Course Professor Term Meetings Professors Contact Information

CRIM 3302 Advanced Criminology (Section 001) Nicole Leeper Piquero, Ph.D. Fall 2011 T & R: 2:30-3:45, ECSS 2.305

Office Location GR 2.246 Email Address npiquero@utdallas.edu Office Hours T & R 1:00- 2:00 or by appointment Other Information Always put CRIM in your email subject line for a prompt response!

Course Pre-requisites, Co-requisites, and/or Other Restrictions: CRIM 1307 Course Description The purpose of this course is to expose students to theory and empirical research regarding why deviance and criminal behavior occurs. As such, an in-depth examination of each criminological theory, from the earliest classical explanations to contemporary theories, will be reviewed and critiqued. Specific attention will be paid to the propositions, assumptions, and empirical validity of these criminological theories. Additionally, the reciprocal relationship between criminological theory and social policy will be explored. Specific attention will focus on the implications that criminological theories have for policy creation and implementation. Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes At the end of the course, students will be able to: 1. Identify the basic concepts and principles of criminological theories. 2. Evaluate criminological theory. 3. Understand how criminological theories can be used to inform polices on crime prevention. Required Textbook and Materials Akers, Ronald L., & Sellers, Christine S. (2009) Criminological Theories: Introduction, Evaluation, and Application. Fifth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. Note: In addition to the required text, handouts, journal articles, video documentaries, movies, and other sources of reference may be used to further enhance students learning. Course Requirements Exams. There will be three (3) in-class exams this semester. Each exam will be worth 100 points (or 25% of your final grade) and will be comprised of approximately 50 (multiple choice, true-false, and short-answer) questions based on class lecture, assigned readings, and films shown in class. Makeup Exam Policy Makeup exams will be provided for students who have a university recognized excused absence. Excused absences include (but are not limited to): illnesses with a doctors note, serious family emergency, special curricular requirements (e.g., field trips, conferences), participation in official university activities. Final

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decision of excused absences is left to the discretion of the professor. In most instances, students will be required to provide written documentation for your absence. In addition, you MUST talk with me prior to the date of the exam in order to schedule a makeup. All makeup exams MUST be scheduled within one week of the original exam. Note: All makeup exams will be in essay format!!!!! Writing Assignment. You will be required to write a 5-7 page paper on a criminological theory that is either discussed in class or in your textbook. The paper should include a general discussion of the tenants of the theory and review three scholarly journal articles that empirically (scientifically) test the theory of interest. The paper should summarize each of the three articles and discuss whether the theory is supported or refuted by the research. The paper is worth 25% of your final grade. This assignment contains two parts that must be completed on the assigned dates in order to receive full credit. For the first part of the assignment, you will need to turn in the topic of your paper (i.e., which criminological theory youll be researching) along with the academic references for your three articles. This part of the paper is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday November 1, 2011. The final paper is due at the beginning of class on Thursday December 1, 2011. Both parts of the assignment are to be typed in a 12 point font. The final paper should be double-spaced with one inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right). In addition, you are expected to provide references and citations in APA (American Psychological Association) format. The three selected articles MUST be from peer-reviewed journals. Essentially, these are articles written by experts or scholars in the field which have gone through a peer-review process. This process utilizes blind review by other scholars in the field, the reviewers then will make recommendations to the journal editor whether the article should be accepted, rejected, or is in need of revision(s). The writing style and format is greatly different from popular periodicals. These articles typically: (1) deal with broad issues or topics in the field; (2) focus on a specific research question; (3) are 12-15 pages in length; (4) have an abstract; (5) have a data/methods/methodology section; (6) have a results/findings section; (7) have a conclusion section; (8) have references. If you are unsure if your article qualifies as peer-reviewed or if you have any further questions, please ask! Note: textbooks, magazines, and newspapers are NOT acceptable! Papers will be graded based on: (1) content including review and understanding of chosen theory; (2) clarity and organization of the discussion and analysis for each of the three related empirical articles; (3) discussion/conclusion with regard to the empirical studies of the theory did the articles find support for the theory? Do they dispute the theory? Is the evidence mixed/inconclusive? In other words, was support found for some components but not all parts of the theory; (4) use of proper citations and references; (5) grammar and spelling. A detailed grading sheet will be provided. Note: Late papers will NOT be accepted. Attendance. Class attendance will NOT be taken on a regular basis. However, students are expected to attend all class meetings. Students are responsible for ALL material covered in class, whether youre in class or not. Therefore, it is advised that you make a friend in class who would be willing to share class notes with you and you with them. Note: I do NOT hand out my class notes nor do I post notes/PowerPoint slides. Grading Criteria There are a total of 400 points which may be earned throughout the course. Students are encouraged to maintain a record of their grades. Note: I will NOT curve nor barter your grade at the end of the semester.

