Inherent requirements for Bachelor of Criminal and Community Justice


These inherent requirements apply to the following course: Bachelor of Criminal and Community Justice (BCCJ) (1709).

Western Sydney University and the School of Social Sciences and Psychology (SSAP) strongly supports the right of all people to pursue an Undergraduate Criminal and Community Justice course.  

Introduction

Inherent requirements
Inherent requirements are the essential components of a course or unit that demonstrate the abilities, knowledge and skills to achieve the core learning outcomes of the course or unit, while preserving the academic integrity of the university's learning, assessment and accreditation processes. The inherent requirements are the abilities, knowledge and skills needed to complete the course that must be met by all students.

Students with a disability or chronic health condition may be able to have reasonable adjustments made to enable them to meet these requirements.

The School is committed to making reasonable adjustments to teaching and learning, assessment and other activities to enable students' to participate in their course. Reasonable adjustments must not fundamentally change the nature of the inherent requirement.

To support potential and current students' decision making, a series of inherent requirement statements has been developed. These statements specify the course requirements of the Bachelor of Criminal and Community Justice course for student admission and progression. The statements are clustered under four domains consisting of ethical behaviour, behavioural stability, communication, and cognition.

How to read the inherent requirement statements

If you are intending to enrol in the undergraduate Criminal and Community Justice course at the School of Social Sciences and Psychology, you should look at these inherent requirement statements and think about whether you may experience challenges in meeting these requirements.

If you think you may experience challenges for any reason including a disability or, chronic health condition, you should discuss your concerns with the SSAP staff, such as the Director of Academic Program, Academic Course Advisor or School Disability Coordinator or a Campus Disability Advisor. These staff can work collaboratively with you to determine reasonable adjustments to assist you to meet the inherent requirements. In the case where it is determined that inherent requirements cannot be met with reasonable adjustments, the University staff can provide guidance regarding other study options.

These inherent requirements are made up of the following components and domains:

  • Level 1 - introduction to the inherent requirement
  • Level 2 - description of what the inherent requirement is
  • Level 3 - explanation of why this is an inherent requirement of the course
  • Level 4 - the nature of any adjustments that may be made to allow you to meet the requirement
  • Level 5 - examples of tasks that show you've met the requirement. These are examples only and are not a comprehensive list.

There are four domains of inherent requirements in the undergraduate Criminal and Community Justice course. Some domains have a number of sub-domains.

  • Ethical behaviour
  • Behavioural stability
  • Communication
  • Cognition

Inherent requirement statements

Ethical behaviour


 Inherent requirement statements
1 Students need to understand and act in ways consistent with the recognised values of society.
2 Student demonstrates knowledge of, and engages in ethical behaviour in practice.
3

Justification of inherent requirement:

» Compliance with the recognised values of society facilitates safe, competent interactions and relationships for students and/or the people with whom they engage. This supports the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of all.

4 Adjustments must support the recognised values of society. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5

Exemplars:

» Demonstrate ability to reflect on ethical dilemmas and issues and take responsibility for ensuring awareness of ethical behaviour.

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Behavioural stability


 Inherent requirement statements
1 Behavioural stability is required to function effectively in a program of study on Criminal and Community Justice.
2 Student demonstrates behavioural stability to work constructively in an academic environment.
3

Justification of inherent requirement:

» Behavioural stability is required to work individually and in groups in the academic environment. Criminal and Community Justice students will be required to have behavioural stability to manage their academic responsibilities

4 Adjustments must support stable, effective and professional behaviour in academic settings. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5

Exemplars:

» Being receptive and responding appropriately to constructive feedback
» Coping with own emotions and behaviour effectively when dealing with individuals in the academic setting

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Communication

This course requires effective, verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills.

Verbal

Verbal communication may be required to pursue employment arising from this program of study.


