Dean’s Message
Fall, 2016
Welcome Back!!! I hope everyone had a summer and ready to start back in our Fall, 2016, Semester. There are a number of new certificates, events, and activities for our students this fall. I would like to emphasize that our faculty truly understand that education is challenging and rigorous. Please know that if you need assistance, please contact your instructor, Program Chair or my office. There are a number of resources ranging from the Student Success Center, tutoring, Advisors and faculty who can assist you.
What’s New? New Master’s Degree in Applied Family Science, new certificates in Compliance, Trauma Informed Approach, Case Management, Emotional Intelligence, Community Engagement and Crime Scene Investigation.
Understanding the needs of our students in preparing for their careers, promotion or changing fields of employment, certificates in specific areas of study may offer focused information and courses for students with specific interests. Many of our certificates may also be designed to be earned as you attend courses within your major (stacked as you go…).
Here are new certificates as well as information on those in development
Compliance Certificate
What’s Compliance? Well, this is a new certificate consisting of six courses. “The field of compliance has been deemed by the Wall Street Journal as the “Hottest Job in America” because, “Banks, which are under heightened scrutiny, have been hiring thousands of people in their compliance departments: HSBC Holdings PLC said it added 1,600 compliance employees last year, and J.P. Morgan Chase and Co. is bringing in what it calls a “SWAT Team” after agreeing to make billions of dollars in settlement payments.”
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an increase in the job category of Compliance and specifically lists Delaware as one of the top paying states for this occupation category. The undergraduate certificate in Compliance is comprised of 18 credits (6 courses) through a combination of existing and new course offerings. New course offerings within the certificate include:
1. U.S. Administrative and Regulatory Law (3 credits) – This course will provide students with an overview of the framework of laws that regulate the operation and procedures of U.S. government agencies.
2. Global Regulatory Law (3 credits) – This course will explore global regulatory and operational strategies utilized by business, international organizations and governments.
3. Fundamentals of Compliance Management (3 credits) – The objective of this course is to provide students with a broad understanding of important topics related to corporate ethics and compliance management. The course provides a foundation in ethics, then delves into compliance management, and finally explores aspects of regulatory compliance.
4. Corporate Governance and Regulation (3 credits) – The objective of this course is to provide students with an overview of governance issues including financial risks and compliance related to the following laws Anti-Money Laundering / Anti-Terrorist Financing, the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) / USA PATRIOT Act, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), Anti-trust compliance, HIPAA compliance and non-financial reporting. The certificate courses will start in Spring Block II, with full implementation in the fall of 2016. Please see our web page for additional information.
CSI Certificate!!!
From television to the classroom, Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) has proven to be a subject of great interest. More importantly, it is a career opportunity in the field of Criminal Justice. We have a new certificate in our undergraduate criminal justice program which consists of five courses.
“The CSI courses are designed to educate professionals who look to pursue careers as Crime Scene Investigators (CSIs). Crime scene investigators evaluate an entire crime scene and produce reports of the scene that are used by police officers and lawyers to find suspects, interview witnesses and build a case. CSIs will also need to find evidence, be present at an autopsy and perhaps even explain to a judge or jury the details of the crime scene report. The work environment of a CSI varies greatly: you may be needed on the scene of a burglary, a murder, or a rape, and then consult with lawyers, medical examiners, and police officers to understand the exact policies and legal processes of the police department or court that CSIs work with.
The growing role and importance of DNA and other forensic evidence in the criminal justice system means that crime scene investigators will continue to be in demand across law
enforcement agencies. Federal projections call for approximately 2,400 additional jobs
for crime scene investigators from 2010 to 2020.
Assignments in law enforcement can be found in both the field and in the laboratory,
crime scene investigation is a field where the duties seldom are the same from day-
to-day but instead change based upon the nature of the criminal case being investigated.
The crime scene investigator is required to collect and catalog physical evidence, such as
fingerprints, clothing fibers and weapons. CSIs may also compare physical
evidence, such as fingerprints found at a crime scene, against an existing database of
previous offenders. Crime scene investigators must produce meticulous reports to be used
in ongoing criminal probes and prosecutions, and they often are required to testify in
depositions, hearings and trials.
Crime scene investigators (CSIs) go by many names, including evidence technician,
crime scene technician, forensic investigator, crime scene analyst, criminalistics officer
and more. In the past, most CSIs were trained police officers. In fact, most still work out
of police facilities today. However, the role is increasingly being given to civilians with
scientific, rather than law enforcement, expertise. This new certificate will prepare the
recipients for an entry level position in the programs previously mentioned.
CSIs spend most of their time in the field, working at crime scenes. The CSI certificate
will prepare both the practitioner working in the field and the student looking to enter the
field of CSI the skills needed to do the CSI’s job. Some of these responsibilities include:
• Secure the crime scene
• Take detailed measurements
• Sketch and diagram the scene
• Take photographs
• Document evidence taken from the scene (location, nature, etc.)
