Your responsibilities in this course are working through lessons and assigned readings, completing activities and assignments, and participating in discussions (post your contribution to the discussion and respond to at least three classmates throughout the week). You are expected to complete all activities and assignments by the due date listed in the course syllabus.  Most important, please ask questions!

It is a Penn State policy that e-mail is an acceptable form of communication and notification. Penn State makes e-mail accounts available to all students. It is your responsibility to access your Penn State accounts. This information may be obtained in the computer center.

When contacting me (and others), be sure to sign your message so I know who you are.  Proper salutations and proper grammar are strongly encouraged.  Please do NOT use text format that you would use on cell phones and in instant messaging.

Three exams: (45% of your overall grade, 15% each exam)

The tests will contain multiple-choice questions. You are NOT permitted to use any items during the exam. You may NOT use your texts or other course materials. The student is NOT permitted to use any content or discussion forums in Canvas or other files on the computer. You will have 30 minutes to complete each exam.

Four writing assignments using APA Style: (35% of your overall grade)

Grading of Writing Assignments

Click here for a detailed list of specific areas upon which the instructor will be concentrating when grading writing assignments.

The purpose of the course written assignment is to demonstrate your knowledge of the material by applying the concepts learned in class to a police department.  The final paper will be between 5,000 and 5,500 words and incorporate 10-15 peer-reviewed journal articles (and other reputable sources).  You may use the readings on reserve as well as scholarly articles you find via the library databases.  APA publication style is expected.

Never fear!  This written assignment is separated into mini-papers due throughout the semester, so you will be writing a few pages at a time and receiving feedback.

NOTE: ABSOLUTELY NO QUOTED MATERIAL SHALL BE USED IN ANY WRITING ASSIGNMENT IN THIS COURSE. USE OF ANY QUOTED MATERIAL WILL RESULT IN AN AUTOMATIC 20-POINT REDUCTION IN THE POSSIBLE POINTS AVAILABLE FOR THE ASSIGNMENT. All assignments must be paraphrased in your own words and properly cited using APA citation style. (i.e., (Gibbs, 2016))

All assignments are due in the appropriate dropbox on Canvas.

• Baltimore (city), MD
• Boston, MA
• Chicago, IL
• Cleveland, OH
• Detroit, MI
• Ferguson, MO
• Hummelstown, PA
• Lower Paxton Township, PA
• Los Angeles, CA
• Miami, FL
• If you *really* want to write about another police department, please talk with the instructor first.  You must be able to pull crime statistics for this department, find Census statistics for the community it serves and find news reports about the department and the community.

In this first paper, describe your police department (e.g., is it a big or small department?  number of officers, command structure, etc.).  Describe the community the department serves (e.g., upper/middle/lower class, racial/ethnic structure, younger v. older population, etc.).  What seem to be the major problem(s)/issue(s) that the police must deal with?  Please cite in APA style the reputable sources you use to describe the police department and the area (e.g., academic studies on this department, police department website, FBI statistics, Census statistics, news reports of major issues in the area).  Also, be sure to incorporate the material covered in lecture.

Paper 1 should be between 1,250 and 1,500 words.  The paper will be assessed on the quality of the police department description, the description of the community, the identification of major issues that the police must confront, APA formatting and mechanics/grammar/proofing.

NOTE: ABSOLUTELY NO QUOTED MATERIAL SHALL BE USED IN YOUR PAPER. THE ASSIGNMENT MUST BE PARAPHRASED IN YOUR OWN WORDS WITH PROPER PARAPHRASE CITATIONS. i.e., (Ruiz, 2008). There must be at least one paraphrased citation in each paragraph of the paper except for the Abstract, Introduction, and Conclusion letting the reader know the source of the information contained in that paragraph. Even if a student uses properly cited quoted material in any paper, it will be subject to an automatic 20% reduction in grade. This penalty does not substitute for any sanction that may be imposed for students found in plagiarism

This second paper should be about 750-1,250 words (about 3-5 pages - do not include the Part 1 revisions in the word count) and incorporate at least five (5) scholarly journal articles reporting what research says police can do to resolve the main problem(s) identified in Part 1 of this assignment.  The paper will be assessed on the quality of the strategic plan (clear mission reflecting problems identified in Part 1, measurable objectives, strategies relevant to problems identified in Part 1), the fictitious budget (at least 20 items listed with estimated costs), APA formatting and mechanics/grammar/proofing.

