At a college or police academy, a criminal justice instructor may teach the skills required to become a law enforcement officer. The instructor might be in charge of creating the curriculum, approving textbooks, and establishing student policies. He or she may also be responsible for administering tests, reviewing assignments, and keeping track of grades. This teacher might arrange for students to tour outside facilities or invite guest speakers from government agencies to speak to the class in some cases.
Experience working in law enforcement is one of the most common requirements for criminal justice instructors. Furthermore, a criminal justice instructor may have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in the subject. This indicates that this teacher is regarded as a subject matter expert in his field, and that he or she can be consulted when new classes are being developed. He or she may suggest changing or adding courses to a degree program, or shortening or lengthening police academy training. This individual may also serve on a textbook advisory committee and provide feedback on attendance and behavior policies at his institution.
A criminal justice instructor, whether at a college or a police academy, is often in charge of keeping track of students’ progress. This could include giving students research papers on different aspects of the law or testing them on criminal procedures. It is frequently the responsibility of the criminal justice professor to post student grades on a regular basis. Remedial training or withdrawal from the program may be recommended if students fail to meet the requirements.
Not all criminal justice education takes place in a classroom setting. It may be necessary to take students on tours of police stations, prisons, or crime labs in order for them to gain a better understanding of how the law enforcement community operates. These field trips can be facilitated by a criminal justice instructor coordinating with the heads of these departments to schedule a time for students to visit.
Other times, it may not be possible to personally visit criminal justice experts. This could be the case with a forensics expert witness or a drug enforcement agent. In these situations, a criminal justice instructor may arrange for these individuals to come into the classroom to share their experiences with students. In a college setting, this could take one to two hours, or a day-long seminar could be held while new police officers are being trained at the academy.