Department of Sociology & Criminal Justice

CRJ 2410 Juvenile Justice System

Instructor: Dr. Fran FullerSemester: Fall, 2008
Class Location: ONLINE.
Blackboard logins by Mondays at noon, assignments due by Wednesdays at noon.		Time: Office Hours : MW 10:00-10:30am; T,Th, 9:30-11:30 am, Sampson 208 (New Classroom Bldg, North of Dial) & by Appointment, call 733-5317
Section: 800 
Blackboard logins by Mondays at noon, assignments due by Wednesdays at noon.">

Description
From the UNCP Catalog CRJ/SOC 2410. Juvenile Justice System
Legal and philosophical basis for a separate juvenile justice system, with a focus on juvenile rights and will include such topics as due process, venue, adjudication and dispositions, commitments, and alternatives to incarceration. Fall. Credit, 3 semester hours. Prerequisite: CRJ 200 or CRJ/SOC 240.

Goals
Using a thorough overview of American juvenile justice as defined and described in the Bertollis & Miller text and enhanced with the Pearson Learning "Course Connect" materials available through the Blackboard (Bb) online classroom environment, students critically examine the juvenile justice system, noting changes in definitions in juvenile offending/juvenile delinquency, the attribution of causes of juvenile crime, (social theory), the composition of the juvenile court system vs juveniles in the adult court system, as well as changes in practice in regard to the institutionalization, rehabilitation, the treatment of juveniles. From this framework, students make scholarly predictions about the future of juvenile justice in America.

Objectives
At the end of this course, students will be able to:

o Define terms related to juvenile justice.
o Analyze the impact history has had in juvenile justice.
o Describe the various theories related to juvenile justice.
o Examine the Juvenile Justice System.
o Describe the measurement of juvenile crime.
o Describe juvenile victims.
o Analyze juveniles in the adult court system.
o Analyze the effectiveness of juvenile probation and community-based programs.
o Appraise the treatment of juvenile offenders.
o Make scholarly predictions about the future of juvenile justice in America.

Course Materials
Textbook(s)
Bartollas, Clemens, & Stuart J. Miller. 2005,2008. Juvenile Justice in America, 4th or 5th Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. REQUIRED. [Sold through UNCP Bookstore with access code card for UNCP Blackboard online course delivery. Also REQUIRED.]
Other
Paul, Richard and Linda Elder. The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking: Concepts & Tools. Dillon Beach, CA: The Foundation for Critical Thinking. REQUIRED. Easiest ordered from UNCP bookstore, but may be ordered direct from The Critical Thinking Foundation.

Bernard, Thomas J. 1992. Cycle of Juvenile Justice. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-507183-2. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED, but not required. Amazon shows copies at this link.

Biggars, John W. 2003. Kids Law: A Practical Guide to Juvenile Justice. Black Springs Press. ISBN 0-9647925-5-9. RECOMMENDED, not required, but highly recommended. Try Amazon link for a great inexpensive paperback written so kids can understand what the juvenile system is all about.

Course Resource Links
Schedule
APA format citation style from the WEB
UNCP Writing Center Webpage
Need an UNCP email account?
UNCP Criminal Justice HomePage
UNCP Sampson-Livermore Library
The Foundation for Critical Thinking
UNCP support services for students with disabilities
Haga/Fuller Class Slide Shows

Grading Policy
General. Assignment due dates are posted and are week by week unless otherwise noted or arranged. There are no "points off" penalties for late assignments. The penalty is a deadline-missed penalty: student will be expected to post assignments even if they are late, but no credit will be given to late assignments. "LATE" means posted after the postings due dates each week (Wednesdays by noon). Exceptions may be made with prior arrangement with the Instructor (910-733-5317) who will notify the rest of the class.

Postings later than the end of each Phase (see schedule) will not receive credit at all. Students are urged to keep up or keep making alternative arrangements as the course develops.

Students who are failing as the course enters Phase 5 (Week 12) may not opt for an Incomplete. Students who are passing the course as they enter Phase 5 may make arrangements for an Incomplete if they experience an emergency during the last weeks of the semester, as long as they make arrangements with the instructor before the UNCP Last Day of Classes.

Grade equivalents show on the scale below. The percentages given for each grade component are called "weights."

ADDITONALLY, PLEASE NOTE: The University supports a variety of accommodations to the needs of students with disabilities. The policy reads, in part: In post-secondary settings, it is the student's responsibility to request accommodations, if desired. It is important to remember that not every student with a disability needs accommodation. It is equally important to remember that even though two individuals may have the same disability, they may not need the same accommodation. Disability Support Services, UNC Pembroke. Please contact Dr. Fuller with questions and concerns about this and any other aspects of evaluation and grading.

