Criminal Investigation Syllabus for 2016-2017
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Instructor Information

Course Information

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

If you have a disability (learning, mental, physical) that affects your ability to participate effectively and have access to any program or service at Amarillo College please contact Disability Services at (806) 345-5639 . Our offices are located in the Student Service Center office 112. More information may be found at www.actx.edu/disability.
Disability Services facilitates access to all programs and services according to the ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as well as other federal and state laws.

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If you find you are unable to access material in an accessible format please contact the Disability Services Office at (806) 345-5639 . This office will work in conjunction with other campus resources to address and accommodate your issue in a timely manner.

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

Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016

Student Withdrawal Procedures

Students who wish to withdraw from a class must:

• consult with their instructor to obtain a signed academic withdrawal request form to submit to the AskAC department for processing
• consult with the financial aid office if receiving financial aid
• consult with the Veterans Benefit Coordinator if receiving veteran benefits
• consult with their academic advisor to determine how withdrawing may affect their enrollment in future semesters
  • NOTE:  The Texas Education Code stipulates that students attending Texas institutions of higher education for the first time fall 2007 and later may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career, including courses from which transfer students have withdrawn at other Texas institutions of higher education. (Senate Bill 1231) Rule 4.10.

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-2314-001 Criminal Investigation

Prerequisites

Course Description

Investigative theory; collection and preservation of evidence; sources of information; interview and interrogation; uses of forensic sciences; case and trial preparation.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

Occupational License Disclaimer

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

Dual Credit Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

  There is no required textbook for this course. All reading materials will be provided online within the course.

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 Acrobat Reader may be downloaded FREE from https://get.adobe.com/reader/.

 

Student Performance

1. Understand the process and procedures of a criminal investigation.
2. Determine the role of evidence in a criminal investigation.
3. Compare and contrast the variations in investigation guidelines for different types of crimes.
4. Be familiar with the legal requirements of a criminal investigation and the subsequent procedures for preparing a case for presentation and successful conclusion of the adjudication process.

 

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 criminal investigation 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

• The workload for this course will require due diligence and integrity on students' part. Students are individually responsible for ensuring they understand all requirements of the course, have access to all supplies needed and complete assignments accordingly.
• Log into the class on a regular basis (at least three times per week) to check for class announcements/emails and ensure understanding of all applicable requirements.
• Complete all readings and course preparation as assigned. This is imperative for successful completion of the course.  
• 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.
• Snipes, inappropriate language or racial slurs will in no way, shape or form be tolerated during discussions, within written course work or email content.
• 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.
• Students are not to work together on assignments or exams. In addition, students should refrain from copying and pasting information from the Internet or other students’ assignments and submitting it as their own work product. This is considered cheating and will be dealt with accordingly.
• 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 and/or removal from the course.
• MOST IMPORTANTLY, students should contact instructor with any problems or questions regarding the course. In addition, there are some Frequently Asked Questions provided via a link on the LESSONS page on the class site.

Grading Criteria

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

Coursework	20%	Assignments in this category include vocabulary assessments, reading quizzes and any other type of written assignment of the instructor's choosing.
High School Averages	15%	The students’ final averages for each of the three six weeks will be averaged together for this portion of their grade.
Discussion  Assignments	30%	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	35%	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.** (see information on final exam exemption opportunity below)

 

Assignment Deadlines

 

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.

• As referenced above, all assignment due dates are listed on the course calendar. See the CALENDAR section below for instructions on accessing the course calendar. In addition to the calendar there is a “To Do” box on the home page of the course. This will help you track your assignments, due dates, etc. *Please be aware the discussion assignments will not appear in this due date box because there are two due dates for these assignments.

• Unless otherwise noted, all homework assignments, quizzes and exams will be due no later than 11:59 pm on the specified date, as referenced on the calendar.

• You will have a specified amount of time to complete your assignments for each module. If there is a valid emergency or circumstance beyond your control, you may contact me before the due date of the assignment(s) to discuss your options and any potential late penalties that may be applied. It is your responsibility to ensure you have access to a working computer and functioning internet service to access the course and submit your assignments. DO NOT wait until the last minute to complete your assignments. You will have ample notice of what the assignments entail and when they are due.  Please understand I must maintain this policy in the interest of fairness to all students in the class.

 

Final Exam Exemption Opportunity

 

• If you complete ALL assignments, including the mid-term and submit them all on time you will be “exempt” from taking the final exam.
• There will be no exceptions to this exemption opportunity. If you submit any part of an assignment late, make-up or retake the mid-term for any reason, you will no longer be considered exempt from taking the final exam. Please understand it’s not that I am unsympathetic to situations that may arise during the semester. The purpose of this exemption is to encourage you all to complete and submit your assignments in a timely fashion and reward those students who perform in a consistently prepared manner throughout the semester. The only way this works, and is fair, is if it’s applied uniformly.  

• Resubmission of assignments at my request will not affect a student’s ability to gain exempt status, as long as the assignment is resubmitted prior to the deadline given.  

• At the onset of Module 8 I will send an email to all students who I have designated as “exempt.” If you don’t receive an email from me indicating such, then you MUST take the final exam.

• 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). 

You will NOT receive a “0” for the final. For example, if you made an 85 on your mid-term, you get designated as “exempt” and you choose not to take the final, then your exam average will remain an 85.

• In the event 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.

• If you have any questions regarding this opportunity, I encourage you to contact me immediately.

 

Grading of Assignments

 

You can access your grades by clicking on the “Grades” link under the COURSE MENU on the left side of the course.

