Southeast Missouri State University, BS, Criminal Justice (Off-site)
OFF-SITE DELIVERY OF AN EXISTING PROGRAM
Sponsoring Institution(s):
Southeast Missouri State University
Program Title: Criminal Justice
Degree: Bachelor of Science
Institution Granting Degree: Southeast Missouri State University
Receiving Institution: N/A
Mode of Program Delivery:
Southeast Missouri State University - Kennett; Southeast Missouri State University - Sikeston; Southeast Missouri State University - Malden; and Perryville Higher Education Center (PHEC) – Perryville. Southeast courses will be taught on all four sites by direct instruction and interactive television using criminal justice faculty from the Southeast Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology.
Geographic Location of Student Access:
Southeast Missouri State University - Kennett, Kennett, MO
Southeast Missouri State University - Sikeston, Sikeston, MO
Southeast Missouri State University - Malden, Malden, MO
Perryville Higher Education Center, Perryville, MO
CIP Classification:
Implementation Date: Fall Semester 2008
Cooperative Partners: None
AUTHORIZATION:
Jane Stephens, Provost
John E. Wade Ph.D. 573-651-2685
NEED, DUPLICATION, AND COLLABORATION
1. NEEDS ASSESSMENT
A. Student Demand
At the request of regional campus directors and Extended Learning, the department held information and interest meetings at all four locations during the spring 2007 semester. Approximately fifty students attended these sessions and another twenty who couldn’t attend contacted the department by E Mail. The culmination of these four meetings resulted in forty-four signed applications for admission to the cohort.
For approximately 3 years, the Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology has offered a limited number of criminal justice and sociology courses to students at various regional campuses throughout southeast Missouri. During this time, all three introductory level courses and criminal law have been taught, generally, offering one or two courses each semester excluding summers. Over that period, criminal justice classes have averaged slightly over twenty students without any commitment to offer the entire degree program.
Most often, off-campus courses have been offered at the request of the regional campuses, coordinated through Extended Learning. To date, criminal justice and sociology classes have been taught at the Southeast Missouri State University-Malden, the Southeast Missouri State University-Sikeston, and Southeast Missouri State University-Kennett.
Initially, this proposal calls for offering the B. S. in Criminal Justice Cohort Program via ITV with most courses originating from Kennett. However, instructors will teach at least six sessions per semester each from the other regional campuses. In future years, the majority of courses may originate from Malden, Sikeston, or Perryville based upon perceived demand and adequate student interest.
B. Market Demand
According to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, police patrol positions will increase 15.0% between 2004 and 2014 while supervisory positions in law enforcement will increase 15.5% for the same time frame. For the correctional field, probation and parole and professional correctional positions will increase by 12.8% and supervisory positions in the correctional field will increase by 9.0% for the same time frame. These increases are largely the result of an increased concern for public safety. The fields of law enforcement and corrections join health/mental health, substance abuse, school social work, child welfare, and family services as specific areas of nation-wide growth.
C. Societal Demand
America’s concern with crime and safety has reemerged. After major concerns were voiced during the rising crime rates and mass demonstrations of the 1960s, the government responded with the President’s Task Force on Law Enforcement and channeled vast amounts of money to improve education at local levels. This concern continued through the 1980s but tapered off in the early 1990s as crime rates stabilized or declined. During the Clinton Administration, the passage of the President’s Crime Bill brought more attention and more funding into the criminal justice arena. The concern with foreign and domestic terrorism has also evoked public response regarding the need for public safety and that concern continues today.
D. Community Needs Assessment
Southeast Missouri State University provides professional education for numerous criminal justice agencies within the region. As the field professionalizes, the need for better-educated personnel grows concomitantly. Within the region there are six district offices of the Division of Probation and Parole employing over 120 field officers. Each of the twenty-seven counties maintains its own juvenile office creating a demand for qualified applicants. There is one state correctional facility, Southeast Missouri Correctional Center, and five facilities for the Department of Youth Services. In addition, there is one community service center with another planned for the near future. Last, historically, the region has lagged behind in the professionalization of its police and sheriff’s departments. The combination of the Criminal Justice Program and the Southeast Missouri Law Enforcement Academy has helped improve the delivery of services to communities throughout the region.
2. DUPLICATION AND COLLABORATION
Currently, no public institution offers a Bachelor of Science program in Criminal Justice to residents of southeast Missouri. The closest public program is the criminal justice program at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau.
The Bachelor of Science in criminal justice consists of general education courses, discipline specific courses, and a minor area of study. The University will offer all criminal justice and criminology courses through ITV. General education courses will be available as either face to face classes, WEB, or ITV classes.
