Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
Student Handbook
Academic Appeals - link to university Policy
http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol134.pdf
Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism - link to university policy
http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol60.pdf
Academic Standing -
It is YOUR responsibility to maintain a CLEAR academic standing in order to continue in this program from term to term without limitations. At Ryerson, each student’s academic standing is determined at the end of each academic term, based on the student’s final course grades. The following definitions are taken directly from Senate Policy (46) on Undergraduate Grading, Promotion and Academic Standing.
- Clear - a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of at least 2.00 (except where the student has violated an approved Department/School standing variation or, while on probation , the student has violated the terms of their Probationary Contract). Students with Clear standing may continue their program studies with no restrictions except for the obligation to satisfy requisite requirements.
- Probationary - a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 1.00 to 1.99. Students with Probationary standing may not continue their program studies until a Probationary Contract outlining a specific plan for studies and academic supports has been authorized by their program School or Department, and signed by the student. Students who fail to have such a Probationary Contract by the last date to add courses for the semester will have their course registrations and course intention requests cancelled for the term in question and will be Required To Withdraw (RTW) from their program unless their program School or Department determines otherwise.Students with a Probationary standing at the start of any semester will be eligible to continue their studies in a subsequent semester as long as they achieve a term grade point average (TGPA) of 2.0 or higher and provided they meet the terms of their Probationary Contract and do not violate approved Department/School standing variations. Failure to meet the terms of the Probationary Contract as set out by the School or Department will result in the student being RTW from their Ryerson program.
- Required to Withdraw (RTW) - Students will be RTW from their program for any one of the following reasons:
- a CGPA of less than 1.00 (except students enrolled for their first semester) ;
- a term GPA below 2.00 while on probation ;
- violation of any approved Department/School standing variation;
- violation of a Probationary Contract (including unauthorized changes to the contract or failure to negotiate a Probationary Contract) .
- Permanent Program Withdrawal - Students will be Permanently Withdrawn from their program for the following reasons:
- Any academic performance that would result in “Required to Withdraw”
standing for a second time. - Failure of a course required by their program for a third time.
- Failure to meet the terms of a probationary contract following return after an RTW standing.
- Any academic performance that would result in “Required to Withdraw”
- Disciplinary Suspension - Students who have been placed on Disciplinary Suspension (DS) for Student Code of Conduct violations will not be permitted to register in any course at the University during their period of Disciplinary Suspension. Students who have served their period of Disciplinary Suspension must contact their program department to make arrangements for reinstatement.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities – link to university policy http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol150.pdf
Accommodation for Students on Medical or Compassionate Grounds - The Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology requires documentation within 3 business days of a missed exam or other work in order to make alternative arrangements. In the case of illness, a Ryerson Medical Certificate, or a letter on letterhead from a physician with the student declaration portion
of the Ryerson Medical Certificate attached, is required. In extraordinary circumstances, exceptions to the 3 day requirement to provide documentation can be granted if the medical illness, including documented mental health issues, prevents a student from seeking medical attention or documenting their illness in a timely fashion. For late essays and missed assignments that are the result of new or long term medical issues, please consult with the Chair of the Department to discuss possible accommodations that might be arranged.
Accommodations for Religious, Aboriginal and Spiritual Observance - Ryerson recognizes that a student’s religious and spiritual observance may require an absence from any required course activity as scheduled in the course syllabus (available and/or distributed by the first day of class) or scheduled after the first day of class, or from a final examination as announced later in the term. As soon as practicable, students are responsible for completing the Student Request for Accommodation of Religious, Aboriginal and Spiritual Observance for each course where there is a conflict between academic requirements and religious and spiritual observance. The Student form is located at: http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/forms/relobservforminstr.pdf
Class Attendance - The Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology expects that all registered students will attend class sessions regularly, arriving on time. The course instructor has the right to refuse admission to students who arrive late to class. Students are expected to attend, and meet all the deadlines for, the class and section in which they are registered. The course instructor is not obliged to brief or re-instruct students who fail to attend scheduled classes. Instructors do not provide notes about what students may have missed. Students who miss class carry the entire responsibility of learning what they have missed; obtaining notes, if desired, from others; doing required work; and in general fulfilling any obligations set forth in the class missed. Further, instructors are free to make announcements in class--orally--about assignments and other course matters so long as the overall guidelines on the cover page of the course handout are respected. Students who expect to miss class for a substantial period of time are expected to consult their Program Departments. It is not considered appropriate by the Department for students to miss substantial amounts of class time for any reason. Consult the Departmental policy on deadlines
Complaints - From time to time, students may have concerns and complaints about a course or an instructor. Usually, these issues are best addressed by students and faculty members discussing them directly. Such issues might concern any relevant academic or pedagogical concern. In the event that either party might wish to meet with a third party present, for example the Departmental Chair or another mutually agreed upon person who can be of assistance, such a meeting should be sought.
