MCJ Graduate Handbook and Policies

Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MCJ) Program Handbook

Program Contact Information
Program Summary
a. Master of Criminal Justice (MCJ) Mission Statement

The mission of the graduate program in Criminal Justice at Weber State University is to provide future leaders a broad educational experience that integrates the realities of practical field experience with strong theoretical foundations relevant to the many professions within today’s modern criminal justice system. Critical thinking, strong analytical skills, and effective communication are central to our task of preparing students for the historical, cultural, political, and economic challenges of shaping and leading the societies in which they live.

b. Program Objectives
- Analyze the key issues affecting our criminal justice system
- Synthesize and apply theoretical foundations
- Discriminate between various methodological techniques and their use
c. Program Administration

Dr. McKenzie Wood - Assistant Professor, Graduate Director
Dr. Molly Sween - Professor, Department Chair
Shellie Weeks - Administrative Specialist II

d. Faculty

Dr. Bruce Bayley - Professor (bbayley@weber.edu)
Dr. Mark Denniston - Associate Professor (markdenniston@weber.edu)
Dr. Heeuk “Dennis” Lee - Associate Professor (heeuklee@weber.edu)
Dr. Brad Reyns - Professor (breyns@weber.edu)
Dr. Molly Sween - Professor (mollysween@weber.edu)
Dr. McKenzie Wood - Assistant Professor (mckenziewood@weber.edu)
Prof. Michelle Jeffs - Assistant Professor (michellejeffs@weber.edu)
Admissions
Admission to the fully online Master of Criminal Justice program is open to all applicants from all undergraduate degrees granted by a regionally accredited college or university. As an applicant, you will be evaluated on past academic performance (GPA - a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 - a 3.0 GPA calculated on the last 60 semester hours/90 quarter hours of undergraduate work might also be considered) is required of all applicants), personal Letters of Recommendation, and overall experience in the criminal justice field or other related areas of expertise. The GRE is not required for admission to our program.

a. Admissions Criteria

Prior to being considered for admission, the Department of Criminal Justice must be in receipt of the following materials:
- A completed application to the Master of Criminal Justice program
- Pay the Graduate Application Fee: $60
- Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended uploaded to the university’s online application system (if you're a Weber State University graduate, call the records office and request that all of your transcripts be sent to the Department of Criminal Justice)
- A resume or vita (be sure to include a current email address)
- A written personal statement explaining the interest in the program (2-3 double spaced pages detailing how your past academic, professional, and personal experiences have prepared you for graduate work in general and our program in particular).
- Two (2) Letters of Recommendation (submitted to the university’s online application system - letters must come from academic or professional sources)
- TOEFL (for International Students, or students whom English is not their primary language)
International Students

In addition to the above requirements, International Students must also complete the following:
- TOEFL
- Application to the WSU International Student and Scholar Center
b. Admissions Calendar

Admission applications for entry into the Master of Criminal Justice Program are accepted for the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. The Graduate Admissions Committee meets at the end of each application period and admissions deadlines for Fall and Spring admissions are listed below:

Fall Semester Spring Semester Summer Semester

June 1 Nov. 1 March 1
Advising and Student Services
a. Advising

Advising in the Master of Criminal Justice Program is done with the Graduate Director. Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the Director at any time. An Advising Week will also be held during Fall and Spring semesters, with specific dates and times available for advising. Students in their first semester of the program and students nearing graduation are encouraged to sign up for advising during Advising Week. If the Graduate Director is unavailable or you would prefer to speak with someone else, students should contact the Department Chair for assistance.

b. Student Services
- The Student Access & Success Office at Weber State University offers a number of student support services that students in the Master of Criminal Justice Program can take advantage of. Some of these services include:
  - Writing Center
  - Testing Centers
  - Computer Labs
  - Career Services
Graduation Requirements
The Master of Criminal Justice degree requires the completion of 36 semester hours. You must take five core courses totaling 15 semester hours, receiving a grade of “B-“ or better in each course. Any core course in which you receive a grade lower than a “B-“ must be retaken.

