Washburn University, Criminal Justice

MISSION

The Department of Criminal Justice offers degree programs to prepare students for productive careers in law enforcement, corrections, and security administration. The program is designed to serve both local and distance learning students through web-based and other formats and is intended to produce knowledgeable students who possess analytical and technical skills to compete in today’s criminal justice job market. Services are made available to help students reach their full academic potential and prepare them for a lifetime of continuous learning.

It is the policy of Washburn University to assure equal educational and employment opportunity to qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, sex, marital or parental status, or sexual orientation.

In one sense, Washburn University has had a long interest in understanding and responding to the crime problem. In the early 1920s, when he was an adjunct professor, Dr. Karl Menninger taught courses in criminology and penology. In reflecting on those days, Dr. Karl was pleased that he was able to take his students to the Kansas State Penitentiary at Lansing, not only for tours, but also for extended periods of interaction with inmates.

In 1970, federal funds became available to the states to address the crime problem and prepare personnel for employment in the criminal justice system. Washburn University was invited by the Governor’s Committee on Criminal Administration, headed by the late Tom Regan, to submit a proposal for offering a correctional degree program. A faculty and administration committee was formed to conduct a study and develop a plan for implementation of a four-year degree program in corrections.

Principle members of the committee were Professor George Simpson and Dr. Harry Wade of the American Citizenship Department (history and political science), Dr. Arthur Markendorf, Chair of the Sociology Department, Dr. Hugh Leach, Business and Economics, and Dr. Jim Young, Dean for Special Instructional Programs. George Simpson served as the staff member for the committee as it surveyed the potential market for a corrections degree program, developed its curriculum, and submitted a proposal through University channels to the Governor’s Committee.

In retrospect, the Washburn University Committee did a very good job in planning for Washburn’s first academic major in criminal justice. The Committee combined existing courses with new ones needed to prepare students for careers in the field. From the outset, the Committee seemed committed to blending practice and academic concepts in its new program. The Committee recommended that the Criminal Justice program require an internship for all students, an innovative approach in 1971. The Committee also was committed to recruiting faculty with substantial experience in the field of criminal justice—a commitment the program has retained to this day.

Over the next several decades, the Department of Criminal Justice moved to the forefront of criminal justice education in Kansas. In the late 1970s, a law enforcement option was added to the existing corrections degree.

Above: Original Criminal Justice faculty gather for a working lunch to discuss department news.
Left to right: Dr. Karl Menninger, Ted Heim, Martin Ahrens, Michael Barbara and Dean Strickland.

The success of the criminal justice department is in large part credited to the work of Ted Heim during the beginning years. Anyone who was associated with criminal justice in the 1970s and 1980s (student and practitioner alike) equated criminal justice education with Ted Heim and vice versa. As with anything, though, change was inevitable and Ted decided it was time to hand the reigns to someone else and assume Emeritus status.

In 1993, Dr. David McElreath was selected chair of the Department of Criminal Justice, and a new era of program growth began. Dr. McElreath came to Washburn University from Southeast Missouri State University. His background and interests were grounded in criminal justice and military service. It’s not surprising that a military and strategic studies minor was added to the criminal justice program.

During the 1990s, additional faculty were added to the Department and opportunities were created in the Kansas City area to reach out to distance learners. A Master of Criminal Justice degree was introduced in 1996 and faculty began teaching online.

In March 2004, Dr. Gary Bayens was appointed chairperson of the Criminal Justice Department. Dr. Bayens had been a full-time faculty member since 1996. During the next two years, several changes were made to the undergraduate and graduate curricula and many of the operational practices to strengthen the criminal justice program. At the same time, a concerted effort was made to hire several new faculty members who were well-known for their scholarly activity and teaching experience. As a result, Dr. Angela Crews, Dr. Rich Johnson, Dr. Gordon Crews, and Dr. Sam Newland joined the criminal justice faculty in 2006 and 2007. Coupled with a group of seasoned faculty in Dr. Cliff Roberson, Dr. Ron Tannehill, Professor Emeritus Ted Heim, Dr. Phyllis Berry, Mr. Michael Manske, Mr. Joseph Ruskowitz, and Mr. Terry Knowles, the Criminal Justice Department employed some of the most respected and highly sought after faculty members in the country.

