NPRC’s Instructor of Criminal Justice Dave Wilson has been invited by the Law and Public Safety Education Network (LAPSEN) to present at the 2023 LAPSEN National Conference in Phoenix, Arizona later this month. On Tuesday, November 28, Wilson will present to attendees about the new criminal law course he developed and teaches at the College. This new course prioritizes investigation scenarios.
LAPSEN is a national, non-profit association that represents career and technical education instructors, administrators, and partnering professionals who focus on the law, public safety, and corrections and security.
During his nearly two years at Northern Pennsylvania Regional College, Wilson has worked to provide students with valuable and unique educational opportunities. Wilson has over 20 years of experience in different sectors of criminal justice and his expertise allows him to understand the gaps between classroom learning and entering the field. To help students become more prepared for entry level positions, Wilson designed coursework that implemented credentialing and scenarios to enhance students’ learning experiences. He’s also incorporated opportunities to hear and learn from highly trained professionals in the industry.
The new criminal law course was first introduced to students this spring after division of the original criminal law and procedure course that had previously been offered. This course division split law and procedure into two separate classes allowing Wilson to design a course that has an extensive final project involving criminal elements and the charging of a suspect. In this new course, students follow the steps involved in investigation and write an incident report, file for a search warrant, and present their findings and procedure to a panel of highly qualified professionals that included a panel of judges and highly qualified attorneys.
Wilson will also share with peers about NPRC’s practicum, or experiential learning, opportunities for students, how he’s incorporated baton and pepper spray training into the curriculum, and NPRC’s pivot to accept student’s real-world experience and credentialing from police academies; firefighter trainings and work experience; and experience as an emergency medical services professional as coursework towards a degree.
“LAPSEN approached NPRC several months ago and wanted to partner with us to understand our pathways for credentialing and helping students who already have industry-related credentials complete their degrees,” noted Wilson. “These projects and opportunities we now have at NPRC are great indicators of judging how well our students are grasping what’s being presented in their classes. It means a lot to be to be seen as an educational leader in criminal justice both personally and as an institution. To be sought by LAPSEN to present at this upcoming conference and share about the steps we have taken as an institution to better serve our communities and students is a privilege.”
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