ASSESSMENT PLAN FOR THE UNDERGRADUATE AND MASTER’S DEGREE

PROGRAM IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE

 March, 2004

 

Department of Criminal Justice

College of Health and Human Sciences

Georgia State University

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Department of Criminal Justice Mission Statement

Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree with a Major in Criminal Justice

Master of Science (MS) Degree with a Major in Criminal Justice

 

 

DEPARTMENT’S MISSION STATEMENT

 

The mission of the Department of Criminal Justice is to generate and disseminate knowledge and information that is theoretically driven and policy relevant for the fields of criminal justice and criminology. This is accomplished by (1) engaging in research and scholarly activities to address issues of crime and justice affecting diverse populations in urban settings; (2) producing students who are critical and ethical thinkers, knowledgeable about the issues of crime and justice, and prepared for leadership positions in public and private sector agencies that address crime and justice problems; and (3) collaborating with public and private agencies through education, training, and research ventures that enhance our understanding of, and response to, issues associated with crime and the administration of justice.  Through these activities, the Department strives to promote basic principles of justice that enhance the criminal justice profession and benefit the community at large.

 

 

ASSESSMENT PLAN FOR THE UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE

I.       LEARNING OUTCOMES

 

The overall goal of the Criminal Justice program is to prepare students for entry into justice professions.  Students with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice should understand the causes of crime and delinquency, the process of adjudicating criminal cases, and the major components of the system – public safety, judiciary, corrections and juvenile justice. To accomplish this goal, students must be educated to conceptualize ideas about crime and the criminal justice system, to think critically about these concepts, and to communicate their thoughts effectively in written and oral form.  These broad goals are encompassed within the following Learning Outcomes.

 

  1. Demonstrate a command of four basic skills: to read critically, to write clearly, to think analytically, and to speak effectively.

 

  1. Understand and apply scientific reasoning to the study of crime and justice.

 

  1. Display a comprehensive social science approach to the study of crime and justice by utilizing the academic disciplines of anthropology, economics, history, political science, psychology, public administration, and sociology.

 

  1. Articulate a comprehensive understanding of the evolution and current operations of the principal components of the criminal justice system (public safety, judiciary, corrections, and juvenile justice).

 

  1. Explain the role of law, both substantive and procedural law, as a central feature in the criminal justice system.

 

  1. Illustrate an understanding of the significant role that crime plays in our society and a command of criminological theory.

 

  1. Benefit from this comprehensive approach of the study of crime and justice with its theoretical and practical applications upon graduation either by entering graduate school or commencing their career.

 

 

 

II.                FACILITATION OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 

  1. To achieve Learning Outcome #1 (“basic skills), courses in the Undergraduate program incorporate exercises designed to stimulate students’ reading, writing, speaking, and analytical skills.  Instructors have wide discretion in developing how these objectives are to be met in each individual course.  The Capstone: Internship component of the Undergraduate program provides a mechanism for showcasing these skills.  All students are required to work in an agency setting prior to graduation.  Concurrent with this practical experience, students enroll in the internship seminar course, where they are required to complete written papers and oral presentations combining their academic and practical (i.e., internship) experiences. Written course requirements in the Seminar include: 1) completion of written essays and an exam assessing the student’s knowledge of the field prior to starting work with the intern’s agency; 2) a descriptive essay describing the intern’s agency; 3) a pro/con essay designed to test critical thinking skills as they relate to a controversial issue in the justice system and, 4) a theoretical essay that tests the interns understanding of theory in a criminal justice/criminology context and 5) an essay designed to critically analyze the intern’s agency and intern’s experience working within that agency.  Students are also required to present oral progress reports throughout the semester. The oral progress reports are planned presentations combining the extant criminal justice literature and the intern’s agency experience.  Additional Undergraduate courses required for majors may be designated as “writing intensive” under University procedures.

 

  1. To achieve Learning Outcome #2 (“scientific reasoning”), courses in the Undergraduate program are designed around findings from scientific research.  Individual courses devoted to the study of each area (public safety, judiciary, corrections, and juvenile justice) are offered.  Instructors have wide discretion as to the specific content (i.e., which research findings) are included in each course.  CRJU 3020: Research Methods in Criminal Justice and CRJU 3610: Criminal Justice Statistics have been identified as examples of how these learning outcomes may be facilitated.  These courses provide students with the methodological and analytical tools necessary to comprehend and conduct criminal justice research.

