Welcome to the Southwestern Illinois Justice & Workforce Development Campus
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is addressing a critical shortage of forensic scientists, advancing criminal justice research, and supporting reform through the launch of the new Southwestern Illinois Justice and Workforce Development Campus at the vacated Lindenwood-Belleville campus, in partnership with the City of Belleville, Illinois State Police, Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC), and other collaborators. The University is bringing high-quality degree programs and workforce training pathways to the Belleville campus to meet the needs of the community, as well as regional employers.
Master of Forensic Sciences
Through a partnership between SIUE and the ISP Forensic Science Institute, SIUE launched the only master’s program in forensics sciences in the southwestern region. This program is designed to not only address workforce challenges, but also establish research collaborations to tackle critical issues such as reducing the forensic evidence backlog, new method development and validation, and increased efficiency.
Institute for Community Justice and Racial Equity (ICJRE)
Reflecting SIUE’s commitment to anti-racism, equity, diversity, and inclusion, the Campus will also house an Institute for Community Justice and Racial Equity (ICJRE). By extending services, programming, and training opportunities to Belleville, SIUE will partner with the community to actively address how racism and social inequities continue to impact our communities. The Center will also expand educational opportunities for the region’s residents, encourage degree completion, and meet the workforce needs of employers through innovative programming such as alternative digital credentials and other industry-aligned training. Over time, SIUE will offer a combination of credit and non-credit opportunities to meet the needs of both degree-seeking students as well as those seeking to upskill and advance in their careers.
The IMPACT Academy will be offering training and opportunities for professional and personal growth that will allow individuals and leaders to better understand and challenge the systemic and pernicious nature of racism and other systems of oppression and sources of inequity. The IMPACT Academy can provide guidance in developing culturally responsive programming that will help professionals and community leaders better understand the challenges our communities face and how they can work together to confront structural inequalities together and through their ongoing efforts.
In partnership with the largest child advocacy organization in the United States, the Children’s Defense Fund, the ICJRE is also a proud sponsor of a CDF Freedom Schools® program. The CDF Freedom Schools® model provides meaningful engagement opportunities for our campus community by bringing together SIUE faculty, staff, and students with children, families, and community volunteers to impact educational equity.
Center for Crime Science and Violence Prevention (CCSVP)
The primary focus of the Center for Crime Science and Violence Prevention is to assist all stakeholders in the criminal justice field in their efforts to reduce crime and violence. The Center collaborates with criminal justice agencies, community organizations, vendors, faculty, and students to enhance public safety in the St. Louis and Southern Illinois regions. Some of the services provided by the CCSVP include grant development, data analytics, crime analysis, mapping, dashboard development, and evaluation research. CCSVP’s main roles are to assist communities with data-informed policy development, crime analysis, grant writing, training and technical assistance (TTA), consulting and (evaluation) research.
Educational Outreach and Workforce Development
SIUE has innovative workforce development programming, including the utilization of alternative digital credentials and apprenticeship models. SIUE, through the planned Center for Sustainable Communities and Entrepreneurship (SIUE’s Illinois Innovation Hub) and other offices, will work to offer appropriate and needed pathways to short-term workforce credentials that will support individuals and employers in the region. SIUE currently offers online degree completion programs in Criminal Justice, Nursing, Integrative Studies, Psychology, Business and other areas. The Belleville location will offer admissions and recruiting opportunities and provide coaching, lab access, and other support to students who wish to engage in SIUE’s degree completion programming. Additionally, SIUE will explore specialized degree programs, credentials, and degree completion programs that meet the needs of the residents of the region and align with industry needs.
