Annual ReportFiscal Year 2007
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe annual report of the Department of Criminal Justice identifies the most salient accomplishments of the Department for AY 2006-07. Five primary types of sources were used in identifying data for this report: the core data set - Annual Summary; October 2007 Academic Record Supplements, the Criminal Justice Department Strategic Plan, the Criminal Justice Department Undergraduate Assessment Plan, and the Criminal Justice Department Graduate Assessment Plan. The primary mission of the Department is identified in its teaching function but all five faculty members are also considered responsible for research and service. The Criminal Justice Department serves nearly 300 majors and over 50 minors, making us the second largest major in the College of Arts and Sciences and a generator of nearly a full percent of the Universities' student credit hours, though we comparitively have a quite small number of faculty. With a high student to faculty ratio the Department of Criminal Justice is significantly restricted to serving its own majors with average upper division class sizes exceeding 40 students and it struggles to also serve its growing number of Doctoral students which is nearing double digits. We are also an informal partner with the Sociology Master's program, teach several of the undergraduate Sociology courses that are impacted by our majors, contribute to the relatively new Forensic Science major, are a planned part of the Psychology distance learning Masters, and contribute well to the general education curriculum. Despite these teaching pressures, members of our faculty were selected for the Getting Started summer program, became an Executive Committee member of Phi Betta Kappa, were chosen as Who's Who Among American Teachers and Educators, and are honorary members of the Golden Key Honor Society. Members of the Department are also significantly involved in University, and community service with participation on over 20 University and college committees as well as having advisory responsibility to two student organizations. Members of the department are also involved at the local, state, regional, national and international levels as may be observed by their memberships in thirteen professional organizations and divisions as well as numerous state and local community organizations, positions, and activities. Members of our faculty were nominated for the Martin Luther King Jr. Award in three categories, received the Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Service to Humanity and made the Who's Who Among Executive and Professional Women "Honors Edition" as well as the Who's Who of American Women. Of note also is the implied support and recognition of our efforts by professionals in the field as they accept and speak highly of our numerous student interns who are supervised and placed not only in our region and our state but throughout the country as well. During the AY 06 thirty interns were placed, contributing over 8300 hours to the field. Research is also an important part of Departmental expectations and faculty are active in their participation in University, regional, national, and international conferences and in submission to and seven publications in a mix of national, and international journals, books, and encyclopedia. Additionally, several members review for journals as well. Several faculty serve on numerousThesis committees and Dissertation committees. Also, numerous works are in progress which will look good for our next annual report. Members of our faculty were selected Fulbright Senior Specialist and selected as an expert liason by the F.B.I. Regional Victim Unit. Finally, five grant proposals were submitted this past year and three grants were in progress. Overall, the productivity of the Department would be assessed as excellent, especially given the very high teaching loads, advising loads of around 70 or more students each, and the subsequent demands placed on the faculty. There are many challenges facing the Department as student enrollments remain very high and subsequently place increasingly costly demands on already stretched resources. With the implementation and growth of the doctoral program in Criminal Justice these demands have become even greater but yet present new and exciting challenges. Overall, the past year for the Department of Criminal Justice appears to have gone well and with the addition of one new faculty member as planned when the Doctoral program was first proposed, the department would be well positioned to meet our current challenges and perhaps create new opportunities as together we work toward the Strategic Initiatives of our department and the University of North Dakota and progress into the year 2008.
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ORGANIZATIONThe Department of Criminal Justice completed its fourth year as a recently formed (September 2003) academic unit of the College of Arts and Sciences. In its educational function the Department directly serves several groups, undergraduate Criminal Justice Studies majors, minors, and double-majors, Forensic Science majors, students in various Sociology undergraduate courses, Sociology master's program students, and Criminal Justice doctoral students as well (in conjunction with Minot State University). Faculty also serve as members of the Women Studies program with one faculty member serving as Director of the Women Studies Program. The year under review was the fourth year of the Department of Criminal Justice which previously was a Program within the Department of Sociology. |
MISSION OF THE UNITThe mission of the Department of Criminal Justice is broadly subsumed within the three functions of teaching, research and service to achieve the production and dissemination of knowledge guided by the principle of a just system of social regulation and control in the advancement of societal well-being. The goals of the teaching mission are achieved primarily through direct classroom instruction supplemented by experiential learning opportunities grounded in establishing foundations for lifelong learning. The research mission addresses both basic and applied research intended to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the discipline of Criminal Justice as well as operational issues confronting criminal justice agencies and institutions. The Department of Criminal Justice meets its service mission through participation in departmental, college, and university governance, as well as involvement in professional and community activities that contribute to the betterment of the criminal justice discipline, the community and society. |
