The field of Forensic Science is flourishing in the world of Criminal Justice. This profession has come along so quickly that many colleges and universities have not yet made room for departments in this field.
In recent years, Jerry McKinney and other professors in the Criminal Justice Department have been trying to get a Forensic minor started at Western, but it seems that their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
The definition of Forensic Science is any study of legal evidence associated with crime scene investigations and circumstances involving death. This includes aspects in Chemistry, Anthropology, Psychology, and Biology as well as Criminal Justice.
Students interested in Forensic Science have nowhere in the state to go to study it. A job in Forensic Science can be obtained with a minor in Criminal Justice or a major in the specific area. If WCU implements this program, students from all over that are interested in forensics would be able to come to WCU to get training.
There is a need for those who are trained in Forensics, not just in the area, but throughout the nation. Every crime has clues to offer that can only be found and identified by people who specialize in Forensics.
If WCU chose to implement the program, there would be no need to build additional facilities. There would only be two classes to be added for the program: Forensic Science, and Criminalistic Chemistry, and they would complete the minor with 12 other hours of credit that are currently available to WCU students.
A new professor would be needed to teach these classes, and many people have already come forward ready to take the job if the minor is accepted. These prospective instructors come from a wide range of occupations: from the Asheville and Biltmore police departments to the SBI and Forensic Investigations Inc.
Any student interested in the Forensic Science minor can contact Jerry McKinney in the Criminal Justice Department.
