Police Systems and Practices Syllabus for 2015-2016
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Instructor Information

Course Information

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact disAbility Services (Student Service Center room 119, phone 371-5436) as soon as possible.

Statement for Mental Health and Advocacy & Resource Center:

As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

Administrative Drop Policy

N/A

Student Withdrawal Procedures

N/A

Privacy Statement

The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students.  If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .

Course

CRIJ-2328-002 Police Systems and Practices

Prerequisites

Course Description

This course examines the establishment, role and function of police in a democratic society. It will focus on types of police agencies and their organizational structure, police-community interaction, police ethics and use of authority.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

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Occupational License Disclaimer

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

Online Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

An Introduction to Policing, 7th Edition (2014) by Dempsey, John S. and Forst, Linda S.

ISBN-13: 9781133594703 (REQUIRED TEXTBOOK)

 

IMPORTANT: Students enrolling in this course will need their textbook on the FIRST DAY of the course.

Textbooks may be purchased via the following methods:

• In person at the Amarillo College bookstore on the West Campus at 6222 W. 9th, Building D. Students can contact the bookstore at 806-354-6040 or via email at westbookstore@actx.edu. They are open Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm and in addition to these regularly scheduled hours, extended hours are announced for the beginning and ending of each semester (Fall, Spring and Summer).
• Online through the Amarillo College bookstore or another online vendor. Access the bookstore's home page at http://www.actx.edu/bookstore/ and click on the "West Campus link".
• The correct ISBN is cited above. Students ordering their book online through the Amarillo College bookstore or through another vendor should ensure they order the correct edition of the textbook and allow enough time for delivery so as to have the book the first day of class.

Supplies

All students enrolling in this class must have access to a working computer, active and functioning internet service, Microsoft Word or some other type of word processing program, Adobe Acrobat Reader and exhibit computer competency.

Adobe Acro

Student Performance

1. Describe the types of police agencies and explain the role of police in America within the context of a democratic society.
2. Describe means and methods utilized to ensure police accountability.
3. Explain the historical development of policing.
4. Describe the selection process for police officers.
5. Compare and contrast organizational structures, policies, strategies and tactics employed to ensure police effectiveness, efficiency and equity.

 

This course will be guided by meeting the above referenced Student Performance objectives. At the end of the semester, students are expected to have a basic understanding of the field of American policing and the essential elements therein.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

1.	The workload for this course will require due diligence and integrity on students' part.
2.	Log into the class on a regular basis to check for class announcements/emails and ensure understanding of all applicable requirements.
3.	Complete all assigned reading. This is imperative for successful completion of the course.  All readings will be designated as such.
4.	At times, the discussion board topics will address sensitive subjects and students must remember to conduct themselves in a respectful and courteous manner. All students are entitled to their opinions and certainly aren’t required to agree with another student’s opinion. However, disagreements can be cited in an appropriate manner.
5.	Snipes, inappropriate language or racial slurs will in no way, shape or form be tolerated during discussions, within written course work or email content.
6.	Only those individuals who are registered in the course are allowed to make posts on the discussion boards or send email within the course. Moreover, only the student registered for the course should prepare the assignments and participate in the course.
7.	Students are not to work together on assignments or exams. In addition, students should refrain from copying and pasting other students’ assignments and submitting them as their own. This is considered cheating and will be dealt with accordingly.
8.	Cheating will not be tolerated. Cases of academic dishonesty will be dealt with on a case by case basis and will generally result in a grade of zero for the applicable assignment or removal from the course.
9.	MOST IMPORTANTLY, students should contact instructor with any problems or questions regarding the course.

Grading Criteria

Students' grades for this course will be comprised of the following percentages and types of assignments:

Coursework	30%	Assignments in this category include vocabulary assessments, reading quizzes and any other type of written assignment of the instructor's choosing.
Discussion Assignments	40%	Students will be required to interact with others in the course. There will be specific discussion assignments for Modules 1-7 in which the student will be required to post their own discussion answer and then respond to at least five (5) of his or her classmates' postings.
Exams	30%	Mid-term exam - Included in Module 4. The mid-term contains 100 multiple-choice and true-false questions and involves all material covered to date. Final exam - Included in Module 8.  The final contains 200 multiple-choice and true-false questions and is comprehensive in nature, covering all material from the entire semester.