STATE OF THE UNITThe Criminal Justice Studies Program was established in 1974 with grant support from the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration of the U.S. Department of Justice. At its inception the Program was created as an interdisciplinary program with administrative responsibility housed in the Department of Political Science and courses constituting the major curriculum offered in the departments of Political Science, Sociology, Social Work, and Psychology. This early structure provided a strong liberal arts foundation for the program but was very difficult to administer. The position of Director of Criminal Justice Studies was within the Department of Political Science in the
From its beginnings in 1976 The Criminal Justice Studies Program experienced significant growth in demand. In 1984 the program had 90 majors. By 1992 there were over 300 majors and despite the implementation of admission standards in 1996 which temporarily reduced the number of majors, we are approaching the 300 mark again. Additionally, approval of the Ph.D. program was granted in 2002 and the number of graduate students in the program is growing. Overall, the state of the Department would be assessed as excellent, especially given the very high teaching loads, advising loads of 70 or more students each, and the subsequent demands placed on the faculty. There are many challenges facing the Department as student enrollments remain very high and subsequently place increasingly costly demands on already stretched resources. With the implementation and growth of the doctoral program in Criminal Justice these demands have become even greater but yet present new and exciting challenges. Overall, the past year for the Department of Criminal Justice appears to have gone well and with the addition of one new faculty member as planned when the Doctoral program was first proposed, the department would be well positioned to meet our current challenges and perhaps create new opportunities as together we work toward the Strategic Initiatives of the University of North Dakota and progress into the year 2008. Human ResourcesFACULTY: Michael Meyer, Ph.D. (tenured - Full Professor) 24 yrs at UND, Fulbright Senior Specialist, recipient of BEST paper at international CRIMSA Conference. Wendelin Hume, Ph.D. (tenured - Associate Professor) 17 yrs at UND, Chairperson of Criminal Justice, Director of Women Studies, selected for Who's Who Executive and Professional Women "Honors Edition", Who's Who of American Women, Who's Who Among American Teachers and Educators, MLK AWARD - Service to Greater Grand Forks Community nominee, MLK AWARD - Service to the State of North Dakota nominee, recipient of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for Service to Humanity, chosen as UND campus and area expert liason by the F.B.I. Regional Victim Unit. Bruce DiCristina, Ph.D.(tenured - Associate Professor) 7 yrs at UND. Martin Gottschalk, Ph.D.(tenured - Associate Professor) 6 yrs at UND, chosen as Welcome Weekend Faculty Advisor, chosen as Getting Started Advisor. Roni Mayzer, Ph.D. (tenure track - Assistant Professor) 4 years at UND, chosen as Getting Started Advisor, nominated to attend Chance to Enhance Dinner. REOCCURING ADJUNCT: Kristi Pettit, J.D. (Law for the Criminal Justice System) Mike Kirby, Captain (Police Administration) STAFF: Dorothy Jerik (Administrative Secretary) 27 years at UND, 7 years in current position.
In AY 2007 Criminal Justice Department personnel consisted of one Full Professor (male), two Associate Professors (one female, one male), and two Assistant Professors (one female, one male). Some other diversity of Department personnel is also reflected in the range of ages, the different religious backgrounds, the racial/ethnic composition of the Department with one faculty being Native American, and in the fact that one faculty member is handicapped. All faculty have obtained their Ph.D.'s. All faculty teach primarily in Criminal Justice although because of previous overlap between Sociology and Criminal Justice, instruction in some courses meets dual program requirements, though credits generated are officially recorded only under Sociology. Three courses are also cross-listed with Women Studies. We have the good fortune to receive the assistance provided by one Administrative Secretary. To offer needed courses and expertise for the PhD program as well as lighten the teaching and very heavy advising load of current faculty to allow more time for interaction with students as well as time for research and grant writing another faculty position is desperately needed. A request for a new faculty line was submitted and approved by the Dean of Arts and Sciences the prior year so it has remained at the Vice-Presidential level. It is important to support the junior faculty and not overburden them as they each work through the tenure process and/or solidify their professional efforts. It is also important to acknowledge and reward the contributions of the senior faculty so they will not accept one of the rather lucrative offers from other institutions but instead continue their noteworthy involvement with UND. Those We ServeThe University:Overall: Members of the Department of Criminal Justice were highly active across a broad spectrum of service to the University, to students, and to external constituents and other stakeholders in AY 2007. A detailed enumeration of these activities is beyond the scope of this report. Departmental committee membership and work: Members of the Department were highly involved in providing service to the University through participation in departmental activities and committees as well as serving on a broad array of college and University committees and providing a variety of services to the students. In a department with a small number of faculty but a broad range of duties from serving a large undergraduate major to growing a new multi-university (UND& Minot) Doctoral program, departmental committees often are committees of the whole which can be quite important but time consuming. Examples of the range of service are provided below. Department of Criminal Justice: Comprehensive Exam Committee, Annual Review/Reappointment Committee, Merit Review Committee, Program Assessment Committee, Graduate Program Curriculum Development Committee, Bylaws Committee Exceptional contributions to the university: University: Campus Committee for Human Rights College of Arts and Sciences Council Member College of Arts and Sciences Salaries Committee College of Arts and Sciences Tenure, Reappointment and Promotion Committee Faculty Instructional Development Committee Getting Started Freshman Advising Program Graduate Committee Graduate Faculty Healthy UND Coalition Maternity Leave Task Force McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program Native American Programs Native Americans Into Criminal Justice Studies Initiative Director Office of Enrollment Services - Outreach Assistance Office of Enrollment Services - Open House Phi Beta Kappa - Faculty Affiliate President's Advisory Committee on Women, Chair Student Academic Standards Committee UND Welcome Weekend Faculty Ambassador Upward Bound Career Mentor UND Senate Undergraduate Program Review Committee - Psychology University Bookstore Advisory Committee Women Studies Director Women Studies Executive Committee Member Women Studies Faculty