A minimum overall GPA of 3.0 for all courses is required for graduation and students must be enrolled for at least one graduate credit during their last semester.

The required core courses are:
- MCJ 6100 Contemporary Criminal Justice (3 credits)
- MCJ 6110 Research Methods in Criminal Justice (3 credits)
- MCJ 6210 The American Criminal Court (3 credits)
- MCJ 6220 Contemporary Law Enforcement (3 credits)
- MCJ 6230 Contemporary Corrections (3 credits)
The remaining 21 semester hours will be selected from elective courses of interest to you. You are allowed to receive one “C” grade in any of your elective courses (C-, C, C+). All remaining elective courses must be completed with a grade of “B-“ or better. Also, students are limited to a total of 3 credits for Graduate Readings. Any courses taken beyond the 3 credits limit for Graduate Readings will not count towards graduation.
Graduate Courses
Financial Aid

While the Master of Criminal Justice Program and the Criminal Justice Department do not offer financial aid opportunities for graduate students at this time, we encourage students to contact the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office at Weber State University for Federal Aid and Scholarship funding possibilities.

Scholarships and grants may be available. Please check the MCJ website to determine what scholarships may be offered.
Graduate Program Policies
The following policies are intended to help students understand the basic definitions, requirements, and expectations of Weber State University’s Master of Criminal Justice Program. The underlying rule of these policies is the belief that should something be missing or not defined within these documents, students, by default, cannot engage in such behaviors or challenges. Instead, when questions arise that are not addressed within these policies, students are required to contact the Graduate Director or Department Chair for clarification.
- a. Definitions and Conditions
  Appeals: The right of a student to challenge the Graduate Disciplinary Committee’s decision to place that student on: a) Probation for GPA Deficiency or b) Departmental Academic Probation. All student appeals must follow the procedures outlined in the Student Code.
  
  Authority for suspensions: The authority to levy the sanction of suspension from the MCJ program lies solely with the MCJ Disciplinary Committee.
  
  Concurrent sanctions: In any case where a student is subject to multiple sanctions according to the MCJ program policies, all sanctions will be served concurrently. Example: if a student is simultaneously suspended for one (1) term under two different policies, each one (1) term suspension will be served during the same term.
  
  Cumulative GPA: Standard GPA calculated from MCJ courses taken at WSU and transfer courses from other institutions that would be used to satisfy the 36 credit hours required for graduation from the MCJ program.
  
  Deactivated: A student is removed from the program and not allowed to register for additional courses in the MCJ program. Students who are deactivated will be required to go through the entire application process to be considered for readmission to the program.
  
  Dismissal: A student is removed from the program and not allowed to register for additional courses in the MCJ program. Additionally, students who are dismissed from the program are not allowed to reapply for the MCJ program.
  
  Failing Grade
  - Core course: Any letter grade less than “B-”
  - Elective course: Any letter grade less than “C-” or a second “C” grade (C-, C, C+) in a separate elective course from which the student is already carrying his/her one (1) allowed “C” grade.
  Instructor of Record: The instructor that taught the course during the term of concern.
  
  Notification of sanctions: Upon receiving a sanction under these policies and procedures, a note will be placed in the student’s CatTracks— Notes by the MCJ Graduate Director. Additionally, the student will receive a Notice of Action, via the WSU email system (student_name@weber.edu) and a copy of the Notice of Action will be placed in the student’s file.
  
  Term: A unit of academic time. Currently, the WSU MCJ program operates on semesters.
  
  Term GPA: Standard GPA calculated from the courses taken during the most recently completed academic term.
  
  Term of Suspension: If a student is suspended under these policies and procedures, the suspension will be served during the term subsequent to which the action is related to. Example: if a student is suspended for Academic Fraud during the spring semester, the suspension will be effective for the Summer semester.
- b. Program GPA Policy
  Students are required to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA within the MCJ program of 3.0. This includes all courses that would be applied to the MCJ graduation requirements. Any student whose cumulative GPA drops below 3.0 will be placed on Departmental Academic Probation: GPA Deficiency.
  
