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Goals

Students in criminal justice classes study the functions of, and interactions among, police, courts, and corrections systems. Class offerings are a varied blend of theoretical examination and practical application, ranging from human behavior and social structure to management principles and supervisory skills. The Department of Criminal Justice recognizes that each of us is a teacher and each of us is a student. It operates as a diverse community of learners with passion, commitment, civility, integrity, and mutual respect. The faculty and staff will provide opportunities for collaboration, renewal, and scholarship in academic preparation for responsible, equitable and moral administration of justice. The faculty is committed to leadership in the community and to examination and assessment of the criminal justice paradigm.

Upon completion of the criminal justice program, a student will be able to:

• Define the relationship and operation of the major components of the criminal justice system and the political environment in which it operates.

• Identify agencies, programs, policies and employee skills that affect crime prevention, offender behavior and community organization.

• Identify, analyze and evaluate the legal concepts and principles of laws within the criminal justice system.

• Distinguish the organizational behavior of criminal justice and related private sector agencies; apply management skills to allocate resources, deliver services, and plan outcomes and change.

• Identify the effects of law on Criminal Justice practitioners and the challenge of operating within a legal and ethical framework.

• Define, analyze, and assess the roles of agency staff, the functions and philosophies of agencies and the major issues confronting criminal justice.

• Identify crime causation theories and resulting criminal behavior and their relationship with criminal justice.

• Use research and information science methodologies to solve problems in criminal justice.

• Identify the strengths and the challenges of diversity as these relate to criminal justice practitioners in a free society.