AOJ-303-OL


	Syllabus for AOJ-303-OL

COURSE DESCRIPTION

AOJ-303-OL White Collar Crime explores the nature and problems of crime committed by those in a position of trust, including its historic roots; casual factors in American life and society; activities, the problems of corruption and graft; the economic impact of criminal activities; and the development of strategies to control and prosecute those involved in this type of crime.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Explain the criminal and sociological history of white collar crime.

Identify basic characteristics and classifications of white collar crime, its causes, and what its consequences are for individuals and society at large.

Discuss the various aspects of corporate, avocational, and occupational White Collar Crime.

Define governmental White Collar Crime and discuss why it is difficult to obliterate.

Discuss political White Collar crime and how it differs from state crime or state organized crime.

Define and discuss, enterprise crime, contrepreneurial crime, and technocrime as they relate to White Collar Crime.

Explain the main differences and similarities between civil and criminal law, and discuss the principal sources of lawmaking that pertain to White Collar Crime.

Discuss the role of state and federal law enforcement agencies and the federal regulatory agencies that deal with White Collar Crime.

Discuss how consciousness can be raised in society regarding White Collar Crime.

Evaluate, critique, and rank the relative usefulness of some hypotheses for explaining certain case studies and how lessons learned can be applied in a preventative and investigative perspective.

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REQUIRED TEXTBOOK

David O. Freidrichs, Trusted Criminals: White Collar Crime in Contemporary Society, 3rd ed. (Belmont, CA: Thompson-Wadsworth Publishing, 2007)

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COURSE STRUCTURE

White Collar Crime is a three-credit online course. It is divided into eight modules of study, and you are required to submit two case analysis.

The workload for a typical module involves reading one or two chapters in your textbook, participating in an online discussion, submitting a written assignment that consists of four essay questions, and for modules 6 and 8 reviewing a particular case (links are provided) and submitting a written analysis of that case.

For the course's assignment modules (reading assignments, online discussions, written assignments, and case reviews), go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. For an overview of the assignments and for all dues dates see the course Calendar.

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ONLINE PARTICIPATION

During the course of your study for White Collar Crime you are required to participate in eight online discussions, one per module. In addition you have the opportunity during the first week of the course to introduce yourself online and get to know your fellow classmates.

Communication with your mentor and among your fellow classmates is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a posted question (discussion thread) and subsequent comments on classmates' responses.

You will be evaluated both on the quality of your responses (i.e., your understanding of readings and concepts as demonstrated by well-articulated, critical thinking) and the quantity of your participation (i.e., the number of times you participate meaningfully in the assigned forums). Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

Meaningful participation in online discussion is relevant to the content, ads value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement.

Deadlines for posting responses to the discussion questions are given in the Course Calendar.

Specific directions for these activities, and the questions to be discussed, are given in the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.

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WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

For each of the eight (8) modules that make up White Collar Crime you are required to submit a written assignment that consists of answering four (4) essay questions.

For modules 6 and 8 your are required to produce a written analysis of a particular case.

For detailed information about these assignments and links to the individual cases, see the Assignment Modules are of the course Web site.

Prepare your written assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.

Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.

When satisfied that your assignment represents your best work, submit it to your mentor by means of the

>>View/Complete Assignment

link provided at the bottom of the respective assignment page. Use the Browse button within this link to locate and submit your assignment file.

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CASE ANALYSIS

For Modules 6 and 8 you are required to produce and submit a detailed analysis of a particular case.

For detailed information about what you should include in these assignments and links to Web sites containing the material you will need to produce your work, see the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.

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GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

Online Discussion	24 percent
Written Assignments	48 percent
Case Analysis	28 percent

Letter grades for online participation, written assignments, and case analyses are based on the following numerical grades:

A	=	93-100	C+	=	78-79
A-	=	90-92	C	=	73-77
B+	=	88-89	C-	=	70-72
B	=	83-87	D	=	60-69
B-	=	80-82	F	=	Below 60

Note: To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, projects, papers, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted.

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STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.

Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.

Familiarize yourself with the Blackboard environment, how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.

If you are not familiar with Web-based learning, or specifically with the Blackboard platform, be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips
Consider the following study tips for success:

To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking your examination. For details on each assignment module and a complete listing of learning activities, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.

Check the Announcements page and class Discussion Board regularly for new course information.

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Syllabus Index

This document contains the following main sections:

Course Description

Course Objectives

Required Textbook

Course Structure

Online Participation
Written Assignments

Case Analysis

Grading and Evaluation

Strategies for Success