  Justification: A student with a cumulative GPA below 3.0 cannot graduate from the MCJ program.
  
  Departmental Academic Probation: GPA Deficiency Procedure
  
  Trigger: A student’s cumulative GPA drops below 3.0.
  
  Process: The student remains on Departmental Academic Probation: GPA Deficiency status until his/her cumulative GPA rises to a 3.0 or higher, or until placed on academic suspension. This sanction entails:
  - The student is ineligible for departmental graduate funding.
  - The MCJ Graduate Director will evaluate the student’s performance at the end of each term for:
    
    Cumulative GPA
    
    Current completed term GPA
  While on Departmental Academic Probation: GPA Deficiency status, the student is expected to improve each semester to remedy the deficiencies. The student must achieve a term GPA of at least 3.0. If the student’s term GPA is below 3.0, he/she will incur additional sanctions. The additional sanctions are specified below:
  - 1st semester with term GPA less than 3.0 – student suspended one (1) term
  - 2nd semester with term GPA less than 3.0 – student dismissed from the program
    
    Students will be advised by the MCJ Director during their probationary and/or suspension period.
- c. Coursework and Graduation
- d. Course Failure Policy
  Students are required to pass their courses in a timely manner. The number of times a student may attempt a course is limited to three times. If a student fails a course for any reason, they will be subject to Probation: Course Deficiencies. Students who cannot pass courses within three attempts are dismissed from the program. (Note: Only three courses can be retaken over the course of the program, this may be the same course three times, or three distinct courses.)
  
  Justification: Students may not graduate with less than a “B-” grade in any core course. Students may not graduate if they have more than one “C” type grade in their elective courses (C-, C, C+). The goal is to help remedy deficiencies so the student can succeed.
  
  Departmental Academic Sanction: Probation: Course Deficiencies in Core and Elective Classes
  
  Trigger: A student receives less than a “B-” in a core class, or a “C” type grade (C-, C, C+) in an elective class.
  
  Process: A student who a receives less than a “B-” in a core class, or a “C” type grade (C-, C, C+) in an elective course will be given the opportunity to meet with the instructor of record to determine an action plan that will assist them in passing the class in the future. The sanctions are specified below:
  
  1st time receiving less than a “B-” in a core class, or a “C” type grade (C-, C, C+) in an elective:
  - Student is on Probation: Course Deficiencies in Core and Elective Classes
  - The student must meet with the Instructor of Record before the start of the next term to determine an action plan for the future (note: it may be a different instructor who teaches the class in the future). Meeting with the Instructor of Record is considered satisfactory and the student does not incur any additional penalties, unless their GPA falls below a 3.0, in which the GPA deficient sanction may be triggered. The Instructor of Record will then consult with the Graduate Director through email (or the MCJ Disciplinary Committee if the Instructor of Record is the Graduate Director) specifying that the student has satisfactorily met with the Instructor of Record and the student has been advised. If the student does not meet with the Instructor of Record the student may be suspended from the program for one (1) term.
  - Note: The Instructor of Record must articulate the student’s non-compliance with the meeting to the MCJ Disciplinary Committee through email for the student to be suspended.
  2nd time a student receives less than a "B-” in a core class, or a “C” type grade (C-, C, C+) in an elective class.
  - The student will be suspended from the program for one (1) term.
  - Note: If the course is an elective course, the student may elect to keep the poor grade and not retake the course so long as their cumulative GPA is above 3.0.
  3rd time receiving less than a “B-” in a core class, or a “C” type grade (C-, C, C+) in an elective class.
  - The student will be dismissed from the program.
  Students will be advised by the MCJ Director during their probationary and/or suspension period.
- e. MCJ 6100: Contemporary Criminal Justice
- f. Academic Dishonesty Policy
  All student work is expected to be their own work and referenced correctly. It is the students’ responsibility to understand what tools have AI components and might be flagged on plagiarism and AI detection. Students should be cautious about using tools that are AI generative. Many commonly used tools (such as Grammarly) offer the option to turn off the AI generative function.
  
