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The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Proposal for a Major in Criminology, Law and Justice (BA, BS) Professor Karen Heimer, DEO, Department of Sociology

October 30, 2014 OVERVIEW The Department of Sociology currently offers a track in criminology, with the track preparing students to pursue careers in criminological research, policing, probation, parole, the law, and other areas. Because of the growth of the track and student demand for this area of study, the department has decided to propose a major in this discipline titled Criminology, Law and Justice, offered both as a BA and BS degree. RATIONALE FOR THE MAJOR There are currently 294 majors in sociology with 147 of those in the criminology track. Transforming the track to a major would serve these current and future students in a number of crucial ways. The major will require a more extensive academic exploration of the area than the track, thus better preparing students for careers in law, criminal justice, social services, government, and public policy. The required courses will teach students about the important data sources on crime in the United States and internationally; the various sociological explanations for crime and criminal justice; and the operation of law and the criminal justice system and their complex interplay with other social institutions, such as the economy and politics. The major includes introductory courses on criminology, criminal justice and law and society. It also includes more advanced courses on criminology and the causes of crime, such as juvenile delinquency, interpersonal violence, white collar crime, and global criminology, among others. The major also offers courses on law and the criminal justice system, including courses on the criminal legal system, juvenile justice system, corrections and criminal punishment, comparative legal systems, and the sociology of law. Because this major is located within the Department of Sociology, many of our courses focus on social inequalities and their role is shaping criminal behavior and criminal justice system experiences. Some of our courses focus explicitly on key dimensions of social inequality, including our courses on women, crime and justice, and on race, crime and justice with the theme of inequality running through most of our courses. As such, the major will examine issues related to race and ethnic diversity, gender, and poverty, heightening awareness of these important topics. We believe that this is an important strength of our program and is key for persons working in the field of criminology, criminal justice, and related areas. The major additionally will encourage an internship related to the student’s career or a research experience with a faculty member. The department will create many of these opportunities with local and state agencies.

A major in Criminology, Law and Justice will also better meet the demonstrated employment needs in this area. The major will prepare students for employment in police organizations

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(local, state and federal), public and private investigative work, private security work, corrections and community corrections, private treatment facilities for adults and juveniles, crime and justice research, as well as in other types of human services, sales, public relations, advertising, personnel, applied social research, community organization, and teaching social science in secondary schools. Careers within the area of protection services as a group are projected to rise by around 10% through 2022 (Occupational Handbook, Employment Trends, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of police and detectives employed in the public sector is projected to increase 5% between 2012 to 2022, and importantly, jobs in policing are expected to become more competitive overall and having a B.A. degree will become increasingly important. The employment of private detectives and investigators is projected to grow 22% over the next 10 years, much faster than the average for all occupations due to an increase in security concerns and the need to protect property and confidential information, according to PoliceLink, a website for the nation’s law enforcement community.1 The same website notes that experts predict a 19% increase in opportunities for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists, positions that typically require a B.A. in criminal justice or social services.

Generally, a more deeply educated workforce with a stronger research and theoretical background in criminology and criminal justice will enhance performance in the field and profession, a benefit to Iowa’s communities. According to the Director of the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA), who was consulted about this proposal, a four-year degree means that students can take a ‘fast-track’ to become certified as a police officer for any organization in the state. In other words, most officers are hired, and they must complete a 14-week “police academy” before they can begin on-the-job training. The title of the new major would clearly indicate for the employer the student’s area of training while track titles are only printed on the transcript but not on the degree award. Students value having the title of their major stated on the credential, with the student’s academic focus clearer to graduate programs or to future employers. The program of study additionally will provide a foundation for graduate or professional study in criminology, criminal justice, sociology, psychology, law, social work, urban planning, education, social policy, and similar areas. Indeed, the major will pair well with majors in other disciplines, such as psychology and social work, and afford students a competitive edge when applying to graduate school in forensic psychology or social work with a corrections emphasis. A bachelor's degree with a major in Criminology, Law and Justice also will provide a strong liberal arts and sciences education for any student, helping students to enhance their ability to think critically, to communicate orally, and to write. For example, every time a police officer has an encounter with a citizen, the officer needs excellent communication skills to interact with the citizen, not to mention writing reports.