During this time period, the department also engaged in an outside program review by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) and pursued certification of its Graduate Program. The ACJS Certification is designed to evaluate evidence-based compliance with the Certification Standards. This 2+ year academic review culminated in September 2007, when the department was notified that the MCJ graduate degree was approved for full certification. The Department became the first criminal justice graduate program in the country to be certified under the new ACJS National Certification Standards.

In June 2006, the Criminal Justice Department established a study abroad and exchange program with The University of the West of Scotland in Hamilton, Scotland. Since then three student groups (2006, 2008, 2011) have traveled to Scotland to study comparative justice issues for two weeks and visit many historical sites in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and other cities in Scotland. In addition to this international opportunity, the department began developing other educational prospects for students in Belize (Central America) and Ghana (Africa).

In October 2006, the Department celebrated its 35th anniversary. University officials, community leaders, former faculty, and students attended many of the activities that coincided with Homecoming and Alumni Fellows Weekend to commemorate this achievement. Two new student scholarships were established through the support of the adjunct instructors and emeriti professors. Later in the year, a Criminal Justice Lecture Series was established to bring national and international speakers to Washburn University for public lectures, classroom appearances, and interaction with students.

THE CURRENT YEARS

In the spring semester of 2007, a Criminal Justice Lecture Series was established to bring national and international speakers to Washburn University for public lectures, classroom appearances, and interaction with students. The series opened with Professor Geraldine O'Donnell, Director of the Justice Program at The University of the West of Scotland, Scotland, UK and closed with Deputy Commissioner George Asiamah, Ghana’s Police Service, Ghana, Africa.

In the spring semester of 2008, Criminal Justice Lecture Series continued at WU. The Military & Strategic Studies Program, with the assistance of the Campus Outreach Lecture Program of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, sponsored a presentation by Dr. Geoff Megargee. Later that year, students who had traveled to Scotland to participate in the Comparative Justice International Program made a presentation at the Day of Transformation.

In 2009, Sam Houston State University conducted a study to assess the leading criminal justice book authors and ranked their institutional affiliation. The number one ranking was awarded to Washburn University Criminal Justice Professor Cliff Roberson in four of five measures (e.g. number of publications and prestige ranking with the numbered edition of the publication). When measures of averaged per capita, weighted contribution, prestige and edition were taken on book publication productivity by institution, Washburn ranked sixth (6th) in the nation. The important finding of the study as it relates to Washburn University can be summed up in one major point - books are widely read and reviewed by peers in the academic community and only the best are adopted to disseminate criminal justice knowledge to students. Congrats to our colleague Dr. Cliff Roberson.

A BRIEF OF WASHBURN’S HISTORY

Washburn University has a rich history of serving Topeka, the State of Kansas, and the region. The school was started by the Congregational Church as Lincoln College in 1865 in a two-story brick building at Tenth and Jackson, the site of the State Historical Building. Three years later, the name of the institution was changed to Washburn College in recognition of a donation received from Deacon Ichabod Washburn.

Washburn moved to its present location in 1874 with the establishment of Rice Hall. Growth at Washburn saw the addition of both a law school and a medical college in 1903. The Kansas Medical College operated as a part of Washburn until 1913.

In the period following WWI, several buildings were added, including Benton Hall, the home of the Criminal Justice Department since 1977. In 1941, the citizens of Topeka voted to take over operation of Washburn as a municipal university. During the post WWII era, several new buildings were added to the University campus including the Memorial Union, Morgan Hall, and Stoffer Science Hall.

The evening of June 8, 1966, was a momentous one for Washburn and Topeka residents as a major tornado roared over Burnett’s Mound and across the Washburn campus, cutting a path northeast toward the Municipal Airport in north Topeka. Six campus buildings were destroyed beyond repair, 600 trees were demolished, and every building on campus experienced major damage.