Orientation of faculty/staff/students: Members of the Department were also highly active in work with student organizations and orientation efforts as demonstrated by the following: instruct: Orientation to the Graduate School Process, Orientation to Administrative Internship, Women Studies - Senior Studies Advisor, Criminal Justice Association Advisor, Native Americans into Criminal Justice Association Phi Betta Kappa faculty affiliate Phi Betta Kappa Executive Committee Member Getting Started Freshman Advising Program - 2 faculty McNair mentor Office of Enrollment Services - Outreach Assistance Office of Enrollment Services - Open House Student Academic Standards Committee UND Welcome Weekend Faculty Ambassador Partnerships and collaborations with other departments: The faculty involvement with both the interdisciplinary Women Studies Progam and the campus wide President's Advisory Council on Women (Chair) demonstrates collaboration with other departments. Additionally, the undergraduate Criminal Justuce Program is interdisciplinary thus providing regular collaborations with faculty in Sociology, Psychology, Forensic Science, Political Science and Philosophy. The Doctoral Program requires collaboration with Minot State and extensive use of the IVN network which involved United Tribes Technical College as well. Work with the Annual Red River Women's Studies Conference also entails collaboration with numerous Universities in the region including the University of Manitoba. Collaboration also occured in the area of research with the Department of Psychology and the submittal of a Center of Biomedical Research Excellence [COBRE] grant. Promotion of diversity and involvement: Promotion of diversity and involvement is evident in many of the efforts described above such as advising the student organizations especially the Native Americans into Criminal Justice Association. Involvement in the McNair program also focuses on diversity and involvement in research. The successful internship and cooperative education programs in Criminal Justice and work with the Center for Community Engagement also promote student involvement. Efforts with the Women Studies program and PAC-W emphasize the importance of diversity as well. Serving other campus units as a support unit , UND committee membership and work, Any other significant contributions serving the University : These Departmental efforts are already shared and explained above. Despite being very strained at the departmental level with a fairly high teaching load and a very high advising load in addition to the usual research expectations, our faculty believe very stronly in the importance of self-governance in the University environment and are willing to pitch in where needed. We wish such service contributions were rewarded and viewed more favorably given the importance to the functioning of theUniversity as a whole and the model it sets for the students to follow.
Students:Service to students occurs through a wide variety of means. The most obvious and direct means are through the classroom teaching function, through quality advising (though we do have over 50 advisees each), through directing multiple independent research projects (over 22 - resulting in over 70 credits), through numerous quality field internship placements (30 placements which contributed over 8,300 cumulative hours to the community both regionally and nationally), thorough the use of undergraduate teaching assistants (6 which provided peer support as well as unique learning and mentoring opportunities) as well as in the context of faculty scholarship as this translates into the level and quality of the knowledge and preparedness of the faculty. We continue to support the Native Americans into Criminal Justice diversity initiative which has been successful at increasing the number of minority students pursuing the major. One of our faculty served as the faculty advisor for the 2006 Carter Academic-Service Entrepreneur (CASE) Award recipient who worked on a project to bring cultural elders and their lessons to the American Indian youth in the Grand Forks community. Scholarship and creative activity among the Criminal Justice faculty was very good this past year with a wide array of published (8) and presented works (20), one of which was selected as the BEST conference paper. Faculty made presentations of research at regional, national, and international forums. Numerous undergrate students assisted with research or served as teaching assistants. All of the Criminal Justice graduate students on the UND campus served as teaching assistants and the majority presented scholarly work in at least one forum and one of the graduate students published and received a national award for his research about gangs while another received an international scholarship to attend a specialized training session in statistical techniques in relation to crime mapping. The Department continued to maintain its heavy teaching responsibility in 2006-07 with faculty maintaining a 3/2 load as there was no flexibility to allow for any real release time for administrative or research obligations for any of the faculty including the Chairperson, who was teaching a partially uncompensated overload. Enrolled undergraduate majors, Fall Semester: Criminal Justice. . . . . . . . . . 285 (compared to 01=228, 02=258, 03=285, 04=292) Enrolled Ph.D students, Fall semester: Criminal Justice . . . . . . . . . . 5 (compared to 03=1; 04=3) Student Completions, Year: Undergraduate - Criminal Justice. . . . . . . . . . . 76 (05=56) Graduate - Criminal Justice. . . . . . . . . . . 0 Student Credit Hours for the fall: Criminal Justice (total). . . . . . . 2983 Lower Division. . . . . . . . . 1248 (01=1275, 02=1578, 03=1644, 04=1542, 05=1575) Upper Division. . . . . . . . . 1674 (01=1125, 02=1419, 03=1463, 04=1625, 05=1744) Graduate . