideas in your responses.
You are expected to demonstrate critical thinking and an understanding of the assigned readings as they relate to the issues identified in each discussion. You are expected to make your own contribution to a main “thread” as well as to respond with value-added comments to the postings of at least two of your class colleagues. You are encouraged to respond to other students as well, and to your instructor. Note that your online Discussion participation counts significantly toward your final grade. Participation in Discussions will be graded several times during the course with feedback to each student.
You are expected to adhere to the general rules of online etiquette. To prepare to use the online discussions, read the notes on participation and online etiquette on the UMGC Web site. Keep those notes handy; you may need to refer to them during the course.
Course assignments are another opportunity for students to demonstrate their mastery of course outcomes, and critical thinking, as well as their composition skills. The requirements for each course project are described in detail in the actual course. Grading rubrics are used by the instructor to ensure objectivity and a common basis for grading across different sections of the course. Students will receive feedback in each graded assignment.
This course may be conducted as a “hybrid”, combining in-class and online instruction. The Participation portion of the course grade will include the student’s role in classroom-based activities and exercises. Classroom sessions are another opportunity for students to demonstrate critical thinking, familiarity with the course material, and personal research as well as their mastery of the course outcomes. In Class activity may include guided discussion, in-class debate, student presentations, role-play, etc.
Preferred Method of Contact
The instructor’s e-mail address will provide the class their e-mail address. They may also include an emergency phone number (optional). This information is available in the classroom as well.
Supplemental Material
In addition to the course material identified in the weekly Reading Assignments in Course Content, each instructor may include additional instructional materials for their class. These materials will be available in the classroom or by Internet links. The Reading Assignments in the Class Schedule will indicate when these materials should be read or viewed. Internet-based materials are available by hyperlink. Any difficulty with a hyperlink connection should be reported to the instructor.
Late Policy
Assigned work must be submitted by the date and time set in the class by the instructor. Please notify the instructor of any perceived conflict in the submission requirements.
If your life is going to interfere with this class (vacations, TDY assignments, etc.), your instructor is available to discuss changing due dates for those assignments that will be affected, but ONLY if such arrangements are made in advance. If you have a documented emergency, please contact your instructor as soon as possible to discuss any late assignments (e.g., military orders, obituary, hospital discharge, etc.). Documentation may be required to qualify for due date changes or penalty-free late submissions. Vacations or TDY assignments do not constitute emergencies. Personal equipment failure may not qualify as an emergency for these purposes. Timely communication with your instructor is imperative.
If the instructor agrees in advance to a deferred due date, any late penalties will be imposed after that deferred date.
Unauthorized late submissions are subject to the following penalties:
- For every 24 hour period that an assignment is late, 10% of the available points for the assignment will be deducted from the grade.
- The maximum deduction for late assignments is 50%.
- Any assignment more than 5 days late will not be accepted unless pre-arrangements have been made with the instructor. A grade of zero will be imposed on the assignment.
If the cause for a late submission is not known in advance of the due date, the student may request consideration for a waiver of the imposed late penalties due to emergency or unforeseen circumstances which made submission of the assignment on time impossible (e.g. sudden illness, medical condition, or injury causing hospitalization, death of an immediate family member, etc.). Again, documentation may be required to qualify for penalty-free late submissions.
All graded course work must be submitted by 11:59 pm EST on the last scheduled day of the class unless the student requests and meets all of the eligibility criteria for an Incomplete (I) course grade. (See UMGC Policy 170/71 Policy on Grade of Incomplete.) This includes students who have been granted special considerations by the UMGC Office of Accessibility Services.
Due dates: All due dates/times are U.S. Eastern time on the date and time indicated. The server on which this classroom is hosted is set to Eastern Time. To calculate the equivalent for your own time zone, use The World Clock at http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/
Extra Credit Policy
No extra credit will be available in this class unless the opportunity is available to all students and generated by your instructor prior to the beginning of the class.
Effective Writing Center and UMGC Library Services
Students are reminded of the services that are available to them. Links to the Effective Writing Center and UMGC Library Services are available under Resources on the classroom tool bar.
It is very important, when writing an academic paper, to present your original views, thinking and analyses to demonstrate to your instructor that you understand the material you are discussing as well as your critical thinking, analysis and insight into the topic. It is important that your paper reflect your original views, thinking, and analyses, expressed in your own words, supported by primary and secondary sources
Written submissions for this course may not include any quoted content from any course material or outside source. Course submissions may include information from source material that has been summarize or paraphrased, using your own original wording, citing the source with both an in-text citation and a full citation of the Resources page using APA 7th edition.
There is a substantial amount of information on how to write an academic paper within the classroom, in Content -> Course Resource -> Writing Resources. In addition, the Effective Writing Center (Resources->, Effective Writing Center) and the UMGC Library ( Resources-> Library -> Ask a Librarian) are always available to assist you in writing a stronger academic papers. If you have questions regarding restrictions on quoted material in your class submissions, ask your professor.
Grading Information
This course consists of the following graded items:
| Assignments/Projects | 70% |
| Discussions | 30% |
| Total | 100% |
Project Descriptions
Note: This is a summary description of the projects for this course. Detailed information and instructions for each project can be found under the Table of Contents > Course Content tabs. Students must comply with the instructions under Course Content.
