Course Syllabus

Fall 2025 | CRJ-1010-VO01 - Introduction to Criminal Justice

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

Brian St-Pierre
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Philip Crossman

General Education Requirements

Social Science

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

This course provides an overview of the American criminal justice system, tracing its history and development while assessing its strengths and weaknesses. The roles of the agencies that comprise the criminal justice system (representing law enforcement, courts, and corrections) are examined. Students explore career opportunities in the criminal justice system, including positions as a law enforcement officer, court personnel, attorney, paralegal, corrections, justice advocacy, and victim services.

Essential Objectives

1. Describe the historical development and major components of the American criminal justice system including law enforcement agencies, the courts, rehabilitation, and corrections, as well as victims' rights and services.
2. Identify the major U.S. Constitutional amendments and Supreme Court decisions applicable to the American criminal justice system.
3. Describe various psychological and sociological theories used to understand and explain criminal behavior.
4. Identify the major elements in the American penal system, including probation, parole, corrections, and restorative justice.
5. Describe the objectives and outcomes of various societal responses to criminal behavior including incarceration, restitution, social service intervention, and other alternatives to the criminal justice process.
6. Explain how societal definitions of criminal behavior and responses to that behavior have created disparities based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender expression, and sexuality in the criminal justice system.
7. Critically examine how data on crime, recidivism, crime prevention, and the use of force by law enforcement and corrections are collected, reported, and used in an ethical manner.
8. Evaluate at least one innovative criminal justice intervention practiced locally, nationally, or internationally.
9. Discuss the importance of cultural competence and trauma-informed practice in criminal justice professions and identify skills and strategies for supporting and collaborating with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
10. Explore the scope and diversity of career opportunities in the field of criminal justice through assignments such as informational interviews, job shadows, or other career exploration activities.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV computer recommendations Support page.

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

This course uses one or more textbooks/books/simulations.

Fall 2025 textbook details will be available on 2025-05-19. On that date a link will be available below that will take you to eCampus, CCV's bookstore. The information provided there will be specific to this class. Please see this page for more information regarding the purchase of textbooks/books.

CRJ-1010-VO01 Link to Textbooks for this course in eCampus.

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.

Artificial Intelligence(AI) Policy Statement

CCV recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools are widely available and becoming embedded in many online writing and creative applications.

Integrated: This course's generative AI policy acknowledges the use of AI is an essential skill in today's world. By using genAI for specific purposes, students become equipped with relevant skills and tools necessary to thrive in a technology-driven society. Emphasizing the mastery of generative AI should empower you to harness its potential, enhancing your problem-solving abilities and preparing you for future challenges and opportunities. Be aware, however, that any time generative AI is used at any point in the assignment without attribution it may be considered a violation of CCV's Academic Integrity Policy.

Methods

This course aims to familiarize you with the facets of our justice system from policing to corrections in a practical and real-world setting. In this class, you will have the opportunity to build skills that will give you a leg up whether you are taking this course as an elective or are currently in a criminal justice career path.

For these above reasons, this course relies heavily on class discussions but requires you to set aside a reasonable amount of time for you to work individually. Throughout the course you will be shifting between private and public discourse, alternating your attention from theory to applied real world concepts and applications. Some of this course work will include case studies, assignments, and engaging projects.

As an asynchronous course, this will require you to be actively present in weekly discussion forums but there is also a good deal of reading, reflection, and written communication expected as well. I will be including case studies, videos, primary sources, pertinent journal articles, and films, to further enhance the course material and make it fun. Each week, I will provide a variety of resources and engaging discussion topics to encourage you to apply the topic to practical real-world situations. A lot of what we do in this class will have immediate relevance to your life and work.

Evaluation Criteria

Category:	Weight in Percentage
Assignments	35%
Discussion Posts (Including peer replies)	20%
Midterm Case Study	15%
Final Project	20%
Quizes	10%

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

Due to the online nature of this course and our natural inability to record in person attendance, participation will be measured based on the student's continued involvement in weekly discussions. These discussions are a crucial aspect of online learning as they are the best way of capturing students understanding of the material and their willingness to interact and exchange ideas with their class. As such, here are some ways for you to optimize your presence and participation and get the most out of the class!

• Keep in mind that our weeks run on aTuesday 12:00 AM to Monday 11:59 PMso consider this in your day-to-day activities to stay on top of class requirements.
• Pay close attention to the deadlines and due dates applied to course work including assignments, projects, quizzes, and discussions. This will always bebolded.Posting on time ensure your consistent participation and provides your fellow students they’re on opportunity to participate.
• Make sure to contribute to your initial discussion post in an engaging, pertinent, and respectfulway that demonstrates your unique position and experiences regarding the material being covered. Avoid minimalistic posts that just barely meet expectations.
• Make sure to reply to atleast two of your classmatesduring the week in an engaging way that sparks continued discussions. Avoid close ended replies that prevent continued thoughts on the topic.
• Pay close attention to therubrics attachedto each assignment/discussion/project. These rubrics will tell you exactly what you need to do and what is expected from you. Your participation in classroom discussions will be measured in said rubrics.

Please refer to the following link for more specific and detailed CCV attendance policy:COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF VERMONT ATTENDANCE POLICY, in addition to:Grading, Attendance, Academic Standing

Missing & Late Work Policy

As you begin this class, you may be a student who is currently working in your career and looking to advance in the ranks or perhaps you’re a student preparing for a career in public services and this class is one of your first steps in that direction. Either way, it is important to keep in mind and get accustomed to the idea that deadlines are important, and you will soon be responsible for due dates that you have little to no control over. As such, I would like this to be a learning experience and provide an opportunity for you to build or work on these skills. To ensure your success, here are some important things to consider.

• New content in this class builds from previous material so staying on top of your submissions is very important as it keeps you in the rhythm of the course.
• Any initial discussion poststhat are submitted after the Thursday 11:59 PM deadline will experience a 5% decreasein points each day until the discussion forum closes on Monday at 12:00 AM and the new week begins. At this time, discussion cannot be submitted and no points will be awarded.
• Peer posts can be submitted up until the deadline of Monday at 12:00 AM but cannot be submitted once the forum is closed for the week.
• With the exception of quizzes and exams which have strict deadlines, general assignments and projects that are submitted late will experience a 5% per day late penalty until your grade reaches zero.

Important considerations:

We are all human and life happens. Many of us are juggling family life, jobs, and other responsibilities. Although I will be monitoring student participation throughout the semester, it is your responsibility to self-advocate and reach out to me if you find yourself in a difficult situation. This includes life tragedies, physical health problems, mental health concerns, etc.Extensions and make up work are afforded on a discretionary basisto avoid students waiting last minute to participate as required.

We are all in this together andcommunication is key. Never hesitate to reach out to me via email or the Canvas messaging function to address your concerns.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity

Apply Now for this semester.