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 (02=3, 03=50, 04=50, 05=57) As shown in the consistently high numbers presented above, the Criminal Justice Department provided 2,983 credit hours of instruction of which 696 SCH were General Education credits and 375 were evening credits. These numbers do not reflect the courses our Professors teach in Sociology such as mutiple sections of Research Methods and Corrections or under the Arts and Sciences course listings. As a proportion of resources committed to direct instruction these numbers are direct indicators of the heavy teaching responsibility undertaken by the Department. This load may be further identified by the average class sizes, especially at the lower division level. The average upper division class size was 42 in contrast to the University average of around 25 students in comparable courses in past years. Lower division Criminal Justice courses averaged 143 students. For the University as a whole the average class size for lower division courses was around 30. The Department of Criminal Justice continued to provide summer course offerings. The number of courses offered has remained stable, while demand for the courses both from within the major as well as from other majors has increased. Overall the numbers present clear evidence of Departmental instructional activity greater than the University average. Additionally, there are consistantly high enrollment demands on the Criminal Justice Department. Our student-faculty ratio is well over 50 to 1 and our student-staff ratio is over 265 to 1 not counting our 57 minors and the Doctoral program students. Despite this overload of demands on faculty we also put great pride in our retention efforts which include quality advising and regular communication about file and progress reviews via mail. In 1995 the Criminal Justice Studies Program instituted, as part of its admission criteria to the major, an overall GPA of 2.7 in an effort to manage the high student interest in the Program. The number of majors in 1995 exceeded 300. Enrollment figures for Criminal Justice as a first or second major indicate that the admission requirements had the intended effect as enrollments dropped to 228 majors in the Fall Semester, 1998, and to 201 majors in the Spring Semester, 1999. By Fall 2001 enrollments had increased to 228 CJ majors and now our majors are at 265 despite graduating 76 in the past year alone. It should also be pointed out that our files indicate a higher number of majors as PeopleSoft is having difficulty accounting for double majors among other things. During this same period, however, the average GPA of CJ majors increased from 2.7 to over 2.9. In fact each year many of our majors are chosen for Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges as well as the Golden Key National Honor Society. Thus, the Criminal Justice Studies major has had a mixed experience. Enrollments are remaining constant, however, the quality of performance among these students has risen significantly. This trend in high enrollment is expected to continue as also indicated by the increasing number of phone calls and e-mail contacts as well as the number of prospective students letters sent out by our department 8/00-6/01=120; 07/01-06/02=84; 07/02-06/03=520; 07/03-06/04=551; 07/04-06/05=444; and 07/05-06/06=535;07/06-06/07=195. The number of student completions also marks the impact of the Criminal Justice Department on the University and the College of Arts and Sciences. Seventy six students graduated with a B.S. CJS degree in the 2006-07 AY. This represents over 11 percent of all Bachelor degrees awarded in the College of Arts and Sciences. The number of graduates in Criminal Justice has been increasing each of the last four years, which is a trend that is likely to continue (00-01=40, 01-02=46, 02-03=47, 04-05=51, 05-06=56). External Constituents and Other Stakeholders:In addition to the notable University and student service shared above, service to the larger community (region, state, nation, and international) was a significant part of Departmental activity throughout the year. One departmental member was nominated for the Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Service to the Greater Grand Forks Community, and for Service to the State of North Dakota - they wound up being awarded for Service to Humanity. As these activities were highly varied, and of different degrees of involvement, a listing is being presented rather than an extensive description. Of note also is the implied support and recognition or our efforts by professionals in the field as they accept and speak highly of our numerous student interns who are placed and often later hired not only in our region and our state but throughout the country as well. During the AY 06 thirty interns were placed, contributing over 8300 hours to the field. -MEMBERSHIPS AND INVOLVEMENT- Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) ACJS Policing section ACJS International section ACJS Women and Minorities Division American Society of Criminology (ASC) Association of American Indian and Alaska Native Professors Association of Working-Class Academics Delta Tau Kappa - International Honor Society Drug Policy Alliance Feminist Majority Foundation International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law Midwestern Criminal Justice Association National Women Studies Association (NWSA) - Women of Color Caucus (WOCC) NWSA Graduate Scholarship Judge NWSA WOCC Rep. to the Constitution and Bylaws Revision Committee NWSA Accessibility Chair North Dakota Peace Officers Association North Dakota Public Employees Association North Dakota WEAV Curriculum Infusion Task Force Society for Research on Adolescence
-COMMUNITY SERVICE AND INVOLVEMENT- Community Violence Intervention Center Girl Scouts of America Pine to Prairie Council - Board of Directors for Region 3 Girl Scouts of America Pine to Prairie Council, East Grand Forks Service Unit, Community Cookie Chair Girl Scouts of America Pine to Prairie Council, East Grand Forks Service Unit, Senior Troop Co-Leader North Dakota Public Employees Association Timer, Red River Valley Y Swimming Team |
