NCJ Number
56857
Date Published
1978
Length
13 pages
Annotation
STEPS TOWARD MORE COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF THE FORENSIC SCIENCES IN COLLEGE CRIMINAL JUSTICE CURRICULUMS ARE OUTLINED.
Abstract
THE NEGLECT OF THE FORENSIC SCIENCES IN COLLEGE CURRICULUMS HAS SEVERAL CAUSES, INCLUDING AN ABSENCE OF QUALIFIED FACULTY, THE LACK OF A STRONG LITERATURE BASE, AND THE SPARSENESS OF RESEARCH ON FORENSIC SCIENCE APPLICATIONS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. MOST UNDERGRADUATE CRIMINAL JUSTICE CURRICULUMS OFFER ONE OR TWO COURSES IN BASIC FORENSIC SCIENCE, BUT FEW OF THESE ARE DEVOTED TO LABORATORY WORK. STUDENTS LEARN HOW TO SEARCH A CRIME SCENE AND WHAT TO LOOK FOR, BUT NOT THE TESTS THAT CAN BE PERFORMED ON EVIDENCE, THE INFORMATION THEY CAN PROVIDE, AND THE USES OF THAT INFORMATION IN IDENTIFYING SUSPECTS. TO DEVELOP FORENSIC SCIENCE PROGRAMS THAT WILL DIRECTLY BENEFIT PRACTITIONERS, THE FOLLOWING MUST BE ACCOMPLISHED: DEFINITION OF FORENSIC SCIENCE AT THE ACADEMIC LEVEL, PREPARATION OF QUALIFIED RECOGNITION OF THE NEED TO SPONSOR RESEARCH IN THE FORENSIC SCIENCES, IMPROVEMENT OF THE FORENSIC SCIENCE LITERATURE, RATIONALIZATION OF CURRICULUM DESIGN, AND ESTABLISHMENT OF A PLAN FOR THE FUTURE OF FORENSIC SCIENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION. ADVANCES AND PROBLEMS IN EACH OF THESE AREAS ARE CITED. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE FUTURE OF FORENSIC SCIENCE EDUCATION ULTIMATELY WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE FUTURE OF THE FIELD ITSELF, I.E., BY THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. EDUCATORS AND PRACTITIONERS ARE URGED TO COOPERATE IN PLANNING THAT FUTURE. TABLES SUMMARIZING UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE COURSE OFFERINGS IN FORENSIC SCIENCE AT U.S. UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)