CAA to vote on new criminology major

Analicia Haynes, Managing Editor

The Council of Academic Affairs will be voting on a new criminology major as well as new criminology courses at its meeting 2 p.m. Thursday in Room 4440 of Booth Library.

The department of sociology and anthropology proposed the creation of a new degree program in criminology and criminal justice, according to the proposal.

It is being structured in collaboration with other academic departments on campus such as political science and philosophy and Lake Land College, the proposal read.

According to the rationale for the new major, the reason for its creation is because of student demand.

“Over the last few years both the Office of Admissions and the department of sociology and anthropology have been consistently asked by both potential and current students about the availability of a criminology and criminal justice major at (Eastern),” the rationale read.

According to a recent departmental recruitment data report, 213 freshman inquiries, between 2014 and 2016, said criminology was their primary academic interest, according to the rationale.

“Equally impressive is the data from transfer students, with 333 potential transfer students, between the years 2013 – 2016, indicating that criminology and criminal justice is their primary academic interest,” the rationale read.

Although Eastern has a minor in criminology, which was created in 2006, the proposal said it is an “appropriate time to move forward with an interdisciplinary major in criminology and criminal justice.”

Also, the rationale said with a program like this, Eastern will remain in competition with other state universities such as Western, Illinois State University and Southern Illinois University who already have degree programs in criminology or criminal justice.

120 semester hours are required for the degree and 49 semester hours are required for the major.

Along with the new major, the CAA will vote on the approval of two new criminology and criminal justice courses: CRM 3650, Criminological Theory, and CRM 4700, Contemporary Topics in Criminology and Criminal Justice.

CRM 3650 will cover classical and contemporary criminological theories that explain why and how individuals commit criminal acts, according to the course proposal.

It will also use theory to examine the nature of the crime as well as the location and impact and the historical foundation of crime.

According to the rationale, “it is necessary to have a specific theory class to ensure students have a working knowledge and appreciation of various explanations of criminal and deviant behavior.”

The course is an upper-division theory course that requires students to “critically evaluate classic and contemporary theoretical works in deviance and criminology.”

As for CRM 4700, the course will dive into contemporary topics in criminology and criminal justice while “providing opportunities for the integration and synthesis of theory, research and concepts learned in the major,” the proposal read.

The course is being created as a capstone for the major and built on the foundational knowledge from the major core by analyzing topics in the field.

“This course will serve as a culminating experience for criminology and criminal justice majors to apply their knowledge of criminological theory and research to evaluate current policies, practices, and controversies that exist within the field of criminology and criminal justice,” according to the rationale.

The CAA will also vote on course revisions for CHM 3450, Biochemistry I; KSS 4340, Exercise Physiology; and EIU 4123G, Social Movements, Crowds and Violence.

All these courses have a technology-driven designation.

The chemistry department is also asking for its name to be changed to the chemistry and biochemistry department.

 

Analicia Haynes can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]