Grades will be posted on Blackboard as they are earned. Students are responsible for contacting the instructor if they believe a mistake has been made in the grading or the reporting of the grade. Final grades are posted to BraveWeb for the official record.

Grade Components
 Name 
 Weight 
  Subject
Participation
50%
 Weekly Assignments, Class Discussion Board Postings, and Friendly Quizzes.
SME Paper
25%
 Subject Matter Expert paper, 3 pages max, written according to specifications, and posted during Phase 5. You will be the subject matter expert and the question your paper will answer is: "What changes do you see in the future for Juvenile Justice in America?" SME Paper posting is pre-requisite for exam eligibility.
Final Exam
25%
 Exam will be up by noon Monday December 8, 2008, and will be completed by noon Wednesday December 10, 2008. (Both dates are within UNCP scheduled exam week.)

Final Grades
 A: 92-100 (4.0QP)  B+: 87-89 (3.3QP)  C+: 77-79 (2.3QP)  D+: 67-69 (1.3QP)  F: 0-59 (0QP)  
 A-: 90-91 (3.7QP)  B: 82-86 (3.0QP)  C: 72-76 (2.0QPO  D: 62.66 (1.0QP)      
     B-: 80-81 (2.7QP)  C-: 70-71 (1.7QP)  D-: 60-61 (.7QP)      

Attendance Policy
This course is delivered 100% online. Online class attendance is known as "virtual attendance," where you presence is electronic rather than face-to-face. Virtual class participation is expected from all students, otherwise there is no way to know you are in the class at all.

Your online participation is asynchronous. That means there is no requirement that everyone be logged in at the same time for some sort of group chat. However, a new week begins each Monday. It will count against your grade if any week goes by where you have not logged into appropriate Discussion Boards and posted appropriate signs of your virtual life.

In addition, your total Bb contact counts to some extent, as a portion of your virtual presence and is graded on the curve, i.e., in comparison to the contacts of everyone else in the class. More than one standard deviation above the mean = A, plus or minus one standard deviation from the mean = B, more than one standard deviations below the mean = C, zero = F.

Virtual participation is graded Phase by Phase (see schedule)(not cumulative, otherwise students whose virtual participation is actually steadily improving could never catch up after a slow start.) Anyone appearing to care more about numbers of contacts, rather than quality of posts will be counseled within the context of both individual email and in online class discussion postings.

Differences in student style as well as differences in previous online experience and general computer-skill aptitude will be taken into consideration. However, if you are experiencing computer-based difficulties -- such as difficulty with a new-to-you software application, difficulty with accessing UNCP computer resources, including Blackboard and UNCP email, difficulty in upload/download speed with home computers, personal computer malfunctions, difficulties with your own technical support networks, as well as personal aversions to computer based assignments -- please contact Fran Fuller at 733-5317.

Maintaining computer accessibility in courses with scheduled online components (in the case of this course 100%) is the responsibility of each student enrolled, but there are many resources out there, beginning with your instructor. If you do not make me aware of your problems, I cannot help you develop alternatives. If you let time go by with no solutions, I cannot turn back the clock for you. (Please see Grading Policy, above.)

Student Conduct & Honor Code
Students will read and adhere to The UNCP Student Honor Code. This should be a direct link to The Student Honor Code .

After reading the Honor Code, please email fran.fuller@uncp.edu to let me know whether or not you have (1) read the Honor Code, (2) have any questions about any part of it, and (3) agree or disagree with any portions of it.

Our academic honor code applies, in its entirety, to all aspects of the course. See UNC Pembroke Catalog, p. 47. In the online pdf version, scroll down to page 47. The code concludes with advice to instructors: "Students have the responsibility to know and observe the UNCP Academic Honor Code" (p. 50).

Timing and Netiquette
Timing: Many students ask if they can work ahead, or whether or not they can work the lessons "out of order."

The answer is: Sure, work ahead just as fast as you can. Still, use good judgement and common sense. You can't expect to have an interactive discussion that means much if you are always posting to discussion boards fifteen days ahead of your classmates. So, the general rule is, read and post your assignments just as fast as you can. Try to keep the discussion board postings "on schedule."

The instructions from Pearson Learning read:
"Lesson Checklist: Every lesson has a prescribed checklist of activities required to successfully complete the lesson. Follow this checklist, in the specified order, to complete each lesson. Every lesson has a prescribed checklist of activities required to successfully complete the lesson. Follow this checklist, in the specified order, to complete each lesson."

Good manners! Many students worry about the anonymity of web contacts and how easy it is to be misunderstood when texting is the whole communication. How do you know what to say? And what do you do if you feel insulted?