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Final Grades Grade

Your earned points will be converted to a letter grade as listed below: Percent Range Point

A+ A AB+ B BC+ C CD+ D DF less

100% 93-99.9% 90-92.9% 87-89.9% 83-86.9% 80-82.9% 77-79.9% 73-76.9% 70-72.9% 67-69.9% 63-66.9% 60-62.9% <59%

400 372 - 399 360 - 371 348 - 359 332 - 347 320 - 331 308 - 319 292 - 307 280 - 291 268 - 279 252 - 267 240 - 251 239 or

Student Conduct & Discipline The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and regulations for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student and each student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and regulations which govern student conduct and activities. General information on student conduct and discipline is contained in the UT Dallas printed publication, A to Z Guide, which is available to all registered students each academic year. The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and Regulations, Series 50000, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the universitys Handbook of Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391) and online at http://www.utdallas.edu/judicialaffairs/UTDJudicialAffairsHOPV.html. A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship. He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents Rules, university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or off campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct. Students are expected to be attentive during class and to participate actively in group activities. Students are expected to listen respectfully to faculty and to other students who are speaking. Racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, ageism, and other forms of bigotry are inappropriate to express in class. Classes may discuss issues that require sensitivity and maturity. Disruptive students will be asked to leave and may be subject to disciplinary action. Academic Integrity

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The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work. Scholastic Dishonesty: Any student who commits an act of scholastic dishonesty is subject to discipline. Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, submitting for credit any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, or any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts. Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other source, is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the universitys policy on plagiarism (see general catalog for details). This course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective. Copyright Notice The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials, including music and software. Copying, displaying, reproducing, or distributing copyrighted works may infringe upon the copyright owners rights and such infringement is subject to appropriate disciplinary action as well as criminal penalties provided by federal law. Usage of such material is only appropriate when that usage constitutes fair use under the Copyright Act. As a UT Dallas student, you are required to follow the institutions copyright policy (Policy Memorandum 84-I.3-46). For more information about the fair use exemption, see http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/copypol2.htm. Email Use The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange. The university encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a students UT Dallas email address and that faculty and staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a UT Dallas student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the identity of all individuals corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UT Dallas furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with university personnel. The Department of Information Resources at UT Dallas provides a method for students to have their UT Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts. Withdrawal from Class The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal from any college-level courses. These dates and times are published in that semester's course inventory and in the academic calendar. Administration procedures must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, a professor or other instructor cannot drop or withdraw any student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the class once you are enrolled. Student Grievance Procedures Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities, of the Universitys Handbook of Operating Procedures. In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other fulfillments of academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a serious effort to resolve the matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or committee with whom the grievance originates (hereafter called the respondent). Individual faculty members retain primary responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at that level, the grievance must be submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the respondents School Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written