1 http://policelink.monster.com/benefits/articles/130259-8-fastest-growing-law-enforcement-careers?page=2

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With a major in place, a stronger student community and outreach program can be built, with a better focus on student success and engagement and with a higher profile of the program from the recruitment perspective. Admissions reports that future student interest in the area is high but students have asked for a major in the area and find the track more difficult to understand. Admissions will be able to commit more resources and time to a conversation about a major. This new major will attract not only first-year students but also students earning the AA degree from Iowa community colleges, such as at Eastern Iowa Community College, Kirkwood, Des Moines Area Community College, and Western Tech. If these colleges do not offer a program in criminal justice, they offer advising in the criminal justice area to help students to complete the prerequisites for transfer to a criminal justice program at a Regents’ university. The major will thus be suggested for the 2+2 Plan, a UI and Iowa community college agreement to insure a smooth transfer of credits and the completion of a baccalaureate degree. The Department of Sociology has been participating in bi-annual articulation meetings between the Regents’ universities and the community colleges for more than two years with regard to the track in Criminology, and the community colleges have been pressing for the University of Iowa to develop a separate major in criminology and criminal justice to help meet the 2+2 plan and accommodate student interest. ADMINISTRATIVE HOME The administrative home will remain the Department of Sociology, currently the home of the track. The major in Criminology, Law and Justice will be the second major offered by the Department of Sociology. The department has a demonstrated expertise in this area, with faculty specializing in research related to criminology and with a long history of teaching courses in the field. Dr. Karen Heimer, DEO of Sociology, will serve as the program coordinator and as the director of undergraduate studies for the major. There is no plan to change the name of the department to include the title of the proposed major. However, if this proposal is approved, the Registrar will be asked to create a particular course subject code for courses related to Criminology, Law and Justice (such as CRIM) to help students find these courses on ISIS and to better track credit hours and enrollments in the program. ADVISING Entering students with 24 s.h. or fewer will be advised at the Academic Advising Center. Students with more than 24 s.h. will be advised within the program by the professional advisor who now advises students in the Sociology major and in the current criminology track. The professional advisor will help students to choose the best degree (BA or BA) for their interests, to stay on track toward graduation, and to explore related internships as well as courses and programs of study outside of the department, such as in in social work, psychology, political science, economics, and history. DUPLICATION OF CREDENTIALS AND OF CREDIT HOURS Students earning the major in Sociology will be allowed to earn the major in Criminology, Law

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and Justice and vice versa as long as no more than 9 s.h. overlapping between each major, with General Education courses excluded from this count since the College allows those to be counted multiple times. Students in Sociology may earn a minor in Criminology, Law and Justice and those in Criminology, Law and Justice may earn a Sociology minor but only as long as no more than 3 s.h. is double-counted for both credentials. Students earning a double major in both Sociology and in Criminology, Law and Justice may not complete a minor in either area. REQUIRED RESOURCES The department currently has the faculty and other instructors needed to offer the major. Growth in the major might necessitate a reexamination of the advisor’s case load since the sociology advisor also works with pre-social work students and anthropology majors. The College is aware of this situation and understands that additional resources may be needed in the future if this should become an issue. We hope such an addition, if ever needed, would also help another department which might benefit from sharing the expertise of any new advisor hired. CURRICULUM OF THE MAJOR AND SEQUENCE OF COURSES The Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Sciences with a major in Criminology, Law and Justice will require a minimum of 120 s.h., including at least 36 s.h. of work for the major. The Bachelor of Science degree requires an additional 14 s.h. of course work. For either degree, students must maintain a GPA of at least 2.00 in all courses for the major and in all UI courses for the major. They also must complete the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences General Education Program. Transfer students must earn at least 24 s.h. in Criminology, Law and Justice course work at The University of Iowa; transfer courses must be approved by the program coordinator.