The answer is: Online Etiquette was called Netiquette in the early days of electronic communication. Main rule is, assume the person whose posts you are reading is of good will (and not trying to be an idiot) before you flame-off at them. Flames (being hateful or mean in any way in words electronically transmitted) are silly among serious communicators.

NEVER forget this is a Criminal Justice class, where threats and rudeness are taken immediately seriously. Stay cool. If you are upset, don't pound the key board, call the instructor at 733-5317, get the problem off your chest, then go back to the keyboard.

In a more politically correct fashion, Pearson Learning makes these suggestions: "The objective in an online discussion is to be collaborative, not combative. Please, proofread your responses carefully before you post them to make sure that they will not be offensive to others. Use discussions to develop your skills in collaboration and teamwork. Treat the discussion areas as a creative environment where you and your classmates can ask questions, express opinions, revise opinions, and take positions just as you would in a more “traditional” classroom setting."

Other Considerations
Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments is requested to speak directly to Disability Support Services and the instructor, as early in the semester (preferably within the first week) as possible. ACCOMODATIONS PROCESS LINK. .

All discussions with Disability Support Services will remain confidential. Please contact Disability Support Services, DF Lowry Building, Room 107, UNC Pembroke, or call 910-521-6695 for an appointment.

This web-based publication is available in alternative formats upon request. Please contact Disability Support Services, DF Lowry Building, Room 197, or call 521-6695.

Contact Information
Office Tel: 910-521-6473.
University Mailing Address: Dr. Fran Fuller, UNC-P, Box 1510, Pembroke NC 28372

Name change alert! Dr. Fuller was Dr. Haga until her marriage December 16, 2001 to Fred Fuller. The Fullers reside in Pembroke, North Carolina. Dr. Fuller can be reached at your convenience at 910-733-5317.

Other Information
This UNCP "distance learning" or "online course" is presented as a course of study equal to and equivalent to the same course of study as it would be presented in the more traditional face-to-face teaching/learning environment. The contents of the course are as specified in the UNC Pembroke Catalog for the year it is offered and all the University policies pertaining to the faculty and students in the course, including the following policy:

UNDERGRADUATE GRADE APPEAL PROCESS

4-3. 13. Abbreviated from the UNC Pembroke Faculty Handbook : Undergraduate students may appeal a final course grade. The appeal process must be initiated by the student within thirty (30) calender days after the first day of class of the regular semester following the award of the grade. The appeal process is summarized below.

Step 1
An undergraduate student who wishes to appeal a final course grade must first attempt to resolve the matter by meeting with the instructor involved....

Step 2
If a student fails to reach a satisfactory solution in consultation with the instructor, or if it is impractical to consult with the instructor, the student should seek the assistance of the Faculty Conciliator within fifteen (15) calendar days of the meeting with the instructor or within thirty (30) calendar days after the first day of class of the semester following the award of the grade. The Faculty Conciliator's role is to advise, guide, and document the student's progress through the Appeal Process....

Step 3
Within five (5) calendar days of the initial meeting with the student, the Conciliator must arrange a meeting with the student, the instructor, and the chair of the department.... If the student is still dissatisfied after this meeting, such student may then elect to file a formal appeal within fifteen (15) calendar days of the meeting.

Step 4
To file a formal appeal, the student must submit a written appeal statement to the Conciliator who will forward it to the Chairperson of the Campus Hearing Board. The written appeal must be specific, relevant, and concise, explaining precisely the student's justification for the grade appeal. The burden of proof will be on the student...

Step 5
The Campus Hearing Board has authority to screen out frivolous or unsubstantiated claims. The Chairperson will notify the Conciliator, the faculty member, the student and the departmental chair (or Vice Chancellor) in writing, explaining why the committee found a student claim sufficient or insufficient and, in the event of a sufficient claim, of the date of the appeal hearing.

Step 6
The chairperson of the Campus Hearing Board shall convene a meeting of the board at least once a semester, unless no sufficient appeals are forthcoming. In a closed hearing, the student shall produce documents and other relevant evidence to substantiate his or her claims. The student may address only those issues that are described in the appeal statement.... The Board shall issue its decision within seven (7) calendar days of the hearing.

Step 7
Once the Campus Hearing Board reaches its decision, the following persons will be notified in writing about the findings of the Board: the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, the chair in the appropriate department, the faculty member, the Conciliator, and the student.

If the Board finds the original course grade to be inappropriate, the Board will recommend that the faculty member recalculate the grade and make the appropriate change in Registrar's Office within five (5) calendar days. Should the faculty member be unwilling or unable to do so, the Board will recalculate the grade and make the change in the Registrar's Office. The resulting grade is final and may not be further appealed.

Additional Links of Interest
Blackboard Login

Updated August 18, 2008 | fran.fuller@uncp.edu | Copyright © 2008 The University of North Carolina at Pembroke