Until the 1950s, forensic science lacked the existence of boards of review, boards of examination, formal education and training, organisations to run conferences and seminars, and regular forensic journals. Forensic science pedagogical frameworks and curricular activities were unpredictable and dissimilar to an extent that students had to search by themselves for a suitable course, should they wish to pursue a career in the forensic science field (Gerber & Saferstein, 1997).
Since the 2nd half of the 20th century, forensic science education has been promoted as ‘a co-curricular activity’ (Ehninger, 1952: 237) where many national and international organisations have been established as a result of this promotion. Some of these are:
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The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS): Established in 1948, AAFS started initially as an American academy, and has become an international organisation that represents United States, Canada, and 55 other countries. The AAFS objective is to promote professional forensic science education and practice through: 1) its recognized international scientific journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2) newsletters, 3) seminars and workshops, 4) conferences, and 5) annual scientific meetings. Following a recommendation by the National Institute of Justice in U.S.A. for the need to set up national standards and an accreditation system for forensic science education programs, AAFS initiated an accreditation commission (FEPAC17) in 2002 to develop, maintain, and administer an accreditation program that recognises high quality tertiary forensic science programs (undergraduate & postgraduate) (AAFS, Electronic18). To be eligible for accreditation a forensic science program must: 1) be offered by an accredited educational provider, 2) offer at least a bachelor’s degree in forensic science or in a natural science with forensic science concentration, 3) have graduated at least two classes prior to applying for accreditation and 4) have met the standards set out by the commission (FEPAC, 2003; 2009). However, the FEPAC has not yet been recognised as an accrediting organisation by the American Federal Board of Education (U.S. Department of Education, 2007) or by any federal agency (Hurley, 2007). This makes this accreditation process neither an obligation prior to establishing a forensic science program within a college or university, nor a requirement for admission to a forensic science career.
National Institute of Forensic Science (NIFS): Established in 1991 in Australia, the core functions of NIFS are to sponsor and support research and training in forensic science and assist with the coordination and development of forensic science services. NIFS is concerned with raising the ‘profile’ of forensic science; therefore, it conducts quality assurance programs as part of the training it provides (NIFS,
17 FEPAC: Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission.
2005).
Forensic science has proved itself to be a prominent area of science within the last 10 years (Mennell, 2006) enjoying a ‘huge increase in public interest’ (NIFS, 2006:7). As a result of the field’s prominence and popularity (Mennell, 2006), the number of education providers offering forensic science courses and the number of students enrolling in these courses have exponentially increased (Engber, 2005; NIFS, 2006). Despite all its prominence and popularity, forensic science has not possessed a uniform curriculum or a consensus of what the educational requirements should be in specialised forensic science subjects (Jonakait, 1991). Moreover, despite the many strong forensic science courses offered worldwide, there are some arguments that forensic science education suffers from some weak and loosely organised courses (NIFS, 2006). The increase in the number of students studying forensic science comes in an era of decline in the number of students enrolling in higher education science courses (Mennell, 2006). These science courses are often chemistry courses in origin and have been threatened with closure as a result of this decline (NIFS, 2006). Some coordinators of science courses- chemistry in particular- have taken advantage of the recent flow in public interest towards forensic science (SEMTA, 2004). These coordinators have incorporated ‘greater or lesser amount of forensic content- sometimes by name only-’ in their curricula, in order to add or associate the adjective ‘forensic’ with the title of the offered courses; hence, the courses become more attractive and enrol more students (NIFS, 2006:10).
The weak foundation of many forensic techniques (Risinger & Saks, 2003) demand that more research be undertaken on forensic science and forensic science education. Burnett, Brand & Meister (2001) argue that little research has been undertaken and published on forensic science education. On the same issue, Dr Barry Fookes (2003), Head of the Forensic Science Program in University of Central Florida, argues that “I have surfed the web over the last five years looking at other programs and new courses world wide-of the many too many are criminal justice programs with a trace of what is termed here criminalistics…”. For more than thirty years, there has been ‘limited
19 academic study in the area of forensic sciences’ versus a steady growing ‘demand for certificate and graduate education in the forensic sciences’ (Duquesne University, 2000:1).
The random expansion in forensic science education worldwide, in addition to, the inconsistency and lack of clarity in the huge range of forensic science courses on offer have led to inconsistencies in skills and competencies acquired by the graduates seeking employment in the field, and hence to criticisms by potential employers (Lewis, Brightman, & Roux, 2005). Moreover, forensic science education departments lack formal arrangement with employers to discuss course content. Instead ‘what exists is a series of ad hoc arrangements’ which occur on an individual basis between employers and universities through which ‘employers liaise with universities about particular courses’ (SEMTA, 2004:88).