INTRODUCTORY COURSES One of the following introductory sociology courses:

SOC:1010 (034:001) Introduction to Sociology Principles 3-4 s.h. SOC:1020 (034:002) Social Problems 3 s.h. SOC:2810 (034:066) Social Inequality 3 s.h.

Two of the following introductory Criminology, Law and Justice courses:

SOC:1410 (034:040) Introduction to Criminology 3 s.h. SOC:1420 (034:042) Law and Society 3 s.h. SOC:1425 (034:055) Introduction to the Criminal Justice System 3 s.h. One of the following statistics courses: SOC: 2160 (Applied Statistics for Social Sciences 3 s.h. STAT:1020 Elementary Statistics and Inference 3 s.h.

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STAT:1030 Statistics for Business 3 s.h. STAT:2010 Statistical Methods and Computing 3 s.h. STAT:3510 Biostatistics 3 s.h. STAT:4143 Introduction to Statistical Methods 3 s.h. ECON:2800 Statistics for Strategy Problems 3 s.h.

THEORY AND METHODS The following two courses are required, and should be completed as soon as possible.

SOC:2130 (034:009) Sociological Theory 3 s.h.

SOC:2170 (034:011) Research Methods 3 s.h.

ELECTIVES 12 s.h. from these:

SOC:1200 (034:046) Crime and Modern Society 3 s.h. SOC:2325 (034:025) Women, Crime, and Justice 3 s.h. SOC:2430 (034:080) Comparative Criminal Justice Systems 3 s.h. SOC:3415 (034:045) Global Criminology 3 s.h. SOC:3416 (034:115) Race, Crime and Justice 3 s.h. SOC:3171 (034:171) Drugs and Society 3 s.h. SOC:3420 (034:141) Juvenile Delinquency 3 s.h. SOC:3425 (034:146) Deviance and Control 3 s.h. SOC:3450 (034:186) Criminal Legal System 3 s.h. SOC:4420 (034:149) Corrections and Criminal Punishment 3 s.h. SOC:4430 (034:142) Interpersonal Violence in Society 3 s.h. SOC:4440 (034:144) Sociology of White-Collar Crime 3 s.h. SOC:4450 (034:184) Juvenile Justice: A Socio-legal Perspective 3 s.h. SOC:4460 (034:182) Sociology of Law 3 s.h. SOC:4461 (034:143) Gender and Violence 3 s.h. SOC:4400 (034:148) Internship in Criminal Justice and Corrections 1-5 s.h.

UPPER LEVEL SOCIOLOGY REQUIREMENT 3 s.h. from these:

SOC:2510 (034:050) Medical Sociology 3 s.h. SOC:3220 (034:128) Sociology of Mental Illness 3 s.h. SOC:3520 (034:150) Political Sociology and Social Movements 3 s.h SOC:3610 (034:164) Organizations and Modern Society 3 s.h. SOC:3650 (034:178) Education, Schools and Society 3 s.h. SOC:3830 (034:155) Race and Ethnicity 3 s.h. SOC:3840 (034:175) Community and Urban Sociology 3 s.h. SOC:3850 (034:158) Economy and Society 3 s.h.

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SOC:3880 (034:170) Social Networks 3 s.h. SOC:4820 (034:135) Sociology of Sexuality 3 s.h. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BS In addition to all of the above courses and requirements, the following are required for the Bachelor of Science degree with the major in Criminology, Law and Justice.

INTRODUCTORY CALCULUS (BS) B.S. students complete one of these sequences:

MATH:1550 (22M:031) & MATH:1560 (22M:032) Engineering Mathematics I: Single Variable Calculus - Engineering Mathematics II: Multivariable Calculus

8 s.h.

MATH:1850 (22M:025) & MATH:1860 (22M:026) Calculus I-II 8 s.h. THEORY AND METHOD (BS) Students choose one (in addition to statistics course required above; courses may not be double counted.) SOC:2160 (034:010) Applied Statistics for Social Scientists 3 s.h. STAT:3120 (22S:120) Probability and Statistics 4 s.h. One of these: PHIL:2603 (026:103) Introduction to Symbolic Logic 3 s.h. PHIL:3604 (026:104) Introduction to Philosophy of Science 3 s.h. OUTCOMES OF THE MAJOR The following outcomes have been adapted from the American Sociological Association.

