Spring 2021 Course Syllabus Course: CRIJ-1306- Section: 71 Courts Systems and Practices

Instructor Information
Instructor	Gregory Clark
E-mail	clarkgw@lamarpa.edu
Phone	(409) 984-6330
Office	Location: Educational I - Room: 133 Hours: By appointment
COVID 19 Information	The Lamar State College Port Arthur (LSCPA) Student Code of Conduct COVID 19 Policy requires students who have been exposed to COVID 19 or diagnosed with COVID 19 to report their condition on the COVID 19 Notification Form (available via a link on the Student Code of Conduct COVID19 webpage). This information will be provided to the Dean of Student Services. In addition, this policy requires all students to wear face coverings in compliance with the criteria included in the policy. For more information please refer to the COVID 19 link on the LSCPA website.
Course Information
Description	This course is a study of the court system as it applies to the structures, procedures, practices and sources of law in American courts, using federal and Texas statutes and case law.
Prerequisites	None
Learning Outcomes	Describe the American judicial systems (civil, criminal, and juvenile), their jurisdiction, development and structure. Analyze the function and dynamics of the courtroom work group. Identify judicial processes from pretrial to appeal. Describe the significant Constitutional Amendments, doctrines, and other sources of law in the American judicial system.
Core Objectives	Communication skills: Students will demonstrate effective written, oral and visual communication. Critical Thinking Skills: Students will engage in creative and/or innovative thinking, and/or inquiry, analysis, evaluation, synthesis of information, organizing concepts and constructing solutions. Empirical and Quantitative Skills: Students will demonstrate applications of scientific and mathematical concepts. Social Responsibility: Students will demonstrate intercultural competency and civic knowledge by engaging effectively in local, regional, national and/or global communities.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Textbooks	Textbook Purchasing Statement: A student attending Lamar State College Port Arthur is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer. America's Courts and the Criminal Justice System, 12th Edition, Cengage Learning, 2015, by Neubauer, David/Henry Fradella.
Lecture Topics Outline	I will not discuss your grades over the phone or by email. If you want to discuss your grades, you must come to my office, in person. All active and reserve military personnel should inform the professor within the first week of class, with an email.
Major Assignments Schedule	Week 1 Module #1 (Courts, Crime, and Controversy) Week 2 Module #2 (The Legal System) Week 3 Module #2 (The Legal System) Week 3 Exam #1 (Modules 1&2) Week 4 Module #3 (Legal Actors) Week 5 Module #3 (Legal Actors) Week 6 Module #3 (Legal Actors) Week 6 Exam #2 (Module 3) Week 7 Module #4 (Processing The Accused) Week 8 Module #4 (Processing The Accused) Week 9 Spring Break Week 10 Module #4 (Processing The Accused) Begin Course Project Week 10 Exam #3 (Module 4) Week 11 Module #5 (Sentencing The Convicted) Week 12 Module #5 (Sentencing The Convicted) Week 13 Module #5 (Appellate And Juvenile Courts) Week 14, Module #5 (Appellate And Juvenile Courts) Week 14, Exam # 5 (Module 5) Week 15, Review, Course Project Due Week 16 Final Exam May 6 - 9, 2021
Final Exam Date	May 7, 2021 - 8:0 AM   Through  May 9, 2021 - 10:0 PM
Grading Scale	90 - 100= A 80 - 89= B 70 - 79= C 60 - 69= D Below 59 = F
Determination of Final Grade	50% - Exams 20% - Quizzes 15% - Participation in Discussion Boards 15% - Course Project
Course Policies
Instructor Policies	I will not discuss your grades over the phone or by email. If you want to discuss your grades, you must come to my office, in person. All active and reserve military personnel should inform the professor within the first week of class, with an email. Late assignments will not be graded. Please complete the work within the time required. I do not offer extra credit in this course.
Attendance Policy	This is an online course. Students are expected to login weekly and submit assignments as they are due. Assignments will only be available till due date. Students also should check their lamapa emails several times a week. I encourage each student to download the Outlook app on their smartphone.
Academic Honesty	Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSC-PA policies (Section IX, subsection A, in the Faculty Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty.
Facility Policies	No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. Use of electronic devices is prohibited.
Important Information
ADA Considerations	The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the the Office for Disability Services Coordinator, Room 231, in the Madison Monroe Building. The phone number is (409) 984-6241.
MyLSCPA	Be sure to check your campus E-mail and Course Homepage using MyLSCPA campus web portal (My.LamarPA.edu). When you've logged in, click the email icon in the upper right-hand corner to check email, or click on the "My Courses" tab to get to your Course Homepage. Click the link to your course and review the information presented. It is important that you check your email and Course Homepage regularly. You can also access your grades, transcripts, and determine who your academic advisor is by using MyLSCPA.
Other	If you are a member of the United States Military please send me an email at the beginning of the semester.
HB 2504	This syllabus is part of LSC-PA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.
Department	General Education and Developmental Studies Chair: Dr. Michelle Davis E-mail: davisml1@lamarpa.edu Phone: (409) 984-6341 If you have a grievance, complaint, or concern about this course that has not been resolved through discussion with the Instructor, please consult the Department Chair.