| Course Evaluation sTRATEGIES (mETHODOLOGIES) | |
|---|---|
| Student performance is evaluated as follows: | |
| 20% |
|
| 20% |
|
| 35% |
|
| 20% |
|
| 5% |
|
| 100% |
|
| Grading Scale | |
|---|---|
| 90-100% |
|
| 80-89.99% |
|
| 70-79.99% |
|
| 65-69.99% |
|
Methods of Course Delivery: The subject matter in this course is presented in various forms which may include lectures, class discussion, demonstrations, collaborative activities, computer assignments, student projects and presentations, on-line research, guest speakers or field trips.
Journal Assignments (500 words, double spaced, 1 inch margins all around, 12 point Times Roman font, with word count indicated on top): For weeks one through three, students will work on a journal entry that summarizes the concepts learned, specifically relative to that week’s learning objectives, tying in: a.) insights from a guest speaker for that week – e.g., a police officer, an investigator, a lawyer, a judge, and b.) a current event in the news, a copy of which should be submitted with the journal assignment. Align the respective weekly course objectives to your journal entry and write toward that objective to demonstrate an understanding. For example, week one, includes the following objectives: Example:
Address each of the weekly objectives in your journal entry. You will be able to analyze the objectives after completing your assigned reading and through class discussions. Journal entries are due on Monday of the following week. (begin week 2, turning in week 1 journal entry). Since the content of the course is on Criminal Procedure, discussion of “moral” or “ethical” considerations are not a legitimate topic. Additionally, only if necessary, there may be an occasion when the professor substitutes weekly journal entries for in class exercises. These may not be announced ahead of time.
Quizzes: You will have two quizzes during this course. Quizzes will be on Tuesday of week 2 and Tuesday of week 3; the quiz content will cover reading assignments and class discussions. Quizzes that are missed due to absence may be made up at the discretion of the professor. The maximum score of a missed quiz is four (4) points (out of ten (10) points). Additionally, there may be an occasion when the professor substitutes a quiz for an in class exercise. These may not be announced ahead of time.
Legal Memo: Students will be given the relevant facts of a case, and will be assigned which side to argue. Relevant cases will be made available, as resources, for your argument, on Blackboard, or via the Library. Your legal memos (whose main sections should be the Argument and Conclusion, should be 6 pages or 1500 words, double spaced, 1 inch margins all around, 12 point Times Roman Font (not including title, table of contents, and reference pages), comply with ALL relevant Blue Book guidelines, and indicate a word count on the title page. A sample memo will be made available. You are expected to use ONLY legal cases (5 minimum preferred) for your references, and are expected to use in-text citations properly to reference your work. Your briefs are due in electronic form on Wednesday, Week 4, by 5 PM, and are to be emailed to me at: cjpicart(at)gmail.com. I need your papers in electronic format to submit them to Turn- It –In, or another plagiarism software. You will then hand in a printout of an IDENTICAL copy of the brief you submitted just before the debate on Thursday of Week 4; turning in a different version on Thursday will result in your maximum grade possible being six (6) points (out of fifteen (15)). Please utilize our Writing Studio as a resource or ask the professor for assistance if needed. See the grading rubric which will be utilized to grade your work.
It is the expectation of this Professor that your work is original, unless properly cited, and completely addresses all components of the assignment. In other words, your assignments submitted for credit in this course should not have been utilized before in another course (by you or anyone else), and at a minimum- 80% is your own work versus what you have borrowed and cited.
Debate: students will be assigned teams, and given strict timelines in which to present their arguments. After the debate, the class will discuss the brief’s and the debate’s significance to the learning objectives of the course. See grading rubric. Legal briefs will be submitted, and debates will occur, by Thursday of week 3. IMPORTANT NOTE: in order to get full debate points, students must attend the other students’ oral arguments. If you do not attend all of your peers’ oral arguments, be attentive and respectful, you may lose (all or part, at the professor’s discretion) points for this deliverable.
Office Hours: The best way to reach me is via email ( cjpicart(at)gmail.com ); you may call me or text me at 850 459 0066 if an emergency comes up; leave me your full name and phone number, if you call and have to leave a message. Typically, the best time to ask questions is during the class, or during the breaks. I will have virtual office hours via Blackboard on Tuesdays and Fridays, 5-6 PM. If you need to talk to me outside of these hours, please email me to request an appointment.
Late Assignment(s): an assignment is late if it is not turned in on the due date. E/mailed assignments that are date stamped with a date after the due date are considered late. Late assignments may be penalized five (5) points for each day late. If you are absent on the due date, assignments should be turned in early or e/mailed.
Exams: will be a mixture of multiple choice, fill in the blank, and/or short essay type questions. The mid-term may include any course material from weeks one through (including) week two coursework. The final exam will include week three and week four coursework. Details will be shared during the review session and is solely at the discretion of the instructor. Missed mid- term exams may be made up if missed because of an excused absence; the make-up exam will be different from the exam Professor approval.
Class Guidelines: