CRIJ 1310:
In the event of an emergency or announced campus closure due to a natural disaster or pandemic, it may be necessary for Panola College to move to altered operations. During this time, Panola College may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include, but are not limited to: online learning management system (CANVAS), online conferencing, email messaging, and/or an alternate schedule. It is the responsibility of the student to monitor Panola College's website (www.panola.edu) for instructions about continuing courses remotely, CANVAS for each class for course-specific communication, and Panola College email for important general information.
Regular and punctual attendance of classes and laboratories is required of all students. When a student has been ill or absent from class for approved extracurricular activities, he or she should be allowed, as far as possible, to make up for the missed work. If a student has not actively participated by the census date, they will be dropped by the instructor for non-attendance. This policy applies to courses that are in-person, online, hybrid, and hyflex.
Attendance in online courses is determined by submission of an assignment or participation in an activity. According to federal guidelines, simply logging into a distance learning course without participating in an academic assignment does not constitute attendance. Distance learning is defined as when a majority (more than 50%) of instruction occurs when the instructor and students are in separate physical locations. Students must engage in an academic activity prior to the course census date.
When an instructor feels that a student has been absent to such a degree as to invalidate the learning experience, the instructor may recommend to the Vice President of Instruction that the student be withdrawn from the course. Instructors may seek to withdraw students for non-attendance after they have accumulated the following number of absences:
Fall or spring semesters:
3 or more class meeting times per week - 5 absences
2 class meeting times per week - 3 absences
1 class meeting per week - 2 absences
The student is responsible for seeing that he or she has been officially withdrawn from a class. A student who stops attendance in a class without officially withdrawing from that class will be given a failing grade; consequently, the student must follow official withdrawal procedures in the Admissions/Records Office.
Please note: Health Science and Cosmetology courses may require more stringent attendance policies based on their accreditation agencies. Please see the addendum and/or program handbook for further information concerning attendance.
Panola College welcomes pregnant and parenting students as a part of the student body. This institution is committed to providing support and adaptations for a successful educational experience for pregnant and parenting students. Students experiencing a need for accommodations related to pregnancy or parenting will find a Pregnancy and Parenting Accommodations Request form in the Student Handbook or may request the form from the course instructor.
Broader use of Generative AI permitted within the course.
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including ChatGPT, is permitted in this course for students who wish to use it. Students must cite AI-generated material that informs their work. Using an AI tool to generate content without proper attribution qualifies as academic dishonesty.
The purpose of this course is to:
- Present an overview of criminal law and examine Texas criminal statutes.
- Explain the historical and philosophical development of the nature of criminal law.
- List the elements of crimes using the Texas statutes as an illustration.
- Discuss criminal responsibilities as they apply to the criminal statutes.
After studying all materials and resources presented in the course, the student will be able to:
- Identify the elements of crimes and defenses under Texas statutes, Model Penal Code, and case law.
- Classify offenses and articulate penalties for various crimes.
- Compare culpable mental states when assigning criminal responsibility.
- Assess the impact of history and philosophy on current criminal laws.
- Evaluate the application of criminal law to other areas of criminal justice such as law enforcement and corrections.
A general description of lecture/discussion topics included in this course are listed in the Learning Objectives / Specific Course Objectives sections of this syllabus.
Students in all sections of this course will learn the following content:
- Foundations of Criminal Law
- Elements of a Crime
- The Criminal Law in Daily Practice
- Parties to Offenses
- Criminal homicide
- Assault and Sexual Assault
- Kidnapping and Related Offenses
- Property Destruction Offenses
- Theft, Fraud, and Related Offenses
- Robbery, Burglary, and Criminal Trespass
- Offenses Against Government Operations
- Public Order, Indecency, Health, and Safety Offenses
- Intoxication Offenses
- General Defenses and Justifications
This course is offered in online, face-to-face, and/or Hybrid formats. For the traditional classroom course, teaching approaches are expected to vary with individual instructors who should employ those techniques that work best for them and their students. Although lecture and reading assignments are the primary forms of delivery, other instructional methods may involve classroom discussion, student presentations and lectures, audio-visual instruction, invited speakers, critical thinking activities, in class writing exercises designed to stimulate critical thinking, and group activities. Distance learning is also available for students who cannot attend lectures and who are capable of the amount of self-direction and discipline required to complete such a course. Reading the materials, communication via email, and on-line discussion are some of the methods used for distance learning.
