Featured Programs
Fire Science Technology
Suburban Law Enforcement Academy (SLEA)
Nursing
Criminal Justice
The “9-11” Aftermath
by Ken Reed
The infamous “9-11” terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, which generated a surge of affection and respect for police, fire and medical personnel — and popularized the “NYPD” and “FDNY” initials on caps and T-shirts — has since moved many to consider these professions as personally enriching career options.
College of DuPage has responded to this heightened interest with the same enthusiasm displayed by New Yorkers who are busy rebuilding their city. The college is embracing its key role in providing education and training for police, courts, corrections, the fire industry and nurses.
College of DuPage
425 Fawell Boulevard
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137-6599
(630) 942-2480
Armed with a “charged” hose line, two Bensenville police officers cross-training as firefighters in the College of DuPage Fire Science Technology program prepare to enter a burning training tower in Naperville. The college’s Fire Science program is renowned as among the top fire service-oriented programs in Illinois.
Fire Science Technology
Job opportunities abound in Fire Science Technology, a program that offers a variety of classes that address today’s rapidly expanding and constantly progressing fire service industry.
Recognized as among the top fire service-oriented programs in Illinois, the C.O.D. program prepares students to become firefighters or gain employment in industrial safety, fire prevention, insurance and fire investigation, hazardous materials and public education.
Darryl Haefner, coordinator of Fire Science, said paramedic opportunities with ambulance services or fire departments are plentiful.
The Fire Science Technology area offers two Associate in Applied Science degrees in Fire Science and Emergency Medical Services and five certificates in Fire Fighter, Emergency Medical Technician, Paramedic, Fire Prevention and Fire Officer.
The college’s Fire Science program also conducts a state-certified Fire Fighting Academy at the Glen Ellyn Fire Department, offering employed firefighters 240 hours of classroom and practical experience.
A proponent of C.O.D. is Scott Raffensparger, chief of the Glen Ellyn Fire Department.
“ I graduated from C.O.D. in 1976 with an associate’s degree in Fire Science,” Raffensparger said. “We send our personnel to C.O.D. on a regular basis. It is a quality program.”
Haefner said that firefighter candidates who are trained emergency medical technicians and/or paramedics have an edge in the hiring process.
Southern and Western Illinois Universities have articulation agreements with C.O.D.’s Fire Science Technology, which allows students to move smoothly into these baccalaureate programs.
For more information on Fire Science Technology, call Haefner, (630) 942-2107.
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Suburban Law Enforcement Academy
The telephone number for the college’s Suburban Law Enforcement Academy (SLEA) says it all: (630) 942-COPS (2677).
SLEA is one of six police academies accredited by Illinois to deliver the 11-week basic academy training program. Since its inception in 1995, SLEA has trained more than 1,200 newly-hired police recruits and enrolled more than 1,500 in its continuing education program.
In 2000, the academy was recognized with the Governor’s Award of Excellence in Law Enforcement Training. Randy James, director of the academy, attributes the excellent training in part to the fact that the academy’s faculty primarily comprises law enforcement officers.
On-going societal changes require well-trained police officers. “Much of a police officer’s time is spent interacting with the maddest, baddest and saddest members of society. We train these officers to deal with this segment and the general public,” James said.
He noted that through higher standards, more rigid testing and better training, today’s law enforcement officer is better equipped to deal with society’s problems. Job opportunities are excellent.
James said that SLEA relies on the college’s education infrastructure and resources to support its various training programs. The recent donation of a mobile wireless computer lab by Gateway Inc. enables SLEA to offer a new on-site course on Cyber Terrorism, Cyber-Stalking and Identity Theft.
The academy also features two of the area’s most advanced computer training labs, donated by Microsoft and Omni Tech. Other popular SLEA courses include Computer Crimes Investigation, Computer Forensics and Veteran Police Officers Leadership, Ethics and Wellness Training.
Naperville Police Chief David Dial eagerly endorses SLEA.
“ Our department uses SLEA exclusively,”Dial said. “We’re very glad it is offered in our area because it provides exceptional training for our young officers. In addition, SLEA offers training for our veteran officers that is second to none.
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Soo Howell (Lisle) hones her nursing skills as she carefully adjusts the drip rate on an intravenous fluids procedure in her Nursing 112 class. Due to acute nursing shortages across the U.S., College of DuPage Nursing graduates are entering a dynamic job market teeming with exciting career opportunities.
Nursing
Describing the nurse shortage across the United States as “unprecedented,” Ellen Davel, professor/coordinator of C.O.D.’s Nursing program, said that the upside to this gaping chasm is that opportunities for nurses are plentiful. There are 126,000 unfilled nursing jobs across the nation.
“ There isn’t a hospital in this area that doesn’t have a shortage,” Davel said. “They are doing anything and everything to hire nurses. They are clamoring for our graduates. Any C.O.D. nursing student who wants a job immediately after graduation can find one,” she said.
Davel added that myriad career options for women and nurse retirements are fueling the shortage. In addition, a shortfall of faculty compounds the problem.
C.O.D. is doing its part to bridge the gap. The college offers an Associate in Applied Science degree in Nursing, which prepares students to care for acutely and chronically ill people in many health care settings.
These arenas include hospitals, nursing homes, ambulatory care, physicians’ offices and home health care. “Right now, you could not walk into a nurse unit in any area hospital on any shift and not find at least one of our graduates,” Davel said. Graduates can also seamlessly advance to baccalaureate-granting institutions.
“ We educate quality nurses in our program,” she said, adding that the pass rate for C.O.D. nursing graduates who sit for the National Council Licensure Exam is between the low to mid-90s percentile each year, well above state and national averages.
One quality C.O.D. graduate is Barbara Gambino, an emergency room nurse at Edward Hospital in Naperville. A C.O.D. Outstanding Student Graduate in 2001, Gambino said the C.O.D. program is “outstanding. I was so well prepared clinically that I was able to transition into the role of an ER nurse without hesitation.”
For information on the C.O.D. Nursing program, call Davel, (630) 942-2652.
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Criminal Justice
A veteran of more than 20 years with the Naperville Police Department, Bob Murdock, coordinator, Criminal Justice, notes students in this program have three choices: Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) and Associate in Arts (A.A.) degrees and a certificate in Criminal Justice.
The A.A.S. degree prepares graduates for careers in local, county and state law enforcement and entry-level positions in corrections and private security. The A.A. degree is a transfer program.
Murdock offers that job prospects in criminal justice are “excellent,” especially in the police area. “There are many openings.”
Murdock constantly monitors trends and recently introduced classes on terrorism, computers and identity theft. An advisory committee helps keep the program state-of-the-art.
Commander Jim Kuchenbecker of the Wheaton Police Department agrees that the program is state-of-the-art.
“ It provided a great springboard for me,” Kuchenbecker said. “The faculty is exceptional because they apply real-life, hands-on experience to bring forward the goals and objectives of each class.”
For information on the Criminal Justice program, call Murdock, (630) 942-3001.
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