Conduct Research and Analyze Data: Learn both qualitative and quantitative research methods; recognize trends and patterns and produce social statistics such as those used in criminal justice organizations and government, market research, opinion polling, sales, and countless other applications.

Communicate Skillfully: Learn how to convey ideas effectively in writing and presentations.

Practice Critical Thinking: Learn to look beyond the surface of issues to discover the "why.´ Build analytical skills. Solve problems and identify opportunities.

Gain a Global Perspective: Learn about different cultures and how to analyze the interactions of groups and societies through a global and historical perspective.

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Prepare for Graduate School or for a First Career Step: Prepare for employment and for graduate study in a wide range of fields including criminology, criminal justice, sociology, law, business, social work, medicine, public health, and public administration.

ASSESSMENT PLAN Sociology assesses the accomplishment of the goals for its majors via a capstone course requirement, as described below.

CAPSTONE COURSE All Criminology, Law and Justice majors will complete the capstone course, which illustrates their accomplishments; it is usually taken during the student's last two semesters of course work for the major and includes assembling a portfolio. Before they enroll in the capstone course, students must complete the statistics requirement, SOC:2170 (034:011) Research Methods; one of the required lower-level courses in Criminology, Law and Justice; at least 6 semester hours of electives in Criminology, Law and Justice; and must have a GPA of at least 2.00 in work for the major.

SOC:4910 (034:195) Capstone Course in Sociology 3 s.h.

GRADUATION PORTFOLIO During their last semester, all students enroll in the following course, in which they submit the portfolio assembled in the capstone course.

SOC:4909 (034:194) Graduation Portfolio 0 s.h.

FOUR-YEAR PLAN

Before the fifth semester begins: SOC:1010 (034:001) Introduction to Sociology Principles or equivalent; three additional introductory courses

Before the seventh semester begins: the statistics course, two of the three theory and methods courses, two electives, and at least 90 s.h. earned toward the degree

Before the eighth semester begins: the remaining theory and methods course and one more elective

During the eighth semester: enrollment in all remaining course work in the major; all remaining General Education courses; and a sufficient number of semester hours to graduate

HONORS IN THE MAJOR Students majoring in Criminology, Law and Justice have the opportunity to graduate with honors in the major. Departmental honors students must maintain a GPA of at least 3.33 in all University of Iowa courses and in all Sociology and Criminology, and Law and Justice courses. In order to graduate with honors in Sociology, students must complete the following course work.

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SOC:4997 (034:100) Honors Seminar (taken spring of junior year) 2 s.h. SOC:4998 (034:199) Honors Research (honors thesis) arr.

The honors thesis will be prepared under faculty supervision, giving the student the opportunity to conduct research in close consultation with a faculty member of the student's choice.

In addition to honors in their majors, undergraduate students will have a variety of opportunities for honors study and activities through membership in the University of Iowa Honors Program; visit Honors at Iowa to learn about the University Honors Program. Membership in the UI Honors Program is encouraged by not required for honors in the Criminology, Law and Justice major.

MINOR The minor in Criminology, Law and Justice requires a minimum of 15 s.h. in courses as designated for the Criminology, Law and Justice major, including 12 s.h. in courses taken at the University of Iowa. Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 in all courses for the minor (including transfer credit) and in all UI courses.

Appendix A

INTRODUCTORY COURSES

SOC:1010 (034:001) Introduction to Sociology Principles 3-4 s.h.

How individuals are organized into social groups, ranging from intimate groups to

bureaucracies, and how these influence individual behavior; nature and

interrelationships of basic social institutions, such as family, education, religion,

economy.

SOC:1020 (034:002) Social Problems 3 s.h.

Emergence and distribution of selected social problems; alternative solutions;

may include population, inequality, female-male relationships, racism, crime.

