Course Syllabus

Spring 2022

 Capstone: CJ Ethics

CCJ 4054 CW65

Department of Criminal Justice

College of Community Innovation and Education

3 Credits

Instructor Information 

• Instructor: Todd Bricker, Ph.D.
• Office Location: HS1 Room 354
• Office Hours:
  
  • Monday and Tuesday 9:30 am - 12:00 pm; Also by appointment
    • (Canvas Chat, Email, Zoom, Phone)
    • The best method of reaching me is via email.
• Phone: 407-823-2603 (CJ Main Office)

• Email: todd.bricker@ucf.edu 

Course Information

• Term: Spring Semester 2022
• Course Number & Section: CCJ 4054 CW65
• Course Name: Capstone: CJ Ethics
• Credit Hours: 3 Credit Hours
• Class Meeting Days: Online Course
• Class Meeting Time: Asynchronous
• Course Modality: W - Fully Online

Enrollment Requirements 

Course Prerequisites: Senior Standing and CCJ 4746 or C.I.

Course Description

Analysis of criminal justice ethical issues. Moral dilemmas across police, courts, corrections and juvenile justice including development of humane policies and procedures.

Course Purpose

This course examines a wide range of ethical issues in the field of criminal justice through a discussion of the various philosophical approaches to ethical decision-making. Topics covered include the use of harm to prevent harm; the use of discretionary decision-making; prediction problems; and ethical dilemmas faced by police, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and corrections officers in the course of their duties. 

Course Materials and Resources

Required Materials/Resources

• Banks, C. (2019). Criminal Justice Ethics: Theory and Practice (5th ed.). Sage. ISBN:  9781544353593
• Additional readings are provided in the course modules

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Discuss and analyze various ethical philosophies and apply them to criminal justice scenarios.
2. Evaluate and defend various approaches to justice within various ethical paradigms.
3. Apply ethical paradigms to case scenarios.
4. Assess current criminal justice policies from an ethical perspective.

Course Activities

Course Requirements - Basis for Final Grade

Requirements

• First Day/Week Attendance Activity
• Module Quizzes
• Discussion Boards
• Written Assignments

First Day Attendance Activity

Your assignment for the first day/week attendance activity is to complete the ungraded 4-question quiz regarding elements of the course. This is an ungraded assignment. However, it is important to complete this assignment for university attendance purposes and for financial aid verification. 

Quizzes

There is a quiz during each module. Each quiz is worth 25 points. The quizzes consist of T/F, M/C and essay questions from the textbook chapters and other readings assigned in the module. Students will have 75 minutes to complete each quiz. 

Discussion Boards

There are 15-point discussion boards in each module. Some discussion boards will have multiple questions that can be combined into one response. For some of the boards I may indicate that the questions are used to guide your response. In this case, you do not need to respond to every question individually. NOTE: Each student is required to make three posts for each discussion board:

1. A post in response to the instructor's original questions - 5 points
2. A response to another student's posting - 5 points
3. A response to a different student's posting - 5 points

Each post is worth 5 points and must contribute to the discussion and should be at least 50 words in length. Students will not receive credit for responses such as "I agree" or "good point", etc. You may write as many postings as you like.

Writing Assignments

There are three writing assignments in the course. They are designed as application exercises and case studies. The first two assignments are worth 25 points. The final assignment is worth 50 points. Specific details about each assignment are provided in the course modules.

Missed Assignments/Make-Ups/Extra Credit

Submit all assignments on-time using the assignment tool and submit all discussion board posts on the discussion board. Do not send me any assignments via email. Late assignments will not be accepted.  The time and date when assignments are due are posted for every assignment. Do not miss deadlines. Missing a deadline will result in a score of zero on the assignment. All links to discussion boards, quizzes and writing assignments will be available well in advance of due dates. There is no extra credit in the course.