 

  1. To achieve Learning Outcome #3 (“comprehensive social science approach”), courses in the Undergraduate program are designed around social science research conducted in multiple academic disciplines.  Instructors have wide discretion in developing how these objectives are to be met in each individual course.  The fields of anthropology, economics, history, political science, psychology, public administration, and sociology are possible areas of concentration.  Students may also be encouraged to take courses in other academic disciplines to complement their studies within the CJ program.

 

  1. To achieve Learning Outcome #4 (“evolution and operations of principal components”), courses in the Undergraduate program are designed to illustrate the independence and interrelatedness of the principal components of public safety, judiciary, corrections, and juvenile justice.  Instructors have wide discretion in developing how this information is conveyed in each individual course.  Individual courses devoted to the study of each area are required.

 

  1. To achieve Learning Outcome #5 (“law as a central feature”), courses in the Undergraduate program are designed to highlight the importance of the substantive and procedural law in the evolution and operations of the principal justice system components.  Conversely, courses in the Undergraduate programs should also be designed to illustrate how the law is shaped by societal factors and operations of the principal justice system components.  Instructors have wide discretion in developing how this information is conveyed in each individual course.  Individual courses devoted to the study of each area are required.

 

  1. To achieve Learning Outcome #6 (“criminological theory”), courses in the Undergraduate program are designed to highlight the scope of the “crime problem,” theoretical explanations of crime and delinquency, and how our understanding of how these concepts affect system processes.  Instructors have wide discretion in developing how this information is conveyed in each individual course.  Individual courses devoted to the study of each area are required.

 

  1. To achieve Learning Outcome #7 (“post-graduate education/career commencement”), students should receive academic advisement to help outline their ultimate career goals and identify a plan of study designed to help them achieve these goals.

 

III.             ASSESSMENT

 

The procedures for assessing the learning outcomes are outlined below.  CRJU 4930 (Internship Seminar in Criminal Justice) and CRJU 4940 (Criminal Justice Field Instruction) are the primary mechanisms for assessing learning outcomes.

 

  1. Learning Outcome #1 (“basic skills”):  A student’s successful completion of the Capstone: Internship Seminar component of the Undergraduate program (i.e., grade of C or higher) indicates adequate proficiency in these skills.  In this capstone course students will be required to produce a portfolio that contains a current resume, their written essays, and at least one Power Point presentation from the oral presentations.  This portfolio will be compiled by the student and submitted to the instructor teaching the seminar in electronic or paper format at instructor’s discretion.  Additionally, an agency evaluation of the student is sent to the agency where the student performed their internship.  This survey allows us to assess the work performance of our students.

 

  1. Learning Outcome #2 (“scientific reasoning”):  A student’s successful completion (i.e., grade of C or higher) of CRJU 3020: Research Methods in Criminal Justice and CRJU 3610: Criminal Justice Statistics indicates adequate proficiency in these skills.

 

  1. Learning Outcome #3 (“comprehensive social science approach”): A student’s successful completion (i.e., average GPA of 2.25 or higher) of the Lower Division requirements currently indicates adequate proficiency in these skills.

 

  1. Learning Outcome #4 and #5 (“evolution and operations of principal components” and “law as a central feature”): A student’s successful completion (i.e., grade of C or higher) of six courses currently listed under Area J thhe Undergraduate curriculum indicates adequate proficiency in these skills.

 

  1. Learning Outcome #6 (“criminological theory”): A student’s successful completion (i.e., grade of C or higher) of CRJU 3410: Criminology and HHS 3000: Communication/Cultural Diversity indicates adequate proficiency in these skills.

 

  1. Learning Outcomes #1 – #6:  Students will be required to successfully complete a comprehensive true/false exam offered in the Capstone: Internship component of the Undergraduate program.  The exam will include questions assessing students’ basic knowledge gathered from the required courses in the Undergraduate program.  The exam will be offered every semester.  Students will be required to complete the exam at the introductory meeting required of students prior to their enrollment in the Internship seminar.  Students who do not successfully complete the exam will be required to re-take the exam at the beginning of their Internship experience.

 

  1. Learning Outcome #7 (“post-graduate education/career commencement”): The survey will be designed to gather information about graduates’ employment and post-graduate educational experiences and satisfaction with the undergraduate program. Criminal Justice alumni will be asked to complete a survey assessing the value of their major for their job placement, their future career aspirations and their own personal goals.

