Staffing a Department of Forensic Science and Chemistry

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Staffing a Department of Forensic Science and
Chemistry

• Professor Michael D. Cole
• Department of Forensic Science and Chemistry
• APU, East Road, Cambridge, CB1 1PT,
• United Kingdom

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Discussion will include -

• History of my Department
• Structure and activity of Department
• Strategic decisions in setting up a Department
• Resources required (including staff)
• Staff development

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History of the department

• Degree provision started in 1998
• Single Honours provision started 2000
• Now have c. 280 students (242 FTE).
• B.Sc. (Hons.) and B.A. (Hons) programmes

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History of the department

• Department formally founded in July 2001
• Now one of 7 Departments within the School of
  Applied Sciences on Cambridge Campus of APU
• Undertakes teaching, research, casework,
  consultancy and short courses

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Structure of the department

• 13 Academic Staff members
• 3 Support staff members
• 6 postgraduate research students
• 280 undergraduates

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Structure / Activities of the department

• Crime scene investigation and management
• Forensic chemistry and criminalistics
• Drugs and toxicology

• Fires and explosions
• Environmental investigations
• Forensic Biology

TAUGHT BY ACADEMICS WHO ARE ALSO PRACTITIONERS
WHO STILL PRACTICE
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Undergraduate provision

• Entry requirements - raised from the original 2 x
  D
• For B.Sc. / B.A. programmes 3 x C at A level or
  equivalent and rising...
• MUST include BIOLOGY or CHEMISTRY for Single
  Honours (prefer both)

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So how do you set up and staff a Department of
Forensic Science ?

• Strategic decisions -
• Teaching only
• Teaching and research only
• Teaching and consultancy only
• Teaching, research and consultancy
• SSR to be operated at

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So how do you set up and staff a Department of
Forensic Science ?

• Strategic decisions
• Department in Science Faculty ?
• Department in Social Sciences Faculty ?
• Forensic SCIENCE
• Crime scene science
• Investigative studies
• Criminology and law

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So how do you set up and staff a Department of
Forensic Science ?

• Strategic decisions
• Foundation degree
• Single and / or Combined Honours
• M.Sci. Forensic Science

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So how does it fit together ?
Teaching
Research
Forensic science and chemistry
Casework
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What is required to build the Department ?

• Physical space - lecture rooms, crime scene,
  wet and search laboratories, microscope
  suites, instrument suites, computing facilities
  etc
• Capital and consumable items and SENSIBLE budget
• Casework facilities
• STAFF

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Where do you get the staff ?

• Need experienced Section / Departmental Head
• Short supply !!!
• Staff chosen according to development strategy
• Where possible, choose from mixture of -
• MOTIVATED academic staff (internal and external)
• Practitioners looking for career change
• Youngsters starting out

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Where do you get the staff ?

• Current academics
• Practitioners
• Youngsters
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of each
  group ?

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How do you develop the staff ?

• Formal mechanism - Appraisal and Peer Observation
• Intercalation of teaching, research and casework
• Discipline specific workshops and seminars -
• internal
• external

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How do you develop the staff ?

• ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INDUSTRY
• COUPLED TO
• ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES
• RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

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Engagement with the industry.

• Forensic Science Society accreditation process
• QAA benchmarks
• RSC recognition and accreditation
• Discussions with CRFP concerning competency to
  teach forensic science
• Approval and revalidation events

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Engagement with the industry.

• Engagement with ENFSI (Europe)
• Engagement with American Academy of Forensic
  Sciences
• Engagement with the industry through provision of
  research opportunities, short and CPD courses

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Conclusions.

• Need to make -
• Decisions on subject
• Decisions on SSR
• Decisions on activity
• Staff appropriately
• Developmental activity
• DECISIONS ON RESOURCING