Focus / Research Paper

GROUP 26

 

Term: Summer 2005       

Course Number:  LEMN 424

Instructor:   Michael McCafferty

Instructor’s Office Phone:   219-473-4278

E-mail:  Mmccafferty @ccsj.edu

Dates:   Tuesdays, June 7,14,21,28, Jul. 12.

Course Time:   6:00 pm

Course Locations: Munster Police Headquarters

 

Instructor Background:  Director of Law Enforcement Management, Calumet College of St. Joseph.  Previous Private Law Practice, areas include civil litigation, criminal law and procedure. Chicago Police Department, ten year veteran.  Graduated from John Marshall Law School, J.D., Illinois State University, M.S.

 

Course Description:   This course will require the preparation of a research paper, in accordance with the MLA method of documentation, in which the author critically examines and discusses a contemporary, management-related issue in the field of law enforcement.  In addition to the logical and thoughtful exposition of the knowledge garnered through the research, the author must also analyze and apply that knowledge to some aspect of his or her employment and make recommendations for implementation of that knowledge to some aspect of the law enforcement workplace.

 

Prerequisites:  As required by the college.

 

Learning Outcomes/ Competencies:

Students in this course will:

  • Select a contemporary law-enforcement topic within the parameters given by the instructor.
  • Collect and examine published documents concerning the research topic.
  • Demonstrate their writing abilities by the composition of a research paper in the MLA style.  In the writing of this paper, students will:

·         Construct parenthetical notations and works cited entries in the MLA format.

·         Explain and discuss researched knowledge using standard sentence and paragraph construction and proper grammar and punctuation.

·         Propose a practical resolution to the management problem reflected by the research topic.

·         Describe the resolution in terms of its design, objectives, organizational impact, marketing, and evaluation.

 

Textbooks:  A Writer’s Reference, by Diana Hacker (4th or 5th edition)

 

Learning Strategies:   Lecture, Class Demonstration, Independent Learning, and Quizzes.

 

Class Policy on Attendance: It is a serious matter when a student misses even one session, due to the accelerated format of the program.  If a student misses more than one session, the student is required to withdraw from the module by contacting the Academic Advisor and his or her instructor.

 

Class Policy on Electronic Devices:  Students are requested to turn off cell phones and pagers while class is in session.  With the prior permission of the instructor, students may leave these devices turned on but set to vibrate or other personal alert.

 

Assessment:      Quizzes  (2 @ 10 points each)                                                                          __18___% of grade

Writing Assignments (Proposal [10 pts], Final Paper [60 pts])                    __64___% of grade

Class presentation (20 points)                                                                          __18___% of grade

                Total points possible = 110

Class Policy for Assignments:  Assignments are expected to be submitted on given due dates.  Late assignments are subject to loss of points for the late submission.  It is the responsibility of students who miss classes to contact the instructor and resolve the missing work.

 

Grading Scale: 

Grade

Points

Grade

Points

Grade

Points

Grade

Points

A

100-93

B+

89-87

C+

79-77

D+

69-67

A-

92-90

B   

86-83

C

76-73

D

66-63

 

 

B-

82-80

C-

72-70

D-

62-60

 

 

 

 

 

 

F

59 and below

 

Class Dates:

Week One                                                                                                            Topic Assignments

Tuesday

Discussion of research methods and MLA style formatting; class practice in creating parentheticals and works cited entries.

 

Week Two                                                                                                            Topic Assignments

Tuesday

Review of previous week’s topics; discussion of grammar issues and sentence and paragraph composition.  Open-book quiz covering last week’s materials.

 

Week Three                                                                                                         Topic Assignments

Tuesday

Review of previous week’s topics; discussion of punctuation issues; open-book quiz covering last and this week’s topics.

 

Week Four                                                                                                           Topic Assignments

Tuesday

To be announced.

 

Week Five                                                                                                            Topic Assignments

Tuesday

Submit research paper; oral presentation of paper.

 

Center for Academic Excellence:

Tutoring assistance is free to all students of Calumet College of St. Joseph. Call the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) at 473-4287 to make an appointment. The Center has experienced and well-trained tutors in most subject areas to help students who are struggling in a course or who are doing well and would like to do better. Regular weekly tutoring sessions are likely to improve a student’s grade.

 

Statement of Plagiarism:

If an instructor or other Calumet College of St. Joseph personnel find that a student has plagiarized or been involved in another form of academic dishonesty, the instructor or other personnel may elect to bring the matter up for judicial review. The maximum penalty for any form of academic dishonesty is dismissal from the College. The procedures for judicial review are listed under the section of CCSJ handbook that addresses student grievances.   Please note: Calumet College of St. Joseph subscribes to Turnitin.com and all papers can and may be submitted for checks on plagiarism from the Internet/Electronic sources/ Databases.

 

Citation Guidelines:

Calumet College of St. Joseph adheres to citation guidelines as prescribed by the particular discipline (i.e., MLA, APA, and Chicago Manual of Style or Turabian).  All of these guidelines are available in the Calumet College of St. Joseph library or bookstore.  These texts outline how to cite references from a variety of sources, including electronic media.

 

Withdrawal from Classes Policy: Please see the Degree Completion Program’s Student Handbook for withdrawal policy.  All withdrawals are completed through the Degree Completion Academic Advisor’s office.