CRIJ 1310 0400 - FUNDAMENTALS OF CRIMINAL LAW

Introduction

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Fundamentals of Criminal Law

Course Syllabus

 

NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE COURSE SYLLABUS

 

Course Title:

Fundamentals of Criminal Law

Course Prefix & Number: 

CRIJ1310

Section Number: 

400

Semester/Year:

Fall 2021

Semester Credit Hours:

3

Lecture Hours:

3

Lab Hours:

0

Course Description (NCTC Catalog): A study of the nature of criminal law; philosophical and historical development; major definitions and concepts; classification of crime; elements of crimes and penalties using Texas status as illustrations.

 

Course Prerequisite(s): NONE

Required Course Materials: Samaha. , J. (2016). Criminal Law. (12th Ed) Wadsworth: Cengage Learning with MindTap (Required). ISBN: 9781305931732

Warning: If you choose to use a different edition, you do so at your own risk. Using a different edition may affect your performance in this class.
             

 

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of Instructor:

 Cliff J. Downey

Campus/Office Location:

 Gainesville / Room 2107

dgeTelephone Number:

 940-668-3313

E-mail Address:

 cdowney@nctc.edu

 

OFFICE HOURS

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

9am - noon

1pm - 3pm

9 am - noon

1 pm - 3 pm

9 am - noon

1 pm - 3 pm

9 am - noon

1 pm - 3 pm

by appt.

 I will also use WebEx to meet with students on an individual basis or as a group. 

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (From Academic Course Guide Manual/Workforce Education Course Manual/NCTC Catalog

At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:

1.

Identify the elements of crimes and defenses under Texas statutes, Model Penal Code, and case law.

2.

Classify offenses and articulate penalties for various crimes.

3.

Compare culpable mental states when assigning criminal responsibility.

4.

Assess the impact of history and philosophy on current criminal laws.

5.

Evaluate the application of criminal law to other areas of criminal justice such as law enforcement and corrections.

 

 

 GRADING CRITERIA

# of Graded Course Elements

Graded Course Elements

  Point Values

5

Exams

500 (5 @ 100 pts each)

11

Discussion Forums

120 ( 12 @ 10 points each)

10

Quizzes

100 (10 @ 10 points each)

13

Chapter Videos

65 (13 @ 5 points each)

1

Writing Assignment

15 ( 1@ 15 points)

1

Final Project

100 points

 

Grading Scale-900 Points

 

810-900     A

720-809     B

630-719     C

540-629     D

539 and Below-F

 

CANVAS TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Should you experience difficulties with CANVAS, please submit a ticket to tech support at http://nctcecampus.zendesk.com.  Each student has a profile in Canvas which displays all activity.  There is a visible log being kept with when you log in and what you are doing.  It is very important that you work for a reliable computer to avoid technical issues with assessments.

Class Agreement Assignment

You are required to complete a class agreement assignment.  Completing the quiz ensures that you have read the syllabus and fully understand everything that is required of you.  Upon completing the quiz, you will receive 5 bonus points.  However, if you send an email asking a question that is answered in your syllabus you will lose your 5 bonus points.  Before sending an email asking a question, please read your syllabus. This will be the only bonus assignment for the semester!!

 

Class Calendar

If you choose to not print the entire syllabus, it is vital that you at least print the class calendar.  The calendar will be your guide throughout this course.  It displays when each module will open and also due dates for all assignments. You will have one week to complete each module.

Do not use the to-do-list!!!  You must go directly to the modules to see all assignments.

The module will be made available each Monday at 8:00 a.m. and will be disabled the following Sunday at 11:00 p.m., which means all assignments will need to be completed by 11:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Discussion Forums have different due dates.  Due to the forums having three different due dates, you will not see a date beside the assignment in the module. Please see discussion forum instructions for instructions about when the initial post and response posts are due.   

 

The due date for the Final Exam is different.  You will only have three (3) days to complete the final exam. The final will be available December 6, 2021 at 8:00 a.m. and will shut off at 11:00 p.m. on December 8, 2021.

You will need the book and the Mindtap code to complete some of the assignments.

 

Module #1

Week 1August 23rd 8:00 a.m.–August 29 at 11:00 p.m.

 
  1. Read Course Information
  2. Read and Print Syllabus
  3. Complete Class Agreement Assignment (bonus)
  4. Introduce Yourself Discussion Post (Mandatory)

Module #2

Week 2 August 30th 8:00 a.m.- September 5th at 11:00 p.m.
  1. Read Chapter 1
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 1 Case Video  
  5. Review power point presentation
  6. Quiz #1 (Chapter 1)
  7. Answer Discussion Post #1 (Chapter 1)

Module #3

Week 3 September 6th 8:00 a.m. –September 12th 11:00 p.m.

 
  1. Read Chapter 2
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 2 Case Video  
  5. Review power point presentation
  6. Quiz #2 (Chapter 2)
  7. Answer Discussion Post #2 (Chapter 2)
  8. Complete Exam #1 (chapters 1 & 2)

 

Module #4

Week 4 September 13th 8:00 a.m. – September 19th 11:00 p.m.

 
  1. Read Chapter 3
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 3 Case Video    
  5. Review power point presentation
  6. Answer Discussion Post #3 (Chapter 3)
  7. Quiz #3 (Chapter 3)

Module #5

Week 5 September 20th 8:00 a.m.-September 26th 11:00 p.m.

 
  1. Read Chapter 4
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 4 Case Video    
  5. Review power point presentation
  6. Answer Discussion Post #4 (Chapter 4)
  7. Quiz #4 (Chapter 4)
  8. Writing Assignment Due

Module #6

Week 6 September 27th 8:00 a.m.-October 3rd 11:00 p.m.