All journal articles used to construct this paper:

1.      cannot be more than 15 years old;
2.      must be cited in the text of the paper and properly referenced in APA style;
3.      must be submitted electronically as PDF or WORD. There are no exceptions to this rule; and
4.      Each article MUST be, at least, seven pages in length.

NOTE: ABSOLUTELY NO QUOTED MATERIAL SHALL BE USED IN YOUR PAPER. THE ASSIGNMENT MUST BE PARAPHRASED IN YOUR OWN WORDS WITH PROPER PARAPHRASE CITATIONS. i.e., (Ruiz, 2008). There must be at least one paraphrased citation in each paragraph of the paper except for the Abstract, Introduction, and Conclusion letting the reader know the source of the information contained in that paragraph. Even if a student uses properly cited quoted material in any paper, it will be subject to an automatic 20% reduction in grade. This penalty does not substitute for any sanction that may be imposed for students found in plagiarism.

BE SURE TO ADD AN INTRODUCTION AND A CONCLUSION.  A great introduction talks about why the topic is important (why should the reader keep reading?) and gives the reader a “roadmap” or “GPS turn-by-turn directions” of what's to follow so the reader knows what to expect – this can be as simple as listing the section headings.  (Example: “First, the paper will describe the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) in detail, followed by a discussion of its major issues.  Then, how the BPD should approach those issues will be explored…”)

This final paper should be about 5,000 and 5,500 words and incorporate 10-15 peer-reviewed journal articles (and other reputable sources).  The cover page, abstract, references and any tables or graphs do NOT apply to the word count.  Again, APA publication style is expected.

Make sure that you submit scholarly journal articles. As this may be the first time some of you will have to perform such a search, Here's a site helps delineate the difference between Scholarly Journals v. Popular Magazine Articles. A good rule of thumb is......"If it is less than six pages, be suspicious." There are also several helpful tutorials and videos listed in the "Writing Assignment Resources" folder access by clicking the "Activities" link. If you are not sure, ASK!

Also, see this site for APA format instructions: http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/specific-writing-assignments/annotated-bibliographies/?searchterm=APA

Use APA style including face (title) page, abstract, and reference section.

All journal articles used to construct this paper:

1.      cannot be more than 15 years old;
2.      must be cited in the text of the paper and properly referenced in APA style;
3.      must be submitted electronically as PDF. There are no exceptions to this rule; and
4.      Each article MUST be, at least, seven pages in length.

NOTE: ABSOLUTELY NO QUOTED MATERIAL SHALL BE USED IN YOUR PAPER. THE ASSIGNMENT MUST BE PARAPHRASED IN YOUR OWN WORDS WITH PROPER PARAPHRASE CITATIONS. i.e., (Ruiz, 2008). There must be at least one paraphrased citation in each paragraph of the paper except for the Abstract, Introduction, and Conclusion letting the reader know the source of the information contained in that paragraph. Even if a student uses properly cited quoted material in any paper, it will be subject to an automatic 20% reduction in grade. This penalty does not substitute for any sanction that may be imposed for students found in plagiarism.

The paper AND THE ELECTRONIC (PDF) COPIES OF THE JOURNAL ARTICLES USED TO COMPOSE THE PAPER will be submitted in the Drop Box named Topic Paper. Papers AND JOURNAL ARTICLES are due during the week of Lesson 9. Late papers will be accepted during the week of Lesson 10. Papers submitted after that time will not be accepted. All late writing assignments are subject to a 10% reduction in grade for first week or portion thereof that the paper is late. Late submissions will not be accepted after being more than one week late.