On those occasions when students are not satisfied with the outcome of such a meeting, or when for specific reasons a student does not wish to meet with a faculty member, the student may discuss his or her concerns with the Chair. Any such conversation with the Chair will be either: (a) informal, or (b) formal:
- Informal Discussion with Chair:
Informal conversations are confidential; and what is said will be kept secret. The Chair will take no action based upon the conversation, with the exception that the student may ask the Chair to speak to the faculty member privately and informally (with explicit agreement about whether or not the student will be identified). It should be recognized that sometimes the faculty member will recognize the student anyway, simply from the nature of the concern or complaint. - Formal Process:
If the Chair is to proceed to investigate formally, there must be a signed written complaint from the student, a copy of which will be provided by the Chair to the faculty member, who will have the opportunity to respond.
Please note that vexatious complaints constitute a violation of the Student Code of Academic Conduct and Ryerson's Harassment Policy, and will be dealt with in accordance with those policies.
Complaints Regarding Coursework -
- Any registered student may make a complaint about the evaluation of any piece of coursework (including the final examination) within ten working days of the time when that particular work is handed back or the grades for it are posted.
- The instructor should make every effort to achieve some reasonable address quickly, within a few days.
- If the student remains unsatisfied, he or she may appeal directly to the Chair. The result of this appeal is itself non-appealable.
- Under NO circumstances should the instructor re-examine or re-evaluate work, or even discuss doing so, after the 10-day window has lapsed. Students with medical and compassionate circumstances can appeal directly to the Chair if the 10-day window has lapsed.
Deadlines - Extensions on deadlines for assignments, and re-bookings of missed classroom tests, are offered by course instructors only. Instructors have the right to stipulate final deadlines for acceptance of assignments, and to impose late penalties as they see fit; and are expected to notify students of these in advance. However, no assignment of any course value will be acceptable by any instructor after 5:00 p.m. on the final day of examinations for the semester in which the course ends, except in cases where an Incomplete (INC) grade has been assigned by the instructor. In special cases, students may request that late work be accepted by contacting the Chair of the Department; this will be considered only in cases where the substantial majority of course work has been completed satisfactorily and on time and where the unsubmitted work IS NOT the final examination.
Extensions on deadlines are entirely at the discretion of the instructor.
Students who have medical or compassionate reasons for missing a final examination must petition for Aegrotat (AEG) standing on the Final Examination in the Office of Student Records, attaching relevant documentation to the form. Read the Ryerson Calendar for details.
Students are expected to be available to write final examinations during the examination period each semester. These dates are published in the Ryerson Calendar. The Department will not under any circumstances make exceptions or set make-up examinations for students who make travel plans or commit to other engagements during examination periods.
All students must observe deadlines for assignments and dates of scheduled class tests or exams unless:
- they have notified the instructor in writing in advance, with an appropriate explanation. (Note: penalties may apply in this situation.)
or - in the case of emergencies, they have informed the instructor on the day of the assignment deadline or scheduled test/exam.
or - in cases where (b) is impossible, they have notified the instructor within 5 working days and submitted a letter of explanation from their programme Chair.
Email/Fax, Reception of Assignments by - The Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology does not accept student assignments by email or fax. No instructor is authorized to invite or permit students to send in assignments by email or fax under any circumstances. When students send assignments by email or fax they may be billed for the supplies used. Emailed or faxed assignments will not be accepted for course credit.
Email Policy -
University Email Policy requires that all Ryerson students to activate and maintain a Ryerson email account. All email communication with professors and staff must be through your Ryerson email account. Please do not set up your Ryerson account to forward to another email account.
To obtain a Ryerson your email account
It is vital that you have an active and valid Ryerson email account during your undergraduate program of student. Please make sure your account is active.
Access to Ryerson webmail
It is very important to be regularly checking student Ryerson email account, as it is a major method of communication from the University to students. This includes during the Spring/Summer term.
Examinations - link to University policy
http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol135.pdf
Examinations - Missed Finals
The Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology does not normally prepare or administer make-up final examinations in any CRM course for students who miss timetabled final examinations.