SOC:2810 (034:066) Social Inequality 3 s.h.

Major theoretical perspectives for understanding inequality in economics, power,

prestige; the magnitude of social inequality in the United States; sex and race

inequality; trends in and causes of social mobility; selected consequences of

social inequality.

SOC:1410 (034:040) Introduction to Criminology 3 s.h.

Nature and causes of crime; the criminal justice process, correctional treatment,

crime prevention.

SOC:1420 (034:042) Law and Society 3 s.h.

Exploration of how society shapes the law and how law shapes the society;

definitions and conceptualizations of law; social origins of law; roots of

compliance with or deviance from law; legal consciousness and uses of law in

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everyday life; effect of law on social inequality and distribution of power; law as a

venue and a tool for social change.

SOC:14 - - (034: - - -) Introduction to the Criminal Justice System 3 s.h.

SOC:2160 (034:010) Applied Statistics for Social Sciences [formerly QDA] 3 s.h.

Applied statistics for sociology majors: frequency distributions, graphic

presentation, measures of central tendency, measures of variability, elementary

probability, populations and samples, sampling distributions, estimation and

confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, chi-square test, regression and

correlation, analysis of variance; computer software used in data analysis;

emphasis on appropriate use and interpretation of statistics in the study of

sociological topics.

THEORY AND METHODS

SOC:2130 (034:009) Sociological Theory 3 s.h.

Theoretical perspectives in sociology; construction, evaluation of sociological

explanations.

SOC:2170 (034:011) Research Methods 3 s.h.

Basic scientific concepts; emphasis on theoretical thinking, statement of

researchable propositions, logic and meaning of proof operant in the research

process; general issues in designing social research, including problems of

sampling and measurement, analysis, presenting research data, interpreting

research findings.

ELECTIVES

SOC:2325 (034:025) Women, Crime, and Justice 3 s.h.

Overview of women's experiences with crime and criminal justice system, with

reference to experiences of men for purposes of comparison; role of race,

ethnicity, and poverty in women's experiences; causes of crime, inequalities in

police-citizen interactions, imprisonment, and other aspects of criminal justice

system experience.

SOC:2430 (034:080) Comparative Criminal Justice Systems 3 s.h.

Criminal justice systems around the world; similarities and differences in how

justice is defined and operationalized in contemporary legal traditions in terms of

police, courts, and corrections examined in light of cultural norms and values;

emphasis on link between societal characteristics and legal traditions; differences

in defendant rights guaranteed under various legal traditions.

SOC:3415 (034:045) Global Criminology 3 s.h.

Crime and the control of crime at the transnational and sub-national levels of

analysis; focus on non-U.S. societies; consequences of economic, political, and

cultural globalization.

SOC:3416 (034:115) Race, Crime and Justice 3 s.h.

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Extent and nature of racial disparities in offending and victimization;

interpretation of patterns using various theoretical approaches; examination of

race inequalities across many stages of criminal justice process.

SOC:3420 (034:141) Juvenile Delinquency 3 s.h.

Delinquency as an individual and social problem; theories of the causes of

juvenile delinquency; law enforcement and the juvenile court; methods of

correction and prevention.

SOC:3425 (034:146) Deviance and Control 3 s.h.

Norm violation or deviant behavior; behaviors that, while deviant, do not violate

legal norms, and ways of controlling these behaviors that do not involve the

criminal justice system; ways of explaining deviance, consequences of deviant

behavior for the deviant actor.

SOC: 3171 (034: 171) Drugs and Society 3 s.h.

How people use drugs for recreation, performance enhancement, and medical

treatment; implications for drug control, treatment, and public policy.

SOC:3450 (034:186) Criminal Legal System 3 s.h.

Discretionary decision making in U.S. criminal courts from arrest through

sentencing; legal and socio-legal issues relevant to each stage of felony

adjudication; sociological and social-psychological theories of decision making in

adjudication, empirical research testing these theories.

SOC:4420 (034:149) Corrections and Criminal Punishment 3 s.h.

Sociological theories and research on criminal punishment; classical and

contemporary theories; research on imprisonment and capital punishment.