ProgrammingThe most significant programming development was the forth year of the Ph.D. program in Criminal Justice. This program is a partnership with the Department of Criminal Justice at Minot State University and we finished adjusting the curriculum to reflect the Master's only admission stipulation which was not what was originally proposed. The revised curriculum focuses on providing a solid background in statistics and research methods as well as classical and contemporary theory while allowing a student to design their area of emphasis as well as choose a few electives. Curriculum revisions were submitted through the campus committees and were approved. The main difficulty encountered for approval was our stretched department personnel resources and the lack of response from higher administration to our continued request for an additional faculty line which was included in the original proposal. While offering a joint program has challenges which we are working on, such as which institution gets the tuition dollars yet how it all needs to show up on one transcript, we have had many inquiries by interested students and our enrollment has increased each year. Some challenges such as the loss of Criminal Justice faculty at the Minot institution are not able to be solved at our end though it does place additional responsibility on our faculty. During the first four years we have been able to offer doctoral level courses while not weakening the undergraduate program. In order to fully implement the planned course offerings at the Doctoral level, while not neglecting the undergraduate program, we need the second faculty position that was initially requested in the Doctoral program proposal to be able to be approved. While much of the programming effort during the year was directed to the fledgling PhD program, progress also took place regarding assessment and strategic planning. The ability to retain our current faculty and add an additional faculty member will be crucial to our programming plans as well as our ability to have the time to develop quality on-line and IVN courses. Program revisions for the undergraduate program will be submitted during the coming year. After our initial assessment results and conversations with the Department of Sociology it has been decided to make "Corrections" a Criminal Justice course at the lower division level. We have split the Criminal Investigations course into two parts to allow for more thorough coverage and we hope understanding of the material. We also will change the numbering of the Orientation class for internship placements to minimize confusion during registration as demand for this class grows. Changes in the couse descriptions of a couple of courses to better reflect actual course content has also been proposed. Otherwise, our courses seem to be giving the students a chance to learn the desired content of our field while also improving their communication and critical thinking skills. While enhancing diversity is not one of the main goals of our department it should be noted that we have offered the doctoral level Tribal Justice class, we have informal partnerships with institutions in South Africa and Slovenia, we participate in the cultural diversity tution waiver program, and we continue to have an active Native Americans into Criminal Justice student Association. Fiscal and Physical ResourcesDespite the wonderful rennovations in O'Kelly Hall for the new department three years ago, space remains a concern. We have no space available for new Doctoral students and the current students are very cramped even with their attempts to schedule around each other. The departmental library/meeting room has been changed into a small office for the adjunct faculty and we now hold departmental, committee, and small class meetings in the lounge/kitchen area. It has been indicated that we will likely be able to use office space on our floor once it is vacated and we look forward to the college space plan which will let us accomplish that. Arts and Sciences has also been supportive of our technology needs, though the equipment requests process does not allow for support of software needs below the $250 per license level. At the present time however, fiscal resources remain the area of utmost concern. The basic operating budget for Criminal Justice has not changed only slightly in the past several years despite the addition of four faculty over the years and we are requesting an additional faculty now, though we did receive a slight increase based on student credit hours generated by our department. With inflationary costs, cost centered accounting within the University, and increased personnel, the lack of increased operating expenses is placing significant stress on the fiscal resources of the Department. In addition to the need of another faculty member, the department has fallen significantly behind in its ability to support faculty in the attendance of regional and national meetings to present research and creative activities. The lack of funding has directly impeded this essential aspect of professional development, as the placement of the primary cost of attending even one meeting on individual faculty members is often prohibitive. As one of our faculty are untenured and three will be seeking promotion the ability to financially support their professional development is a great concern to the department. At a recent regional conference in our discipline, when the topic of support for presentations and travel was addressed our department was among the lowest in the room at under $600 a year while several schools offered over $1,500 a year with $1,000 being the average and full support for one national conference being quite common as well. Please note that all the schools were in the midwest region and many did not have a Ph.D. program. Currently all of our funding comes from appropriated dollars. The heavy teaching, administrative, and advising loads has prohibited the faculty from seeking significant grant support though smaller proposals were submitted and one large collaboraive application was submitted though not funded at the present time. We do offer five scholarships for undergraduate students which are supported by foundation proceeds. We do receive some occasional alumni support (under $300 total) and we are establishing a web page to network with alumni which will hopefully increase this support. |
EvaluationAssessment of Accomplishments of YOUR Strategic Plan Goal:In establishing the departmental strategic goals the previous University strategic initiatives were used as an outline. Based on this outline, the Department developed its first strategic plan September 2000. The plan is revisited at least annually and was most recently revised in 2006. Following is a report on activities and accomplishments in attaining goals set out in this plan and its subsequent revisions. We are currently working on updating our strategic plan to cover revisions in the University strategic plan. Some of the information shared here will also be repeated in the section of the report "Strategic Initiatives", as several of the main categories are similar to the areas we used to develop our plan.