Assignments
Faculty may assign both in and out of class assignments, essay projects, and exams to assess the student's knowledge and abilities. Faculty may also choose from the following assessment criteria:
1. Exams
2. Tests
3. Quizzes
4. Internet Assignments
5. Journal Assignments
6. Library Assignments
7. Written Assignments
8. Attendance
9. Class Participation/Discussion
10. Class Preparedness
Assessments
1. Students must demonstrate their mastery of the course objectives by scoring 70% or better on Test 1. 2. Students must demonstrate their mastery of the course objectives by scoring 70% or better on Test 2. 3. Students must demonstrate their mastery of the course objectives by scoring 70% or better on Test 3. 4. Students must demonstrate their mastery of the course objectives by scoring a 70% or better on a written assignment.
5. Students must demonstrate their mastery of the course objectives by scoring a 70% or better on a comprehensive Final Exam.
6. Student semester grades are calculated in accordance with the Course Grade weights as listed below. The student is considered to have mastered the course objectives if the student has a final semester grade of 70% or higher.
The grading scale for this course is as follows:
- Test 1 – 20% (proctored)
- Test 2 – 20% (proctored)
- Test 3 – 20% (proctored)
- Chapter Quizzes – at the end of the semester, the chapter quiz average may substitute for either your Test 1, 2, or 3 grade, provided the quiz average is higher than the lowest Test 1, 2, or 3 grade. The quiz average constitutes all assigned quizzes, not just completed quizzes.
- Discussion Participation – Discussion Topics are a requirement of this course. Students may receive up to 5 points for Discussion, based on the subjective scoring of the Professor. The Discussion points will then be added back to the Quiz grade from the related chapter.
- Written Assignment – 15% (submitted via Canvas or current LMS)
- Final Exam – 25% (proctored)
For shortened semesters, i.e. Winter Term, Summer 1, and/or Summer 2 when time and testing facility hours are modified, the grading scale is modified as follows:
- Mid Term – 30% (proctored)
- Final Exam – 30% (proctored)
- Quiz Average – 25%
- Written Assignment – 15%
Subjective grading – in circumstances where student grades are borderline and the issue of rounding the grade up comes into question, the professor may consider your classroom attendance record, your class participation level, and/or your perceived preparedness level for class in determining to round up or not.
Open Education Resources (OER) – course content is available online at no costs to the student via links available online to official State of Texas government websites. Additional materials are within the Canvas class shell.
• Open Education Resources (OER) – course content is available online at no costs to the student via links available online to official State of Texas government websites. Additional materials are within the Canvas class shell.
• Links and/or Materials provided within the Canvas course.
Local and National newspaper and/or magazine/journal articles relevant to the subject matter issues discussed.
- Courses conducted via video conferencing may be recorded and shared for instructional purposes by the instructor.
- For current texts and materials, use the following link to access bookstore listings: https://www.panolacollegestore.com.
- For testing services, use the following link: https://www.panola.edu/student-services/studentsupport/academic-testing-center.
- If any student in this class has special classroom or testing needs because of a physical learning or emotional condition, please contact the ADA Student Coordinator in Support Services located in the Charles C. Matthews Student Center or go to https://www.panola.edu/studentservices/student-support/disability-support-services for more information.
- Withdrawing from a course is the student’s responsibility. Students who do not attend class and who do not withdraw will receive the grade earned for the course.
- Student Handbook: https://www.panola.edu/ (located on at the bottom under student)