The work of the college and the community in rebuilding Washburn under the leadership of President John Henderson is well-known. Washburn is proud that with the help of the community in finding temporary locations, not a single class was missed due to this disaster.

During the 1960s and 1970s, under the leadership of President Henderson and Dr. James M. Young, Dean of Continuing Education, Washburn expanded its efforts to reach out and serve the total urban community. During this period, an Institute of Urban Affairs was established and an evening college developed to reach non-traditional students in the community. Dr. Henderson also challenged the University to develop a week-end college. The Division of Continuing Education was the predecessor of the School of Applied Studies, the academic home of the Criminal Justice Department. During this period, Washburn established the educational television station KTWU which began broadcast on October 21, 1965. Within a few years, the station began the development and presentation of college credit courses on television. These television courses continue to be an important part of Washburn’s service to non-traditional students.

Part of Washburn’s commitment to serving as an urban university let to its establishment of a degree program in Criminal Justice in the fall of 1971. Washburn's growth as an urban university offering a number of applied programs continued in the 1980s with the development of the School of Applied Studies.

The Washburn campus continues to impress visitors with its attractive campus located in a urban setting. With an enrollment of over 7,000 students, Washburn continues to serve an important function as an urban university serving the State of Kansas and, in particular, its northeast region.

Washburn University
Criminal Justice & Legal Studies Department
Benton Hall Room 201
1700 SW College Ave
Topeka, KS 66621

