Forensic educators

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. 

Being in the middle of the controversy has provided a degree of perspective concerning the areas of misunderstanding. On the surface, it would seem that the problem areas, the areas of critical questioning by educators and forensic scientists, seems limitless. While the number of questions which can be asked is undoubtedly limitless, there appears to be a relatively small number of basic differences which need to be recognized. To illustrate this point, consider some of the statements made by forensic scientists concerning the profession and its relationship to education. 

A degree in Chemistry is the only educational prerequisite that is needed to prepare for work in the forensic... 

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. 

Graduate Education and Research in Forensic Chemistry at Northeastern University... 

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... 

---