Homework and discussion assignment grades will be available approximately one-two weeks after the ending date of the module and will be based on format, the student’s compliance with all assignment requirements, accurateness and comprehensiveness of answers. (Refer to chart below.)  This time frame for the posting of grades is tentative.  There will be occasions when it will take longer than a week after the ending date of the module to post the grades.  I will always post an announcement advising when grades are available.

Understand that minimal work will receive a minimal grade.  Don’t assume just because you completed the minimum requirements for the assignment you will receive a perfect score. I will give general feedback on the first assignments. However, due to the number of students and workload, I will limit my feedback on subsequent assignments to citing incorrect answers, etc. or explaining why a grade is extremely low (below 70).  The chart referenced on the following page will give you an idea of what I take into consideration when grading your assignments, as well as applicable deductions. I alone will make final determinations on all grades.

You can always check your current class average so that you know where you stand. If you have any questions regarding your grades, I encourage you to contact me. I will be more than happy to answer any questions, or provide additional feedback.

Grading Criteria (General Rubric)
Coursework Assignments (35%)	Discussion Assignments (35%)	Exams (30%)
Vocabulary Assessments Grades will be determined by the number of incorrect answers and corresponding values.   Reading Quizzes Grades will be determined by the number of incorrect answers and corresponding values. Each question is worth 5 points.	Completion of all assignment requirements, per applicable module checklist. (Includes Part 1 and Part 2) Accuracy of answers Deductions for misspelled words  (-2 points for each) Comprehensiveness of answers Format of assignment Failure to include required textbook citations: 2 textbook citations -5 points 1 textbook citation -10 points 0 textbook citations -15 points Failure to meet length requirements: 499-450 words -10 points 449-400 words -15 points 399-350 words -20 points 349-300 words -25 points 299-250 words -30 points 249-200 words -35 points 199-150 words -40 points < 150 words -50 points Failure to post required number of responses: 4 replies -10 points 3 replies -20 points 2 replies -30 points 1 reply -40 points 0 replies -50 points	Grades will be determined by the number of incorrect answers and corresponding values. Each question on the mid-term is worth 1 point and each question on the final exam is worth .5 a point.   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 in the Course Syllabus.
Credit will not be given for any of the above referenced assignments submitted after the due date, unless otherwise determined by the instructor.

 

Final Course Grade Assignment (Grading Schema)

 

Final letter grades in the course will be assigned utilizing the below listed schema. Unless otherwise noted, there will be no exceptions made by the instructor.

Letter Grade	Corresponding Numerical Value
A	90-100
B	80-88
C	70-78
D	60-68
F	59 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.

Calendar

Additional Information

 

Any time I have course announcements I will post them under the “Announcements” section on the home page of the course and/or send an email to the class.  Make sure you check your announcements/course email often to ensure you don’t miss out on instructor requests or any other necessary information.  Your course emails will go directly to your AC Gmail account. For information on how to access your AC Gmail account you can go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb857-WJX9w and watch the instructional video on accessing your account.

I strongly encourage you to contact me immediately with any questions or issues you might have, as communication is a vital component to effective learning in an online environment.

You may contact me in any of the following ways:

Email within the course site on AC Connect. To send me an email within the course, follow the steps listed below: Click on the “Email” link under the COURSE MENU on the left side of the course. Scroll down and select the “Single/Select Users” option. Under the “Available to Select” box on the left scroll down to my name, “Uselding, Sarah” and click on it. Once you’ve selected my name, click on the small arrow right key just to the right of the “Available to Select” box. You should then see my name appear in the “Selected” box on the right. Click on the larger message box and type your email. Once your email is written as you would like it, click on the Submit box in either the upper or lower right corners. Please understand that I check my email on a regular basis. However, there will be times when it may take some time for me to answer you. Generally speaking, you can expect an answer from me within 24 hours.

If you need immediate assistance, I encourage you to text or call me at (806) 290-2727.  If you send a text, please don’t forget to include your name and which class you are in. If for some reason I miss your call, please leave a message and I will call you back.

You can schedule an appointment to come by my office located on the West Campus at 6222 W. 9th, Building C, Room #107A.  In the event you are unable to contact me, there are some additional sources for assistance: You can contact the Criminal Justice Office located in the same building on the West Campus, in room #121, or via phone at (806) 354-6081.  They are always able to locate me, whether I am in class or off campus.  You can contact the “ASK AC” helpline at 371-5000 or after hours you can email them at askac@actx.edu. You may contact the CTL Student & Faculty Help Center at 371-5992. It is available to students who are currently enrolled in academic or continuing education courses on a walk-in and/or appointment basis. Assistance is provided for: Logging-in to AC Connect, Password resets; How to use AC Online; Microsoft Office help/ Microsoft Office alternatives; General computer/software questions. They are located on the Washington Street Campus, Library, 2nd floor, Suite 205 and their hours are: Monday – Thursday, 8am – 5pm (Library 205) Monday – Thursday, 5pm – 9pm (Library Research Desk on the 4th Floor) Friday, 8am – 5pm (Library 205)

 

 

Students should log onto the course as early as possible on the FIRST DAY of the semester.

This 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 an announcement directing you to the LESSONS page. I have included a list of introductory items to be completed 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 COURSE MENU on the left of the screen.
2. Print and read the Course Calendar, located below.  The calendar contains all applicable due dates for your assignments.
3. Review the Frequently Asked Questions, also located below.
4. After completing items #1 - #3 above, click on the Module 1 folder below. Print and read the Module 1 Assignment Checklist and review the remaining material in the Module 1 folder. The module assignment checklist will contain all assignments for the first module, including specific instructions for your first discussion assignment. The format and type of assignments is similar for all subsequent modules.
5. Send your one-time attendance email, per the Module 1 checklist, and begin your other coursework.