SOC: 1200 Crime and Modern Society 3 s.h.

Prevailing issues in criminology; extent and nature of disparities in offending and

victimization, interpretation of patterns using various theoretical approaches;

evaluation of crime-control policies.

SOC: 4430 (034:142) Interpersonal Violence in Society 3 s.h.

Discretionary decision making in U.S. criminal courts from arrest through

sentencing; legal and socio-legal issues relevant to each stage of felony

adjudication; sociological and social-psychological theories of decision making in

adjudication, empirical research testing these theories.

SOC:4440 (034:144) Sociology of White-Collar Crime 3 s.h.

Critical perspectives on causes and consequences of white-collar crime;

definitions and types; criminological, social-psychological, and rational-choice

theories; political and economic causes of white-collar crime under capitalism

and socialism; rates and patterns of white-collar criminality across different social

groups (defined by racial, ethnic, class, and gender attributes); control,

prevention, and criminal justice response.

SOC:4450 (034:184) Juvenile Justice: A Socio-legal Perspective 3 s.h.

Examination of social, historical, and legal foundations of juvenile justice system

in the United States; adjudication processes in juvenile justice, transfer of

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juveniles to criminal court, contemporary juvenile court, community-based

corrections programs, legalities of juvenile system; current and future directions

in juvenile justice.

SOC:4460 (034:182) Sociology of Law 3 s.h.

Conceptual, historical, and theoretical issues of law and operation of the criminal

justice system; theory and research on law and the criminal justice system.

SOC:4461 (034:143) Gender and Violence 3 s.h.

Extent and nature of gendered violence, interpretation of patterns using feminist

theory and perspectives on masculinities and heterosexism; examination of

interpersonal violence, including criminal violence committed by women and

men, violence against women and men (victimization), spousal/intimate partner

abuse, youth gangs, bullying in schools, sexual violence, femicide, and genocide.

SOC:4400 (034:148) Internship in Criminal Justice and Corrections 1-5 s.h.

Supervised field work in a criminal justice or correctional agency.

UPPER LEVEL SOCIOLOGY REQUIREMENT

SOC:3220 (034:128) Sociology of Mental Illness 3 s.h.

The socially constructed nature of mental illness; theoretical perspectives and

research on social antecedents and social consequences of mental health.

SOC:2510 (034:050) Medical Sociology 3 s.h.

Theoretical perspectives and research on social precursors and consequences of

physical and mental health ailments; focus on contemporary U.S. with cross-

cultural comparisons; stereotypes and diagnosis, gender and racial/ethnic

differences, health inequalities related to socio-economic status.

SOC:3520 (034:150) Political Sociology and Social Movements 3 s.h.

Sociological analysis of political behavior and belief, group conflict and political

process, group consensus, political institutions, power and policy-making

systems; relationship of the political system to the social system.

SOC:3610 (034:164) Organizations and Modern Society 3 s.h.

Approaches to the sociological study of economic and noneconomic

organizations; the role of power and authority within the organization, and

between the organization and its environment.

SOC:3650 (034:178) Education, Schools and Society 3 s.h.

Overview of sociology of education; historical and current sociological

perspectives on education; race, class, and gender inequality in schooling; higher

education; contemporary debates in education (e.g., affirmative action, school

choice).

SOC:3710 (034:061) The American Family 3 s.h.

Structure and process; change over the life cycle; interrelations with other

institutions; historical changes; variations by social class and ethnic group.

SOC:3830 (034:155) Race and Ethnicity 3 s.h.

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Multidisciplinary study of intergroup relations, with emphasis on historical,

sociological, and social psychological issues in the study of American minority

groups.

SOC:3840 (034:175) Community and Urban Sociology 3 s.h.

Impact of urbanization on social life, social networks; how social forces shape

patterns of urban growth; racial segregation, gentrification; consequences of the

growth of suburbs; urban crises, including concentrated poverty and crime.

SOC:3850 (034:158) Economy and Society 3 s.h.