Research Project: Contemporary Ethics-Based Event The students will be asked to identify an ethics-based event in relatively current publications. After describing the underlying ethical issues the student will discuss related cultural issues, historical context, evidence of moral courage and personal/political considerations. The form and format requirements for this paper will be provided by the instructor
Creating Ethical Policy Assuming the role of a criminal justice agency administrator, students will be tasked to describe the processes involved in creating ethical policy. In so doing the student will address the establishment of policy, as well as communication, inspection and reinforcement. The form and format requirements for this paper will be provided by the instructor
Ethical Dilemma Case Study(s): Students will be asked to consider the ethical implications of a case as it touches upon different aspects of the criminal justice system. At each stage the student will identify the factors creating the ethical dilemma, and what choices are available and their potential consequences. Finally the student will select and justify the appropriate choice.
Note: Assessment Tools (Projects) are subject to individual instructor modifications or substitutions. Final Project descriptions can be found in the classroom under assignments.
Academic Policies
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) has adopted a Philosophy of Academic Integrity to guide the university’s commitment to a culture of academic integrity. Our approach cultivates socially responsible personal and professional behaviors and traits. All members of the University community must maintain the highest level of integrity across the academic experience.
Resources – UMGC provides an Academic Integrity Tutorial and an Integrity & Ethics Badge as learning resources. These resources include information on the fundamentals of academic integrity and how to apply your own personal ethics to coursework as a UMGC student and in other settings. Other Academic Integrity resources and guidelines are found at https://www.umgc.edu/current-students/learning-resources/academic-integrity/index.cfm.
Role of Instructor – Your instructor is your primary resource for how to uphold the highest ethical standards in the context of the specific requirements for this course.
Student Responsibility – You are responsible for using UMGC-approved resources to understand key academic integrity concepts and to support your own academic success through practices that uphold values of integrity: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage.
Turnitin – Turnitin is enabled within the classroom to support the development and assessment of authentic student writing. To learn more about Turnitin, the feedback it provides, how to use that feedback to improve your work, and your options regarding the inclusion of your work in the Turnitin database, visit University guides for Turnitin at sites.umgc.edu/library/libresources/turnitin.cfm and https://sites.umgc.edu/library/libresources/turnitin.cfm#studentcopyright.
CLASSROOM CIVILITY
University of Maryland Global Campus is committed to the success of our global community and values the diverse identities and backgrounds of our students, faculty, and staff. Each one of us has a broader life and set of experiences beyond UMGC that we bring with us to each interaction. Sharing your story with your classmates provides opportunities to learn, relate, and gain inspiration from each other. Engagement often begins with introductions at the beginning of the course. Sharing your preferred name, preferred pronouns, and other details about yourself and your life builds a foundation for connection, understanding, and a richer and more personalized learning experience.
We also recognize that some of life’s responsibilities and challenges outside of the classroom, such as childcare, a change in employment status, or illness, have an impact on success in a course. To the extent you are comfortable, we encourage you to communicate with your faculty member or Success Coach about any concerns you have for this course or as a student at UMGC so we can help you navigate potential obstacles and stay on track to achieve your goals.
Students are expected to work together cooperatively, and treat fellow students and faculty with respect, showing professionalism and courtesy in all interactions. Please review the Code of Civility for more guidance on interacting in UMGC classrooms: https://www.umgc.edu/students/support/studentlife/conduct/code.cfm.
POLICIES AND GUIDELINES
UMGC is committed to ensuring that all individuals are treated equally according to Policy 040.30 Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity, and Sexual Harassment.
Students with disabilities who need accommodations in a course are encouraged to contact the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) at accessibilityservices@umgc.edu, or call 800-888-8682 or 240-684-2287.
The following academic policies and procedures apply to this course and your studies at UMGC.
