CRJU 5950: Terrorism and Homeland Security

Summer I, 2006 Course Syllabus

Instructor: Dr. Eugene E. Bouley, Jr.

Office: Room 2-13, Arts and Sciences Building

Office Telephone:  (478) 445-0942

Home Telephone:  (478) 452-9522 (Please, not after 9:00 PM)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

CRJU 5950.  Terrorism (3-0-3).  This course is designed to examine the critical criminal justice issues of public policy on terrorism and homeland security.

COURSE PURPOSE, GOALS, AND OBJECTIVES

Terrorism is designed to provide the student with a thorough understanding of historical and current context of terrorism.  The goal is to provide the student with an understanding of the foundations upon which terrorism is based.  This course surveys the various terrorist organizations throughout the world with special focus on those organizations that most affect the security of the United States and its citizens.  The student will

1. Critically evaluate the historical and current objectives, goals and purposes of terrorism.
2. Analyze the religious, political, and economic aspects of terrorism.
3. Comprehend the social, economic, and political implications for the United States.
4. Compare and contrast the criminal justice, military, and political measures taken by the United States to deal with terrorism.
5. Develop and/or improve oral skills through class presentations and group discussion.
6. Develop and improve writing skills by frequent writing assignments.
7. Develop critical thinking skills by the analysis of terrorism issues.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Attendance: You are expected to attend course lectures on a regular basis. The only absences that will not count against you are those absences authorized beforehand by Georgia College & State University because the student is participating in official University functions.  Since this is a graduate class, much of what you will learn will come from discussions with the instructor and with your fellow classmates.  Should you miss more than two evening classes, you will receive a failing grade

Academic Honesty: You are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic honesty. You are urged to read the section on Student Academic Dishonesty in the Georgia College Graduate Catalog and/or the current Student Handbook. Incidents involving academic dishonesty will be processed in accordance with the Graduate Catalog and may be reported by me as a violation of the student honor code.

It should be noted that academic dishonesty does not only refer to cheating on examinations. One primary form of academic dishonesty is to submit a writing assignment that contains words, sentences, or ideas taken directly from an author's work without giving the author credit. For example, in writing assignments students will lift sentences directly from an article or textbook rather than write the idea of the author in their own words.

Reading Assignments: You are expected to complete the reading assignments prior to the appropriate class session. Reading assignments will enhance your understanding of the lectures and prepare you to intelligently participate in class discussions.  Based on my experiences teaching this class, I can assure you that failure to complete the reading assignments prior to class will make it very difficult for you to do well in the course.  Therefore, if you wish to achieve a high grade, read the assignments before class.

Class Participation: Throughout the course, you will be required to participate in class discussions that add to your understanding of the course material.  Effective participation requires a showing that you have read and are familiar with the assigned material and questions. Your participation in class will be graded. The value of the grade for class participation is listed in the grading system section of this syllabus.

Group Assignment: You will be assigned to a group by me during the first night of class.  As a graduate student, you will lead the group to which you will be assigned.  You will organize the group to meet the requirements that I assign to the group.  As student group leader you will keep me informed of the level of participation of each member in the group and the quality of each person's participation.

Class Presentation: You are required to present a class on the material from one or two chapters in the textbook.  Your presentation is to present the major information in the chapter and supplement it with material you research on your own.  This presentation will be graded on the quality of the content of the presentation and how professionally you present the class.  The presentation is to be 50 to 60 minutes long. The value of the grade for the oral presentation is listed in the grading system section of this syllabus.

Graded Analyses: There will be several graded analyses conducted in class.  Some of these analyses will be based on material covered in class, on articles read in class, or on a combination of both.  Others will be based on materials that you will read on your own time.  The value of the grade for the graded analyses is listed in the grading system section of this syllabus.

Examinations: There will be only one examination in the course.  That examination will be the final examination.

GRADING SYSTEM