UNIT REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS

You should spend an average of 9 hours per week on this unit. This includes listening to lectures prior to seminar or tutorial, reading weekly required materials as detailed in iLearn, and preparing assessments. Internal students are expected to attend all seminar or tutorial sessions, and external students are expected to make significant contributions to on-line activities. In most cases students are required to attempt and submit all major assessment tasks in order to pass the unit.

REQUIRED READINGS

The required textbook for this unit is Crime and Justice: A Guide to Criminology, (5th edition), by Palmer, de Lint and Dalton (eds.), Thompson Reuters. The textbook is available at the University Bookshop.

The citations for all other required readings for this unit 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.

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 of up to one week are at the discretion of the unit convener or nominated delegate such as a tutor. Any requests for extensions must be before the due date for the submission of the assessment task. Extensions beyond one week are subject to the university’s Disruptions Policy

LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSESSMENT TASKS

If an assignment is submitted late, 5% of the available mark will be deducted for each day (including weekends) the paper is late. For example, if a paper is worth 20 marks, 1 mark will be deducted from the grade given for each day that it is late (i.e. a student given 15/20 who submitted 4 days late will lose 4 marks = 11/20). The same principle applies if an extension is granted and the assignment is submitted later than the amended date.

WORD LIMITS FOR ASSESSMENT TASKS

Stated word limits include footnotes and footnoted references, but not bibliography, or title page. Word limits can generally deviate by 10% either 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. If a paper is 300 words over, for instance, 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.

Module 1 - Introduction to criminology

Module 2 - Measuring crime

Module 3 - Crime in the news

Module 4 - The criminal mind

Module 5 - The criminal world

Module 6 - Serious assault and homicide

Module 7 - Youth crime

Module 8 - Gender and crime

Module 9 - Race and crime

Module 10 - Illicit drugs and crime

Module 11 - Gangs and gangsters

Module 12 - Crimes of the powerful

Module 13 - Environmental crime