• Package and label evidence for transfer to the lab
• Attend and photograph autopsies
• Write a report detailing evidence collection procedures and conclusions
• Testify to their findings in court
• Maintain equipment and restock portable evidence collection kits
The CSI Certificate will further prepare those students who either are already working in
the field of CSI or are considering this as a career choice. The CSI courses at
Wilmington University will be the first such program in the Mid-Atlantic area. Most of
the other training companies or universities that are offering courses in CSI differ from
what is being proposed at Wilmington University. Most of the universities offer graduate
and undergraduate degrees in Forensic Science and not certificate programs at the
undergraduate level.”
Three new courses will be offered with the certificate including: Criminal Profiling, Criminalistics, and Crime Scene Applications and Practices. The courses will start in Spring II with full implementation in the fall. Please see our web page for additional information.
“Certificates in Development”
Case Management
“A change in social policies in the 1980’s has placed the burden for care of those in need on state and local government, as well as on private entities. Privatization and deinstitutionalization of health and human services have stressed those in need and created barriers to getting physical and psycho-social needs met. This privatization of human services has created an increase the need for highly qualified human services professionals with case management skills. According to the book Out of the Shadows: Confronting America’s Mental Illness Crisis, deinstitutionalization has been one of the “largest social experiments in American history” (Frontline, 2005, para. 2). Deinstitutionalization has exacerbated the need for human services because those most in need lack support systems such as friends or family, may be uneducated, live in poverty, experience social exclusion, are affected by crisis or disasters or trauma, lack employment skills, and/or suffer from physical or intellectual disabilities. Case managers work in these settings to help individuals and/or groups achieve well-being so they can live autonomously and participate in society.”
Currently in the review process, is the 15-credit post-bachelor’s certificate in Case Management for Human Services. This certificate will offer a post-bachelor’s graduate-level study option for students seeking in-depth knowledge of working in the human services and giving direct client care. Case management is a practitioner skills subset within the larger, interdisciplinary, human and community services field. This proposed post-Bachelor’s certificate in Case Management for Human Services emphasizes preparing practitioners to work with individuals and/or groups needing help in accessing services and resources that facilitate well-being among those in need.”
“Like other helping professions (i.e. social work and counseling), the human services field is undergoing professionalization. The National Organization for Human Services (NOHS) has created a Board Certified Practitioner credential. Students who have completed this certificate program and worked in the field may apply for this credential upon payment of a fee to NOHS. Most job postings for case managers require at least a bachelor’s degree.”
Many graduates from the Behavioral Science and Psychology programs go on to work in the field of human services. The undergraduate degree programs provide students with a foundational knowledge necessary to understanding the full scope of human behavior and social systems, and the post-bachelor’s certificate provides an in-depth study of knowledge and skills needed by human services professionals and to position them for advancement in the field.
Course to be offered include:
• Law and Practice in Human Services (Online)
• Case Management Intervention Strategies (Online)
• Social Inequality, Social Change, and Community Building (Online)
• Ethical Practice in Case Management (Online)
• Advocacy Skills and Client Services (Online)
If approved, courses will begin in Block II of this Spring.
Trauma Informed Approach
Currently in the vetting process is a “new certificate in trauma-informed approaches to complement its programs in Psychology, Organizational Dynamics, Behavioral Science, Criminal Justice, Government and Public Policy, and Legal Studies, to help better prepare professionals who are competent in understanding and applying a trauma-informed approach in a variety of environments. A trauma-informed approach refers to how an agency, organization, and/or community, responsible for providing services such as mental health, educational, crisis, and/or criminal justice services, thinks about providing those services in a way that supports prevention, resilience, and recovery. In this approach, all components of service delivery incorporate a thorough understanding of the prevalence and impact of trauma, the role that trauma plays, and the complex and varied paths in which people recover and heal from trauma. A definition of a trauma-informed approach incorporates three key elements: (1) realizing the prevalence of trauma; (2) recognizing how trauma affects all individuals involved with the program, organization, or system, including its own workforce; and, (3) responding by putting this knowledge into practice.*
*Retrieved from http://www.samhsa.gov/traumajustice/traumadefinition/index.aspx.
Three new core courses for the certificate will be housed in Psychology Programs in our college. They are:
• Trauma-Informed Approaches
• Trauma and Self-Care
• Practical Implications of Trauma-Informed Approaches
Elective courses, all currently existing courses, will be drawn from other programs including Organizational Dynamics, Behavioral Science, and Criminal Justice. There are also options from the College of Business, the College of Education, and College of Health Professions.
Please watch our web page for new developments and information on this important topic.
Other new certificate topics include Community Engagement and Emotional Intelligence both of which are available now.
Finally, we have an Advisory Committee in place and have designed a new certificate in Emergency Management. This will be for students in Criminal Justice, Behavioral Science or other programs, that involve services provided at scenes of major events whether related to the weather, fire, crime or other catastrophe. Please stay tuned for more to come on this for the fall of 2016.
Other new certificate topics include Community Engagement and Emotional Intelligence.
Finally…please let us know your thoughts on the new initiatives and any input you may have on them. My office is located in the Peoples Building at the New Castle Campus in Room 022. My phone number is 302-356-6870. Please stop by or call if you have any questions. I also visit each of our sites during the semester and will be glad to be available to answer questions. Thank you for your interest in our programs and Wilmington University.
Dean Ed Guthrie