Per university policy, you are allowed to submit make-up work (or an equivalent, alternate assignment) for authorized university-sponsored activities, religious observances, or legal obligations (such as jury duty). If this participation conflicts with your course assignments, I will offer a reasonable opportunity for you to complete missed assignments and/or exams. The make-up assignment and grading scale will be equivalent to the missed assignment and its grading scale. In the case of an authorized university activity, it is your responsibility to show me a signed copy of the Program Verification Form for which you will be absent, prior to the class in which the absence occurs. In any of these cases, please contact me ahead of time to notify me of upcoming needs.

Evaluation and Grading

Grading Point Scale

7 Quizzes @ 25 points each = 175 points

11 Discussion Boards @ 15 points each = 165 points

2 Writing Assignments @ 25 points each = 50 points

1 Writing Assignment @ 50 points

Total = 440 points

 

Letter Grade	Total Points	Percent
A	409-440	93 – 100
A-	396-408	90 – 92
B+	382-395	87 – 89
B	365-381	83 – 86
B-	352-364	80 – 82
C+	338-351	77 – 79
C	321-337	73 – 76
C-	308-320	70 – 72
D+	294-307	67 – 69
D	277-293	63 – 66
D-	264-276	60 – 62
F	263 and below	59 and below

Activity Submissions

All assignments will be completed and/or submitted in the Canvas course shell found on Webcourses@UCF. Any written document files should be saved in .rtf or MS word format before uploading. 

University Services and Resources

Academic Services and Resources

A list of available academic support and learning services is available at UCF Student Services. Click on "Academic Support and Learning Services" on the right-hand side to filter.  

Non-Academic Services and Resources

A list of non-academic support and services is also available at UCF Student Services. Click on "Support" on the right-hand side to filter.  

If you are a UCF Online student, please consult the UCF Online Student Guidelines for more information about your access to non-academic services.

Policy Statements

Academic Integrity

Students should familiarize themselves with UCF’s Rules of Conduct. According to Section 1, "Academic Misconduct," students are prohibited from engaging in:

• Unauthorized assistance: Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information or study aids in any academic exercise unless specifically authorized by the instructor of record. The unauthorized possession of examination or course-related material also constitutes cheating.
• Communication to another through written, visual, electronic, or oral means: The presentation of material which has not been studied or learned, but rather was obtained through someone else’s efforts and used as part of an examination, course assignment, or project.
• Commercial Use of Academic Material: Selling of course material to another person, student, and/or uploading course material to a third-party vendor without authorization or without the express written permission of the university and the instructor. Course materials include but are not limited to class notes, Instructor’s PowerPoints, course syllabi, tests, quizzes, labs, instruction sheets, homework, study guides, handouts, etc.
• Falsifying or misrepresenting the student’s own academic work.
• Plagiarism: Using or appropriating another’s work without any indication of the source, thereby attempting to convey the impression that such work is the student’s own.
• Multiple Submissions: Submitting the same academic work for credit more than once without the express written permission of the instructor.
• Helping another violate academic behavior standards.

For more information about Academic Integrity, students may consult The Center for Academic Integrity.

For more information about plagiarism and misuse of sources, see “Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA Statement on Best Practices”.

Responses to Academic Dishonesty, Plagiarism, or Cheating

Students should also familiarize themselves with the procedures for academic misconduct in UCF’s student handbook, The Golden Rule. UCF faculty members have a responsibility for students’ education and the value of a UCF degree, and so seek to prevent unethical behavior and when necessary respond to academic misconduct. Penalties can include a failing grade in an assignment or in the course, suspension or expulsion from the university, and/or a "Z Designation" on a student’s official transcript indicating academic dishonesty, where the final grade for this course will be preceded by the letter Z. For more information about the Z Designation, see http://goldenrule.sdes.ucf.edu/zgrade.

Course Accessibility Statement

The University of Central Florida is committed to providing access and inclusion for all persons with disabilities. Students with disabilities who need disability-related access in this course should contact the professor as soon as possible. Students should also connect with Student Accessibility Services (Ferrell Commons 185, sas@ucf.edu, phone (407) 823-2371). Through Student Accessibility Services, a Course Accessibility Letter may be created and sent to professors, which informs faculty of potential access and accommodations that might be reasonable. Determining reasonable access and accommodations requires consideration of the course design, course learning objectives and the individual academic and course barriers experienced by the student.

