Course Syllabus

PST 312: Legal Aspects of Public Safety Telecommunications

Fall 2016
Instructor:
Natalie K. Fussell, PhD.
Washington, DC 20005
GEM e-mail: nfussell@jsu.edu
Alternative e-mail: nataliefussellphd@gmail.com
Office Hours
I do not have a physical office at JSU. I am always available to you through email or by phone. Please set
up an appointment for phone call.

PST 312 Course Description

This course is designed to give the student a basic understanding of legal concepts, issues and principles
related to public safety communications. It is for those engaged in, or training to be engaged in, that
practice. It is not designed as a typical law course.

Learning Objectives
1) To demonstrate an understanding of the basic functions and concepts of the American legal
system
2) Articulate the differences between civil law and criminal law
3) Research and discuss how civil liability can affect a modern communications center
4) To identify the causes of liability and describe how to avoid it

Required Texts
Civil Liability in Criminal Justice (5

th

Edition) by Darrell L. Ross. ISBN: 1- 42246-139-4

Additional reading assignments will be made available through the Blackboard classroom.
Policy on Non-Discrimination
I expect to maintain a positive learning environment based upon open communication, mutual respect,
and non-discrimination. Jacksonville State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age,
disability, veteran status, religion, sexual orientation, color, or national origin. Any suggestions as to how
to further such a positive and open environment in this class will be appreciated and given serious
consideration. If you are a person with a disability and anticipate needing any type of accommodation in
order to participate in this class, please advise me and make appropriate arrangements with the proper
office of disability services at Jacksonville State University.

Policy on Original Work

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PST 312 Legal Aspects of Public Safety Telecommunications (Fussell)

Plagiarism is a serious academic honor code infraction and can result in failure of this course, and under
appropriate circumstances, expulsion from the University. Collaboration can be a form of plagiarism if
you plan with someone else how to complete an assignment or you divide the work, swap or share disks
or hard copy information, and then submit that work as your own. The JSU Policy on Plagiarism can be
found at http://www.jsu.edu/depart/handbook/page17.html

Student Requirements
Students are required to maintain active participation in this course by participating in weekly discussion
board assignments as well as by meeting project deadlines. Students are expected to communicate
effectively with the instructor as well. Nearly any problem can be solved, as long as it is brought to the
attention of the instructor in a timely manner. If you are having difficulty in the course, are confused
about something, or just need clarification, please let the instructor know right away. Its easy to fall
behind in a course such as this, so your instructor will try to do whatever is necessary to help you keep up.

COURSE CONTENT
All classes meet via the Internet and classes start Tuesday, August 23, 2016.

Grading Scale
Grades will be determined based on this standard scale:
A
B
C
D
F
FA

90% and above

80% - 89%
70%-79%
60%-69%
less than 60%
failure due to lack of attendance/participation

Grade Breakdown
Participation
Quizzes (3)
Blog Entry (3)
Memorandum
Power Point

5%
15%
30%
25%
25%

Participation (5%)
Includes attendance via weekly log-ins and participation at the Discussion Board. Class participation
does not mean showing up you are expected to participate. Your grade will be calculated by the
percentage of your participation in the DB, which is determined by Blackboard Usage Reports.
You should feel free to ask questions if you do not understand a posting or a concept that arises in the
reading or discussion. There are no stupid questions or comments and bullying will not be tolerated.
However, if you do not feel comfortable posting the question on the discussion board, please do not
hesitate to contact the instructor via email.

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PST 312 Legal Aspects of Public Safety Telecommunications (Fussell)

Students are encouraged to watch for current events that relate to the class and post relevant material on
the discussion board in the designated thread. Up to 5 points of extra credit may be given for each extra,
thoughtful discussion. Bonus points will be added to your assignment with the lowest score prior to final
grade submission.

Quizzes (15%)
There will be 3 quizzes worth 15% of your grade (5% each). They will be based on concepts from the
readings on Blackboard. I will provide you with a review sheet one-week prior to the quiz.

Blog Entries (30%)

There will be three graded Blog Entries worth 30% (10% each) throughout the semester, but please feel
free to post more. The purpose of these blog entries is to get you thinking about the readings in a less
formal setting than a paper assignment. I want you to reflect on the reading assignments. The purpose
of the blog entry is for you to be able to give your opinion, offer your suggestions for handling situations
and/or reflect how you responded when faced with similar situations in your life. Be thoughtful,
insightful and honest. See syllabus for due dates on Blogs (same week as Quizzes).

Memorandum (25%)
Assume the role of General Counsel and write a memorandum to your superior (Governor, Mayor,
Senator, etc.). Choose a topic related to the course that interests you and discuss the legal issues
surrounding your topic. Provide a Summary of the memo, Background of your issue(s), legal implications
of the issue and a recommendation. Your memorandum should be a maximum of 5 pages, but there is no
minimum.