Curriculum Quality - Criminal Justice:
Action: The first of two positions requested with the formation of the Doctoral program was filled with the hiring of Roni Mayzer, effective Fall 2003. We are still seeking approval for one additional faculty line. All paperwork for the request has been submitted and received approval by Arts and Sciences, Vice-Presidential approval was assured but is officially pending.
Action: As previously determined by the Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, the Forensic Science Program has been established as a stand-alone program within the College. We continue to work with the Director and Forensic students and several of our courses as well as our advising loads are heavily impacted by these students, many of which are double-majors. We remain interested in assisting attempts to bring a State Forensic lab to campus though these efforts may be circumvented by recent availability of funding and other efforts on the NDSU campus.
Action: Due to rapid changes in the environment as Criminal Justice moved out of Sociology and established a Ph.D. program, this goal has been temporarily put on hold in favor of emphasizing Goal 1-4. We continue to work with students in the Master's program and serve on their committees.
Action: The Department of Criminal Justice at the University of North Dakota and the Department of Criminal Justice at
Action: Support the importance of developing contacts and requesting resources such as funding, which is comparable to other Ph.D. granting institutions, for faculty and graduate students who are currently working on these projects. Several of our faculty are working on international research and one is significantly involved in international presentations and networking. We currently have one international student in the program and we continue examining new international applications as they arrive. Funding to support these efforts has been sparse.
Action: We provided market comparisons to the Dean of Arts and Sciences when merit and other adjustments to salary were recommended. We are fortunate that all of our faculty come from top institutions in our field but it is difficult to keep them here given the low rates of compensation and inadequate travel support. Commitment to Research - Criminal Justice:
Action: Have assisted the Arts and Sciences Dean in examining the possibilities of working with the North Dakota Attorney General's Office to facilitate the establishment of a branch office of the state crime lab at UND.
Action: Preliminary inventory of criminal justice/criminology journals maintained by the Chester Fritz Library has been completed. Discussion with Library staff to increase Library holdings is ongoing. We were able to increase the book holdings last year and all faculty participated in the selection of materials. The acquisition of journals is a separate process however, so we will continue efforts to increase the holdings necessary to support the Ph.D. program.
Action: We continue to seek an appropriate increase in the Departmental budget to support the departmental goals.
Action: Recruit and train qualified Graduate Teaching Assistants which may be able to assist with course offerings. Continue to make needs known and actively seek institutional support for additional faculty Position(s).
Action: Request that the Arts and Sciences Dean provide an allocation to cover the initial costs to provide necessary basic software used during the conduction of doctoral level and above research. Attempt to obtain an appropriate amount of annual funding to cover annual licensing fees and to be able to respond to unique research needs that arise. Attempts through typical equipment and other requests have not been successful though one grant proposal allowed some licenses to be purchased. Serve the People - Criminal Justice:
Action: Continued development of Native Americans into Criminal Justice Initiative. Continued development and support of Native Americans into Criminal Justice Association membership and activities. Tribal Justice research is currently taking place by both faculty and graduate students. Ideas for grant proposals are currently being developed. Information on domestic violence among the Native American population was incorporated into the statewide curriculum module which was published in 2005 and another publication on this topic was submitted as well.
Action: Our department continued exploration of international partnerships with countries such as Improve Campus Climate - Criminal Justice:
Action: We have three sources of scholarship funding at the present time. Increasing funding is an on-going effort. Ideas for securing additional funds from alumni are being developed.
Action: We are exploring possible affiliations and examining what the costs and benefits would be. We would like to defray the start-up costs for student and faculty advisor memberships but we would need additions to our budget to do so.
Action: An initial outline of Bylaws which allow for democratic participation by all members as well as establish clear expectations and explain evaluation methods has been developed and work on the Bylaws continues.
Action: We continue offering diversity tuition waivers, serving as Mentors for the McNair program, participating in Time-Out week, and supporting the student organizations in Criminal Justice. We provide a supportive atmosphere for all students regardless of religious backgrounds, sexual orientations, or ethnic affiliations, we also provide needed accommodations to disabled students.
Action: We continue to provide a department atmosphere of respect and inclusiveness. We support and reward faculty service efforts which contribute to improving the campus climate. We also attempt to provide needed support and accommodations to disabled faculty. Stabilize Enrollment - Criminal Justice:
Action: The system for tracking student progress in the major was revised. Notification letters sent to students regarding major status were revised and updated. All student files have been updated and despite the time commitment of this task, continue to be monitored each semester. Students have responded favorably to this monitoring and often call or e-mail the Chair with questions prompted by the letter or seek advising by faculty to address concerns raised in the letter.
