LAW 2524 - Criminology | Course Outlines

LAW 2524 - Criminology

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2017

Defining crime and an introduction to the criminal justice system. An examination of the historical origins and contemporary theoretical perspectives on the causes of crime and criminality including: physical and genetic factors; psychological theories; and sociologically based theories of crime. An introduction into the nature of and uses of criminal statistics.

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Course Details

Course Code	LAW 2524
Course	Criminology
Coordinating Unit	Adelaide Law School
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate Law (LLB)
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Prerequisites	LAW 1501
Incompatible	LAW 2122
Restrictions	Available to LLB students only
Assessment	Typically to include interim assessment and/or final exam

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr James Stewart

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Lectures
There are two lectures per week: Tuesday 10am - 11am and Wednesday 1pm - 2pm in Lower Napier LG29.
All lectures will be recorded.

Seminars
There are weekly seminars throughout the semester. Your interaction in these classes relates directly to your 10% participation grade.
There will NOT be a seminar in Week One.

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Identify the theoretical areas which comprise the fundamental paradigms of criminology.
Undertake self-directed criminological research, to analyse and synthesise criminological legal information and materials.
Develop interpersonal and communication skills for a mixed audience.
Critically engage and assess crime in society.

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	4
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	2
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	3

Learning Resources

Required Resources

There are no prescribed textbooks for this course but purchasing one of the recommended texts will be useful.

Recommended Resources

T. Bernard, J. Snipes & A. Gerould, Vold’s Theoretical Criminology (7th ed. Oxford 2015)
T. Newburn, Criminology, (3rd ed. Routledge 2016)
S. Brown, F. Esbense, G. Geis, Criminology: Explaining Crime & Its Context, (9th ed. Routledge 2015)

The recommended texts will be available from the on campus Co-op bookstore or directly from the publishers.

Online Learning

MyUni will be used to post announcements, additional lecture materials (including slides, and audio recordings of lectures) and announce assignment tasks. It will also contain electronic copies of the Course Profile, Lecture and Seminar Guides, and Course Materials.

Students are expected to check MyUni regularly to keep up to date with these materials and additional learning resources throughout the course.

https://myuni.adelaide.edu.au/webapps/login/
Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

Criminology is taught through lectures and supported by interactive seminars.

The lectures are designed to provide an overview and critical exposition of principal theoretical criminological perspectives. It is important that students read the required materials in advance of attending the appropriate lecture. The lectures will also provide an introduction to the material covered in the seminars.

The seminars are small group discussions that apply the theoretical perspectives presented in the lectures to contemporary criminological issues. The seminars are designed to develop a deeper understanding of criminological theory, and an awareness of the ethical, social, and cultural issues in crime and criminality.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

Contact time: attend 2 hours lectures plus 1 hour seminar each week. This amounts to 36 hours of formal class time across the semester.

Preparation time: In addition to attending formal classes it is anticipated that students will do substantial independent work to prepare for classes and to complete the course assignments. The University expects full time students (those undertaking 12 units per semester) to devote a total of 48 hours per week to their studies.

Students are encouraged to attend all lectures and seminars throughout the semester although attendance is not compulsory.

Learning Activities Summary

Each week the first lecture presented will address a key concept in criminology.
The second lecture should be understood as qualifying this key concept with a cultural, philosophical, or jurisprudential approach.

Both lectures will have a required reading component, which should be completed before your weekly seminar.

The lectures and the associated readings will provide the framework for the discussion of contemporary cases and issues in criminology within the weekly seminars.

A comprehensive course topic list will be available at the commencement of the course.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Item	% of Final Mark	Due date	Length	Group or Individual Assessment	Redeemable
Participation	10%			Individual	No
Research Paper	30%	Topics available Week 4 Due Date: September 15 at 2pm (Week 8)	2000 words.	Individual	No
Examination	60%	Exam Period	2 hours duration (+ 10 minutes reading time).	Individual	No

Assessment Related Requirements

Assessment Detail

Participation (10%)
The class participation mark is comprised from your level of preparation and contribution during the seminar component of the course. There is not a minimum attendance requirement, however a lapse in attendance will adversely impact this grade.

Research Paper (30%)
The research paper is compulsory and weighted at 30% of the final course mark; it is not redeemable by the final examination. Details of the research paper topics will be posted on MyUni during the 4th week of the semester. The essays will be assessed based on the quality and comprehensiveness of research; the quality of demonstrated understanding of the relevant principles and concepts; the construction of a concise and coherent presentation; a well-balanced presentation of the relevant issues; and the development of a critical and evaluative perspective.
DUE DATE: Friday September 15th, at 2pm.

Examination (60%)
The examination will consist of three questions only two of which must be answered and all are of equal weighting. All three (3) questions will be essay style. The examination is weighted at 60% of the final course mark. The exam will be of 2 hours duration (+ 10 minutes reading time).

