Course Syllabus

Indiana University Northwest

School of Public and Environmental Affairs

COURSE SYLLABUS for Blended (Hybrid)

Criminal Investigation, SPEA J320

Downloadable copy of Syllabus: J320 Fall 2017 Syllabus.docx

Audio Explanation of Syllabus Example: Audio Explanation J320 Syllabus.mp4

Instructor Name:     Joseph Guzik

Email:            jguzik@iun.edu

Phone:                      219-980-6842

Office Location:      Medical Professional Building  MP2119

Office Hours:           Monday  11:15am - 3pm or by appointment

Class Type:             Hybrid Course

See the assignments at the end of this syllabus for due dates.

Instructor Bio:         Joseph Guzik was a sworn law enforcement officer for 31 years in Lake County, Indiana. He has held positions from Patrol Officer, Chief of Detectives and Chief of Police. He also was the administrator  for the Northwest Indiana  Law Enforcement Training Center.  He received his MPA from Indiana University Northwest and has been teaching at IUN since 1993.  Mr. Guzik is a Senior Lecturer and teaches courses in criminal justice.

Catalog Course Description:  

Course Goals and Outcomes:

1. To acquire an understanding of the duties and responsibilities of a criminal investigator
2. To understand the laws governing investigative practices, procedures, and operations
3. To distinguish the standard procedures for violent and property crime investigations
4. To identify emerging protocols for the investigation of high-tech and exotic crimes
5. To apply informed opinion about crime scene analysis and investigative response
6. To identify the elements of a successfully prosecuted criminal investigation                    

Course Materials:

Criminal Investigation: The Art and the Science, 7e by Michael D. Lyman, E-Text

Grading Information:

Grades are determined by Discussion Questions worth 6 points, and goes on line Sunday and are due by Thursday. Replies to Discussion Question to other students are worth  4 points and are due by Saturday.  Chapter quizzes usually worth 20 points.  The grades are automatically entered into your score after each above topic is completed.  Discussion questions and replies will be checked daily and given a score by Sunday with comments.  Quizzes are automatically scored by CANVAS when a student takes the quiz.  Each chapter has a quiz.  I will try to respond to e-mail with 48 hours after receiving the message. Use the Virtual Office Module for questions concerning this course.

Class Meets once a week and attendance will be taken at the beginning of class worth 30 points.

Grades will be determined as shown in the following assignment chart as percentages. Due dates are detailed in the Course Schedule.

A         100 to 94                                C         77 to 74

A-        94 to 90                                  C-        74 to 70         

B+       90 to 87                                  D+       70 to 67

B         87 to 84                                  D         67 to 64

B-        84 to 80                                  D-        64 to 61

C+       80 to 77                                  F          61 to 0           

            FN = Failure for non participation

            I     = Incomplete

           W  = Withdrew

Discussion Questions worth 10 points each     Total 120 points

Chapter Quiz after each Chapter                    Total 136 points

Attendance                                                  Total 30 points

 TOTAL                                                  286 Points

Assessment Information:

There will be a quiz after each chapter, multiple choice and true or false, to determine their knowledge of the chapter.  Each chapter will have a discussion question/assignment to determine their thought process as it applies to a particular topic in the chapter.

 Class Policy Regarding Graded Work:

No makeup exams or assignments will be allowed after due date unless it was the result of an unavoidable serious accident, a death in the family, or a serious illness. Exceptional circumstances must be verified by an appropriate third party, i.e. police report, a funeral notice, or a note form the student's doctor stating the patient's inability to take the test or material that was required on a due date.

In general, late work is not accepted unless a legitimate unforeseen situation arises. To receive an extension, students are responsible for notifying me of their situation prior to a due date and receiving an email from me with an agreed upon extension.

I will be using IU’s FLAG Early Alert System to provide real-time feedback on your performance in this course. Periodically throughout the session I will be entering data on factors such as your class attendance, participation, and success with coursework, among other things. This information will provide feedback on how you are faring in the course and offer you suggestions on how you might be able to improve your performance. You will be able to access this information in the student center: Onestart > Student Services page > Student Center > My Academics and Grades > My Grades.

  : LATE WITHDRAWAL PROCEDURES 

After the automatic withdrawal deadline, a student may withdraw from some or all of their courses only with the permission of their Dean.  The process is initiated by the student through the Student Center at One.IU https://one.iu.edu/task/iu/edrop-eadd. 

Approval is granted only for urgent reasons relating to extended illness or equivalent distress. To qualify for the grade of “W”, a student must be passing the course on the date of withdrawal. If the student is failing, the grade recorded on the date of withdrawal will be “F”.  See the IU Northwest Bulletin for Policies & Procedures at http://www.iun.edu/bulletin/policies/withdrawals.shtml

 Plagiarism:

Plagiarism or cheating of any form are serious offenses and may be punished by failure on an exam; failure in a course; and/or expulsion from the University as prescribed by the Indiana University Student Code of Conduct. Plagiarism is defined as presenting someone else’s work, including the work of other students, as one’s own. Any ideas or materials taken from another source for either written or oral use must be fully acknowledged. A student must not adopt or reproduce ideas, opinions, theories, formulas, graphics or pictures of another person without acknowledgment. A student must give credit to the originality of others and acknowledge indebtedness whenever: (1) directly quoting another person’s actual words, whether oral or written; (2) using another person’s ideas, opinions or theories; (3) paraphrasing the works, ideas, opinions or theories of others, whether oral or written; (4) borrowing facts, statistics or illustrative material; or (5) offering materials assembled or collected by others in the form of projects or collections without acknowledgment.

