Good News August 2017 Broward

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6 August 2017 LOCAL Good News - Broward Edition
Trinity International University Breaks into
Criminal Justice
Gabriella Morris
Good News
Trinity International Uni-
versity has recently introduced a
Criminal Justice major to its cur-
riculum at their sites in Miramar
andKendall.The Criminal Justice
degree was created in response
to a need to prepare students for
a wide variety of career choices
in law enforcement including
corrections, cyber-crime and
paralegal work. The degree will
also prepare students for post-
graduate study. Their hope is that
this program based on Christian
values will help students develop
a deeper moral perspective into
the realm of criminal justice in
our society.
According to Deborah
Wiles, Director of Academic Op-
erations, “The university exists to
educate students to participate
in God’s redemptive work in the
world, to provide Christ-cen-
tered education that is commu-
nity focused, church connected
and culturally engaged.”
This new bachelor’s pro-
gram will offer a Christ-centered
liberal arts curriculum, with a
strong foundation in the studies
of criminology including crim-
inal law, legal systems, correc-
tions and policing.
Professors teaching the
courses in this program are not
only educators, but also practi-
tioners in the field, which will
help provide students with an
education that extends beyond
the textbooks. Trinity will be hir-
ing professors with experience
in the court system, corrections
and law enforcement including
enforcement agents, lawyers and
judges. The courses they’ll be
teaching include “Criminal Law
and Procedures”, “Police and So-
cietal Interactions”, “Drugs, Al-
cohol and Crime” and “Victimol-
ogy and Restorative Justice” - all
taught from a Christian World-
view.
Wiles said Trinity also plans
to include internships that fit
students’ different career goals,
helping them apply what they’re
learning in the classroom to a
work-like environment. They’ve
opened the door for collabora-
tion with law enforcement and
other legal entities that will ben-
efit students. A group of execu-
tives from leading organizations
in the criminal justice field has
also lent support to the program
by agreeing to serve on an advi-
sory board. Members’ experi-
ences include extensive work in
the areas of DEA enforcement,
Immigration and anti-terrorism.
As a Christian university,
Trinity will allow for more mor-
al depth to its Criminal Justice
program. Wiles said, “Students
will be exposed to both the pu-
nitive and redemptive aspects
of practicing in the field. They
will be encouraged to maintain a
biblical and balanced view of hu-
manity, one that acknowledges
fallen man’s need for correction
yet simultaneously recognizes
the inherent value of every hu-
man being. The curriculum will
encourage students to grow in
their ability to demonstrate jus-
tice and mercy in their attitudes
and actions, as well as maintain a
posture of redemption as it may
be applied within the confines of
the law.”
The criminal justice degree
program may be appropriate
for students interested in career
positions, such as probation of-
ficer, police officer, correctional
officer, private detective, security
guard, state trooper, FBI agent,
CIA agent, immigration and cus-
toms, homicide detective, DEA
agent, Secret Service agent, US
Marshal or enforcement agent.
Trinity is a multi-location,
university that provides Chris-
tian-based education for under-
graduates and graduates. Their
four core values are “Christ Cen-
teredness, Community Focus,
Church Connectedness, and
Cultural Engagement. Trinity’s
purpose is to enable its graduates
to think and live like Christians
in the twenty-first century. We
believe that God calls his people
into many kinds of service; Trin-
ity’s calling is to prepare them to
serve for his glory.” Trinity is con-
tinuing its mission in their new
criminal justice program that
will be offered on both the Ken-
dall and Miramar campuses as a
major and a minor.
For more information on
Trinity’s Criminal Justice pro-
gram visit
program/criminal-justice/ or
call 954-382-6400.
Gabriella Morris is a student at
Florida State University and writer at
Good News. She can be reached at ga-