FORM FP FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS (Deleted)
PROGRAM CHARACERISTICS AND PERFORMANCE GOALS
Southeast Missouri State University
B.S. in Criminal Justice Cohort Program
Southeast Missouri State University at Regional Centers
Student Preparation
Students admitted to the B.S. in Criminal Justice Cohort Program must meet the regular admissions requirements of the university. In addition, they must meet the following published criteria for admission to the Criminal justice Cohort program.
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Completion of the following coursework with a minimum grade of “C”:
*CJ100 Introduction to Criminal Justice
*CJ110 Introduction to Law Enforcement
*CJ125 Introduction to Corrections
*CJ220 Criminal Law
*These courses have been offered for several semesters at all four regional centers and are pre-requisites for admission to the cohort program.
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Completion of all developmental courses (if applicable).
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Participants need to complete UI309 Crime and Human Behavior prior to graduation to fulfill the minor in Criminology.
Faculty Characteristics
Southeast will provide instruction utilizing full-time criminal justice faculty and a limited number of qualified professionals employed as adjunct faculty. Approximately 70% of the courses will be taught by regular criminal justice faculty. Adjunct faculty employed for specific courses will meet the same professional and academic standards required for teaching a course on campus; a master’s degree in criminal justice or a related field and five years of professional experience. In accordance with University policy, adjunct faculty will be supervised by the academic department to ensure that courses meet campus standards.
The Department Chair will serve as the Program Coordinator and no release time or overload compensation will be required. Student advising will be provided locally by the academic coordinators at the four regional centers in cooperation with the Program Coordinator.
Enrollment Projections
Based on initial interest expressed by prospective students, we expect 40 students to enroll for the first term of the five term cohort program. Anticipating some attrition, we plan for 35 students in term two, 30 students in term three and 25 students in terms four and five with all criminal justice and criminology requirements met at the conclusion of the fifth term. All budget figures are based on these projections. It should be emphasized that the first cohort will not start with less than 35 students the first year. However, once classes begin the program will continue to the point of graduation. The department anticipates that the second cohort, beginning in fall 2010, will commence with a similar number of students and will experience a similar, if not better, attrition rate as student expectations coincides with the department’s expectations.
Form SE
Year |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Full Time |
25 |
17 |
27 |
18 |
Part Time |
15 |
8 |
13 |
7 |
Total |
40 |
25 |
40 |
25 |
Student and Program Outcomes
The B.S. in Criminal Justice Cohort Program requires completion of 120 semester hours of course work, including 33 hours of criminal justice courses and nine hours of Sociology courses to complete the Criminology Minor. To be eligible for the program, students must first complete twelve hours (four classes) of introductory level criminal justice courses. Because these four classes have been offered at the regional campuses for several semesters, there is an adequate pool of eligible students to draw on for the cohort program. It is anticipated that the remaining 21 hours of criminal justice courses and the nine hours of sociology courses will be offered over a five term period using a cohort model. This means that each of the remaining criminal justice and sociology classes will be offered only once during the five term period. This model will allow students to pursue the B.S. degree in Criminal Justice on a part-time basis and, assuming they satisfy all other University requirements, complete the program in the projected five term period.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
General Oversight
As with all off-campus programs at Southeast Missouri State University, the B.S. in Criminal Justice degree will be jointly administered by the academic department and the Office of Extended Learning. The Department of Criminal Justice will be responsible for all matters related to the academic administration of the program, including student admissions and advising, course selection and scheduling, and faculty selection. Extended Learning will provide administrative support which will rely heavily on the administrative staff at the five regional centers.
Faculty Qualifications
Plans call for the use of regular, full-time criminal justice and sociology faculty to teach almost all of the courses in the cohort program. It is anticipated that no more than 9 hours of the 30 hours of criminal justice and sociology classes will be taught by adjunct faculty. All criminal justice courses will be taught as face to face classes at one of the regional centers and via ITV to the remaining three centers. When adjunct faculty members are used, they must meet the same academic and professional requirements for teaching an on campus course.
Support Services
The administrative staff at all four centers maintains a close working relationship with all on-campus administrative and support programs/departments. Consequently, the support services for this program, for both faculty and students, will be comparable to the provision of those same services on campus.
Admission and Financial Aid: All four centers have staff trained to assist students with admissions and financial aid.
Advising and Registration: All four centers have an academic advisor who will work with the Program Coordinator to ensure local availability of student advising on an ongoing basis, both prior to each semester and during a given semester.
Library and Computer Support: Regular courier service allows for the rapid acquisition of print materials via library loan, and all four centers maintain space for reference materials. In addition, computers with internet access are available.
Instructional Support: All four centers are fixed site facilities with modern classrooms with adequate technological support.
