Introduction to Criminology
(Crim 1301-001)
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Summer Semester 2021 (June
7 to July 30) |
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Instructor: Jeff Maahs |
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Class
Time and Room: COMPLETELY ONLINE |
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Office
Hours: Zoom
meetings can be scheduled by appointment. Otherwise, please email or post on
Canvas. |
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Office:
Cina 207 |
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Mailbox:
Cina 228 |
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Email:
jmaahs@d.umn.edu |
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Web:
www.d.umn.edu/~jmaahs |
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Phone:
726-7395 |
Course Description: This is an introductory level class dealing with the basic principles of criminology and criminal justice that meets the liberal education program (LEP) requirement for "social sciences." The course topics are organized around three areas: (a) the nature and extent of crime; (b) theories of crime; and (c) the criminal justice system. Causes of crime are explored from a multidisciplinary (e.g., biology, psychology, sociology) perspective, including both micro (individual) and macro (ecological) approaches.
Course Objectives (specific to CRIM 1301)
- Students will understand the basic empirical facts
regarding the nature and extent of crime, and have the skills to seek out
and interpret new information in this area.
- Students will be familiar with the theoretical
perspectives that attempt to explain why (and where) crime occurs.
- Students will apply their understanding of theory and
empirical facts to policy implications (what we should do about crime?).
- Students will understand the historical context and the
current role that the police, the judicial system, and the corrections
system play in modern American society.
Social Science LEP Objectives (these are UMD wide)
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of concepts and
principles that comprise the foundational knowledge of the discipline.
- Students will apply concepts and principles to issues
in the discipline.
Mapping of Learning Outcomes to Grade
| Assignment | LEP Learning Outcome Supported | CRIM 1301 Learning Outcome Supported | Percent of grade |
| Quizzes | 1,2 | 1, 2 | 40% |
| Assignments | 1,2 | 2,3 | 40% |
| Canvas posts | 2 | 1-4 | 20% |
Grading Salce
90-100%
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A
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80-89%
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B
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70-79%
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C
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60-69%
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D
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0-59%
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F
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(Instructor
may assign +/- within any category
of
letter grades)
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Course
Text |
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Vito, Gennaro, and Jeffrey R. Maahs. (2021). Criminology: Theory, Research, and Policy, 5th Edition. Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett. Students can opt to use the 4th Edition (2017) of this book. |
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Additional Course Materials
Additional course material are posted on the Canvas course page. For most topics, there are video/audio narrated power points. These are provided via links to Youtube. The Power Point slides used in these videos will also be posted on the Canvas course page.
Special arrangements/Facilities: It is the policy and practice of the University of Minnesota Duluth to create inclusive learning environments for all students, including students with disabilities. If there are aspects of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or your ability to meet course requirements – such as time limited exams, inaccessible web content, or the use of non-captioned videos – please notify the instructor as soon as possible. You are also encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Resources to discuss and arrange reasonable accommodations. Please call 218-726-6130 or visit the DR website at www.d.umn.edu/access for more information.
Academic Dishonesty(Cheating): Cheating on exams or assignments will be dealt with in accordance with University policies. Anyone caught cheating on an exam will receive a zero for that exam. Plagiarism refers to presenting another's words or ideas as if they were your own. It is cheating and thus an academic offense. Penalties for plagiarism depend upon the seriousness of the offense, and range from point deductions to failure for that particular assignment. When you complete assignments for the online course, do not copy and paste answers from the text book or other references.
Attendance/Tardiness: Since this course is fully online, attendance is not an issue. There are due dates for each of the online assignments and quizzes. Materials submitted late will be docked points. The amount of points lost depends on the particular assignment and the extent to which it is late. As noted below, participation in forums must be timely.
Student Behavior: Although some material may evoke strong differences of opinions, students are expected to treat others with respect at all times. Please be respectful of one another when you reply to postings or otherwise interact with each other in our virtual space.
Course
Requirements
Quizzes: For most topics, there will be a quiz to assess your knowledge of course material. The quizzes will be some combination of multiple choice, T/F, and short answer. There will be a time limit for each of the quizzes. In order to maintain a steady pace and allow students to find a comfort zone, quizzes will be due each week on Tuesday and Friday.
Assignments: For most topics, there will be assignments based on the text or other course material (e.g., a short reading, video, or news article). Assignment submission formats (e.g., formal writing, quick response writing, video/audio uploads) will vary. For topics where there are assignments, the assignments will be due on Tuesday or Friday.
Participation: Over the course of this Summer Session, there will be occasions when you are required to participate in online discussions. For those topics when forums are featured, posts must be timely (e.g., during that actual time when the topic is covered). Posts that occur more than one week after the topic date will not be counted as participation. At the end of the Summer Session, I will take into consideration your participation in these discussions (in total) and will enter a score based on the following criteria:
- Did you regularly post comments in the discussion
forums?
- Did you address the questions posed in a thoughtful
way?
- Did you draw upon material from the book (or lectures
or videos) in your comment(s)?
- Did you thoughtfully reflect on the comments of other
class participants in your post(s)?
Course Schedule: Course Content is Posted on
Canvas Modules