Ferrum
College has established the Virginia Center for Criminal Justice Studies,
to provide the criminal justice community with unique education and
training programs, professional development opportunities, and specialized
agency assistance. The Center will consist of four primary programs:
the Ferrum College Undergraduate Baccalaureate Degree in Criminal Justice,
The Rural Criminal Justice Research Institute, a Criminal Justice Speakers
Forum, and The Law Enforcement and Emergency Responders Professional
Development Institute. In association with articulation agreements developed
with area community colleges to facilitate transfers into Ferrum’s newly
energized Criminal Justice program, these initiatives will unite this
fall to formally debut as the Virginia Center of Criminal Justice Studies.
The mission of the Virginia Center For
Criminal Justice Studies is to provide rigorous academic opportunities
in order to motivate students to engage in thoughtful and perceptive
academic inquiry and professional practice and leadership within the
criminal justice system. The Virginia Center for Criminal Justice Studies
is also committed to develop partnerships between the academic community
and its relevant practitioner base.
The Virginia Center for Criminal Justice
Studies at Ferrum College facilitates the undergraduate baccalaureate
of Criminal Justice. The criminal justice degree is a broad based, highly
interdisciplinary study of the American criminal justice system. Students
have the opportunity to concentrate their studies in three areas; Policing,
Corrections, or Forensic Investigations. The Criminal Justice degree
program is grounded in the liberal arts in order to attract students
with a variety of vocational interests.
The purpose of the Rural Criminal Justice
Research Institute is to contribute to the examination of rural criminal
justice policy and practice by providing an environment in which academics,
students, and criminal justice system personnel can join together to
apply scholarly research to policy and grant development, analysis and
training. Services include research, planning, evaluation, training,
curriculum development, assessment, program and resource development
for state, community, and local criminal justice agencies. The institute
initiates original research projects and responds to requests from public
and private agencies within the community.
The Criminal Justice Speakers Forum will
disseminate information of vital importance to the criminal justice
community through the development of an ambitious agenda of providing
distinctive speakers, seminars, and other criminal justice focused events.
The speaker’s forum will be used to bring the Ferrum College community
together with members of the non-college community for opportunities
to engage in mutual information sharing and discourse.
The Law Enforcement and Emergency Responders
Professional Development Institute offers elements of the Virginia Department
of Criminal Justice Services approved Basic Jailers School, Jailer In-Service,
Basic Law Enforcement components, Law Enforcement In-Service classes,
and specialized professional development options. Furthermore, this
institute participates in First Responder training in relation to various
Homeland Defense initiatives. The Ferrum College Law Enforcement and
Emergency Responders Professional Development Institute provides course
curriculum through various formats and locations and offers continuation
education and academic credits for courses completed.
Future expansion of the Virginia Center
for Criminal Justice Studies includes the development of graduate degree
programs in key criminal justice fields.
For more information on the Virginia Center
for Criminal Justice Studies, including registration information, contact
Dr. James F. Hodgson at 540-365-4525, or via email at
jhodgson@ferrum.edu. Visit the Virginia Center for Criminal Justice
Studies on the web at: http://www.vacenterforcriminaljustice.com.
Ferrum College is a four-year, private,
co-educational, liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist
Church. Ferrum offers a choice of nationally recognized bachelor’s degree
programs at a cost well below the national average for private colleges.
For more information on Ferrum, visit www.ferrum.edu.
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