  As a graduate student, the general rules of acceptable academic behavior should be very clear. All forms of academic dishonesty, including cheating, plagiarism, AI generated material, and any other actions deemed by the Instructor of Record as specified in the assignment or syllabus are unacceptable and will be sanctioned appropriately. Any student who commits academic dishonesty as determined by the MCJ Disciplinary Committee in conjunction with the Instructor of Record will be sanctioned under the Departmental Academic Dishonesty procedure.
  
  Justification: The Instructors of Record have full academic freedom to run their courses in accordance with University policies, including course level sanctions for academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty is unacceptable and demonstrates an inability and unwillingness to participate in the graduate academic process that the MCJ faculty wishes to deliver. Therefore, additional program level sanctions may be appropriate.
  
  Departmental Academic Dishonesty Procedure
  
  Trigger: The Instructor of Record reports to the MCJ Disciplinary Committee through email that an incident of academic dishonesty has occurred in their course.
  
  Process: After the Instructor of Record reports the incident to the MCJ Disciplinary Committee, the MCJ Disciplinary Committee will meet with the Instructor of Record to investigate the incident. The MCJ Disciplinary committee will consider the current incident, as well as any previously reported incidents of academic dishonesty in any course in the MCJ program. A student who is found to have committed academic dishonesty by the MCJ Disciplinary Committee, after consultation with the Instructor of Record, is subject to the sanctions specified below:
  
  1st time violation of academic dishonesty may result in
  - Three (3) semesters of Departmental Academic Probation: Academic Dishonesty. The student may not receive departmental funding and must maintain a minimum term GPA of 3.0.
  - Suspension from the MCJ program for one to two (1-2) terms as determined by the MCJ Disciplinary Committee in consultation with the Instructor of Record.
  2nd time violation of academic dishonesty may result in
  - Permanent Departmental Academic Probation: Academic Dishonesty. The student may not receive departmental funding and must maintain a minimum term GPA of 3.0. If a student on permanent Departmental Academic Probation: Academic Dishonesty is deactivated and readmitted to the MCJ program, they will remain on probation.
  - Suspension from the MCJ program for one to two (1-2) terms as determined by the MCJ Disciplinary Committee in consultation with the Instructor of Record.
  3rd time violation of academic dishonesty will result in
  - The student will be dismissed from the program. This is a mandatory action.
  Note: Notwithstanding the foregoing, in certain circumstances, the MCJ Disciplinary Committee may find that a single event of academic fraud is so egregious that immediate suspension or dismissal from the program is warranted.
  
  Students will be advised by the MCJ Director during their probationary and/or suspension period.
- g. Student Activity in the Program
  Students in the Master of Criminal Justice Program are expected to make consistent progress towards the completion of their degree. To this end, students must finish their degree requirements within nine (9) semesters from the semester of acceptance (for example, if you were accepted into the program starting in the Fall semester, 2015, you must complete your degree requirements by the end of the Summer semester, 2018). A student may request a one (1) semester extension by submitting an official written and signed “Request for Extension” to the Graduate Director. This written and signed request must be accompanied by all official documentation verifying the extenuating circumstance and its impact on the student’s ability to successfully complete his/her degree in the required time frame (Note: a “Request for Extension” that does not contain supporting documentation will not be considered).
  
