UNIT REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS

• You should spend an average of 12 hours per week on this unit. This includes listening to lectures before seminars or tutorials, reading weekly required materials detailed in iLearn, participating in Ilearn discussion forums and preparing assessments.
• Internal students are expected to attend all seminar or tutorial sessions, and external students are expected to contribute significantly to online activities.
• In most cases, students must attempt and submit all major assessment tasks to pass the unit.

REQUIRED READINGS

• The citations for this unit's required readings are available to enrolled students through the unit iLearn site and at Macquarie University's library site.  Electronic copies of required readings may be accessed through the library or will be made available by other means.

TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED

• Computer and internet access are essential for this unit. Basic computer skills and skills in word processing are also a requirement.
• This unit has an online presence. Login is via: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/
• Students are required to have regular access to a computer and the internet. Mobile devices alone are not sufficient.
• Information about IT used at Macquarie University is available at  http://students.mq.edu.au/it_services/

SUBMITTING ASSESSMENT TASKS

• All text-based assessment tasks are to be submitted, marked and returned electronically.  This will only happen through the unit iLearn site. 
• Assessment tasks must be submitted as a MS Word document by the due date.
• Most assessment tasks will be subject to a 'TurnitIn' review as an automatic part of the submission process.
• The granting of extensions is subject to the university’s Special Consideration Policy. Extensions will not be granted by unit conveners or tutors but must be lodged through Special Consideration: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration

LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSESSMENT TASKS

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of‚ 0 (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55 pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessments (including essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings, etc). Late submission of time-sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs, etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.

WORD LIMITS FOR ASSESSMENT TASKS

• Stated word limits include footnotes and footnoted references but not the bibliography or title page.
• Word limits can generally deviate by 10% over or under the stated figure.
• If the number of words exceeds the limit by more than 10%, then penalties will apply. These penalties are 5% of the awarded mark for every 100 words over the word limit. For instance, if a paper is 300 words over, it will lose 3 x 5% = 15% of the total mark awarded for the assignment. This percentage is taken off the total mark, i.e. if a paper was graded at a credit (65%) and was 300 words over, it would be reduced by 15 marks to a pass (50%).
• The application of this penalty is at the discretion of the course convener.

REASSESSMENT OF ASSIGNMENTS DURING THE SEMESTER

• Macquarie University operates a Grade Appeal Policy in cases where students feel their work was graded inappropriately: http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
• In accordance with the Grade Appeal Policy, individual works are not subject to regrading.

STAFF AVAILABILITY

• Department staff will endeavour to answer student enquiries in a timely manner. However, emails or iLearn messages will not usually be answered over the weekend or during public holidays.
• Students are encouraged to read the Unit Guide and look at instructions posted on the iLearn site before sending email requests to staff.

1. Introduction to the course themes

2. Data critique and the policy brief

3. Evidence-based policy

4. Policing

5. The Courts

6. Corrections

7. Alternatives to the CJS

8. The War on Drugs

9. The War on Terror

10. The simulation

11. Social Harm

12. Reading week

13. The Future and Finale