 

 

 

IV.    IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

 

The undergraduate committee will have the overall responsibility for maintaining data collection, reporting, and dissemination of assessment results to faculty in the Department of Criminal Justice.  The first review of material will occur in fall 2004 and will be conducted on a yearly basis from that point on.  This committee will also be responsible for developing curricular changes based on the assessment results and the input of the faculty.

 

1.            Review of Grades:  On an tri-annual basis the grades of students in all of the courses mentioned in the above assessment plan will be reviewed.  This will help the Criminal Justice Department to discover and correct problem areas.

 

2.            Capstone Course Assessment:  On an annual basis the portfolios of 20% of all the students completing the capstone courses (CRJU 4930 - Internship Seminar in Criminal Justice and CRJU 4940 - Criminal Justice Field Instruction) will be reviewed to assess students’ performance.  Over time this will also allow us to assess changes in the student body and in our curriculum.

 

3.            Capstone Exam:  Beginning in the fall of 2005 students will be required to take an exam upon enrollment in the Internship. This exam will cover the basic areas of Criminology, Public Safety, Courts, Corrections and Juvenile Justice. The internship coordinator will utilize these results to help make decisions on where to place students. The outcome of this exam will be evaluated on a tri-annual basis.

 

4.            Agency Evaluation:  On a tri-annual basis 20% of all the agency evaluations will be reviewed by the Undergraduate Committee assessing the overall work performance level of our students.  

 

5.            Alumni Surveys:  Every three years a survey will be sent to all students who have graduated from the Criminal Justice Department in the past three years. 

 

 

 

 

ASSESSMENT PLAN FOR THE MASTER'S PROGRAM IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE

 

I.    PROGRAM PURPOSES AND PHILOSOPHY

 

Crime and criminal justice are at the forefront of national policy and practice. The increasing emphasis on professional preparation in criminal justice careers places additional academic demands on the in-service professional. The Masters of Science degree in criminal justice represents a broad range of study designed to meet the academic needs of both pre-professional students and those already employed in the wide range of agencies that make up the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems. The program also prepares select students who pursue further graduate study.

 

The masters of science program will contain the following:

 

a.       required courses, comprising 18 credit hours, intended to provide strong backgrounds in criminological theory, organizational and management theories, statistics, and research methods;

b.      elective courses, comprising 12 or 15 credit hours, which provide concentrations and expertise in a variety of specialized areas; and

c.       a capstone experience (including either thesis research or a capstone seminar), which functions as an integrative experience and allows students to demonstrate competence and synthesis of the knowledge and skills acquired through the program of study.

 

The science of criminal justice represents an intellectual endeavor in understanding the nature of crime and the juvenile and criminal justice systems’ responses to crime.  Such an understanding leads to direct practice where ideas and methods are applied to solve crime problems, as well as to address inefficiencies in criminal justice services.  The graduate program focuses on the preparation of criminal justice professionals with advanced competencies in their respective specialties and areas of interest and emphasizes excellence in practice, problem-solving, critical thinking, inquiry, and leadership. The master's degree program provides an ideal learning laboratory for employed professionals working in the criminal justice system and students seeking entry into a doctoral program.

 

II.    LEARNING OUTCOMES

 

At the time of graduation, students who successfully complete this program will be able to:

 

1.      Demonstrate a working understanding of the theoretical knowledge base in criminology and criminal justice.

 

2.      Critically analyze crime and justice issues and/or information utilizing theoretical, methodological, and statistical skill bases.

 

3.      Apply learned terminology and theory to real-world situations that both relate to and expand outside the fields of criminology and criminal justice.

 

4.      Communicate effectively, in oral and written form, their understanding and analyses of crime and justice issues as they apply their knowledge to real-world problems and questions.

 

5.      Apply acquired research and statistical skill bases to evaluate the quality of scholarly products and their contribution to the fields of criminology and criminal justice.

 

6.      Discuss an integrated view of crime and criminal justice systems and processes and how the components interact and intersect to provide coordinated justice administration.