  The graduate program also realizes there may be circumstances that prevent a student from taking courses in a given semester. Should that be the case, please be aware of the following restrictions and requirements:
  - Students who do not take courses for one semester, but take courses the following semester, do not need to contact the graduate program.
  - Students who do not take courses for two sequential semesters must contact the Graduate Director in writing prior to the beginning of the second missed semester and request an “Official Leave of Absence.” In this written and signed “Official Leave of Absence” request, the student must explain the reason(s) for the leave and provide an official date of return (time spent on an “Official Leave of Absence” does not suspend the nine-semester graduation requirement). The Graduate Director may approve or disapprove the absence request, or forward the request to the Graduate Admissions Committee. If the Graduate Director disapproves an absence request, the Graduate Admissions Committee must also review the request. Decisions on the absence request made by the Graduate Admissions Committee are final.
  - Students who miss two sequential semesters and either do not request an “Official Leave of Absence” or have had such a request denied, will be referred to the Graduate Admissions Committee for deactivation from the graduate program. This action will take place during the 4th week of the second semester of absence from the program. Appeals to this action must be submitted in writing to the Graduate Director prior to referral to the Graduate Admissions Committee.
  - Students who miss three sequential semesters, regardless of having received a leave of absence for the previous two semesters will be referred to the Graduate Admissions Committee for deactivation from the graduate program. This action will take place during the 4th week of the third semester of absence from the program. Appeals to this action must be submitted in writing to the Graduate Director prior to referral to the Graduate Admissions Committee.
  - Students who have been deactivated from the graduate program for lack of participation may apply for readmission to the graduate program by submitting a new application, with associated required materials and fees. Transcripts from the WSU MCJ program must be submitted with the new application and past performance in the program will be considered as part of the readmissions process.
  - Students who have re-applied, and been accepted for re-admission, will be considered new students, subject to the program catalog in effect for the semester of their readmission. Students have nine (9) semesters from the semester of readmission to complete the program. Courses taken previously in the WSU MCJ program will count toward completion of the degree after re-admittance as long as such courses comply with the stipulation outlined in Section 8, sub-section c.
- h. Coursework in the First Semester
  
  All in-coming students are limited to no more than three (3) graduate courses during their first semester (unless they have approval from the graduate director) so they can acclimate to the demands and expectations of graduate level work. After the first semester, students wishing to take more than three (3) graduate courses in any given semester must contact the Graduate Director for approval. Allowing students to take more than three (3) graduate courses per semester is at the discretion of the Graduate Director.
- i. MCJ 6260: Graduate Readings
  MCJ 6260: Graduate readings is designed to allow tenure track faculty opportunities to collaboratively mentor graduate students in an in-depth, academic investigation of a topic in the faculty member’s area(s) of scholarly interest. In order to qualify for MCJ 6260, a student must have completed all of the following:
  - have a tenure track faculty member from the Master of Criminal Justice Program submit a request to the Graduate Director of the Master of Criminal Program, inviting the student to collaborate on a Graduate Readings project
  - be fully admitted to the Master of Criminal Justice Program
  - have an overall graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
  Once a student has been permitted to register for MCJ 6260, they must accomplish all of the following:
  - Sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the student, the faculty mentor, and the Graduate Director outlining the requirements, expectations, and goals of the approved graduate readings (this must be completed no later than the second week of the semester)
  - Complete 120 hours of work/study related to the investigation topic. These hours should be tracked by the student throughout the semester, and verified by the mentoring faculty throughout the semester
  - Produce an artifact related to the investigation topic. Artifacts may include, but are not limited to, presentations, posters, publications, research papers, reflection papers, portfolios, curriculum guides, and/or policy briefs.
  MCJ 6260 Graduate Readings can only be taken once and is limited to three (3) credits
- j. MCJ Program Communications with Students
Academic Appeals Process

Fall Semester	Spring Semester	Summer Semester
June 1	Nov. 1	March 1

Graduate Program Policies

Definitions and Conditions
Appeals

The right of a student to challenge the Graduate Disciplinary Committee’s decision to place that student on: a) Probation for GPA Deficiency or b) Departmental Academic Probation. All student appeals must follow the procedures outlined in the Student Code.

Authority for suspensions

The authority to levy the sanction of suspension from the MCJ program lies solely with the MCJ Disciplinary Committee.

Concurrent sanctions

In any case, where a student is subject to multiple sanctions according to the MCJ program policies, all sanctions will be served concurrently. Example: if a student is simultaneously suspended for one (1) term under two different policies, each one (1) term suspension will be served during the same term.

Cumulative GPA

Standard GPA calculated from MCJ courses taken at WSU and transfer courses from other institutions that would be used to satisfy the 36 credit hours required for graduation from the MCJ program.