If you do plagiarize, here are the consequences:

1^st offense: You will earn a 0 on that assignment/discussion/reflection

2^nd offense: You will be reported to Director of SPEA, which might result in failing the course and could also affect your college record.

It’s not worth it. I promise. Trust your own brain to come up with its own ideas, and use the internet as research only."

 Cheating:

Dishonesty of any kind with respect to examinations, course assignments, alteration of records, or illegal possession of examinations shall be considered cheating. It is the responsibility of the student not only to abstain from cheating but, in addition, to avoid the appearance of cheating and to guard against making it possible for others to cheat. Any student who helps another student to cheat is as guilty of cheating as the student he or she assists. The student also should do everything possible to induce respect for the examining process and for honesty in the performance of assigned tasks in or out of class.

Incompletes:                       

A grade of Incomplete (I) may be given only when the work in the course is substantially completed and when the student's work is of passing quality. An Incomplete must be changed to a letter grade within one year from the date of its recording. The student must meet with the professor and complete all work required by him/her and submit it well in advance of the one-year deadline. Students who receive a grade of I are not to re-enroll in the same class.

Course Evaluation:

Many students disregard course evaluations as an optional part of taking a course. At IUN, and especially for online classes, completing the course evaluations is not optional.  Your input, suggestions, opinions matter and are taken seriously. We cannot continue to promote online course offerings if students do not complete their course evaluations because departments are held accountable for having adequate response rates and instructors are also affected by low response rates. Please do your part in understanding that it is part of your duty as a student to complete every course evaluation, regardless of how you personally feel about the course or the instructor. They are that important.

 Expectations of classroom behavior:  A classroom is analogous to a professional environment. Students are expected to behave professionally so that everyone can engage fully in the educational process, which means that disruptive behavior during class is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, arguing with the instructor about grades or assignments, arguing with other students, bringing up individual concerns with the instructor in the middle of class, or using language or exhibiting other behavior that distracts others from engaging fully in the academic enterprise. A student who disrupts the learning environment will be asked to stop the behavior immediately; if the disruptive behavior continues, the student will be asked to leave the class session.

CREDITS/REFUNDS:

Students who drop or withdraw from a class (with an IU eTexts adoption) before the end of the refund period for the class (typically four weeks for a full term class, and two weeks for an 8-week or summer session class*) will get a 100% credit/refund of the IU eTexts fees.

EXCEPTIONS: Titles from CapSim, GoReact, HEC Montreal, Responsive Learning Technologies, and SimProfessionals are non-refundable after the first week of the class, or on the first day of access, whichever comes first.

Credits/Refunds will be applied to student accounts no later than 30 days after the end of the refund period for the class*.

IU Academic Policies:

This course is governed by IU academic policies in the following areas:

• Grading Guidelines
• Writing Standards
• Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
• Course Evaluations
• Students With Disabilities

Additional Information:

SUCCESSFUL STUDY USING CANVAS

The home page of CANVAS has links, video tutorials and several tips and updates to help you navigate the website. IU has prepared a reference page containing links to information about a variety of resources to help you function successfully in your online CANVAS class.

If you are having difficulty with technology, it is your responsibility to seek assistance. The IU Northwest Student Help Desk is there to help you. You can walk in if you’re on campus, call, or email. The contact information is below:

IT Support Center: Hawthorn 108,  219-981-4357
iunhelp@iun.edu

(Available 24 hours/ 7 days a week)

Right to Accommodation for Individuals with Disabilities:

Indiana University is committed to creating a learning environment and academic community that promotes educational opportunities for all individuals, including those with disabilities. Course directors are asked to make reasonable accommodations, upon request by the student or the university, for such disabilities. It is the responsibility of students with documented physical or learning disabilities seeking accommodation to notify their course directors and the relevant campus office that deals with such cases in a timely manner concerning the need for such accommodation. Indiana University will make reasonable accommodations for access to programs, services, and facilities as outlined by applicable state and federal laws.

 Campus support office:
Student Support Services location: HH 29, (219) 980-6798
Student Support Services online:    www.iun.edu/~supportn

“What you should know about sexual misconduct: IU does not tolerate acts of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment and all forms of sexual violence. If you have experienced sexual misconduct, or know someone who has, the University can help. It is important to know that federal regulations and University policy require faculty to promptly report complaints of potential sexual misconduct known to them to their campus Deputy Title IX Coordinator(s) to ensure that appropriate measures are taken and resources are made available. The University will work with you to protect your privacy by sharing information with only those that need to know to ensure the University can respond and assist. If you are seeking help and would like to speak to someone confidentially, you can make an appointment with a Mental Health Counselor on campus(contact information available athttp://stopsexualviolence.iu.edu/employee/confidential.html (Links to an external site.)). Find more information about sexual violence, including campus and community resources at http://stopsexualviolence.iu.edu/ (Links to an external site.).”

Communications:

Your IUN email address will be used for student communications. Your instructor will NOT send announcements or messages to a personal email account. A student may, however, forward messages automatically to a preferred personal email address from an IUN email address or the CANVAS class site.