Specific areas upon which I shall be concentrating when grading papers:

1. Margins--One inch all around. If in doubt, measure them (or check the Layout menu in Word).
2. Numbers--Numbers 10 and above should be written as numerals except when they are used beginning a sentence.
3. When percent follows a number, utilize the percent (%) symbol.
4. Indentation-- only 1/2 inch on the first line of a new paragraph.
5. Spacing--Double-spaced
6. Proper citations and references are expected. The Citation Machine site also provides excellent citation and reference guidance.
7. Separate sheets for the Title, Abstract, and Reference pages required. Follow proper style guidelines.
8. Page numbers as stipulated. Follow proper style guidelines.
9. Papers will have proper headings.
10. Do not double space between paragraphs.
11. The paper shall be written using TIMES font and 12 size.
12. Do not use the phrase "looked at" unless it is a personal visual observation, or “talked about” unless there was actual conversation. Although this is commonly used by academics to describe a review or study, this is improper terminology.
13. Papers submitted below the required length will receive an appropriate grade reduction for this deficiency.
14. Do not write in the first person. Speak of yourself or your position as “It is believed”, or  “Evidence suggests.”
15. No not use pronouns such as “I, me, you, us, we, etc”. Write in the third person.
16. No not make numeric years possessive, i.e., “1990’s” unless it is an actual possessive. Otherwise write “1990s.”
17. Do not import tables from your journals into your papers. You may use tables that you have created. If you do use tables you have created, remember that all elements of the table must be completely explained in your paper.
18. The Introduction and Conclusion of your papers shall consist of one page ONLY for each.
19. Finally, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS read your finished paper aloud to yourself. Your ears will hear mistakes that your eyes fail to see. Also, have your paper proofread by another who you consider knowledgeable. These last two, if properly done, will go a long way to insuring a score commensurate to your effort.

NOTE: ABSOLUTELY NO QUOTED MATERIAL SHALL BE USED IN YOUR PAPER. THE ASSIGNMENT MUST BE PARAPHRASED IN YOUR OWN WORDS WITH PROPER PARAPHRASE CITATIONS. i.e., (Ruiz, 2008). There must be at least one paraphrased citation in each paragraph of the paper except for the Abstract, Introduction, and Conclusion letting the reader know the source of the information contained in that paragraph. Even if a student uses properly cited quoted material in any paper, it will be subject to an automatic 20% reduction in grade. This penalty does not substitute for any sanction that may be imposed for students found in plagiarism.

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Plagiarism test (5% of your overall grade)

Prior to beginning of the writing assignments, it is mandatory that you proceed to the following web site take and successfully pass the Indiana University Bloomington School of Education Plagiarism Test: http://education.indiana.edu/~frick/plagiarism/

You MUST pass this test no later than the end of Lesson 02. When you pass the test you will receive a certificate indicating that you have passed the test. Please copy that certificate and place it in the DROP BOX supplied for this assignment. You may take this test as many times as necessary, but you must pass the test.

The purpose of this assignment is to inform students who may be unsure of what constitutes plagiarism. Plagiarism will be dealt with harshly in this course and it is important that you understand what it is and how to avoid it. This is an excellent site that explains what plagiarism is and provides examples. Note: No writing assignments will be scored until the Plagiarism Test has been completed and certification placed in the Drop Box.

Click here for important information about Plagiarism.

APA Tutorial (5% of your overall grade)

Prior to beginning the writing assignments, it is mandatory that you proceed to the following web site take and successfully complete the Harvard APA Tutorial: https://gseacademic.harvard.edu/~instruct/articulate/apa_mod/APA_Intro/player.html

You MUST complete the tutorial no later than the end of Lesson 02. When you complete Module 4 of the tutorial, take a screen shot of this page. and submit it to the "APA Drop Box" Drop Box as an attachment. This will be used as proof that you completed the tutorial.

The purpose of this assignment is to inform students on proper use of APA style. Note: No writing assignments will be scored until the APA Tutorial has been completed and the screen shot submission is placed in the Drop Box.

Class participation: (10% of your overall grade)

The Participation grade will be awarded on the basis of the quality of the student’s participation in discussions and posting on the discussion forums. Students are expected to participate heavily in discussions with classmates. It is the obligation of the student to participate before the weekend. The majority of students engage when the discussion forum opens and throughout the major part of the weekdays. This means that students who wait until the weekend to use discussion forms will have little if any discussion. Scoring will not be based on the position taken by the student, but rather how well the student engages with his/her classmates. Discussion forum posts will be assessed weekly on five elements: (1) the frequency of the posts - participate 4 or more times on multiple days throughout the week; (2) the initial posting, responding to each part of prompt or question; (3) follow-up posts building meaningful dialogue; (4) the content of the post - factually correct, reflective and substantive contribution, using reputable references to support position; and (5) mechanics - free of grammatical and spelling errors.