University News
LEJA Anniversary, Career Fair
September 27, 2004
MACOMB, IL – A program that was started on Western Illinois University’s campus 35 years ago continues to be the Western’s biggest department and is the largest law enforcement degree programs in the region and state.
WesternÂ’s law enforcement and justice administration (LEJA) program was created in 1969 when WIU President A. L. Knoblauch, along with program director Clifford Van Meter and faculty members John Conrad and Maurice Porter, spearheaded its development. Twenty-five students were enrolled and two years later the graduation of WIUÂ’s first law enforcement students marked the beginning of the program that has educated more than 8,000 law enforcement professionals. A masterÂ’s degree program, added in 1976, has produced more than more than 300 graduates, and today classes are offered at WIUÂ’s Macomb and Quad Cities campuses and in Palatine, Naperville, Vernon Hills and Springfield.
According to Conrad, who still teaches in the department, the programÂ’s early emphasis was on the preparation of police officers. Security and justice administrations options have since been added. The departmentÂ’s internship requirement also boasts more than 1,000 prominent criminal justice contacts nationwide, he added.
“Western’s law enforcement and justice administration department is an integral part of the criminal justice community,” Conrad said. “What started as a program in response to the 1968 passage of the Crime Control Act has grown into a department that is known nationwide for its outstanding training and experienced graduates.”
As part of WesternÂ’s LEJA departmentÂ’s 35th anniversary, the annual LEJA Career Fair will be held from
10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19 in the Union Grand Ballroom. More than 100 law enforcement agencies are scheduled to participate. According to LEJA Chair Retired LTC Stephen Reinhart, the unique aspect of the LEJA Career Fair is that more than two-thirds of the representatives in attendance are WIU LEJA graduates. An alumni social and golf outing will be held Oct. 18 for Western LEJA alumni attending the career fair.
Also during the week of Oct. 18, WesternÂ’s Law Enforcement Professional Advisory Group will meet on campus, and four criminal justice professors from the University of St. Petersburg (Russia) will be on campus for a cultural exchange. The visiting professors will speak to LEJA faculty and classes.
“This is a very exciting time for our students and for WIU law enforcement graduates,” Reinhart said. “The job opportunities in this field are nearly limitless and the experiences we offer are students – both on campus and abroad – prepare them to forge headfirst into a career immediately after graduation.”
Posted By: Darcie Shinberger (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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