Education, forensic science

Saferstein, Richard. Criminalistics An Introduction to Forensic Science, 8th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ Pearson Education, Inc., 2004. 

Let us begin by posing the question "What seems to be, in my humble view, the current necessary ingredients of American forensic science education " I say American, for this is presumably the principal area of interest for this symposium but in so doing one cannot ignore the enormous contributions of our predecessors in Europe and, to some extent, the Far East. Looking... 

Having briefly touched upon some historical facets of forensic science, I think it is clear that the first necessary ingredient of our educational program is one which will make students aware of the past. Undergraduate and graduate criminalistics programs have mushroomed from four in the 1940 s to several dozen at the present time. As I understand the philosophy... 

Returning to the matter of curriculum, this obviously is not the time nor the place to dwell upon specific courses or their detailed content. Other speakers will deal more completely with that topic. Rather, let us consider the ultimate goal of a forensic science training and education program. Simply stated, the goal, as I see it, is to educate and train students to interpret evidence and events correctly, so that such interpretations will prove or disprove the truth or validity of the state-... 

The need to staff forensic laboratories with qualified personnel has created a demand for education facilities to prepare forensic scientists. Educators in colleges and universities in many parts of the country are responding to this demand. Very quickly these brave souls discover that being an educator in forensic science places them directly in the middle of a controversy in which the educational needs of the forensic science profession must be placed in a frame work prescribed by college or university administration. At this point, the educator becomes the man in the middle. To survive this controversy, the educator must recognize each problem area and somehow reach a solution acceptable to the parties involved. 

In this paper, an attempt will be made to illustrate the relationship that exists between education and the forensic sciences, to present some of the problems that can be encountered in establishing a forensic science degree program, and to discuss how these problems were confronted in establishing a B.S. degree program in Forensic Science at Florida Technological University (FTU) in Orlando, Florida. 

There are few successful forensic science/criminalistics educational programs at colleges and universities in the United States. 

These are the basic problems to which the educator, the man in the middle, must find working solutions if he is going to have a successful forensic science degree program. 

What about chemistry courses in the curriculum The question of whatconstitutes adequate educational preparation for the forensic science profession is a very controversial one. Almost without hesitation, when asked what background do you look for when you hire new personnel, the answer is a degree in chemistry. Yet, when pressed, this same individual will usually admit that there are a few things which were not covered in a Chemistry Degree that are valuable to forensic scientists. There is no doubt that a strong background preparation in Chemistry is essential. 

With the award of the LEAA educational development grant in July 1973, the decision was rapidly reached between personnel in the College of Criminal Justice and the Department of Chemistry to concentrate development in the area of forensic science. This decision was based on the strengths in the College of Criminal Justice, the Department of Chemistry (especially in chemical analysis and materials science) and the considerations outlined... 

How great is the student interest in such a program While we have no firm statistics, we have reason to believe that it will not be difficult to fill available positions (ca. 15 - 20 full-time) with qualified candidates. Information from existing M.S. programs in forensic science indicates that there are many more applicants than positions available, and we have had inquiries from over 40 students and 20 universities even at this early stage of our program. Student interest in careers in forensic science undoubtedly follows the national trend toward professional education with social relevance (e.g. law, allied health professions, etc.). 

This paper has outlined activities in forensic science over the past several years at Northeastern University. The establishment of the Institute of Chemical Analysis, Applications and Forensic Science has greatly aided in the development of forensic research and educational programs. Several years ago Bradford and Samuel (10) recommended the establishment of forensic science institutes to provide service to the profession. While we have not exactly followed their ideas, there are similarities between their recommendations and our activities. As time progresses, it is hoped that research and education at this Institute will make significant contributions to the field of forensic science. 

Personnel. On July 15, 1973, the Institute awarded a grant to the Forensic Sciences Foundation, which is an adjunct to the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. The Foundation, the research arm of the Academy, is tackling a problem at the very heart of the entire forensic science profession the availability and qualifications of scientific personnel. The qualifications of individuals practicing in the forensic disciplines range from poor to excellent and reflect their innate abilities as well as their education and training. 

This project, therefore, will serve as an initial assessment of the forensic science profession specifically, its personnel (professional and para-professional), their education and training. The Foundation project staff is gathering descriptive data on the individuals within the profession, on the scientific laboratories in which they function, and on all the relevant education and training programs in the country. Information on crime scene evidence technicians and training courses will be included in this phase of the project. 

Based upon the analyses of these data, recommendations will be made regarding manpower deficiencies within the profession, the nature of educational programs required to train qualified personnel, and other improvement programs to increase the contribution of the forensic sciences to the criminal justice system Specifically, the following reports will be prepared by the grantee ... 

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