Justice & Policy Minors
Community Studies Minor
Sherry Giles, Department of Justice and Policy Studies
This new field of study and practice arises from a pervasive sense of disconnection and isolation that has become widespread in American culture. Focusing on building community, the field understands our society’s institutions as on a path of systematically undermining respectful and authentic relatedness among citizens. It also sees this path as the source of many growing pathologies, including individual and systematic prejudice and discrimination and many forms of violence.
Currently, the need for community-building has begun to gain the attention and imagination of many inside and outside the academy. As new disciplines emerge and diverse technological and other forms of expertise expand, we are becoming aware that we still lack the ability to build sustainable systems that enable our endeavors to thrive.
The minor in community studies is not available to community and justice studies majors.
Community Studies Minor Requirements
The minor requires a minimum of 16 credit hours (four courses).
- JPS 103 Community Problem Solving – 4 credits
- JPS 220 Community Building Fundamentals – 4 credits
- JPS 336 Understanding Oppressive Systems – 4 credits
- One course from: 4 credits
- JPS 290 Internship
- JPS 320 Ethics in Justice and Policy Studies
- JPS 424 Trust and Violence
- PHIL 377 Agency, Action and Motivation
- PSY 213 Class, Race, and Gender
- SOAN/PECS 345 Social Change:Promoting Peace
Total credit hours required for Community Studies Minor – 16 credits
Criminal Justice Minor
Jerry Joplin, Department of Justice and Policy Studies
This minor provides non-majors an opportunity to pursue an interest in criminal justice. It introduces students to the major problems of instituting legal control over criminal behavior and the complexity of making legal decisions in a moral context. It enables students to develop an appreciation of the social scientific method and to communicate their experience with criminal justice effectively in writing.
The minor in criminal justice is not available to criminal justice majors. Students majoring in community justice may not use their major coursework toward the criminal justice minor.
Criminal Justice Minor Requirements
The minor requires a minimum of 16 credit hours (four courses).
- JPS 100 Inquiry into Criminal Justice – 4 credits
- JPS 200 Criminal Procedure – 4 credits
- Two JPS 300- or 400 level courses excluding JPS 339 Research Methods, JPS 366 Justice and JPS 437 Multicultural Communication – 8 credits
Total credits required for Criminal Justice Minor – 16 credits
In addition to the course work, students will be required to write a five- to 10-page paper bringing together their diverse experiences in the minor. This minor summary must be submitted to the Department of Justice and Policy Studies during the semester in which a student completes her or his final course for the minor. JPS faculty will grade the minor summary CR/NC: CR is necessary for successful completion of the minor.
Interpersonal Communications Minor
Jerry Joplin, Department of Justice and Policy Studies
In an increasingly complex and socially diverse world, individuals need to be able to communicate effectively and to develop and maintain strong personal relationships with people close to them and from very different backgrounds. This interdisciplinary minor engages studies in examining interpersonal communication in order to understand communication processes and styles and the subtle ways cultural differences enhance or inhibit relationships. Courses in the minor explore both intrapersonal communication (internal mental and emotional processes that shape selection and interpretation of communication) and interpersonal communication (the process through which individuals interact, build relationships and create meaning). Students study conflict and ways in which it can be managed and transformed to enhance relationships. The influence and importance of understanding cultural differences and their impact on interpersonal communications is examined throughout the minor.
The minor would be of special interest to adults seeking to communicate more effectively with family members, friends and intimate partners. Courses in the minor feature highly interactive and experiential activities in the classroom and local community that integrate and apply communications theory to authentic personal relationships.
Interpersonal Communications Minor Requirements
The minor requires a minimum of 16 credit hours (four courses).
- JPS/PSY 270 Interpersonal Communications – 4 credits
- JPS 244 Conflict Resolution Strategies – 4 credits
- JPS 323 Diversity at Work – 4 credits
- JPS 437 Multicultural Communications – 4 credits
Total credit hours required for Interpersonal Communication Minor – 16 credits
Note: This minor will be offered only in the evening schedule for CCE students.
Organizational Communications Minor
Jerry Joplin, Department of Justice and Policy Studies
This minor provides substantive interdisciplinary focus on communication processes and systems that operate in organizations of all kinds and affect the performance of functional units and their employees with a vital impact on organizational outcomes, employee morale and teamwork. Research indicates that specific knowledge of internal and external communication processes is important for managers and employees at all levels. Courses in the minor draw upon theory and research from several social sciences with multiple practical applications to organizational communication and resource management.
Students choosing this minor will give sustained attention to the direct and indirect ways in which communication processes and social dynamics affect organizations and employee interaction. They will learn how to adapt communication approaches for colleagues, supervisors and interdependent work teams. This minor will have particular relevance for managers working in large and small organizations, including volunteer and non-profit groups, government agencies, law enforcement, social and health services, small businesses and large corporations. Students will gain greater understanding of organizational structures and communication processes and learn to be more effective as individuals, managers and members of work groups.
Organizational Communications Minor Requirements
The minor requires a minimum of 16 credit hours (four courses).
- JPS 271 Organizational Communication and Teamwork – 4 credits
- Three courses from: 12 credits
- JPS 244 Conflict Resolution
- JPS 323 Diversity at Work
- PSY 332 Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Total credit hours required for Organizational Communication Minor – 16 credits
Students pursuing this minor must write one paper of six pages in length in each of the four courses. Each paper will fulfill a course assignment and also provide coherence by demonstrating how key constructs and processes of organizational communication apply to the content and processes of the specific course.
Note: This minor will be offered only in the evening schedule for CCE students.