 

III.    METHODS OF ASSESSMENT

 

The procedure for assessing achievement of our learning outcomes will utilize three methods.  They include:

 

1.   Capstone Experience

 

All masters level students will be required to complete a capstone experience during the later part of their degree program.  The experience will provide students with a choice of activities designed to enhance their knowledge and application of criminal justice and the research process and to prepare them for entry into a doctoral program or a career.  All students will complete one of the following two options for their capstone experience:

 

  1. Thesis Research (CRJU 8900)

 

Thesis research includes individual study of a selected research problem in criminal justice or criminology under the direction of an approved thesis chair and thesis committee.  It is taken for a minimum of six semester credit hours.  Thesis research requires the collection and/or analysis of data.  The thesis constitutes a significant part of the work toward the master’s degree and is the culmination of all other activities.  The thesis represents high standards of scholarly inquiry, technical mastery, and literary skills.  Students develop a proposal, collect and/or analyze the data, write the thesis, and orally defend the thesis. The final defense of the thesis must be scheduled prior to the final two weeks of scheduled classes for the semester of anticipated graduation.  The final thesis defense must be attended by no fewer than three members of the student’s thesis committee and will be open to all faculty and the general public. Approval of the thesis is by majority vote of the student’s thesis committee. The thesis will contribute primarily to the assessment of learning outcomes 1 through 5, and to a lesser degree, the assessment of the learning outcome 6, depending upon the student’s research topic and problem.

 

  1. Capstone Seminar

 

Students choosing the capstone seminar (non-thesis) option will be required to enroll in one, 3-credit hour semester course during the Spring semester (the course will not be offered during the Fall semester and Summer session).  Students who have chosen this capstone option also must enroll in one additional elective course.  Students who have completed at least 21 credit hours toward the degree, including all of the required courses, will be permitted to enroll in the capstone seminar.  The course will outline specific measures to achieve the learning outcomes. 

 

During the seminar course, students will be required to:

 

1.   complete written critical analyses of scholarly literature on core and specific topics in the fields of criminal justice and criminology during the semester,

 

2.   make a presentation on a chosen topic and interact with other students and the instructor in a discussion of the topic during the semester, and

 

3.   take a comprehensive exam at the end of the semester.

 

The seminar will contribute primarily to the assessment of learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6, and to a lesser degree, the assessment of the learning outcome 5, depending upon the student’s research topic and problem.

 

2.   Entry and End-of-Program Surveys

 

      All students will complete an anonymous questionnaire about the M.S. degree program in criminal justice both at the beginning and ending of their program of study.  The graduate committee will produce a written summary of the results.

 

3.   Alumni Survey

 

      Criminal justice alumni will be asked to complete a questionnaire which assesses whether they have entered a doctoral program or law school, or are pursuing a career; if employed, whether their master’s degree education in criminal justice is of value in their current position and how; whether their master’s degree has contributed in significant ways to their current endeavors. Alumni will be asked to complete these questionnaires every three years. The graduate committee will produce a written summary of the results.

 

IV.    ANALYSIS OF DATA AND PROGRAM ASSESSMENT

 

The department’s graduate committee, comprised of the graduate coordinator and a rotating faculty membership, will conduct a tri-annual assessment of the data accumulated from the methods described above.  Each assessment will comprise a review of the last three years of data since the last review. The protocol for the analysis of data and program assessment includes the following steps:

 

1.   The committee will review all students’ theses to determine the degree to which the learning outcomes were met, as well to identify any specific weaknesses related to the assessment method and the particular learning outcomes.

 

2.   The committee will review the results of the comprehensive exam from a random sample of students, including evaluation of subcategories of the results specific to particular learning outcomes.  Their evaluation will include an overall assessment, as well as an identification of any specific weaknesses associated with the exam and the particular learning outcomes.

 

3.   The committee will review the summarized results of the questionnaires submitted by the graduating students and alumni to assess the overall program in terms of perceived strengths, weaknesses, and contributions to future endeavors.  The committee will produce a summary report containing its findings and suggestions as to how to address the students’ perceived weaknesses.

 

4.   After review of data from the different assessment methods, the graduate committee will determine to what degree each of the learning outcomes are being achieved by our master’s students. 

 

5.   The report from the graduate committee will be presented to the faculty and discussed at a meeting explicitly oriented to the evaluation of the results.  Faculty will then be charged with developing modifications to the program, where the data clearly indicate failure to meet the learning outcomes.  The faculty also will provide input to the graduate committee on the effectiveness of our assessment procedures and development improvements in these procedures where warranted.

 

V.    IMPLEMENTATION OF TIMELINE

 

The Department of Criminal Justice’s graduate committee developed the student learning outcomes for its M.S. degree program in November, 2003.  This document presents a plan for how the student learning outcomes will be assessed.  The graduate committee developed the assessment plan in accordance to the University Senate policies and as required by SACS and the Board of Regents. The plan was submitted to the faculty for discussion and was approved at a faculty meeting on February 27, 2004.  The assessment program will be instituted in the AY 2004-2005 and the learning outcomes will be assessed at least once every three years.

 

 

 

 

Revised: March 3, 2004