Action: We regularly updated fact sheets, prospective student response letters, the departmental website and catalog copy. Now that the curriculum revisions are in place we will develop new brochures for the Ph.D. program. Optimize Information Tech. - Criminal Justice:
Action: This goal was modified in light of the larger institutional goal of increasing the availability of classroom technology. All main classrooms now used by criminal justice faculty are supported by necessary computer and audio-visual capabilities. Plans for assisting professional presentations were developed and the necessary equipment request was supported. A collaboration with the departments of Sociology and Social Work resulted in the approval of a student technology fee proposal to improve the lab in Gillette Hall which has just recently been updated and completed.
Action: Courses with the potential to include greater instruction and involvement of students in computer technology and applications have been identified and those courses are now including such instruction within their curriculum. The desire for a specific course in computer applications in criminal justice has been identified. However, limitations on funding and personnel resources at this time are prohibitive to establishing a specific course to address this need. Employers in the field have commented favorably on the technological abilities of our interns.
Action: We have routinely submited requests for hardware and funding for software to the various avenues on campus. We have established a regular cycle of computer replacement and were also able to obtain one new computer and a lap top for faculty use. The number of computers available in the department for undergraduate and graduate students has increased. Resource Development - Criminal Justice:
Action: The department has developed case statements and requests as well as participated in various College of Arts and Sciences fundraising efforts. The development of an Alumni webpage on the departmental website is being planned. Support - Criminal Justice:
Action: We recognize the importance of mentoring and sharing advise with faculty who are working toward tenure. One faculty achieved this goal.
Action: We acknowledge the importance of keeping the senior faculty enthusiastic about their efforts at UND by supporting their efforts toward promotion and advocating for adjustments to the salary compression they have experienced over the years. One faculty was recently promoted.
Action: Our departmental library was rearranged to serve as temporary office space and the Arts and Sciences Dean and others have been reminded of our space needs as remodeling and reorganization continues in O’Kelly Hall.
Undergraduate - Assessment 1:Learning Goals of our program Part I: Basic Skills Student Learning Goal 1: To be able to think critically and use abstract knowledge to help resolve concrete problems. Student Learning Goal 2: To have basic computer skills necessary to find, communicate, and create information. Student Learning Goal 3: To be able to communicate effectively. (i.e. write and speak effectively) Part II: Understanding of the Criminal Justice System and Related Theories Student Learning Goal 1: To understand the American criminal justice system. Student Learning Goal 2: To understand criminological theory. Student Learning Goal 3: To understand basic legal concepts and their ethical foundations. Part III: Understanding of Criminal Justice Research Student Learning Goal 1: To understand basic research methodology. Student Learning Goal 2: To understand basic problems of criminal justice research. Part IV: Appreciation for Principles of Justice Student Learning Goal 1: To have an appreciation for principles of justice. Student Learning Goal 2: To have an appreciation for how principles of justice shape criminal justice systems. Part V: Appreciation for Diversity and Good Citizenship Student Learning Goal 1: To have an appreciation for diversity in American society. Student Learning Goal 2: To have an appreciation for efforts to establish a more just society.Undergraduate - Assessment 2:Methods of Assessment PartI: Basic Skills Comparison of Pre and Post Test scores for significant improvement and a median score of at least 75 in the post test. Analysis of oral presentations. Part II: Understanding of the Criminal Justice System and Related Theories Comparison of Pre and Post Test scores for significant improvement and a median score of at least 75 in the post test. Part III: Understanding of Criminal Justice Research Comparison of Pre and Post Test scores for statistically significant improvement and a median score of at least 75 in the post test. Part IV: Appreciation for Principles of Justice Comparison of Pre and Post Test scores for significant improvement and a median score of at least 75 in the post test. Part V: Appreciation for Diversity and Good Citizenship Comparison of Pre and Post Test scores for significant improvement and a median score of at least 75 in the post test. Note: for any of the goals - Other faculty may submit analysis of their course assessment measures as well.Undergraduate - Assessment 3:Results of Assessment With the financial support of the Provost office our department held a retreat wherein we went over our assessment data from the last two years. While this has only been our second year of working with assessment data the consistent difference between pre (Intro class students) and post (Capstone course students) test scores overall and the analysis of presentations in the capstone course definately affirm the achievement of student learning goals. We had picked the .75 figure somewhat arbitrarily prior to collecting the assessment data. We also now are aware that some students are in the Capstone taking the exit exam while just simultaneously completing several of their key courses in the major, sometimes even prior to the last semester, so we are not giving a true "exit exam", but our method is workable and sufficient to provide useful assessment data. In going over the results we saw clear and convincing improvement between those starting and those finishing their major in all goal areas. We wish to strengthen student knowledge of criminal investigation issues and critical thinking. We also would like to strengthen their knowledge of correctional issues. By going over the assessment results all faculty had the opportunity to discuss which goals they were addressing in their courses so the students would have the knowledge reinforced at different points throughout the curriculum. Going over our assessment results helped the faculty relect on what goals Department members felt were important, not