Campus Safety Statement

Though most emergency situations are primarily relevant to courses that meet in person, such incidents can also impact online students, either when they are on or near campus to participate in other courses or activities or when their course work is affected by off-campus emergencies. The following policies apply to courses in online modalities.

• To stay informed about emergency situations, students can sign up to receive UCF text alerts by going to https://my.ucf.edu and logging in. Click on “Student Self Service” located on the left side of the screen in the toolbar, scroll down to the blue “Personal Information” heading on the Student Center screen, click on “UCF Alert”, fill out the information, including e-mail address, cell phone number, and cell phone provider, click “Apply” to save the changes, and then click “OK.”
• Students with special needs related to emergency situations should speak with their instructors outside of class.

Deployed Active Duty Military Students

Students who are deployed active duty military and/or National Guard personnel and require accommodation should contact their instructors as soon as possible after the semester begins and/or after they receive notification of deployment to make related arrangements.

Copyright

This course may contain copyright protected materials such as audio or video clips, images, text materials, etc. These items are being used with regard to the Fair Use doctrine in order to enhance the learning environment. Please do not copy, duplicate, download or distribute these items. The use of these materials is strictly reserved for this online classroom environment and your use only. All copyright materials are credited to the copyright holder.

Third-Party Software and FERPA

During this course you might have the opportunity to use public online services and/or software applications sometimes called third-party software such as a blog or wiki. While some of these could be required assignments, you need not make any personally identifying information on a public site. Do not post or provide any private information about yourself or your classmates. Where appropriate you may use a pseudonym or nickname. Some written assignments posted publicly may require personal reflection/comments, but the assignments will not require you to disclose any personally identity-sensitive information. If you have any concerns about this, please contact your instructor.

Course Schedule

Week/Dates	Topic	Reading/Assignments	Due Dates
Module 1 1/10 - 1/23	Importance of Ethics in Criminal Justice Police Ethics: The Nature of Policing and Police Corruption	Ungraded Quiz for Attendance & Financial Aid (Due 1/14) Read Chapters 1 and 2 Quiz M1 on Chapters 1 and 2 and other readings Discussion Board M1A Discussion Board M1B	By 11:59 pm on 1/23
Module 2 1/24 - 2/6	Police Ethics: Use of Force, Investigations, Interrogations and Lying Racial Discrimination in the Criminal Justice System	Read Chapters 3 and 4 Quiz M2 on Chapters 3 and 4 and other readings Discussion Board M2 Writing Assignment M2	By 11:59 pm on 2/6
Module 3 2/7 - 2/20	Judges, Lawyers and Ethics The Purpose of Criminal Punishment	Read Chapters 5 and 6 Quiz M3 on Chapters 5 and 6 and other readings Discussion Board M3A Discussion Board M3B	By 11:59 pm on 2/20
Module 4 2/21 - 3/6	Ethics in Corrections: The Nature of Corrections Ethics in Corrections: Guarding Ethically	Read Chapters 7 and 8 Quiz M4 on Chapters 7 and 8 and other readings Discussion Board M4 Writing Assignment M4	By 11:59 pm on 3/6
Spring Break 3/6 - 3/13
Module 5 3/14 - 3/27	Ethics of Criminal Justice Policy Making Ethics and the War on Terrorism	Read Chapters 9 and 10 Quiz M5 on Chapters 9 and 10 and other readings Discussion Board M5A Discussion Board M5B	By 11:59 pm on 3/27
Module 6 3/28 - 4/10	Duty and Principle Considering the Consequences	Read Chapters 12 and 13 Quiz M6 on Chapters 12 and 13 and other readings Discussion Board M6A Discussion Board M6B	By 11:59 pm on 4/10
Module 7 4/11 - 4/25	Media Ethics and Criminal Justice The Importance of Character	Read Chapters 11 and 14 Quiz M7 on Chapters 11 and 14 and other readings Discussion Board M7 Writing Assignment M7	By 11:59 pm on 4/25