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Canyon College

online Terrorism and Threat Assessment course - criminal justice

COURSE SYLLABUS: Terrorism and Threat Assessment
Course Title:
Department:
Instructor: 		CJ412 - Terrorism and Threat Assessment
Criminal Justice
Chris Harding, F.L.E.T.C., B.S., A.S. E-Mail - Vita


Course Overview:

This course is a general survey examining the history, ideology, and tactics of terrorism. The selected text provides a wealth of information and offers additional resources which can be explored to gain a better appreciation of the material.

Course Goals:

At the conclusion of this course, the student will be able to describe the following concepts: the criminology of terrorism, the history of terrorism, and modern terrorism.

This will be accomplished via the following format:

The Criminology of Terrorism: Week 1
The Context of TerrorismIndividual and Group Behaviors Chapter 1-Text
Chapter 2-Text


History and Scope of Terrorism I: Week 2
Metamorphism of Terrorism
Religion and Terrorism 		Chapter 3-Text
Chapter 4-Text
Exam One


History and Scope of Terrorism II: Week 3
Middle Eastern Terrorism
Latin American Terrorism 		Chapter 5-Text
Chapter 6-Text


Essential Background: Week 4
The Origins of Terrorism
Irish Terrorism 		Chapter 7-Text
Chapter 8-Text
Exam Two


Modern Terrorism part I: Week 5
Role of Palestine
Religion and Terrorism
Rise and Fall of Left and Right 		Chapter 9-Text
Chapter 10-Text
Chapter 11-Text


Modern Terrorism Part II: Week 6
International/Ethnic Terrorism
Domestic Terrorism
Violent Extremism 		Chapter 12- Text
Chapter 13-Text
Chapter 14-Text
Exam Three


Current Conditions: Week 7
Weapons of Mass Destruction
Use of Media 		Chapter 15-Text
Chapter 16-Text


9/11 Case Study: Week 8
Policies, Liberties and Security
Responding to 9/11 Tragedy 		Chapter 17-Text
Chapter 18-Text
Exam Four


Required Texts – Online Bookstore
  1. White, J.R. (2002) Terrorism - 4th Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thompson Publishing.
    ISBN#: 0534578519
Class Policy

The following policies are in affect for this class:
  1. All assignments MUST be submitted in MS Word format. Any document not submitted in MS Word format will not be graded.
  2. All assignments MUST be subjected to anti-virus software PRIOR to submission.
  3. The Instructor is well aware that personal emergencies do arise. In the event of a personal emergency, the student MUST initiate contact with the instructor to advise him of the emergency. This MUST be done within 24 hours of the emergency.
  4. In the event of computer failure, the student MUST notify the instructor within 24 hours.
  5. All assignments must be submitted on time.
  6. All research sources must be cited according to A.P.A format
Chapter Notes/Outline – 200 points toward your Final Grade

All CJ412 students will be required to submit a weekly Outline/Chapter Notes to facilitate learning of the specific reading assignments in the text, Terrorism-An Introduction (2002 Update). Essay Assignment

You will choose any two of the 18 chapter “Food for Thought questions” and answer it completely. I will grade it based on clarity, grammar, and descriptive analysis. Both must be completed prior to taking the final exam but may be submitted any time within the 8 weeks..

EXAMINATIONS – 400 points towards your Final Grade

There are 4 exams for this class. Every two weeks conclude with an exam. Each exam is worth 100 points for a total of 400 points and consists of the material covered within that segment’s assignments.

RESEARCH TERM PAPER –– Possible 200 Points

The Research Term Paper MUST be submitted in APA format and the body of the paper is to be not less than 6 and not more than 10 pages. The body of the paper does not include the title page, table of contents, appendix, or cited references. The research paper will be presented free of errors (typing or spelling) and represent a college-level writing effort.

The paper will be based upon a 200-point scale. The student is free to select the subject of the paper, but that selection and an outline must be submitted for instructor approval by the end of Week 4. Any student who fails to submit their desired topic for approval WILL NOT receive credit for the paper. A minimum of three outside sources must be used and properly cited in the paper. SPECIAL NOTE: The required readings for this course may be used for information, but you still must use three additional sources. Students are expected to research and incorporate outside sources into their Term Papers.

Grading Scale for the Research Term Paper:



CJ412 Course Grading Criteria


Total Possible points: 900 points

Actual Score: earned points/900 points = Grade

CJ 412 - Course Schedule

Assignment for Week 1:

Week 1 Reading: Chapters 1 and 2 Assignment for Week 2:

Week 2 Reading: Chapters 3 and 4 Assignment for Week 3:

Week 3 Reading: Chapter 5 and 6

Research Paper: Submit selected subject topic (Terrorist or Terrorist Group) Assignment for Week 4:

Week 4 Reading: 7 and 8

Research Paper: Begin research efforts Assignment for Week 5:

Week 5 Reading: Chapters 9, 10 and 11

Research Paper: Draft Outline Assignment for Week 6:

Week 6 Reading: Chapters 12, 13 and 14

Research Paper: Submit Draft Outline with Identified Sources Assignment for Week 7:

Week 7 Reading: Chapters 15 and 16

Research Paper: Continue Working Assignment for Week 8:

Week 8 Reading: Chapters 17 and 18

Research Paper: Submit

FINAL EXAMINATION – DUE NLT SUNDAY MIDNIGHT OF THE 8TH WEEK. * This syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.

PROFESSOR BIOGRAPHY

Christopher Harding currently operates as a sworn Federal Air Marshal. In this position Agent Harding functions as a team leader for national and international missions. This position provides tactical air security to counter terrorist threats and to promote security confidence in the airline industry. In this capacity, he is also collects, evaluates, and report terrorist related intelligence.

Chris Harding began his career as a commissioned officer of the U.S. Army. In addition to his military background, he was also a sworn US Border Patrol Agent stationed along the Mexican and American Border. Agent Harding has made drug seizures worth millions of dollars in controlled substance forfeitures. In addition to his law enforcement duties, Agent Harding was also certified as a law instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Facility (FLETC).

Chris Harding’s educational background consists of a B.S. degree from the University of New York at Buffalo in Environmental Science with a minor in Nuclear Medicine Technology. He also earned an A.S. in Biological Technology from the University of New York at Morrisville. He is currently seeking an M.A. degree from Canyon College, INC in Criminology.

Chris Harding has been involved with instructing online courses since 2000 such as Immigration Law and Procedures, Law Enforcement: Breaking the Technological Barrier, Professional Security Management, Managing the Emergency Response and Technological Issues in Law Enforcement.