 

**Refer to the General Course Guidelines and Instructions on the class site for important information on the final exam exemption opportunity.  In the event you are designated as “exempt” from taking the final exam, your mid-term exam grade alone will serve as your exam average (30% of your overall grade). If you are designated as “exempt” and decide you still want to take the final exam, you must accept your grade and it will be averaged together with your mid-term grade to comprise your exam average (30% of your overall grade), as previously stated herein.

Each module will have an accompanying Module Assignment Checklist containing all applicable assignments for the respective module. Students will be required to turn in assignments on specified dates, as referenced on the course calendar.

Late assignments are generally not accepted. Coursework, discussions or exams submitted after the deadline will receive a grade of zero (0). It is imperative for students in an educational setting to learn to manage their assignments and time for success in a real-world environment. Therefore, unless there is some type of valid, extenuating circumstance assignments will NOT be accepted after the due date. Due dates for the entire semester will be listed on the course calendar from the first day of the course. The instructor reserves the right to make determinations regarding acceptance of late assignments on a case-by-case basis.

Final Course Grade Assignment (Grading Schema) - Final grades in the course will be assigned by utilizing the below listed schema.

Letter Grade	Corresponding Numerical Value
A	89-100
B	79-88
C	69-78
D	59-68
F	58 and below

 

Attendance

REGULAR ATTENDANCE IS NECESSARY FOR SATISFACTORY ACHIEVEMENT. THEREFORE, IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STUDENT TO ATTEND CLASS.

Consistent and adequate involvement in an online class is necessary for satisfactory completion. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the student to check course postings and emails on a daily basis, follow the prescribed timeline for assignments and exams, etc. If a student is having difficulty with any portion of this course, they should contact the instructor via email, phone, or in person, immediately.

Information Regarding Withdrawals:

Per Amarillo College guidelines, students must receive approval from the instructor to withdraw from the course. The last day to withdraw from a class is listed on the course calendar (on the class site) and on Amarillo College’s master calendar in Blackboard.

If a student wishes to withdraw from the course they must complete the following steps:

1. Contact the instructor via email PRIOR TO 12:00 PM NOON on the last day to withdraw.  
2. The instructor will advise a time and date where the student can call or schedule an appointment to discuss the withdrawal.
3. Once a decision is made on the withdrawal, the instructor will initiate the process therein.
4. Every effort will be made to ensure student success is a priority.

Failure to drop or withdraw the course within a timely manner will result in the student receiving a performance grade, usually an “F”.

Calendar

Additional Information

This 8-week course will progress quickly and the first assignment is due within days of the course beginning. When you log onto the course for the first time you will see a list of items to be completed. I have included them below to provide a preview of what will be required at the onset of the course:

To begin your course work, review and complete the below listed items:

1. Read the Course Syllabus. You access the syllabus via the link under the COURSE MENU on the left of the screen.
2. Review and print the Course Calendar and the General Course Guidelines and Instructions. You access these via the link under the COURSE MENU on the left of the screen. Both of these are very important documents. The course calendar contains all applicable due dates for your assignments and the General Course Guidelines serve as a comprehensive resource containing much of the information necessary for completion of the course. If you have already taken one of my courses, I recommend you review the document again because there have been several changes made since last semester.
3. Click on the LESSONS tab under the COURSE MENU on the left of the screen to access the course content. 
4. On the LESSONS page, click on the Module 1 folder.  Print and review the Module 1 checklist and review the remaining material in the Module 1 folder.

 

HELP Sessions

In addition to my regularly scheduled office hours during the first week of classes, I will be holding open HELP sessions as listed below:

Tuesday, January 19, 2016	5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.	West Campus, Bldg C, Room 107
Thursday, January 21, 2016	5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.	West Campus, Bldg C, Room 107
Saturday, January 23, 2016	2:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.	West Campus, Bldg C, Room 107

 

During these come-and-go sessions I will be available to help students with logging onto their online courses, navigating through the content of the class and understanding all the requirements therein.

Attendance is not mandatory. These sessions are available to help you be more successful in the course. Whether you are taking one of my classes for the first time, or taking online classes in general for the first time, I highly recommend you attend.  If you have any questions regarding these sessions you can email or call me. (See my contact information above.)