| 150.25 | Academic Integrity Policy The University expects all members of the university community—students, faculty, and staff—to use guidelines to work with and promote integrity. If you are aware of any academic misconduct, please contact integrity@umgc.edu. All cases of academic misconduct will be addressed in accordance with Policy 150.25 and associated procedures.You are expected to engage in new learning that furthers your development of knowledge, skills, and abilities in each course. According to this policy, you may not submit a substantial portion of any coursework that you have submitted to any course previously without express written approval through assignment guidelines or other forms of communication. You must use UMGC course materials responsibly. Uploading course materials to any website outside of UMGC’s online classroom is prohibited by this policy. |
| 151.00 | Code of Student Conduct |
| 170.40170.41170.42 | The following policies describe the requirements for the award of each degree: Degree Completion Requirements for the Graduate SchoolDegree Completion Requirements for a Bachelor’s DegreeDegree Completion Requirements for an Associate’s Degree |
| 170.71 | Policy on Grade of Incomplete – The mark of I is exceptional and considered only for certain courses. Students who have completed 60% of their coursework with a grade of B or better for graduate courses or C or better for undergraduate courses and request an I before the end of the term. The mark of I is not available for noncredit courses. |
| 170.72 | Course Withdrawal Policy – Students must follow drop and withdrawal procedures and deadlines available at https://www.umgc.edu/ under Academic Calendar. |
| 130.80 | Procedures for Review of Alleged Arbitrary and Capricious Grading – appeals may be made on final course grades as described herein. |
| 190.00 | Intellectual Property – All university faculty, staff, and students must comply with University guidelines on the use of copyrighted material. Uploading UMGC or faculty copyrighted material without authorization degrades and corrupts the integrity of the teaching and learning experience and is a potential violation of UMGC policy and copyright law. You must obtain permission to post UMGC or other’s copyrighted material to third-party websites, including social learning network sites. UMGC reserves the right to take appropriate action to remove copyrighted material uploaded without authorization. |
| 205.06 | Calculation Of Grade-Point Average (GPA) for Inclusion on Transcripts and Transcript Requests – Note: Undergraduate and graduate courses have different Grading Policies. See Course Syllabus for Grading Policies. |
| 270.00 | Acceptable Use – The security of the online classroom is critical to ensuring a strong culture of academic integrity and authentic education at the University. It is a violation of the University’s policies for anyone to share logon, password, and any other secure information about a UMGC online account, including credentials required to access the online learning environment. |
GRADING
According to UMGC’s grading policy, the following marks are used:
| Undergraduate | Graduate | |
| A | 90-100 | 90-100 |
| B | 80-89 | 80-89 |
| C | 70-79 | 70-79* |
| D | 60-69 | N/A** |
| F | 59 or below | 69 or below |
| FN | Failure-Non attendance | Failure-Non attendance |
| G | Grade Pending | Grade Pending |
| P | Passing | Passing |
| S | Satisfactory | Satisfactory |
| U | Unsatisfactory | Unsatisfactory |
| I | Incomplete | Incomplete |
| AU | Audit | Audit |
| W | Withdrew | Withdrew |
* The grade of “B” represents the benchmark for graduate courses. Students must maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher. Classes where final grade of C or F places a student on Academic Probation must be repeated.
** UMGC does not award the grade of D in graduate courses.
GRADE ROUNDING
Scores to individual assignments are calculated based on rubrics in the class and are not rounded to the whole point. The final grade for the course is determined by weighted average and will be rounded to the nearest whole point using mathematical rule (grades with .5 and above to be rounded to the next whole point).
EXTRA CREDIT
Assignments are designed to enable students to achieve course objectives and succeed in the program. In the interest of equity and fairness, there will be no extra credit opportunities. All assignments are identified in the syllabus.
COURSE EVALUATION SURVEY
UMGC values its students’ feedback. You will be asked to complete an online evaluation toward the end of the term. The primary purpose of this evaluation process is to assess the effectiveness of classroom instruction in order to provide the best learning experience possible and make continuous improvements to every class. Responses are kept confidential. Please take full advantage of this opportunity to provide your feedback.
LIBRARY SUPPORT
Extensive library resources and services are available online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week at https://sites.umgc.edu/library/index.cfm to support you in your studies. The UMGC Library provides research assistance in creating search strategies, selecting relevant databases, and evaluating and citing resources in a variety of formats via its Ask a Librarian service at https://www.umgc.edu/library/libask/index.cfm.
EXTERNAL LINK DISCLAIMER
This course may contain links to external sites neither owned nor maintained by UMGC. UMGC bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality, or content of external sites or for that of subsequent links. In addition, the terms of use, security policies, and privacy policies may differ from those of UMGC. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content, terms of use, and policies.
LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SUPPORT
Those requiring technical assistance can access Help@UMGC Support directly in LEO under the Help menu. Additional technical support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week via self-help and live chat at https://www.umgc.edu/help/ or by phone toll-free at 888-360-8682.
SYLLABUS CHANGES
All items on this syllabus are subject to change at the discretion of the Instructor and the Office of Academic Affairs.
Class & Assignment Schedule
| SESSION | TOPIC | ASSIGNMENTS |
| Week 1 | Ethics overview | Weekly ReadingDiscussions |
| Week 2 | Ethics and policing | Weekly ReadingDiscussions |
| Week 3 | Ethics and police discretion | Weekly ReadingDiscussionsProject 1: Research Paper-Research Library Assignment |
| Week 4 | Corruption, global implications and addressing police misconduct | Weekly ReadingDiscussions |
| Week 5 | Ethics and attorneys | Weekly ReadingDiscussionsProject 2 – Creating Ethical Policy |
| Week 6 | Ethics and the courtroom | Weekly ReadingDiscussions |
| Week 7 | Code of ethics and deterring corruption | Weekly ReadingDiscussions |
| Week 8 | Ethics in corrections | Weekly ReadingDiscussionsFinal Project: Ethical Dilemma Case Study DUE: No later than 11:59 PM EST |
Students can access their complete list of assignments and their corresponding due dates within the Assignments section of the classroom by navigating to the Assignments section of the class from the main navigation bar. Follow the link below, and then click Assignments, for a video demonstration on how to utilize this feature.
Classroom Walk Through Videos Link
Students also have access to a calendar tool on the course homepage within the classroom.