Deactivated

A student is removed from the program and not allowed to register for additional courses in the MCJ program. Students who are deactivated will be required to go through the entire application process to be considered for readmission to the program. 10

Dismissal

A student is removed from the program and not allowed to register for additional courses in the MCJ program. Additionally, students who are dismissed from the program are not allowed to reapply for the MCJ program.

Failing Grade
- Core course: Any letter grade less than “B-”
- Elective course: Any letter grade less than “C-” or a second “C” grade (C-, C, C+) in a separate elective course from which the student is already carrying his/her one (1) allowed “C” grade.
Instructor of Record

The instructor that taught the course during the term of concern.

Notification of sanctions

Upon receiving a sanction under these policies and procedures, a note will be placed in the student’s CatTracks —Notes by the MCJ Graduate Director. Additionally, the student will receive a Notice of Action, via the WSU e-mail system (student_name@weber.edu) and a copy of the Notice of Action will be placed in the student’s file.

Term

A unit of academic time. Currently, the WSU MCJ program operates on semesters.

Term GPA

Standard GPA calculated from the courses taken during the most recently completed academic term.

Term of Suspension

If a student is suspended under these policies and procedures, the suspension will be served during the term subsequent to which the action is related to. Example: if a student is suspended for Academic Fraud during the Spring semester, the suspension will be effective for the Summer semester.
Program GPA Policy
Students are required to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA within the MCJ program of 3.0.

This includes all courses that would be applied to the MCJ graduation requirements. Any student whose cumulative GPA drops below 3.0 will be placed on Departmental Academic Probation: GPA Deficiency.

Justification: A student with a cumulative GPA below 3.0 cannot graduate from the MCJ program.

Departmental Academic Probation: GPA Deficiency Procedure

Trigger: A student’s cumulative GPA drops below 3.0.

Process: The student remains on Departmental Academic Probation: GPA Deficiency status until their cumulative GPA rises to a 3.0 or higher, or until placed on academic suspension. This sanction entails:
- The student is ineligible for departmental graduate funding.
- The MCJ Graduate Director will evaluate the student’s performance at the end of each term for:
  - Cumulative GPA
  - Current completed term GPA
While on Departmental Academic Probation: GPA Deficiency status, the student is expected to improve each semester to remedy the deficiencies. The student must achieve a term GPA of at least 3.0. If the student’s term GPA is below 3.0, they will incur additional sanctions for each semester that his/her term GPA stays below a 3.0 average. The additional sanctions are specified below:
- 1st semester with term GPA less than 3.0 – student suspended one (1) term
- 2nd semester with term GPA less than 3.0 – student dismissed from the program
Students will be advised by the MCJ Director during their probationary and/or suspension period.
Coursework and Graduation
Course Failure Policy
Students are required to pass their courses in a timely manner. The number of times a student may attempt a course is limited to three times. If a student fails a course for any reason, they will be subject to Probation: Course Deficiencies. Students who cannot pass courses within three attempts are dismissed from the program. (Note: Only three courses can be retaken over the course of the program, this may be the same course three times, or three distinct courses.)

Justification: Students may not graduate with less than a “B-” grade in any core course. Students may not graduate if they have more than one “C” type grade in their elective courses (C-, C, C+). The goal is to help remedy deficiencies so the student can succeed.

Departmental Academic Sanction: Probation: Course Deficiencies in Core and Elective Classes Procedure

Trigger: A student receives less than a “B-” in a core class, or a “C” type grade (C-, C, C+) in an elective class.

