Criminal Justice Assessment Results
- Mission and Vision Statements
Mission Statement:
Provide the highest quality criminal justice academics in Utah through responsive and impactful higher education programs, scholarship, and service to the profession and community.
Vision Statement:
We strive to increase the knowledge, skills, abilities, open-mindedness, integrity and confidence of the students and criminal justice professionals with whom we interact. Our goal is to change individuals by helping people and organizations improve through higher education. We envision a society that understands the concept of justice and recognizes the role criminal justice systems play in public safety whilst treating individuals with respect and fairness. - Student Learning Outcomes
- Certificates
Juvenile Justice Certificate of Proficiency
At the end of their study at ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø, students in this program will:- Recognize the elements of juvenile criminal behavior.
- Identify the differences in criminal procedures and proceedings between adult and juvenile court.
- Demonstrate how other criminal justice and liberal arts fields intersect with the juvenile justice system.
Victim Advocacy Certificate of Proficiency
At the end of their study at ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø, students in this program will:- Identify the stages of a case through the criminal court process.
- Describe the factors that influence, and the resulting consequences of, criminal victimization.
- Demonstrate how the principles of criminal justice and social science apply to the assistance of crime victims.
- Associate Degree
At the end of their study at ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø, students in this program will:
- Recognize the key historical, theoretical, and practical components of contemporary corrections.
- Identify the fundamental concepts of criminal law as they are applied in the courts.
- Recognize the key historical, theoretical, and practical components of contemporary policing.
- Bachelor Degree
At the end of their study at ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø, students with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice will:
- Describe key concepts, theories, or ideas related to the discipline of criminal justice.
- Explain the experiences, perspectives, or contributions of diverse groups in criminal justice systems.
- Apply theories and research findings to the operation of criminal justice systems.
- Effectively communicate.
- Analyze problems in criminal justice using critical thinking or problem-solving skills.
- Develop a personal framework for ethical decision-making.
Bachelor of Science - CSI Concentration
At the end of their study at ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø, students in this program will:- State the roles and functions of the forensic scientist.
- Apply the elements of the crime scene investigation process.
- Explain the limitations, implications and interactions of legal systems on the practice of forensic science.
- Demonstrate proper case documentation for physical evidence.
- Analyze friction ridge based physical evidence.
- Summarize the assessment and analysis of various types of physical evidence.
- Illustrate the role of research methodology and experimental design in the application of forensic science work.
- Certificates
- Curriculum Grid
Update in Progress
We are currently transitioning to a different format. Please contact oie@weber.edu to request a copy of the current curriculum grid for this program.
Spring 2025 is the last semester when we mapped out the assessment plan. Additionally, new classes were introduced to our curriculum in the 2025-2026 catalog (see additional information below in this section – C Curriculum Grid). They have not yet been taught at the time of writing this report (Fall 2025) but will start being taught Spring 2026 semester. We need to figure out how these new courses will be assessed in light of our already existing assessment plans. The department will work to update the curriculum assessment grid in Spring 2026 semester.The criminal justice core curriculum consists of:
- CJ 1010 - Introduction to Criminal Justice (3)
- CJ 1300 - Corrections: History, Theory and Practice (3)
- CJ 1330 - Criminal Law and Courts (3)
- CJ 2300 - Policing: History, Theory and Practice (3)
- CJ 3270 - Theories of Crime and Delinquency (3)
- CJ 3300 - Victimology (3)
- CJ 3610 - CJ Research Methods (3)
- CJ 4165 - Constitutional Rights (3)
- CJ 4200 - Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice (3)
- CJ 4995 - CJ Senior Assessment (1)
The curriculum grid provided above consists of our assessment plan for our curriculum prior to a change that we made for the 2025/2026
catalog year. Starting Summer 2025, our program changed from 46 credit hours to 49 credit hours. Feedback we received from previous
program reviews highlighted the need for us to infuse more career exploration type classes and capstone experiences into our curriculum. As
such, we created 3, 1-credit block classes (career exploration in nature) to be offered in lieu of CJ4995 and added 3 credits requiring them to
either do an internship or Senior Thesis class as a capstone experience. The new curriculum can be seen in the 2025-26 Catalog. - Program and Contact Information
The Criminal Justice program provides students with a liberal education, while offering academic preparation through an expanded emphasis on criminal justice education. The program also offers a basis for graduate study and seeks to contribute significantly to the improvement of the quality of justice administration.
Criminal justice agencies in the recent past have established advanced academic standards. Education is becoming a more meaningful factor in selection of law enforcement, corrections, and security personnel for initial employment, promotion, and administrative roles
Contact Information:
Dr. Molly Sween
1206 University Circle
Ogden, UT 84408-1206
LH 319
(801) 626-7293 - Assessment Plan
- PLO#1: Describe key concepts, theories, or ideas related to the discipline of criminal justice
- Preliminary data assessed, Summer 2023
- PLO#2: Apply research findings to the operation of criminal justice systems
- Assessed Fall 2023
- PLO#3: Effectively communicate
- Assessed Spring 2024
- PLO#4: Analyze problems in criminal justice using critical thinking or problem-solving skills
- Assessed Summer 2024
- PLO#5: Develop a personal framework for ethical decision-making
- Assessed Fall 2024
- PLO#6: Explain the experiences, perspectives, or contributions of diverse groups in criminal justice systems
- Assessed Spring 2025
- PLO#1 – Should have been assessed Fall 2025, introduced new curriculum (as discussed above). Also, department needs to revisit Spring 2026 to start folding in CJ Electives as part of our assessment plan.
As our curriculum grid above shows, all of our PLOs are assessed through a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 7 classes. Faculty were asked to either assess their assigned PLO using a question bank or a single encompassing assignment during their assigned PLO semester (see section C above). While this process has been generally successful, we have had some issues with missing classes/data per PLO, variability in faculty rating, and while not explicitly identified through data analysis, we recognize that this approach is not standardized and may introduce human error/bias. Moving forward, the department needs to revisit our assessment process, how we rate students, and the types of assignments/exams we are using to assess each PLO.
- PLO#1: Describe key concepts, theories, or ideas related to the discipline of criminal justice
- Assessment Report Submissions
To view assessment report submissions prior to April 2026, please visit our assessment archive here.
- Program Review
This information is part of the cyclical program review process. Details such as mission statements, learning outcomes, etc., are updated as part of the biennial assessment reporting process, an integral component of program review.