so we could teach to the test,but so we could be individually aware of the goals so we can continue to emphasize them or increase our emphasis on them as we see fit.Undergraduate - Assessment 4:Changes Based on Assessmnent We wish to strengthen student knowledge of criminal investigation issues and critical thinking and so this year we started offering the Criminal Investigations course as a two semester long course. We also will be assuming responsibility for the Corrections course (currently taught in Sociology) and lowering its level so it will serve as a prerequisite to a higher level course which will emphasize some of the issues in our field which some of the students did not score highly on. We will also use a waitlist and department screening to ensure that our students are taking the Capstone course during their last semester if possible, not to raise our assessment scores but to enhance their comprehension of the material before assessing them on it. By going over the assessment results all faculty had the opportunity to discuss the learning goals and decide how they could better address or emphasize these goals in their individual classes.Graduate - Assessment 1:Learning Goals for the Graduate Program PartI: Analytical and Communication Skills Goal 1: To be able to think critically and use abstract knowledge to help resolve concrete and/or abstract problems. Goal 2: To be able to communicate effectively. (i.e. write and speak effectively) Part II: Understanding Criminological Theories Goal 1: To understand the historical theorists as well as the contexts and development of Criminological theory. Goal 2: To understand contemporary theorists as well as the current contexts and recent developments of Criminological theory. Goal 3: To understand the basic aspects of human nature and how these assumed foundations influence the development of Criminological theory. Goal 4: To demonstrate the ability to integrate various theoretical perspectives together. Part III: Understanding Statistics and Research Methods Goal 1: To understand and utilize qualitative research designs/ methodologies. Goal 2: To understand and utilize quantitative research designs/ methodologies. Goal 3: To understand, select and explain a variety of appropriate statistical analysis. Goal 4: To understand and describe underlying philosophical assumptions of the scientific methodologies. Part IV: Appreciation for Various Criminal Justice Relevant Concepts Goal 1: To have an appreciation for how principles of justice shape criminal justice systems. Goal 2: To have an appreciation for diversity in American society. Goal 3: To have an appreciation for efforts to establish a more just society.Graduate - Assessment 2:Assessment Methods PartI: Analytical and Communication Skills Comprehensive Examination pass ratio’s and the number of repeated attempts. Approved written dissertation and successful defense thereof. Part II: Understanding Criminological Theories Data will be collected as each comprehensive exam, and dissertation is completed. Analysis will be completed once a year. Part III: Understanding Statistics and Research Methods Data will be collected as each comprehensive exam, and dissertation is completed. Analysis will be completed once a year. Part IV: Appreciation for Various Criminal Justice Relevant Concepts Data will be collected as each course, comprehensive exam, and dissertation is completed. Analysis will be completed once a year.Graduate - Assessment 3:Assessment Results Given that we are a relatively new program, only one set of comprehensive exams has been taken thus far and that was only by a couple of the students, both of which also had courses at other institutions. At this point we know the individual student's strengths and weaknesses and we are dealing with those but we are not comfortable drawing conclusions about the program as a whole at this point.Graduate - Assessment 4:Changes Based on Assessment As noted above it is too early to decide on any specific program changes but we did develop a reading list and specific descriptions of the comprehensive exam format and rules to guide students in their study efforts. These guidelines were helpful but now we are developing specific study suggestions as well to better prepare students in the future. Based on analysis of student performance in one of the advanced statistics classes for the first cohort, a second more advanced quantitative analysis methods course was developed and offered. The next set of comprehensive exams is set for December so further assessment of the graduate program will take place in the Spring 2008 semester.Other Assessment and Evaluation Activities:The Department of Criminal Justice engaged in other assessment related activities. Members of the department were involved in General Education Longitudinal Study presentations and activities sponsored by the General Education Committee. Points of information learned from these efforts were shared with all department members so their teaching and assessment methods could be better informed. Our main general education course, Introduction to Criminal Justice, was recently revalidated. Given that the pre-test measure for the departmental assessment plan is administered in the course, that same measure was used as part of the revalidation efforts. Revalidation was received and no significant changes are planned in the course. However, even though the goal of "understanding other cultures" is not one of the goals purposively addressed in the class, the instructor will make special efforts to deconstruct stereotypes regarding race and crime as that is picked up more readily by students than previously assumed. A professional association in our field (Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences) has just finished developing guidelines and suggested standards for educational programs. We will be monitoring their testing and use of the guidelines and plan to compare our program to the guidelines in the future. Based on that comparison changes in the program may be considered. At the present time our program seems to be comparing favorably with the exception of student-to-faculty ratios which we are trying to address with the request for another faculty line.
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STRATEGIC INITIATIVES AND PLANNINGPriority Action A: Provide a Quality Curriculum
Priority Action B: Expand and Strengthen Commitment to Research
Priority Action C: Serve the People
Priority Action D: Improve the Campus Climate
Priority Action E: Optimize and Stabilize Enrollment
Priority Action H: In Support of Faculty and Staff.....
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