	Criminal Justice & Legal Studies Department Washburn University Topeka, Kansas


Home Degrees Faculty Adjuncts Student Q & A Graduate Program Scholarships Calendar/Dates Transformational Experience CJA Kansas Correctional Assocation CJ Internet Resources Military Studies Internships Employment Assessments Photo Gallery CJ Lecture Series		MISSION The Department of Criminal Justice offers degree programs to prepare students for productive careers in law enforcement, corrections, and security administration. The program is designed to serve both local and distance learning students through web-based and other formats and is intended to produce knowledgeable students who possess analytical and technical skills to compete in today’s criminal justice job market. Services are made available to help students reach their full academic potential and prepare them for a lifetime of continuous learning. VALUES We value academic quality throughout our criminal justice programs. We value the integration of theory and practice and academic rigor in our curriculum. We value enthusiastic, sincere, and abiding service to others. We value personal responsibility for our individual actions. We value flexibility, adaptability, and creative thinking. We value the opportunity to mentor, encourage, and help each student fulfill his or her talents and abilities. We value diversity in all that we do. STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION It is the policy of Washburn University to assure equal educational and employment opportunity to qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, sex, marital or parental status, or sexual orientation. THE HISTORY OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEPARTMENT THE BEGINNING YEARS In one sense, Washburn University has had a long interest in understanding and responding to the crime problem. In the early 1920s, when he was an adjunct professor, Dr. Karl Menninger taught courses in criminology and penology. In reflecting on those days, Dr. Karl was pleased that he was able to take his students to the Kansas State Penitentiary at Lansing, not only for tours, but also for extended periods of interaction with inmates. In 1970, federal funds became available to the states to address the crime problem and prepare personnel for employment in the criminal justice system. Washburn University was invited by the Governor’s Committee on Criminal Administration, headed by the late Tom Regan, to submit a proposal for offering a correctional degree program. A faculty and administration committee was formed to conduct a study and develop a plan for implementation of a four-year degree program in corrections. Principle members of the committee were Professor George Simpson and Dr. Harry Wade of the American Citizenship Department (history and political science), Dr. Arthur Markendorf, Chair of the Sociology Department, Dr. Hugh Leach, Business and Economics, and Dr. Jim Young, Dean for Special Instructional Programs. George Simpson served as the staff member for the committee as it surveyed the potential market for a corrections degree program, developed its curriculum, and submitted a proposal through University channels to the Governor’s Committee. In retrospect, the Washburn University Committee did a very good job in planning for Washburn’s first academic major in criminal justice. The Committee combined existing courses with new ones needed to prepare students for careers in the field. From the outset, the Committee seemed committed to blending practice and academic concepts in its new program. The Committee recommended that the Criminal Justice program require an internship for all students, an innovative approach in 1971. The Committee also was committed to recruiting faculty with substantial experience in the field of criminal justice—a commitment the program has retained to this day. Over the next several decades, the Department of Criminal Justice moved to the forefront of criminal justice education in Kansas. In the late 1970s, a law enforcement option was added to the existing corrections degree. Above: Original Criminal Justice faculty gather for a working lunch to discuss department news. Left to right: Dr. Karl Menninger, Ted Heim, Martin Ahrens, Michael Barbara and Dean Strickland. THE GROWING YEARS The success of the criminal justice department is in large part credited to the work of Ted Heim during the beginning years. Anyone who was associated with criminal justice in the 1970s and 1980s (student and practitioner alike) equated criminal justice education with Ted Heim and vice versa. As with anything, though, change was inevitable and Ted decided it was time to hand the reigns to someone else and assume Emeritus status. Criminal Justice Association (1987) In 1993, Dr. David McElreath was selected chair of the Department of Criminal Justice, and a new era of program growth began. Dr. McElreath came to Washburn University from Southeast Missouri State University. His background and interests were grounded in criminal justice and military service. It’s not surprising that a military and strategic studies minor was added to the criminal justice program. During the 1990s, additional faculty were added to the Department and opportunities were created in the Kansas City area to reach out to distance learners. A Master of Criminal Justice degree was introduced in 1996 and faculty began teaching online. In March 2004, Dr. Gary Bayens was appointed chairperson of the Criminal Justice Department. Dr. Bayens had been a full-time faculty member since 1996. During the next two years, several changes were made to the undergraduate and graduate curricula and many of the operational practices to strengthen the criminal justice program. At the same time, a concerted effort was made to hire several new faculty members who were well-known for their scholarly activity and teaching experience. As a result, Dr. Angela Crews, Dr. Rich Johnson, Dr. Gordon Crews, and Dr. Sam Newland joined the criminal justice faculty in 2006 and 2007. Coupled with a group of seasoned faculty in Dr. Cliff Roberson, Dr. Ron Tannehill, Professor Emeritus Ted Heim, Dr. Phyllis Berry, Mr. Michael Manske, Mr. Joseph Ruskowitz, and Mr. Terry Knowles, the Criminal Justice Department employed some of the most respected and highly sought after faculty members in the country. During this time period, the department also engaged in an outside program review by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) and pursued certification of its Graduate Program. The ACJS Certification is designed to evaluate evidence-based compliance with the Certification Standards. This 2+ year academic review culminated in September 2007, when the department was notified that