 
  1. Read Chapter 5
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 5 Case Video   
  5. Review power point presentation
  6. Answer Discussion Post #5 (Chapter 5)
  7. Complete Exam #2 (Chapters 3, 4 and 5)

 

Module #7

Week 7 October 4th at 8:00 a.m.- October 10th at 11:00 p.m.

 
  1. Read Chapter 6
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 6 Case Video    
  5. Review power point presentation
  6. Answer Discussion Post # 6 (Chapter 6)  

Module #8

October 11th 8:00 a.m. – October 17th at 11:00 p.m.

 

 
  1. Continue Reading Chapter 6
  2. Review power point presentation
  3. Quiz #5 (Chapter 6)

 

Module #9

Week 9 October 18th 8:00 a.m.-October 24th 2 11:00 p.m..
  1. Read Chapter 7
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 7 Case Video    
  5. Review power point presentation
  6. Quiz #6 (Chapter 7)
  7. Answer Discussion Post #7 (Chapter 7)

 

Module #10

Week 10 October 25th at 8:00 a.m. – October 31st 11:00 p.m.
  1. Read Chapter 8
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 8 Case Video    
  5. Review power point presentation  
  6. Quiz #7 (Chapter 8)
  7. Answer Discussion Post #8 (Chapter 8)
  8. Complete Exam #3 (Chapters 6, 7 and 8)

 

 

Module #11

Week 11 November 1st at 8:00 a.m.-November 7th at 11:00 p.m.

 
  1. Read Chapter 9
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 9 Case Video    
  5. Review power point presentation
  6. Answer Discussion Post #9 (Chapter 9)
  7. Quiz #8 (Chapter 9)

Module #12

Week 12 November 8th 8:00 a.m.-November 14th 11:00 p.m.

 
  1. Read Chapter 10
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 10 Case Video    
  5. Review power point presentation
  6. Answer Discussion Post #10 (Chapter 10)

Module #13

Week 13 November 15th 8:00 a.m.-November 21st 11:00 p.m.

 
  1. Read Chapter 11
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 11 Case Video  
  5. Review power point presentation 
  6. Quiz #9 (Chapter 11)
  7. Answer Discussion Post #11 (Chapter 11)
  8. Complete Exam #4 (Chapters 9, 10 and 11)

Module #14

Week 14 November 22nd 8:00 a.m.- December 5th 11:00 p.m.
  1. Read Chapter 12
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 12 Case Video    
  5. Review power point presentation
  6. Final Project Due

Module #15

Week 15 November 29th 8:00 a.m. -December 5th 11:00 p.m.
  1. Reading Chapter 13
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 13 Case Video   
  5. Review power point presentation
  6. Quiz #10 (Chapter 13)

Module #16

Week 16 December 6th 8:00am – December 8th 11:00 pm
  1. Complete Exam #5 (Chapters 12 & 13)

 

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered.  All absences are considered to be unauthorized unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies as determined by the instructor.  It is the student responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgement by the faculty member.  Approved college sponsored activities are the only absences for which a student should not be held liable and only when provided by a college official ahead of the absence.  Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work.  Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor.  A student who is compelled to be absent when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if possible, for permission to postpone the exam.  Student will be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has been justifiably absent or tardy a sufficient number of times to preclude meeting the course’s objectives.    Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories will be considered sufficient cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College. From Board Policy FC (LOCAL)

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is _November 1, 2021____.

 

DISABILITY SERVICES (Office for Students with Disabilities)

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides support services for students with disabilities, students enrolled in technical areas of study, and students who are classified as special populations (i.e. single parents).

Support services for students with disabilities might include appropriate and reasonable accommodations, or they may be in the form of personal counseling, academic counseling, career counseling, etc.  Furthermore, OSD Counselors work with students to encourage self-advocacy and promote empowerment. The Counselors also provides resource information, disability-related information, and adaptive technology for students who qualify.

If you feel you have needs for services that the institution provides, please reach out to either Wayne Smith (940) 498-6207 or Yvonne Sandman (940) 668-4321.  Alternative students may stop by Room 170 in Corinth or Room 110 in Gainesville.

CORE CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONAL COMPONENT AREA (For classes in the Core)________     

 

o         Communication

o         Mathematics              

o         Life and Physical Science

o         Language, Philosophy & Culture

o         Creative Arts

o         American History

o         Government/Political Science

x        Social and Behavioral Sciences

o         Component Area Option

 

 

REQUIRED CORE OBJECTIVES (For classes in the Core)

 

x           Critical Thinking

x          Communication

o           Empirical and Quantitative

o           Teamwork

x          Personal Responsibility

o           Social Responsibility

 

COURSE TYPE

x          Academic General Education Course (from ACGM but not in NCTC Core)

o        Academic NCTC Core Curriculum Course

o        WECM Course

 

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the student handbook and published online.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, academic falsification, intellectual property dishonesty, academic dishonesty facilitation and collusion.  Faculty members may document and bring charges against a student who is engaged in or is suspected to be engaged in academic dishonesty.  See Student Handbook, “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct ([FLB(LOCAL)]”. 

 

Consequences for academic dishonesty may include:

  • First offense you will receive a written warning
  • Second offense you will be dropped from the course

 

QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS

Name of Chair/Coordinator:

Dr. Cherly Furdge

Office Location:

Corinth Campus Suite 239 office 234

Telephone Number:

940-498-6238

E-mail Address:

cfurdge@nctc.edu

Name of Instructional Dean:

Debbie Huffman

Office Location:

Gainesville Career and Technical Center

Telephone Number:

940-668-3357

E-mail Address:

dhuffman@nctc.edu