Syllabus

This course is designed to introduce students to ethical decision-making in the criminal justice system.

Please review the FIU's Policies webpage. The policies webpage contains essential information regarding guidelines relevant to all courses at FIU, as well as additional information about acceptable netiquette for online courses.

More importantly, please note that this course will adhere to the Academic Integrity Policy of the University. Each assignment is considered an individual assignment, I do NOT allow collaboration. Should I observe any form of academic dishonesty, the student will receive a grade of “F” in this course and face all other consequences as imposed by the University.

Cheating degrades the value of everyone’s degree – DON’T DO IT!

Additionally, please refer to the University policy for information about sexual harassment, religious holy days, and information on services for students with disabilities.

As a member of the FIU community you are expected to be knowledgeable about the behavioral expectations set forth in the FIU Student Code of Conduct.

One of the greatest barriers to taking an online course is a lack of basic computer literacy. By computer literacy we mean being able to manage and organize computer files efficiently, and learning to use your computer's operating system and software quickly and easily. Keep in mind that this is not a computer literacy course; but students enrolled in online courses are expected to have moderate proficiency using a computer. Please go to the "What's Required" webpage to find out more information on this subject.

This course utilizes the following tools:

• Adobe Connect [Privacy Policy]

Please visit our Technical Requirements webpage for additional information.

The Disability Resource Center collaborates with students, faculty, staff, and community members to create diverse learning environments that are usable, equitable, inclusive and sustainable. The DRC provides FIU students with disabilities the necessary support to successfully complete their education and participate in activities available to all students. If you have a diagnosed disability and plan to utilize academic accommodations, please contact the Center at 305-348-3532 or visit them at the Graham Center GC 190.

Please visit our ADA Compliance webpage for information about accessibility involving the tools used in this course.

Please visit the Canvas Accessibility webpage for more information.

For additional assistance please contact FIU's Disability Resource Center.

Florida International University is a community dedicated to generating and imparting knowledge through excellent teaching and research, the rigorous and respectful exchange of ideas and community service. All students should respect the right of others to have an equitable opportunity to learn and honestly to demonstrate the quality of their learning. Therefore, all students are expected to adhere to a standard of academic conduct, which demonstrates respect for themselves, their fellow students, and the educational mission of the University. All students are deemed by the University to understand that if they are found responsible for academic misconduct, they will be subject to the Academic Misconduct procedures and sanctions, as outlined in the Student Handbook.

Academic Misconduct includes:

• Cheating – The unauthorized use of books, notes, aids, electronic sources; or assistance from another person with respect to examinations, course assignments, field service reports, class recitations; or the unauthorized possession of examination papers or course materials, whether originally authorized or not.
• Plagiarism – The use and appropriation of another’s work without any indication of the source and the representation of such work as the student’s own. Any student who fails to give credit for ideas, expressions or materials taken from another source, including internet sources, is responsible for plagiarism.

Learn more about the academic integrity policies and procedures as well as student resources that can help you prepare for a successful semester.

There are no required prerequisites for this course.

This is an online course, which means most (if not all) of the course work will be conducted online. Expectations for performance in an online course are the same for a traditional course. In fact, online courses require a degree of self-motivation, self-discipline, and technology skills which can make these courses more demanding for some students.

Students are expected to:

• Review the Getting Started information located in the course content;
• Introduce yourself to the class during the first week by posting a self-introduction in the appropriate discussion forum;
• Take the Practice Quiz to ensure that your computer is compatible with Canvas;
• Interact online with instructor(s) and peers; and
• Review and follow the course calendar.

The instructor will:

• Be an active facilitator and participant in the learning community;
• Respond to discussion boards, blogs and/or journal postings within 48 hours of the due date;
• Respond to emails within 24 hours; and
• Grade assignments within 48-72 hours of the assignment deadline.

Communication in this course will take place via Email.

Visit our Writing Resources webpage for more information on professional writing and technical communication skills.

In order to mitigate any issues with your computer and online assessments, it is very important that you take the "Practice Quiz" from each computer you will be using to take your graded quizzes and exams. It is your responsibility to make sure your computer meets the minimum hardware requirements.

Assessments in this course are not compatible with mobile devices and should not be taken through a mobile phone or a tablet. If you need further assistance please contact FIU Online Support Services.

Weekly Quizzes:
Each week (aside from examination weeks), students are required to complete an open book/notes quiz on the weekly course content.  The quizzes will be available to students from Tuesday at 9:00am through Sunday at 11:59pm.  The quizzes will be timed and once students begin the quiz they cannot stop.  Scores will be provided to students immediately on the completion of the quizzes.

Quiz Expectations:

• Students must read the week's chapter, read/listen to the PowerPoint presentation and/or read lecture notes before attempting the quiz (though it is open text/notes, students will not have time to complete the quiz if not familiar with content)
• Quizzes will become available from Tuesday 9:00am – Sunday 11:59pm
• The time limit for each quiz will vary depending on the number of questions presented. You should carefully read the assessment instructions upon launching to know how long you will have to complete that quiz.
• Students will see scores and correct answers immediately after each quiz

Exams:
This course will have both a midterm and final examination.

• The midterm examination will consist of approximately 60 multiple choice questions.  Students will have 70 minutes to complete the midterm examination. 
• The final examination will consist of approximately 60 multiple choice questions and is not cumulative. Students will have 70 minutes to complete the final examination.
• Exams will become available from Tuesday at 9:00am - Sunday at 11:59pm (except for Finals Week).

Students will be provided with a review at the beginning of each examination week.

Adobe Connect is an online meeting room where you can interact with your professor and fellow students by sharing screens, sharing files, chatting, broadcasting live audio, and taking part in other interactive online activities. We will be using this tool to conduct virtual office hours as needed.

Requirements for using Adobe Connect:

• Disable any window pop-up blocker.
• Adobe Flash Player is required to successfully run your Adobe Connect meeting. You can test your computer to make sure your computer and network connections are properly configured to provide you with the best possible Adobe Connect meeting experience.
• Use of a combination headset and microphone with USB connection is recommended to ensure quality sound and reduce technical difficulties.

Reference Adobe Connect (Tutorials & Help) to learn about the tool, how to access your meeting rooms and recordings.