 Inherent requirement statements
1 Effective verbal communication, in English, is an essential requirement for the Criminal and Community Justice course.
2

Student demonstrates:
» Sensitivity to individual and/or cultural differences
» The ability to understand and respond to verbal communication accurately, appropriately and in a timely manner
» The ability to provide clear instructions in the context of the situation
» Timely clear feedback and reporting

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

» Communicating in a way that displays respect and empathy to others and develops trusting relationships
» Effective interactive communication with peers, tutors and colleagues is fundamental to Criminal and Community Justice study and functionality

4 Adjustments must address effectiveness, clarity and accuracy issues to ensure safety and appropriate response. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5

Exemplars:

» Delivering oral presentations with peers
» Responding appropriately to an information request in the classroom

Non-verbal

Inherent requirement statements
1 Effective non-verbal communication is fundamental to Criminal and Community Justice practice and needs to be respectful, clear, attentive, empathetic and non-judgmental.
2 Student demonstrates:
» The capacity to recognise, interpret and respond appropriately to behavioural cues
» Consistent and appropriate awareness of own behaviours
» Sensitivity to individual and/or cultural differences
3

Justification of inherent requirement:

» The ability to understand non-verbal cues assists with building rapport with people and gaining their trust and respect in academic and professional relationships
» Displaying consistent and appropriate facial expressions, eye contact, being mindful of space, time boundaries and body movements and gestures promotes trust in academic and professional relationships
» Being sensitive to individual and/or cultural differences displays respect and empathy to others and develops trusting relationships that are essential for effective professional practice

4 Adjustments must enable the recognition, appropriate response or initiation of effective non-verbal communication in a timely and appropriate manner. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5

Exemplars:

» Recognising and responding appropriately in classroom situations
» Demonstrating awareness of cross-cultural differences in non-verbal communication

Written

Inherent requirement statements
1 Effective written communication, in English, is a fundamental Criminal and Community Justice student responsibility
2 Student demonstrates capacity to construct coherent written communication appropriate to the circumstances.
3

Justification of inherent requirement:

» Construction of written text based assessment tasks to reflect the required academic standards are necessary to convey knowledge and understanding of relevant subject matter.

4 Adjustments must meet necessary standards of clarity, accuracy and accessibility to ensure effective recording and transmission of information. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5

Exemplars:

» Constructing an essay to academic standards

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Cognition

This course requires knowledge of theory and the skills of cognition and literacy.

Knowledge and cognitive skills

Inherent requirement statements
1 Consistent and effective knowledge and cognitive skills must be demonstrated to provide professional and competent Criminal and Community Justice practice.
2 Student demonstrates:
» Capacity to locate appropriate and relevant information
» Ability to process information
» Ability to integrate and implement knowledge
3

Justification of inherent requirement:

» Criminal and Community Justice is based on knowledge that must be sourced, understood and applied appropriately

4 Adjustments must ensure that a clear demonstration of knowledge and cognitive skills is not compromised or impeded. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5

Exemplars:

» Ability to conceptualise and use appropriate knowledge in response to academic assessment items

Literacy (language)

Inherent requirement statements
1 Competent literacy skills are essential to Criminal and Community Justice studies.
2 Student demonstrates:
» The ability to acquire information and accurately convey appropriate, effective messages
» Ability to read and comprehend a range of literature and information
» The capacity to understand and implement academic conventions to construct written text in an appropriate manner for the intended audience
3

Justification of inherent requirement:

» The ability to acquire information and to accurately convey messages is fundamental to Criminal and Community Justice studies
» The ability to read, decode, interpret and comprehend multiple sources of information is fundamental to Criminal and Community Justice studies.

4 Adjustments must demonstrate a capacity to effectively acquire, comprehend, apply and communicate accurate information. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5

Exemplars:

» Conveying a spoken message accurately and effectively
» Paraphrasing, summarising and referencing in accordance with appropriate academic conventions

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*Developed from: Johnson, A., Allan,T., Phillips,K., Azzopardi,T., Dickson,C., Goldsmith,M & Hengstberger-Sims, C. (2011). Inherent Requirements of Nursing Education (IRONE), Western Sydney University School of Nursing & Midwifery and Student Equity & Disability Services.

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