Grading Criteria -
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A |
Well organized, clear thesis. Superior understanding of the subject matter. Careful, concise, critical analysis. Evidence of original thinking and an extensive knowledge base. Shows a capacity to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate material. Shows a grasp of all the scholarly issues involved. Well-researched and documented. |
|
B |
Generally organized with a relatively clear thesis. Generally acceptable analysis and some critical reasoning. At times there is a need to be more concise or precise in details and a more careful development of arguments. Evidence of some original thinking though lack of depth in some areas. Generally well researched. Some careless stylistic errors. |
|
C |
Some problems with organization. Thesis needs to be articulated a little more clearly. Demonstrates an understanding of the basic facts and elemental concepts. Shows an ability to deal with simple issues arising out of the material. Needs to explore the subject matter more fully and formulate ideas more clearly. Little original thinking and closer attention should be given to stylistic elements including sentence structure and paragraph organization. |
|
D |
Substantial problems with organization. Thesis not clear. Very little original thinking – more “summary” than critical analysis. Written expressions frequently exhibit difficulty in creating or sustaining a coherent argument or point. Ideas/concepts under-developed and presented simplistically. Inadequate grasp of some of the basic concepts/issues developed within the course. |
|
Fail |
Little organization – no clear thesis. Lack of understanding or misunderstanding of the essential subject matter. Incoherence in sections, little evidence of even basic understanding of the course content/issues. |
Group Work - http://www.ryerson.ca/academicintegrity/grad_students/plagiarism/collaborative_work/
Harassment - link to university policy
http://www.ryerson.ca/equity/dhpspolicy/
Incomplete (INC) Grades - The Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology subscribes to the Ryerson University policy on Incomplete [INC] Grades. (See the Ryerson 2010-2011 Calendar.)
PLEASE NOTE:
- Students must petition instructor within 3 business days of missed exam or final assignment.
Students need to provide supporting documentation to the Program Department. For example, when there are medical reasons, the Ryerson Medical Certificate must be provided. - Students must sign a written statement of the work to be completed and the date the work is due within 7 days from the time the student petitioned the instructor.
- Failure to meet the precise deadline will result in an F grade on the work in question.
The instructor will file an INC Form in the Administrative Assistant’s Office(JOR401) at the time of assigning regular course grades for the section in which the student is registered. It is the specific responsibility of the student to obtain this document and to complete the work as the document specifies. Failure to obtain the document or failure to be aware of the incomplete deadline that has been set, are not acceptable as reasons for failing to submit the incomplete material on time.
Late Penalties – Assignments are due at the beginning of class. Any assignment not received at the beginning of class will incur a 5% penalty (instructors have the discretion to accept work without penalty for up to 15 minutes following the beginning of class). An additional 5% penalty will be applied for each working day that the assignment is late. Assignments will not be accepted if submitted 10 working days after the due date without explicit permission of the instructor.
Late Registration - Students must be formally registered in course sections prior to the final deadline to add courses, which for both semesterized and full-year courses is published annually in the Ryerson Calendar.
Students can be registered in course sections only if there is an available spot prior to the add deadline. Any action taken by the student in attending class sections, meeting with the instructor, obtaining course texts, etc, when the student does not have an official course registration in place, is entirely the student's responsibility. The Department will not normally arrange special registrations for such students or in any way to violate the Ryerson add deadline which is published.
Ryerson Liberal Studies Writing Policy – The Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology subscribes to the Ryerson Liberal Studies Writing Policy (November 1996), which follows:
While evaluation of student performance may include in-class essay-type and multiple-choice testing, final examination, field work, class presentations and debates, and assessments of student contributions to class discussion, a Liberal Studies course will also:
- include one or more individually-written out-of-class assignment(s) totaling in the range of at least 1200-1500 words at the Lower Level and of 1500-2000 words at the Upper.
- require the student to carry out an analysis of the assignment's subject, and make and justify an evaluative, comparative or explicatory judgment.
- attach a weight of 25-35% or higher to the contribution made by the assignment(s) to the student's final grade on the course.
- provide commentary on the clarity of organization, logic, syntax, and grammar of student writing, and explicitly indicate that such attributes will form part of the basis upon which the assignment will be evaluated.
Maintaining Course Registration - The maintenance of a proper registration status in any Criminal Justice course is the full responsibility of the student. The Department can take no responsibility for misregistrations; or for registrations in a course of one type by a student who wishes to be registered in a course of another.
Under normal circumstances it is not possible for course credits earned in professionally related courses (those courses marked "PR" in the Ryerson Calendar) to be exchanged, transferred or otherwise modified to course credits in Liberal Studies (courses marked either "LL" or "UL").
Students who wish to query their course registrations, or make a request to have them altered, may inquire of the Chair in writing but should be aware in advance that PR courses are not normally convertible to LL or UL courses; and vice versa.
The Ryerson Calendar is very clearly marked to identify each and every Criminal Justice course by type. Further, drop and add dates for each semester are published in the Calendar, as are notices about requirements for course attendance and proper academic conduct. It is the student's responsibility to be familiar with the Calendar; and with Department of Criminal Justice policies in general.
Non-Academic Misconduct – link to university policy
http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol61.pdf
Recording in the Classroom -The making of audio tapes, photographs, films, and videotapes in the classroom without the express written permission of the instructor is not permitted.
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