Students may take into the examination any written materials excluding items borrowed from a University Library and may also take in electronic language dictionaries with no remote capabilities.

It is each student's responsibility to read the examination timetable. Misreading the timetable is not accepted as grounds for granting a supplementary exam. University staff are not permitted to provide examination times to students over the telephone or in response to personal enquiries.

Submission

Students must retain a copy of all assignments submitted.

All assignments in this course are to be submitted electronically through Turnitin.

All written work in the Law school is required to comply with the approved Law School style guide, The Australian Guide to Legal Citation.

Extensions: Requests for extensions must be made electronically according to law school policy. Extensions will be granted only for unexpected illness, hardship or on compassionate grounds in accordance with University Policy. Work commitments, travel, holidays or sporting engagements are not unexpected circumstances.

Penalties:

Late Submission: Submission penalties of 5% (of the total mark of the assignment) each day (or part thereof) will be deducted for late submission (including weekends and public holidays), (ie, an essay graded 63% will have 5% deducted if it is one day late, for a final mark of 58%, 10% if it is two days, etc).
Word Length: Assignments which exceed the allocated length (word length or page limit) will be subject to a penalty of 5% of total marks available per 100 words or part thereof (ie with a word limit of 3,000, an essay graded 63% will have 5% deducted if it is 3001 words long, for a final grade of 58%, 10% if it is 3101 words long, etc). Words are calculated excluding footnote citations, headings within the text and cover page information. Quotations and all substantive information included within footnotes are included in the word count.

Turnaround time: The research paper will be returned to students within 4 weeks of the submission date with written individual feedback. Students will be notified by email when assignments have been marked.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Approval of Results by Board of Examiners

Students are reminded that all assessment results are subject to approval (and possible moderation/change) by the Law School’s Board of Examiners. Assessment results at the University are not scaled. Under the Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy, students are assessed ‘by reference to their performance against pre-determined criteria and standards … and not by ranking against the performance of the student cohort in the course’. However, under that same policy, the Board of Examiners (as the relevant Assessment Review Committee for courses at Adelaide Law School) is required to ‘ensure comparability of standards and consistency’ in assessment. On occasions, the Board of Examiners will form the view that some moderation is required to ensure the comparability of standards and consistency across courses and years, and accordingly provide fairness to all law students. All assessment results are therefore subject to approval (and possible change) until confirmed by the Board of Examiners and posted on Acess Adelaide at the end of each semester.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
The University Writing Centre provides academic learning and language development services and resources for local, international, undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students enrolled at the University of Adelaide.

The centre offers practical advice and strategies for students to master reading, writing, note-taking, time management, oral presentation skills, referencing techniques and exam preparation for success at university through seminars, workshops and individual consultations.

For more information please check out the Writing Centre website at http://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/

Lex Salus Program

Lex Salus was founded in 2013 by Adelaide Law School Wellbeing officers Ms Corinne Walding, Ms Kellie Toole and Dr Mark Giancaspro. Lex Salus is an initiative of the Adelaide Law School aimed at raising law student awareness of the importance of mental, physical and nutritional health across all year levels of the degree, and of the various counselling, disability and equity services both within and outside the University that can provide help. Research shows that law students, both in Australia and in many jurisdictions around the world, experience the highest levels of stress, anxiety and depression out of any other discipline. Many do not get enough sleep, maintain a healthy diet or achieve a realistic work/life balance. Making matters worse, they are unwilling or afraid to speak up for fear of feeling 'weak' or because of the negative stigma that attaches to seeking help. Lex Salus is dedicated to tackling these problems head-on.

Counselling Service

The University Counselling Service provides a free and confidential service to all enrolled students. We encourage you to contact the Counselling service on 8313 5663 to make an appointment to deal with any issues that may be affecting your study and life. More information is available at https://www.adelaide.edu.au/counselling_centre/.
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Further information regarding the Law School Policies and Procedures in relation to Supplementary Assessment, Extensions, and Remarks etc can be found at:

https://unified.adelaide.edu.au/group/law-school/policies-and-procedures

Plagiarism and other forms of cheating

Plagiarism is a serious act of academic misconduct. All students must be familiar with the Adelaide Law School Enrolment Guide, and should note in particular the sections relating to plagiarism, grievance procedures and academic conduct within the Law School and the University.

Plagiarism is a serious matter and is treated as such by the Law School and the University. Please be aware that “academic dishonesty” (which goes beyond plagiarism) can be a ground for a refusal by the Supreme Court of South Australia to refuse to admit a person to practice as a legal practitioner in South Australia.

Academic honesty is an essential aspect of ethical and honest behaviour, which is central to the practice of the law and an understanding of what it is to be a lawyer.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator