CCJS342 | PlanetTerp

Information	Review
Jessica Morabito CCJS342 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/11/2024	I love professor morabito. shes so nice, shes engaging during lecture, her slides are informative, and shes helpful and was always willing to answer questions and elaborate (she does talk quickly tho, so it can be hard to keep up sometimes). theres 5 quizzes in the semester. you take them in the first 10 minutes of class - don't be late, there is no option to redo them. study for them. the quizzes are usually like fill in the blank, short responses, multiple choice - so theres (some) room for error. she drops the lowest quiz. theres three exams - the first 2 midterms are in class, 50 multiple choice questions, and the last exam is open note and remote/online. study for your exams. study a lot. if you've been studying throughout the semester (like for the quizzes) then studying for the exam doesn't have to be that stressful. the exams ask more specific questions than the quizzes. the quizzes are more broad, although sometimes I did notice there was some like random trivia question. I like to make a quizizz before each quiz/exam and load it with as many questions as possible. dr morabito also grades things SUPER fast, so youre always up to date on your grades. theres also a writing assignment (a memo) - honestly, her assignment description/rubric is not that informative, but the assignment is really not that hard and its only like 2 pages. definitely still put effort tho, bc it makes up a good portion of your grade. theres also an infographic assignment at the end of the semester. also pretty easy. i saw some complain that she didn't review their draft for the 2 major assignments. Ive literally never had a professor who reviews drafts. that shouldn't be a reason you do bad on them. professor morabito is still available to help and will answer any questions you have about them - just don't leave them super last minute. also consider the writing center if writing assignments are a struggle for you! I will say, to do well in her course, you really do need to be like a specific kind of student. You need to be the type that does the readings, that studies for exams, that stays caught up/attentive during lecture - and that goes to lecture. I've always been the type that does well in a "academic" setting, and all of her rules/restrictions are not really challenges for me, but I can see why the rigid course structure would be difficult for some students.
Jessica Morabito CCJS342 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/09/2024	I took Professor Morabito for CCJS342 and CCJS450 this semester and I really enjoyed her classes. At first I was a bit concerned due to the ratings but I find them to be inaccurate as she is a great professor. CCJS342 consists of three exams, five quizzes (lowest score gets dropped), and two assignments. CCJS450 is similar with 2 exams, 5 quizzes (lowest score dropped), and two assignments. In order to succeed in class you need to attend class as she does not post the lecture slides. The information on the slides and what she goes over in class is exactly what is on the quizzes and exams. There is some material from the textbook on the quizzes and exams but she provides a textbook guide for the exams which tells you what you need to know from each chapter. The quizzes are a bit difficult because they are usually fill in the blank but as long as you pay attention in class and study you will do well. You definitely need to have good study habits if you want to do well on the quizzes because I know many people did not perform as well as they wanted. The exams are less stressful because they are multiple choice. Finally, the assignments for both classes are simple. I am confused why so many people are complaining that she is a harsh grader because if you follow the directions you will do well. Also she is VERY compassionate and understanding, if you need support in the class she is there for you. She is a great professor to have as a mentor and I would strongly recommend that others take her classes.
Rachel Ellis CCJS342 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/02/2024	Dr. Ellis is one of the nicest professors you will ever have! Every time I have spoken to her, she always listens and wants to best for me. I really enjoy her lectures even though attendance is not required. She posts resources and her slides ahead of time for those not attending class. I usually am shy during classes but this semester I felt really comfortable talking and asking questions. I have enjoyed the material way more than I thought I would and I have learned a lot this semester. I will say that her exams are all written responses and that they can hurt your hands, however if you study, you'll be just fine. She's a really easy grader, so if you write what you know, you'll get points for that. She has very few grades in the grade book but, again, if you study you'll be fine. I have gotten both a 98 on both exams with an extra credit opportunity at the end. I would take her next year if you're looking at taking this class!
Rachel Ellis CCJS342 Expecting an A- Anonymous 11/20/2024	Dr Ellis is an amazing lecturer. She is knowledgeable and always has answers to any questions students have. She does not provide an exam review or study guide before her exams but if you just use the class slides and readings to study, you'll do well. We have very few graded assignments so try to do your best on each of them. I would recommend taking a class with her if you don't mind open-ended exams and no guidance on what to study. However, I do love how good of a lecturer she is. She teaches with a lot of clarity and it is easy to understand the content.
Jessica Morabito CCJS342 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/21/2024	Literally the worst. We had 2 major assignments towards the end of this semester, and I asked for feedback on both by asking questions about her rubric before submitting them about a week before the due date. However, she only told me that “I don’t look at papers”. Like… WHAT? I didn’t do well on them because of this. Also, I went over my exam answers with her during office hours but she laughed in my face every time I asked a question about the exam or its correct answers. I felt like this whole class and our grades have been dependent on her own personal opinions of our writing and style. Don’t ever take her. Like I said before, she’s the worst.
Jessica Morabito CCJS342 Expecting an A- Anonymous 05/19/2024	I took 342 online this semester. Lectures were available weekly on Panopto. Assignments consisted of 5 quizzes, a short paper, an infographic, two midterms, and a final. Quizzes and exams were only available during a 12 hour period on Fridays, which is kind of inconvenient, considering the lectures are available the whole week. Quizzes and exams were more difficult than expected, there are some nitpicky questions in there. She is not flexible with deadlines and does not take into consideration technical difficulties, so be prepared to take tests in a place with a steady wifi connection. She does not allow you to see your quiz or test results unless you contact her specifically. For the short response paper, she did not provide a rubric or an explanation for any lost points. Overall, there was not much flexibility for it being an online class. If you can, try to take it in person; I think it would be more worthwhile.
Jessica Morabito CCJS342 Expecting a B Anonymous 01/24/2024	She tends to read directly from the slides and very fast. She's also a very harsh grader and if things aren't done exactly how she likes she'll take points away, although her rubrics aren't very detailed. She's not compassionate at all to students, is very strict on missing work/lateness even if you have a school-approved excuse. Overall would not recommend anyone.
Justine Madoo CCJS342 Expecting an A- Anonymous 08/28/2023	She's FANTASTIC. Her lectures are straightforward and entertaining, even when going over textbook material. She loves talking about her experiences working with juvenile offenders in prison systems and even has guest speakers with experience in the corrections system come in to talk about what they do. Exams are online and there's two essays, all of which weren't too bad as long as you keep up with the reading.
Justine Madoo CCJS342 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 04/24/2023	Took Madoo last semester for 100 and had to get her again for 342, especially since this is the last time she'll be teaching this class over a fall/spring semester. She said 342 is usually a summer/winter class which I think would be totally fine considering we're moving at a very slow pace over this semester. And that's not a bad thing, we move slowly through content because she spends a lot of time talking about her personal research experience (as corrections, specifically reentry, is her area of expertise) and having class discussions on the material which are really engaging. We had two papers due which weren't bad, one was literally a movie review. Three exams overall, including the final, which are all online/open-note. Since she's about to step up as the head of the crim department she's a bit bummed that she'll have to reduce her class load for at least the next one or two semesters, so be on the lookout for her classes as I'm sure they'll be a hot ticket. Coolest crim professor that I know of!!!!!!
Rachel Ellis CCJS342 Expecting a B Anonymous 12/26/2022	Dr. Ellis, although is kind in the classroom, is not the best teacher to have. Not only would she not give you any context for what to write down from power points (she had a lot of statistics that were never needed) but she gave no guidance on what to study. Most importantly, she took forever to grade. For example, we turned in an infographic with only 3 facts on it, and it took her until the end of December 23rd to grade it, and that's only because she had to for the end of the semester. Also, right after she put grades in, she deleted the class from ELMS, so I couldn't even see why I got a B (I had an 89%). She is kind and does care about the material, but be aware of all the frustrations.
Rachel Ellis CCJS342 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/13/2022	Dr. Ellis is one of the kindest professors I have ever had. She makes lectures very entertaining and seems to care about what she is teaching. Her assignments and exams are easy if you are up to date lectures and taking notes. Definitely will be taking her again if I can.
Lauren Porter CCJS342 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/06/2022	If you have adult responsibilities (work, etc.) don't expect any understanding. Also, expect your grade to be low because in-class assignments have the same impact as an exam on your overall grade.
Jessica Morabito CCJS342 Anonymous 05/24/2022	I'm kind of surprised by some of the reviews here. She honestly was not a bad professor at all. Her lectures were concise and clear although I wish she could have posted the slides on ELMS. As long as you take good notes and stay on top of the reading, you should be fine. The quizzes and exams are based on all of that. They really weren't hard at all. The paper wasn't that bad, and the final assignment was so easy. I only needed 30 minutes to finish it and I only lost points for ridiculously minor reasons. My only other complaint about her is that she made us do APA citations rather than MLA but otherwise, she's a pretty solid professor.
Rachel Ellis CCJS342 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/11/2021	Doesn't record lectures or do zoom but all powerpoints/class notes are posted on elms. Super knowledgeable and sweet professor! One midterm which was not bad at all, and a take home final. One of the few classes in college that I genuinely enjoyed because of the interesting material and the amount of schoolwork was easy to balance. Definitely recommend!!
Jessica Morabito CCJS342 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/26/2021	As an online/asynchronous course, the class was decent. Professor Morabito is one of those instructors that has good lecture slides with a lot of information on them, but then will test/quiz you on irrelevant textbook information that she never brings up. And it’s intentional. I personally don’t enjoy this teaching style, but I understand the motive behind it. I ended up getting a B+ and I’m normally an A student.
Justine Madoo CCJS342 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 01/05/2021	Love her!!! Planning to every class she teaches at UMD!
Lauren Porter CCJS342 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/01/2018	I had Dr. Porter for CCJS342 and thought she was decent. Class never lasted the full time and it was slightly slow but it was easy and she definitely knows what she is talking about.

Jessica Morabito
CCJS342

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/11/2024

I love professor morabito. shes so nice, shes engaging during lecture, her slides are informative, and shes helpful and was always willing to answer questions and elaborate (she does talk quickly tho, so it can be hard to keep up sometimes). theres 5 quizzes in the semester. you take them in the first 10 minutes of class - don't be late, there is no option to redo them. study for them. the quizzes are usually like fill in the blank, short responses, multiple choice - so theres (some) room for error. she drops the lowest quiz. theres three exams - the first 2 midterms are in class, 50 multiple choice questions, and the last exam is open note and remote/online. study for your exams. study a lot. if you've been studying throughout the semester (like for the quizzes) then studying for the exam doesn't have to be that stressful. the exams ask more specific questions than the quizzes. the quizzes are more broad, although sometimes I did notice there was some like random trivia question. I like to make a quizizz before each quiz/exam and load it with as many questions as possible. dr morabito also grades things SUPER fast, so youre always up to date on your grades. theres also a writing assignment (a memo) - honestly, her assignment description/rubric is not that informative, but the assignment is really not that hard and its only like 2 pages. definitely still put effort tho, bc it makes up a good portion of your grade. theres also an infographic assignment at the end of the semester. also pretty easy. i saw some complain that she didn't review their draft for the 2 major assignments. Ive literally never had a professor who reviews drafts. that shouldn't be a reason you do bad on them. professor morabito is still available to help and will answer any questions you have about them - just don't leave them super last minute. also consider the writing center if writing assignments are a struggle for you! I will say, to do well in her course, you really do need to be like a specific kind of student. You need to be the type that does the readings, that studies for exams, that stays caught up/attentive during lecture - and that goes to lecture. I've always been the type that does well in a "academic" setting, and all of her rules/restrictions are not really challenges for me, but I can see why the rigid course structure would be difficult for some students.

Jessica Morabito
CCJS342

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/09/2024

I took Professor Morabito for CCJS342 and CCJS450 this semester and I really enjoyed her classes. At first I was a bit concerned due to the ratings but I find them to be inaccurate as she is a great professor. CCJS342 consists of three exams, five quizzes (lowest score gets dropped), and two assignments. CCJS450 is similar with 2 exams, 5 quizzes (lowest score dropped), and two assignments. In order to succeed in class you need to attend class as she does not post the lecture slides. The information on the slides and what she goes over in class is exactly what is on the quizzes and exams. There is some material from the textbook on the quizzes and exams but she provides a textbook guide for the exams which tells you what you need to know from each chapter. The quizzes are a bit difficult because they are usually fill in the blank but as long as you pay attention in class and study you will do well. You definitely need to have good study habits if you want to do well on the quizzes because I know many people did not perform as well as they wanted. The exams are less stressful because they are multiple choice. Finally, the assignments for both classes are simple. I am confused why so many people are complaining that she is a harsh grader because if you follow the directions you will do well. Also she is VERY compassionate and understanding, if you need support in the class she is there for you. She is a great professor to have as a mentor and I would strongly recommend that others take her classes.

Rachel Ellis
CCJS342

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/02/2024

Dr. Ellis is one of the nicest professors you will ever have! Every time I have spoken to her, she always listens and wants to best for me. I really enjoy her lectures even though attendance is not required. She posts resources and her slides ahead of time for those not attending class. I usually am shy during classes but this semester I felt really comfortable talking and asking questions. I have enjoyed the material way more than I thought I would and I have learned a lot this semester. I will say that her exams are all written responses and that they can hurt your hands, however if you study, you'll be just fine. She's a really easy grader, so if you write what you know, you'll get points for that. She has very few grades in the grade book but, again, if you study you'll be fine. I have gotten both a 98 on both exams with an extra credit opportunity at the end. I would take her next year if you're looking at taking this class!

Rachel Ellis
CCJS342

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
11/20/2024

Dr Ellis is an amazing lecturer. She is knowledgeable and always has answers to any questions students have. She does not provide an exam review or study guide before her exams but if you just use the class slides and readings to study, you'll do well. We have very few graded assignments so try to do your best on each of them. I would recommend taking a class with her if you don't mind open-ended exams and no guidance on what to study. However, I do love how good of a lecturer she is. She teaches with a lot of clarity and it is easy to understand the content.

Jessica Morabito
CCJS342

Expecting a B
Anonymous
05/21/2024

Literally the worst. We had 2 major assignments towards the end of this semester, and I asked for feedback on both by asking questions about her rubric before submitting them about a week before the due date. However, she only told me that “I don’t look at papers”. Like… WHAT? I didn’t do well on them because of this. Also, I went over my exam answers with her during office hours but she laughed in my face every time I asked a question about the exam or its correct answers. I felt like this whole class and our grades have been dependent on her own personal opinions of our writing and style. Don’t ever take her. Like I said before, she’s the worst.

Jessica Morabito
CCJS342

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
05/19/2024

I took 342 online this semester. Lectures were available weekly on Panopto. Assignments consisted of 5 quizzes, a short paper, an infographic, two midterms, and a final. Quizzes and exams were only available during a 12 hour period on Fridays, which is kind of inconvenient, considering the lectures are available the whole week. Quizzes and exams were more difficult than expected, there are some nitpicky questions in there. She is not flexible with deadlines and does not take into consideration technical difficulties, so be prepared to take tests in a place with a steady wifi connection. She does not allow you to see your quiz or test results unless you contact her specifically. For the short response paper, she did not provide a rubric or an explanation for any lost points. Overall, there was not much flexibility for it being an online class. If you can, try to take it in person; I think it would be more worthwhile.

Jessica Morabito
CCJS342

Expecting a B
Anonymous
01/24/2024

She tends to read directly from the slides and very fast. She's also a very harsh grader and if things aren't done exactly how she likes she'll take points away, although her rubrics aren't very detailed. She's not compassionate at all to students, is very strict on missing work/lateness even if you have a school-approved excuse. Overall would not recommend anyone.

Justine Madoo
CCJS342

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
08/28/2023

She's FANTASTIC. Her lectures are straightforward and entertaining, even when going over textbook material. She loves talking about her experiences working with juvenile offenders in prison systems and even has guest speakers with experience in the corrections system come in to talk about what they do. Exams are online and there's two essays, all of which weren't too bad as long as you keep up with the reading.

Justine Madoo
CCJS342

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
04/24/2023

Took Madoo last semester for 100 and had to get her again for 342, especially since this is the last time she'll be teaching this class over a fall/spring semester. She said 342 is usually a summer/winter class which I think would be totally fine considering we're moving at a very slow pace over this semester. And that's not a bad thing, we move slowly through content because she spends a lot of time talking about her personal research experience (as corrections, specifically reentry, is her area of expertise) and having class discussions on the material which are really engaging. We had two papers due which weren't bad, one was literally a movie review. Three exams overall, including the final, which are all online/open-note. Since she's about to step up as the head of the crim department she's a bit bummed that she'll have to reduce her class load for at least the next one or two semesters, so be on the lookout for her classes as I'm sure they'll be a hot ticket. Coolest crim professor that I know of!!!!!!

Rachel Ellis
CCJS342

Expecting a B
Anonymous
12/26/2022

Dr. Ellis, although is kind in the classroom, is not the best teacher to have. Not only would she not give you any context for what to write down from power points (she had a lot of statistics that were never needed) but she gave no guidance on what to study. Most importantly, she took forever to grade. For example, we turned in an infographic with only 3 facts on it, and it took her until the end of December 23rd to grade it, and that's only because she had to for the end of the semester. Also, right after she put grades in, she deleted the class from ELMS, so I couldn't even see why I got a B (I had an 89%). She is kind and does care about the material, but be aware of all the frustrations.

Rachel Ellis
CCJS342

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/13/2022

Dr. Ellis is one of the kindest professors I have ever had. She makes lectures very entertaining and seems to care about what she is teaching. Her assignments and exams are easy if you are up to date lectures and taking notes. Definitely will be taking her again if I can.

Lauren Porter
CCJS342

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/06/2022

If you have adult responsibilities (work, etc.) don't expect any understanding. Also, expect your grade to be low because in-class assignments have the same impact as an exam on your overall grade.

Jessica Morabito
CCJS342

Anonymous
05/24/2022

I'm kind of surprised by some of the reviews here. She honestly was not a bad professor at all. Her lectures were concise and clear although I wish she could have posted the slides on ELMS. As long as you take good notes and stay on top of the reading, you should be fine. The quizzes and exams are based on all of that. They really weren't hard at all. The paper wasn't that bad, and the final assignment was so easy. I only needed 30 minutes to finish it and I only lost points for ridiculously minor reasons. My only other complaint about her is that she made us do APA citations rather than MLA but otherwise, she's a pretty solid professor.

Rachel Ellis
CCJS342

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/11/2021

Doesn't record lectures or do zoom but all powerpoints/class notes are posted on elms. Super knowledgeable and sweet professor! One midterm which was not bad at all, and a take home final. One of the few classes in college that I genuinely enjoyed because of the interesting material and the amount of schoolwork was easy to balance. Definitely recommend!!

Jessica Morabito
CCJS342

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/26/2021

As an online/asynchronous course, the class was decent. Professor Morabito is one of those instructors that has good lecture slides with a lot of information on them, but then will test/quiz you on irrelevant textbook information that she never brings up. And it’s intentional. I personally don’t enjoy this teaching style, but I understand the motive behind it. I ended up getting a B+ and I’m normally an A student.

Justine Madoo
CCJS342

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
01/05/2021

Love her!!! Planning to every class she teaches at UMD!

Lauren Porter
CCJS342

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/01/2018

I had Dr. Porter for CCJS342 and thought she was decent. Class never lasted the full time and it was slightly slow but it was easy and she definitely knows what she is talking about.

Reviews for CCJS342