Random Class Feature: Introduction to Criminal Justice
By Kinsley Rapier
Have you ever watched a crime show and wondered how accurately it depicts our legal system? Well, you can take Dr. Batis’s Introduction to Criminal Justice course to dive into how our legal system in the United States works!
This course focuses on the three major areas of the criminal justice system: policing, courts, and prisons. Spending about three to four weeks on each topic, Batis discusses in depth what actions are within a police officer’s legal rights and what are not. If you take this course, you will learn about both state and federal courts. Finally, not only will you talk about prisons, but you will also learn about alternatives to prisons in this class.
Professor Batis has some intriguing guest speakers lined up for this class. The Buena Vista police chief has agreed to discuss how policing works here in BV. In addition to the police chief, the District Attorney for Rockbridge County will also be making an appearance. The last guest lecturer Batis plans on having is a recovering addict who has made his way through the criminal justice system and is now running a halfway house in the area. There is no doubt that these expert guests will bring insightful additions to the class material. Students will gain a new perspective on the inner workings of our justice system.
Jeff Batis has worked hard to bring this curriculum to SVU. After achieving a Doctorate in Behavioral Neuroscience and becoming a professor at SVU, Dr. Batis decided to return to school. Taking advantage of the school’s tuition exchange program offered to university professors, he completed a master’s in Criminal Justice while continuing to teach his regular Psychology courses. Now, as the sole professor teaching Criminal Justice courses, Batis is working with the school to offer either a Criminal Justice minor or a concentration. He hopes that one day, the Introduction to Criminal Justice class will be added to the list of courses that fulfill the social sciences credit requirement for the core. For now, the class will count as a general elective credit.
Introduction to Criminal Justice is a fun class that will provide relevant information about what is happening in our world today. There are no prerequisites for this class, but eventually, it will be a prerequisite for the other criminal justice courses that Batis teaches. Professor Batis offers Intro to Criminal Justice every Fall. In the Spring and Summer, he rotates the upper-level Criminal Justice courses. A few that will be in the rotation are Criminal Profiling, the Psychology of Crime, the Psychology of Violence, the Psychology of Victimization (Victimology), and the Psychology of Addiction. Many of these will only be offered every two years. So, if you see an interesting one, sign up before you miss your chance!
We are highlighting some of the unique and interesting classes that SVU is offering this semester. Most of these classes will either fill an elective credit or a PE credit. Stay tuned for the rest of the series to find out what random classes you should be taking!