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response provided by the respondent, the student may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not resolved by the School Deans decision, the student may make a written appeal to the Dean of Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the dean will appoint and convene an Academic Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the academic appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations. Incomplete Grade Policy As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably missed at the semesters end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An incomplete grade must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the required work to complete the course and to remove the incomplete grade is not submitted by the specified deadline, the incomplete grade is changed automatically to a grade of F. Office of Student AccessiAbility (OSA) UT Dallas is committed to providing equal educational opportunities for students with documented disabilities to all University courses and programs. Any student with a documented physical, psychological, or learning disability, which affects his/her academic performance, is eligible for services. If you need classroom accommodations, please make an appointment with the Office of Student AccessAbility at: SSB 3.200 (3rd Floor in SSB), 972-8832098. Office hours are Monday Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Friday 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Evening appointments are available by request. http://www.utdallas.edu/studentaccess/ OSA provides registered students with an accommodation letter to present to faculty members. The letter verifies that the student is qualified to receive certain accommodations. The accommodation letter should be presented to instructors of each course at the beginning of the semester. The approved accommodations should be discussed at that time. It is the students responsibility to notify his/her professor of their needs. The University of Texas at Dallas is proud to be an educational institution that welcomes and supports a diverse student body. Religious Holy Days The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required activities for the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose places of worship are exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated. The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible regarding the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused, will be allowed to take the exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time after the absence: a period equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one week. A student who notifies the instructor and completes any missed exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A student who fails to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a failing grade for that exam or assignment. If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose of observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has been given a reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief executive officer of the institution, or his or her designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief executive officer or designee. Resources to Help You Succeed The GEMS Center (located within the Conference Center) provides a wide array of free academic support and enhancement for UT Dallas undergraduate students. Offerings include, but are not limited to, a Math Lab and Writing Center, Peer Tutoring (with a focus on science, technology, engineering and math courses), test review

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sessions, and academic success coaching. The current menu of services, schedules, and contact information is posted on the GEMS website: http://www.utdallas.edu/ossa/gems/.

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Academic Calendar DATE TOPIC READING Week of 8/22 W R Week of 8/29 T

8/24 8/25

First Day of Semester Introduction Course requirements and syllabus

8/30 Overview

Library

9/1 What is theory and how to evaluate it? Chapter 1

Week of 9/5 M T

9/5 Labor Day No Classes!!! 9/6 Choice Theories: Deterrence Chapter 2 9/8 Choice Theories: Rational Choice and Routine Activities Chapter 2

Week of 9/12 T R Week of 9/19 T 9/15

Trait Theories: Early Biology Chapter 3 ACJS mid-year meeting No Class!!!

9/13

9/20 T rait Theories: Modern Biology

Chapter 3 9/22 Trait Theories: Psychology Chapter 4

Week of 9/26

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T R

9/27 Catch up and Review 9/29 Exam #1 Chapters 1, 2, 3, & 4

Week of 10/3 T R

10/4 10/6

Social Structure: Social Ecology & Social Disorganization Chapter 8 Social Structure: Anomie & Classic Strain Theories Chapter 8

Week of 10/10 T

10/11 Social Structure: Classic Strain Theories (cont.) Chapter 8 10/13 Social Process: Contemporary Strain Theories Chapter 8

Week of 10/17 T

10/18 Social Process: Learning Theories Chapter 5 10/20 Social Process: Learning Theories (cont.) Chapter 5

Week of 10/24 T

10/25 Social Process: Control Theories Chapter 6 10/27 Social Process: Control Theories Chapter 6

Week of 10/31 T R Week of 11/7 T

11/1 11/3

Catch up and Review [Paper Assignment Due] Exam #2 Chapters 5, 6, and 8

11/8 Social Reaction: Labeling Theory Chapter 7 11/10 Social Reaction: Labeling (cont.) & Reintegration Chapter 7

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DATE

TOPIC READING

Week of 11/14 T

11/15 American Society of Criminology Conference No Class!!!

11/17 American Society of Criminology Conference No Class!!!

Week of 11/21 T R

11/22

Conflict Theories 11/24

Chapter 9 Thanksgiving Break No Classes!!! 11/25 Thanksgiving Break No Classes!!!

Week of 11/28 T

11/29 Critical & Marxist Theories Chapter 10 12/1 Feminist Theories [Final Papers Due] Chapter 11

Week of 12/5 T W R

12/6 12/7 12/8

Catch up and Review Reading Day Reading Day

Final Exam (Chapters 7, 9, 10, & 11): Tuesday December 13, 2011 at 2:00pm

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