Course Syllabus

CJ 2570 Justice for All

Course Description

This course examines current issues and trends associated with racial and ethnic conflict in the criminal justice system. Investigates the topics of racism, immigration, gender, sexual orientation, and socio-economic disparity. Discusses salient issues to facilitate critical thinking, enhance knowledge, and inform perspectives. Analyzes varying viewpoints to provide a deeper understanding of the actions taken by individuals both inside and outside the criminal justice system. Emphasizes the social construction of crime and the treatment of minorities as offenders and victims.

Justification

This course is designed to give students opportunities to develop critical thinking skills and a greater appreciation and understanding of the social impacts that are faced in life and the Criminal Justice System. Oral communication is a fundamental skill students need so they can be competent in virtually every field they major in. This understanding and these skills are particularly helpful in fields such as law, political science, economics, communication, and the general social science field.

General Education Outcomes

1. A student who completes the GE curriculum has a fundamental knowledge of human cultures and the natural world. Through study of the history of basic rights such as individual rights and public order, students will be able to explain changes in American history to address social problems that affect Criminal Justice and the public. This will be accomplished through the research project submitted by the student and evaluated by the instructor; and by the student’s participation in a final project.
2. A student who completes the GE curriculum can read and research effectively within disciplines. Students will demonstrate their ability to read effectively in the social science discipline by completing critical thinking exercises in the chapters and submit them for evaluation by the instructor. The student will also complete a research project.
3. A student who completes the GE curriculum can draw from multiple disciplines to address complex problems. This class is extremely interdisciplinary. It requires a significant understanding of criminal justice and law. Additionally it requires a thorough understanding of political science and sociology. This understanding will be assessed by the student's application of the US Constitution in their plans of action.
4. A student who completes the GE curriculum can reason analytically, critically, and creatively. Students will demonstrate critical thinking skills by explaining the impacts of the Criminal Justice system on individual rights and public order. This will be accomplished in all the written assignments and projects.

General Education Knowledge Area Outcomes

1. The focus of this course is on developing the skills necessary to understand, critique, and eloquently respond to arguments using logic and evidence. Students will be expected to prepare, deliver, and orally defend controversial issues and create a plan of action to fix the issues using the U.S. Constitution. In order to be successful, students must think critically about the arguments they encounter and learn how to analyze rhetoric for defense of and support for a particular current political issue and prepare a plan of action to fix the issues using the U.S. Constitution.  The focus of this course is on developing the skills necessary to understand, critique, and eloquently respond to arguments using logic and evidence. Students will be expected to prepare, deliver, and orally defend controversial issues and create a plan of action to fix the issues using the U.S. Constitution. In order to be successful, students must think critically about the arguments they encounter and learn how to analyze rhetoric for defense of and support for a particular current political issue and prepare a plan of action to fix the issues using the U.S. Constitution.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. This course focuses on developing the skills necessary to understand, critique, and eloquently respond to arguments using logic and evidence. In order to be successful, students must think critically about the arguments they encounter and learn how to analyze rhetoric for defense of and support for a particular current political issue and also prepare a plan of action to fix the issues using the U.S. Constitution.
2. Students will be expected to develop analytical skills that will transfer to a variety of social settings, academic coursework, and future employment.
3. Students will be expected to present their arguments and defend them on the spot. Doing so requires critical thinking of previous research and an understanding of how to organize news reports, journal articles, current statistics, governmental reporting, and other information in persuasive arguments for and against a particular issue using the US Constitution as a base.
4. Students will focus on all sides of an issue while doing their research. Regular classroom participation will require students to broaden tolerance and understand oral critique.
5. Students will demonstrate public speaking skills including the following: delivery, organization, outlining, assessment, critique, and communication apprehension management. Appropriate rhetorical patterns, such as narration, example, process, comparison/contrast, classification, cause/effect, definition, and argumentation will be taught and practiced during in-class debates. Each of these patterns has a specific purpose to influence attitudes, beliefs, and actions.

Course Content

The course will help students to understand elements of critical thinking; state, analyze and explore controversy through evidence; comprehend types of reasoning and fallacies; and structure arguments for and against current social issues. Topics will also include; refutation techniques, effective delivery techniques for information sharing and persuasion, and how to evaluate and provide feedback to other students. This course will address social and criminal justice issues that apply to all students.