Process: A student who a receives less than a “B-” in a core class, or a “C” type grade (C-, C, C+) in an elective course will be given the opportunity to meet with the instructor of record to determine an action plan that will assist them in passing the class in the future. The sanctions are specified below:

1st time receiving less than a “B-” in a core class, or a “C” type grade (C-, C, C+) in an elective:
- Student is on Probation: Course Deficiencies in Core and Elective Classes
- The student must meet with the Instructor of Record before the start of the next term to determine an action plan for the future (note: it may be a different instructor who teaches the class in the future). Meeting with the Instructor of Record is considered satisfactory and the student does not incur any additional penalties, unless their GPA falls below a 3.0, in which the GPA deficient sanction may be triggered. The Instructor of Record will then consult with the Graduate Director through email (or the MCJ Disciplinary Committee if the Instructor of Record is the Graduate Director) specifying that the student has satisfactorily met with the Instructor of Record and the student has been advised. If the student does not meet with the Instructor of Record the student may be suspended from the program for one (1) term.
- Note: The Instructor of Record must articulate the student’s non-compliance with the meeting to the MCJ Disciplinary Committee through email for the student to be suspended.
2nd time a student receives less than a "B-” in a core class, or a “C” type grade (C-, C, C+) in an elective class.
- The student will be suspended from the program for one (1) term.
- Note: If the course is an elective course, the student may elect to keep the poor grade and not retake the course so long as their cumulative GPA is above 3.0.
3rd time receiving less than a “B-” in a core class, or a “C” type grade (C-, C, C+) in an elective class.
- The student will be dismissed from the program.
Students will be advised by the MCJ Director during their probationary and/or suspension period.
Academic Dishonesty Policy
All student work is expected to be their own work and referenced correctly. It is the students’ responsibility to understand what tools have AI components and might be flagged on plagiarism and AI detection. Students should be cautious about using tools that are AI generative. Many commonly used tools (such as Grammarly) offer the option to turn off the AI generative function.

As a graduate student, the general rules of acceptable academic behavior should be very clear. All forms of academic dishonesty, including cheating, plagiarism, AI generated material, and any other actions deemed by the Instructor of Record as specified in the assignment or syllabus are unacceptable and will be sanctioned appropriately. Any student who commits academic dishonesty as determined by the MCJ Disciplinary Committee in conjunction with the Instructor of Record will be sanctioned under the Departmental Academic Dishonesty procedure.

Justification: The Instructors of Record have full academic freedom to run their courses in accordance with University policies, including course level sanctions for academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty is unacceptable and demonstrates an inability and unwillingness to participate in the graduate academic process that the MCJ faculty wishes to deliver. Therefore, additional program level sanctions may be appropriate.

Departmental Academic Dishonesty Procedure

Trigger: The Instructor of Record reports to the MCJ Disciplinary Committee through email that an incident of academic dishonesty has occurred in their course.

Process: After the Instructor of Record reports the incident to the MCJ Disciplinary Committee, the MCJ Disciplinary Committee will meet with the Instructor of Record to investigate the incident. The MCJ Disciplinary committee will consider the current incident, as well as any previously reported incidents of academic dishonesty in any course in the MCJ program. A student who is found to have committed academic dishonesty by the MCJ Disciplinary Committee, after consultation with the Instructor of Record, is subject to the sanctions specified below:

1st time violation of academic dishonesty may result in
- Three (3) semesters of Departmental Academic Probation: Academic Dishonesty. The student may not receive departmental funding and must maintain a minimum term GPA of 3.0.
- Suspension from the MCJ program for one to two (1-2) terms as determined by the MCJ Disciplinary Committee in consultation with the Instructor of Record.
2nd time violation of academic dishonesty may result in
- Permanent Departmental Academic Probation: Academic Dishonesty. The student may not receive departmental funding and must maintain a minimum term GPA of 3.0. If a student on permanent Departmental Academic Probation: Academic Dishonesty is deactivated and readmitted to the MCJ program, they will remain on probation.
- Suspension from the MCJ program for one to two (1-2) terms as determined by the MCJ Disciplinary Committee in consultation with the Instructor of Record.
3rd time violation of academic dishonesty will result in
- The student will be dismissed from the program. This is a mandatory action.
Note: Notwithstanding the foregoing, in certain circumstances, the MCJ Disciplinary Committee may find that a single event of academic fraud is so egregious that immediate suspension or dismissal from the program is warranted.