Economic debates that faced advanced market economies in the 20th century

with extensions to the developing world; development and maintenance of

investment elites and labor markets, development and extension of state activity.

SOC:3880 (034:170) Social Networks 3 s.h.

Introduction to the basic properties of network structure (e.g., density,

mutuality, cliques); substantive insights regarding the role and consequences of

networks in social life; the role of networks in job searching/hiring processes;

how innovations diffuse through networks; and relationships as social resources.

SOC:4820 (034:135) Sociology of Sexuality 3 s.h.

Sociological perspectives on sexuality, including theoretical and conceptual

developments, empirical regularities, and social implications; sexual expression in

the United States.

APPENDIX B: CORE FACULTY

Professor Celesta Albonetti’s research interests are in sociology of law and criminology. Most of her research

estimates the effects of defendant characteristics, case information, and process-related variables on judicial and

prosecutorial discretion in felony adjudication. Her current research focuses on the effects of offender's ethnicity,

gender, and educational attainment on sentence severity imposed under federal sentencing guidelines for white-

collar and drug trafficking cases. Her recent work includes an analysis of sentencing of organization defendants. In

addition to this research, she examines the relationship between offender's cultural capital and recidivism.

Professor Albonetti teaches courses in sociology of law, criminology, discretionary decision-making in the courts,

and juvenile justice.

Assistant Professor Mark T. Berg’s teaching and research interests primarily include criminology, interpersonal

violence, the mobilization of law, and the social context of adolescent development. He is currently investigating

the situational characteristics of disputes as part of a project funded by the National Institute of Justice (U.S.

Department of Justice, Washington, DC). He teaches interpersonal violence, current topics in criminology, and

communities and crime.

Professor Karen Heimer (Department Chair) conducts research and teaches in the areas of gender and violence,

criminal punishment, and criminology. She is currently conducting research on gender differences in violent

victimization and offending, as well as on gender, race and imprisonment in the United States. She is the 2014

Vice-President of the American Society of Criminology and recently served on the National Academy of Sciences

Panel on Measuring Rape and Sexual Assault using Household Surveys. She is completing work on a National

Science Foundation funded project on the vulnerability of minorities and women to violent victimization (with

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Janet Lauritsen and Joseph B. Lang). Professor Heimer teaches courses on introduction to criminology, juvenile

delinquency, criminology theory, corrections and criminal punishment, and women, crime and justice.

Michaela Ruppert is a criminologist whose teaching and research interests include delinquency, justice, and

criminal punishment. Her dissertation, entitled “Self-Efficacy, Conventional Cognitive Coping, and the Strain-

Delinquency Relationship: A Test of General Strain Theory” examines the impact of interpersonal peer

relationships and coping resources on juvenile delinquency. This research coincides with Professor Ruppert’s

teaching interests, which focus on delinquency, juvenile interventions, and school policy and programming. She

also teaches courses on the societal context of drug use and abuse, community-based and institutional corrections,

and other current topics in crime and punishment.

Assistant Professor Marina Zaloznaya's research interests include organizational and economic crime, development

and democratization, and comparative-historical research methods. She is currently examining the way that

different socio-political regimes in the post-Soviet bloc shape the informal economies of local universities. In

another project she is developing a conceptual framework for the study of corruption from a sociological

prospective. Her teaching interests include global and comparative criminology, white collar crime, law and

society, and comparative-historical methods.

APPENDIX C: RECENT NUMBERS OF SOCIOLOGY MAJORS AND STUDENTS PURSUING THE CRIMINOLOGY TRACK

Semester Sociology

(BA/BS)

Criminology track

(BA/BS)

Total Majors Sociology minors

Fall 2013 169 116 285 123

Spring 2014 146 144 290 136

Fall 2014

(as of 10/20/14)

148 132 273 70

APPENDIX D: PROJECTIONS OF NUMBERS OF CRIME. LAW AND JUSTICE MAJORS

Year Fall Spring

2014-2015 148 (as of 10/20/14) 160

2015-2016 180-200 220-225

2016-2017 275 300

2017-2018 340 360

2018-2019 400 425