Department of Sociology, Social Work
& Criminal Justice

CRJS 409 Writing (and References) in Criminal Justice

Instructor: Dr. Fran FullerSemester: Fall, 2004
Class Location: Rm 201A BA Bldg Time: 10 - 11:15 Mon & Friday
Office Hours: BA Bldg Rm 205, 9 - 10am M, F; 3:15 - 4:15pm T, Th & by Appointment
Office Hours: BA Bldg Rm 205, 9 - 10am M, F; 3:15 - 4:15pm T, Th & by Appointment ">

Description
This is a Criminal Justice Special Topics Class.
CRJS 409. Writing (and References) in Criminal Justice
Opens with individual testing for students in their writing styles, including formal short incident reports: newspaper journalism style; academic paper writing, including literature review and research reporting components; and legal brief summaries and citations. Strengths and weaknesses are identified on an individual basis and student progress is measured according to an individual plan for gaining strength and experience in the writing skills. APA reference and in-paragraph citation style will be mastered and tested. Computer literacy is expected. Credit, 3 semester hours. No prerequisites, but Junior or Senior standing in Criminal Justice or Sociology recommended.

Goals
Students will develop a new self confidence in their ability to interact with, produce, and edit text-based information, and they will be able to recognize and write themselves in specific forms of writing common in Criminal Justice.

Objectives
(1) Students will strengthen their basic writing skills through pre-test/post-test individual evaluation and indicated skill building exercises.

(2) Students will master the basics of word processed manuscript preparation.

(3) Students will demonstrate capacity to edit word processed manuscripts.

(4) Students will master the basic techniques for reference documentation in a modified APA style and recognize other styles of documentation, including legal citation.

(5) Individual student portfolios will give each student a basis for further development in Criminal Justice writing and employment.

(6) Acting together, the special topic students will serve as a focus group in the discussion of the evaluation of standard writing skills in the Criminal Justice Major at UNCP.

Course Materials
Textbook(s)
Required: Ruszkiewicz, John, Maxine Hairston & Daniel E. Seward. 2005. SF Writer, 3rd Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, Pearson Education.

Required: Paul, Richard and Linda Elder. The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking: Concepts & Tools. Dillon Beach, CA: The Foundation for Critical Thinking.

Course Resource Links
Schedule
BraveWeb (http://braveweb.uncp.edu)
Blackboard (http://courses.uncp.edu)
Need an UNCP computer/email account?
UNCP Department of Sociology, Social Work & Criminal Justice
UNCP Sampson-Livermore Library Electronic Resources
Index of /home/haga/FullerShows/

Grading Policy
Grades will be posted on Blackboard as they are earned, and to BraveWeb for midterm and final course grades. Each student is responsible for contacting the instructor if they believe a mistake has been made in the grading.

Grade Components
 Name 
 Weight 
  Subject
Class participation
40%
 Includes in-class assignments, discussions, self-testing, professional consultation, and class exercises.
Portfolio
30%
 Similar to a notebook compilation of work assembled during the class.
***Final Exam***
30%
 Comprehensive.
Monday December 6, 2004, from 11:00am-1:30pm.

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 (2.0QP)  D: 62.66 (1.0QP)      
     B-: 80-81 (2.7QP)  C-: 70-71 (1.7QP)  D-: 60-61 (.7QP)      

Attendance Policy
Class attendance and participation is expected.

Absences: All absences are assumed to be for personal reasons and students are expected to consult with classmates for notes, review material missed, complete assignments, make up assignments, and otherwise be aware of all material missed.

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 .

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).

Students will read and adhere to UNCP 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. Thank you.

What kind of student are you supposed to be?
This special topic presentation CRJS 409 Writing in CJ is designed for students in criminal justice and sociology where being able to write is crucial to their academic success as well as their success in the field. These students may or may not be confident of their own writing abilities, but they realize their challenge is more than getting a passing grade on writing assignments in their course work. Through other course work and life experience they have come to realize they will be accountable in the future for understanding and applying basic writing skills in a variety of text-based formats, either on the job or in further studies. Students already have (or learn on their own) word processing computer skills and computer system operation skills. Students are ready for the introduction of the nitty-gritty in written communication in the Criminal Justice field. Students look forward to revisiting basic grammatical and document structure as a part of the course. In short, this is more a course in editing than it is in writing, and it is our hope to enable you to successfully edit all your future writing in the field.

Contact Information
Office Tel with Voice Mail: 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 and in Spring Lake, North Carolina. Dr. Fuller can be reached at home at your convenience at 910-483-9051 or 910-436-3840.

Other Information
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. Contact Numbers and Procedures. All discussions with Disability Support Services will remain confidential. Please contact Mary Helen Walker, Disability Support Services, UNC Pembroke. DF Lowry Building, 910-521-6695.

Updated August 21, 2004 | fran.fuller@uncp.edu | Copyright © 2004 The University of North Carolina at Pembroke