the MCJ graduate degree was approved for full certification. The Department became the first criminal justice graduate program in the country to be certified under the new ACJS National Certification Standards. In June 2006, the Criminal Justice Department established a study abroad and exchange program with The University of the West of Scotland in Hamilton, Scotland. Since then three student groups (2006, 2008, 2011) have traveled to Scotland to study comparative justice issues for two weeks and visit many historical sites in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and other cities in Scotland. In addition to this international opportunity, the department began developing other educational prospects for students in Belize (Central America) and Ghana (Africa). In October 2006, the Department celebrated its 35th anniversary. University officials, community leaders, former faculty, and students attended many of the activities that coincided with Homecoming and Alumni Fellows Weekend to commemorate this achievement. Two new student scholarships were established through the support of the adjunct instructors and emeriti professors. Later in the year, a Criminal Justice Lecture Series was established to bring national and international speakers to Washburn University for public lectures, classroom appearances, and interaction with students. THE CURRENT YEARS In the spring semester of 2007, a Criminal Justice Lecture Series was established to bring national and international speakers to Washburn University for public lectures, classroom appearances, and interaction with students. The series opened with Professor Geraldine O'Donnell, Director of the Justice Program at The University of the West of Scotland, Scotland, UK and closed with Deputy Commissioner George Asiamah, Ghana’s Police Service, Ghana, Africa. In the spring semester of 2008, Criminal Justice Lecture Series continued at WU. The Military & Strategic Studies Program, with the assistance of the Campus Outreach Lecture Program of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, sponsored a presentation by Dr. Geoff Megargee. Later that year, students who had traveled to Scotland to participate in the Comparative Justice International Program made a presentation at the Day of Transformation. In 2009, Sam Houston State University conducted a study to assess the leading criminal justice book authors and ranked their institutional affiliation. The number one ranking was awarded to Washburn University Criminal Justice Professor Cliff Roberson in four of five measures (e.g. number of publications and prestige ranking with the numbered edition of the publication). When measures of averaged per capita, weighted contribution, prestige and edition were taken on book publication productivity by institution, Washburn ranked sixth (6th) in the nation. The important finding of the study as it relates to Washburn University can be summed up in one major point - books are widely read and reviewed by peers in the academic community and only the best are adopted to disseminate criminal justice knowledge to students. Congrats to our colleague Dr. Cliff Roberson. A BRIEF OF WASHBURN’S HISTORY Washburn University has a rich history of serving Topeka, the State of Kansas, and the region. The school was started by the Congregational Church as Lincoln College in 1865 in a two-story brick building at Tenth and Jackson, the site of the State Historical Building. Three years later, the name of the institution was changed to Washburn College in recognition of a donation received from Deacon Ichabod Washburn. Washburn moved to its present location in 1874 with the establishment of Rice Hall. Growth at Washburn saw the addition of both a law school and a medical college in 1903. The Kansas Medical College operated as a part of Washburn until 1913. In the period following WWI, several buildings were added, including Benton Hall, the home of the Criminal Justice Department since 1977. In 1941, the citizens of Topeka voted to take over operation of Washburn as a municipal university. During the post WWII era, several new buildings were added to the University campus including the Memorial Union, Morgan Hall, and Stoffer Science Hall. The evening of June 8, 1966, was a momentous one for Washburn and Topeka residents as a major tornado roared over Burnett’s Mound and across the Washburn campus, cutting a path northeast toward the Municipal Airport in north Topeka. Six campus buildings were destroyed beyond repair, 600 trees were demolished, and every building on campus experienced major damage. The work of the college and the community in rebuilding Washburn under the leadership of President John Henderson is well-known. Washburn is proud that with the help of the community in finding temporary locations, not a single class was missed due to this disaster. During the 1960s and 1970s, under the leadership of President Henderson and Dr. James M. Young, Dean of Continuing Education, Washburn expanded its efforts to reach out and serve the total urban community. During this period, an Institute of Urban Affairs was established and an evening college developed to reach non-traditional students in the community. Dr. Henderson also challenged the University to develop a week-end college. The Division of Continuing Education was the predecessor of the School of Applied Studies, the academic home of the Criminal Justice Department. During this period, Washburn established the educational television station KTWU which began broadcast on October 21, 1965. Within a few years, the station began the development and presentation of college credit courses on television. These television courses continue to be an important part of Washburn’s service to non-traditional students. Part of Washburn’s commitment to serving as an urban university let to its establishment of a degree program in Criminal Justice in the fall of 1971. Washburn's growth as an urban university offering a number of applied programs continued in the 1980s with the development of the School of Applied Studies. The Washburn campus continues to impress visitors with its attractive campus located in a urban setting. With an enrollment of over 7,000 students, Washburn continues to serve an important function as an urban university serving the State of Kansas and, in particular, its northeast region. Benton Hall, Home of the Criminal Justice Department To Contact Us: Washburn University Criminal Justice & Legal Studies Department Benton Hall Room 201 1700 SW College Ave Topeka, KS 66621 Phone: (785) 670-1411 Fax: (785) 670-1027 E-Mail: louann.austin@washburn.edu

Criminal Justice & Legal Studies Department

Washburn University Topeka, Kansas

Washburn University
Topeka, Kansas