Australia has been famously described as having a 'wet culture', one in which alcohol consumption (and its consequences) have become intertwined into the social and recreational fabric of Australian society and bringing with it a number of serious social and personal consequences. Drug use on the other hand is much less common but no less problematic, accounting for  between 20 and 40 percent of crimes committed in Australia. How we respond to these issues remains a matter of significant academic and policy debate - especially for those charged with the responsibility of promoting safety, both on the streets and in the home.

This course examines the social, legal and political responses to alcohol and drug use in contemporary Australian society. Students will explore their own perceptions of the drug-crime relationship and contrast these with the theoretical frameworks that currently exist to guide policy and practice. In particular, this course focuses heavily on current law enforcement and social policy responses to alcohol and drug related crime, examining existing policies and practices such as drug courts, treatment institutions, and early referral into treatment programs.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and the skills to:

1. source and evaluate information and data about drug use and crime in Australia;
2. chart the history of drug policy in Australia and its connection to the development of criminal justice policy;
3. apply both theory and research to critically evaluate popular media statements and crime prevention approaches to alcohol and drug-related crime;
4. synthesise research findings into a policy proposal at an advanced level; and
5. present the outcomes of research in both visual and written formats.

Research-Led Teaching

This course is taught with close connection to contemporary research in drugs and crime. Further, students undertake their own research task in the form of a media discourse analysis to which they are required to apply both theory and empirical knowledge.

Field Trips

None.

Additional Course Costs

None.

Examination Material or equipment

None required.

Required Resources

None. Readings for this course are supplied via Wattle.

Recommended Resources

None.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Course Introduction
2	What we know
3	Theoretical Foundations
4	Theoretical Foundations
5	Theoretical Foundations	Quiz 1
6	Historical Perspectives	Media Analysis Poster
7	Special Topic: Prohibition and drug-control
8	Special Topic: Drug markets
9	Special Topic: Treating offenders	Quiz 2
10	Special Topic: Legalisation	Media Analysis Essay
11	Special Topic: Pill-testing
12	Summary and Exam Prep

Tutorial Registration

Registration for tutorials is available via Wattle.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Quiz 1	5 %	20/08/2019	27/08/2019	1, 2
Quiz 2	5 %	01/09/2019	08/10/2019	1, 2
Media Analysis Poster	20 %	26/08/2019	20/09/2019	1, 2, 4
Media Analysis Essay	35 %	07/10/2019	25/10/2019	1, 3, 4
Synthesis Exam	35 %	16/11/2019	16/11/2019	1, 2, 3, 4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Examination(s)

The formal examination for this course will be held during the examination period. Dates and locations are notified to students via the ANU Exams office.

Assessment Task 1

Quiz 1

Quiz 1 will be implemented via Wattle and will examine content from weeks 1-5 of this course. The quiz may include multiple choice and short answer responses.

Assessment Task 2

Quiz 2

Quiz 2 will be implemented via Wattle and will examine content from weeks 6-10 of this course. The quiz may include multiple choice and short answer responses.

Assessment Task 3

Media Analysis Poster

A media analysis requires the collection, collation and analysis of media on a specific topic or issue. Sometimes referred to as a critical discourse analysis, the representations of a topic in the media are to be analysed. The purpose is to identify the prevalence of themes or issues which underpin the contemporary discussion of a topic, or to examine how the discussion of a topic has evolved with time.

In this assessment, your task will be to collate and analyse the media discourse of a drug-crime topic as selected by the Convenor. More information about the topics will be provided via Wattle.

Your discourse analysis should focus specifically on the media representations of the “alcohol-crime” or “drug-crime” relationship. You may only use print media appearing in Australian English-language news outlets. You must limit your media analysis to no more than 100 news items. Strategies for conducting the media analysis and limiting the results will be provided via Wattle.

Students might wish to consult the following links for a guide to what is expected in this assessment:

http://endnote.com/blog/structuring-media-analysis-what-you-need-know

http://ecu.au.libguides.com/c.php?g=410634&p=2876989

The outcomes of the media analysis are to be presented as a poster. The poster is limited to A3 size.

Rubric

Criterion	HD	D	C	P	N
Clarity of writing (ie. clear and consistent style), grammar, spelling, presentation and layout of assignment (30%).	Excellent	Above Average	Proficient	Satisfactory	Not Satisfactory
Complexity of the discussion of the identified discourses. (30%)	Excellent	Above Average	Proficient	Satisfactory	Not Satisfactory
Complexity of the critical engagement with the implications of the discourse (40%).	Excellent	Above Average	Proficient	Satisfactory	Not Satisfactory

Assessment Task 4

Media Analysis Essay

Following from the Media Analysis Poster, prepare a written essay (4000 words) which answers the following question:

 

In the context of your chosen topic, how has the relationship between alcohol, drugs and crime been depicted and what are the implications of this?

 

Your essay should be presented as a research report. It should include a description of your methodology (i.e. your method of searching, classifying, analysing) and results. For the remainder of the essay, you should address the aforementioned questions. 

 

Alternative (high-quality academic) sources may also be used to support your argument. Key theories and theoretical texts should also be appropriately cited and referenced. 

Rubric

Criterion	HD	D	C	P	N
Clarity of writing (ie. clear and consistent style), grammar, spelling, presentation and layout of assignment (30%).	Excellent	Above Average	Proficient	Satisfactory	Not Satisfactory
Complexity of the discussion of the identified discourses. (30%)	Excellent	Above Average	Proficient	Satisfactory	Not Satisfactory
Complexity of the critical engagement with the implications of the discourse (40%).	Excellent	Above Average	Proficient	Satisfactory	Not Satisfactory

Assessment Task 5

Synthesis Exam

The synthesis examination comprises an unseen examination paper lasting 3 hours and 15 minutes (inclusive of reading time) that will evaluate students’ understanding of the course content.

The examination will comprise:

·        Five (5) short answer questions (variable marks valued at a total of 40%); and

·        Two short essay questions (30% for each essay).

The five short answer questions will examine your knowledge of the historical and theoretical foundations. The two short essay questions will examine your understanding of the pros and cons of different policy options concerning the alcohol-drug crime debate.

The rules of the examination are as follows:

•      No electronic aids (e.g. laptops, smartphones, Internet-enabled devices, etc.) are permitted in the exam.

•      No materials (e.g. books, notes, etc.) are permitted.

Use of an unannotated paper-based dictionary is permitted for candidates with prior written approval from the Convenor. 

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically, committing to honest and responsible scholarly practice and upholding these values with respect and fairness.

The ANU commits to assisting all members of our community to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle and Academic Misconduct Rule, uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with.

The Academic Misconduct Rule is in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Very minor breaches of the academic integrity principle may result in a reduction of marks of up to 10% of the total marks available for the assessment. The ANU offers a number of online and in person services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. Visit the Academic Skills website for more information about academic integrity, your responsibilities and for assistance with your assignments, writing skills and study.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students