Power Point (25%)

Prepare a Power Point as if you are presenting your memorandum to your boss or city council.
Remember to include talking points in the Notes section.
Late papers
Due dates are firm. If circumstances develop that prevent you from completing your work in a
timely manner, you should contact me ASAP. I will take into consideration all reasonable requests for
accommodation, but you have to make me aware of any problems BEFORE (well in advance, not a few
hours before) the assignments are due, not after you have missed a deadline. Late papers will be subject
to an automatic 10% grade reduction unless arrangements are made beforehand with the instructor or
extenuating circumstances exist. However, a very narrow definition of extenuating circumstances will be
used, so dont turn your paper in late and assume your excuse will be accepted. You should know your
schedule and what issues can/will arise from your non-school related responsibilities. Please plan
accordingly.
You may check your grades online by selecting Tools/My Grades. Please check this area prior to
contacting me to inquire about grades. All papers are to be filed in Word format and must include your
name, date and course number. Do not zip your files or use a symbol in naming your files (Instead of
Paper #1, use Paper 1 or some other title). Part of your grade will be based on writing competence.
Please proofread to correct spelling and grammatical errors. Closely follow the page limit requirements.
You are not to collaborate on the preparation of written papers. Each paper is to be your individual work
product.

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PST 312 Legal Aspects of Public Safety Telecommunications (Fussell)

We will be using the Assignment Link in Blackboard for the submission of assignments and exams. I will
return marked-up copy of your papers to you via this system. You should review my comments and
correct future papers accordingly.

Syllabus Disclaimer
Serious effort and consideration were used in formulating the syllabus presented in the Blackboard
Classroom of Dr. Fussell. While viewed as an educational contract between Dr. Fussell and student,
unforeseen events may cause changes to the scheduling of exercises, quizzes, etc (i.e. unavailable
readings, inaccessible podcasts, etc.). Every effort will be made NOT to change scheduled items.
Nonetheless, Dr. Fussell reserves the right to make any reasonable changes deemed necessary to best
fulfill the course objectives. Students registered for this course will be made aware of any changes in a
timely fashion using reasonable means. This disclaimer does not abrogate any student rights as described
by University rules and regulations.

COURSE OUTLINE
Week
Week 1

Topic
Introduction

8/23/16
8/28/16

Week 2

Assignment
Readings:
See Week 1 Folder in Course Documents
Discussion Board:
Post a message to the discussion board with the following
information: Your name, agency/organization, position, time
zone, what you expect to get out of this class and any previous
legal issues training/coursework you have completed. Also
include anything else you would like to share (pets, family,
hobbies, etc).

General Legal Concepts

8/29/16
9/4/16

Readings:
Ross Chapters 1 & 2
See BB for any additional readings
Discussion Board

Week 3
9/5/16
9/11/16

Sources of Liability

Readings:
Ross Chapters 1 & 2
See BB for any additional readings
Discussion Board
Quiz 1 Review Sheet

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PST 312 Legal Aspects of Public Safety Telecommunications (Fussell)

Week 4

Quiz 1

9/12/16
9/18/16
Week 5

Quiz 1 opens
Blog 1 due at end of week

Negligence

9/19/16
9/25/16

Readings:
Ross Chapter 3
See BB for any additional readings
Discussion Board

Week 6

Defenses to Negligence

9/26/16
10/2/16

Readings:
Ross Chapter 5
See BB for any additional readings
Discussion Board

Week 7

Duty to Act

10/3/16
10/9/16

Readings:
See Week 7 Folder in Course Documents
Discussion Board
Quiz 2 Review Sheet

Week 8

Quiz 2

10/10/16
10/16/16
Week 9

Quiz 2
Blog 2 due by end of week

Training Liability

10/17/16
10/23/16

Readings:
Ross Chapter 7
See BB for any additional readings
Discussion Board

Week 10

Incident Command

10/24/16
10/30/16

Readings:
See Week 10 Folder in Course Documents
Discussion Board

Week 11
10/31/16
11/6/16

Operational Liability

Readings:
Ross pages 224-231, Ross Chapter 10
Discussion Board

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PST 312 Legal Aspects of Public Safety Telecommunications (Fussell)

Week 12

Management/Supervisio
n Liability

11/7/16
11/13/16

Ross Chapter 13
See BB for any additional readings
Discussion Board

Week 13

Interoperability

Readings:
See Week 9 Folder in Course Documents

11/14/16
11/20/16

Discussion Board
Memorandum DUE NO LATER THAN 11:59pm at end of
week.

Week 14

THANKSGIVING BREAK

11/21/16
11/25/16
Week 15

Quiz 3

11/26/16
12/2/16

Quiz 3
Quiz on Weeks 9, 10, 11 and 12 opens and closes FRIDAY at
11:59pm.
Blog 3 due by FRIDAY, 11:59pm.
Power Point Presentation Due by FRIDAY, 11:59pm.

Week 16
12/3/16
12/8/16

FINALS

Power Point Presentations via Collaborate for Bonus Points

*If you have missed an assignment and need to make it up, or
would like to drop your lowest grade, you can present your
Power Point via Collaborate session for extra credit.

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PST 312 Legal Aspects of Public Safety Telecommunications (Fussell)