Students will be advised by the MCJ Director during their probationary and/or suspension period.
Student Activity in the Program
Students in the Master of Criminal Justice Program is expected to make consistent progress towards the completion of their degree. To this end, students must finish their degree requirements within nine (9) semesters from the semester of acceptance (for example, if you were accepted into the program starting in the Fall semester, 2015, you must complete your degree requirements by the end of the Summer semester, 2018). A student may request a one (1) semester extension by submitting an official written and signed “Request for Extension” to the Graduate Director. This written and signed request must be accompanied by all official documentation verifying the extenuating circumstance and its impact on the student’s ability to successfully complete his/her degree in the required time frame (Note: a “Request for Extension” that does not contain supporting documentation will not be considered).

The graduate program also realizes there may be circumstances that prevent a student from taking courses in a given semester. Should that be the case, please be aware of the following restrictions and requirements:
1. Students who do not take courses for one semester, but take courses the following semester, do not need to contact the graduate program.
2. Students who do not take courses for two sequential semesters must contact the Graduate Director in writing prior to the beginning of the second missed semester and request an “Official Leave of Absence.” In this written and signed “Official Leave of Absence” request, the student must explain the reason(s) for the leave and provide an official date of return (time spent on an “Official Leave of Absence” does not suspend the nine semester graduation requirement). The Graduate Director may approve or disapprove the absence request, or forward the request to the Graduate Admissions Committee. If the Graduate Director disapproves an absence request, the Graduate Admissions Committee must also review the request. Decisions on the absence request made by the Graduate Admissions Committee are final.
3. Students who miss two sequential semesters and either do not request an “Official Leave of Absence” or have had such a request denied, will be referred to the Graduate Admissions Committee for deactivation from the graduate program. This action will take place during the fourth week of the second semester of absence from the program. Appeals to this action must be submitted in writing to the Graduate Director prior to referral to the Graduate Admissions Committee.
4. Students who miss three sequential semesters regardless of having received a leave of absence for the previous two semesters will be referred to the Graduate Admissions Committee for deactivation from the graduate program. This action will take place during the fourth week of the third semester of absence from the program. Appeals to this action must be submitted in writing to the Graduate Director prior to referral to the Graduate Admissions Committee.
5. Students who have been deactivated from the graduate program for lack of participation may apply for readmission to the graduate program by submitting a new application, with associated required materials and fees. Transcripts from the WSU MCJ program must be submitted with the new application and past performance in the program will be considered as part of the readmissions process.
6. Students who have re-applied, and been accepted for re-admission, will be considered new students, subject to the program catalog in effect for the semester of their readmission. Students have nine (9) semesters from the semester of readmission to complete the program. Courses taken previously in the WSU MCJ program will count toward completion of the degree after re-admittance as long as such courses comply with the stipulation outlined in Section 8, subsection c.
MCJ 6260: Graduate Readings
MCJ 6260: Graduate readings is designed to allow tenure track faculty opportunities to collaboratively mentor graduate students in an in-depth, academic investigation of a topic in the faculty member’s area(s) of scholarly interest. In order to qualify for MCJ 6260, a student must have completed all of the following:
1. have a tenure track faculty member from the Master of Criminal Justice Program submit a request to the Graduate Director of the Master of Criminal Program, inviting the student to collaborate on a Graduate Readings project
2. be fully admitted to the Master of Criminal Justice Program
3. have an overall graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
Once a student has been permitted to register for MCJ 6260, they must accomplish all of the following:
1. Sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the student, the faculty mentor, and the Graduate Director outlining the requirements, expectations, and goals of the approved graduate readings (this must be completed no later than the second week of the semester)
2. Complete 120 hours of work/study related to the investigation topic. These hours should be tracked by the student throughout the semester, and verified by the mentoring faculty throughout the semester
3. Produce an artifact related to the investigation topic. Artifacts may include, but are not limited to, presentations, posters, publications, research papers, reflection papers, portfolios, curriculum guides, and/or policy briefs.
MCJ 6260 Graduate Readings can only be taken once and is limited to three (3) credits
Academic Appeals