Image courtesy of andreashelke.

I have been employed in the field of forensic science for over twenty-five years. When introduced to the field and opinion testimony, it was stressed to me during my training and subsequent contacts within the field that all scientists must not be biased while performing analyses or on the witness stand. As a forensic scientist, one is not working for the prosecution or the defense. His only obligation is to disclose the knowledge gained through his examinations.

During one of the last few episodes of one of the CSI programs this past season, the statement was made by one analyst to another “we will get him”. Even more appalling than this to me, I watched as a well known pathologist exited the courtroom after giving his testimony. He seemed to take more pleasure in front of the camera for the media than giving his opinion as to the findings in the case.

Analysts would like to be treated professionally by all parties. If one seeks the respect of individuals within his profession and those he testifies before, it goes a long way to treat them with the same respect you desire. This can be obtained by sharing your knowledge to both sides without any bias.

Steve Byrd
Instructor
Ashworth College Forensic Science Program

Image courtesy of Chris Metcalf.

We constantly hear people say they want “job security and career advancement opportunities.” The good news is that you have taken the first step toward this lofty goal as you enrolled in the Ashworth College Small Business Management program designed for entrepreneurs. Starting and operating your own business is one way to take control of your future. Is it possible to become indispensable in today’s workplace? As you recognize your strengths, you will also build confidence, realizing that you have what it takes to market yourself and your new business; yes, you can become indispensable!

The term, indispensable means that which is necessary or essential. In other words, if you are to become indispensable, then you must become necessary or essential to the marketplace. As we consider what this means for you and your new business, let’s consider your strengths. Hopefully, your strengths include what I like to call, “The 9 E’s to BEcoming Indispensable:”

1. Enthusiasm
2. Effective communication skills
3. Ethical work habits
4. Effective employees
5. Effective problem solving and decision making skills
6. Endearing customer relationships
7. Energetic work habits
8. Education
9. Experience!

Let’s take a quick look at each of these important aspects which may catapult you to becoming indispensable. There is a reason why the word, “Enthusiasm” is first on the list. Enthusiasm is contagious! If you are enthusiastic about your abilities, your company, and your product, others will “catch” the excitement, too. Don’t you just love to be around someone who is excited about their work? It isn’t necessarily the words they use; instead, it is their non-verbal language which conveys the energy and enthusiasm they have.

Effective communication skills are vital to the success of an entrepreneur. Not only must you have a good command of the English language, you must effectively practice communication skills through writing and speech. I’ve written two helpful books which have been published by Pearson Publishers of Boston. “Going from Stress to Success,” published in 2007, is a public speaking textbook. “Basic Writing for Business: A Technical Approach,” published in 2008, is a textbook which details the basic skills of business writing. A combination of the two texts should help you to become proficient in writing and in speech. Other books are available on the market. If you feel you are deficient in your writing and speaking skills, take a course or purchase a book which will help you to develop your communication skills.

Job security is out there for people who exhibit ethical work habits. Think before you say or do anything. Make sure that your actions are consistent with business principles of moral conduct. Just remember that your work should be of the caliber that you would be proud to sign your name to it at the end of the day. (more…)

With all the attention given to forensic science in recent years, there has been an explosion of interest in this field. You should definitely feel inspired to be learning about this field at such an exciting time of growth and development! The courts have come to expect more from the forensic science community in respect to our capabilities, while at the same time applying more scrutiny to the analytical procedures and techniques utilized for the examination of evidence. Forensic labs are developing new techniques and utilizing new technology all the time to examine and make comparisons of forensic evidence. Many of these processes have allowed a level of comparison and identification not possible before and they have also created situations where procedures have been challenged in court as being “too new” or not “generally accepted”. The DNA examination procedures employed today went through this process a few years ago. Some newer DNA techniques such as “low copy number DNA” and Y-STR analysis are now being challenged in cases where they have been applied.

One bright light through all the criticism about the shallow attention given to forensic science research is the FBI’s Forensic Science Research and Training Center. This facility has established key research programs that have encouraged the standardization of many scientific procedures used by forensic labs throughout the U.S. Over my career, I have attended several training classes sponsored by this training center. I have also attended international symposiums sponsored by the FBI in which forensic scientists from all over the world were invited to attend and share information on the latest analytical techniques for conducting forensic examinations. The FBI is very involved in the establishment and maintenance of a variety of reference collections or databases in an effort to provide information which can help define the significance of the comparison of class materials.

I’ll close this blog by encouraging you to pursue your interests in this amazing field. Ashworth College’s forensic science covers a broad spectrum of the science of forensics and by now you should know that there is much more that can be learned. If you are taking this course because you were just curious to know more about forensics, then no doubt, you should have a much better understanding of the different aspects of forensic science and how the “real thing” is different from what is portrayed in the popular television programs. (more…)

As leaders in the online education field, our faculty and staff here at Ashworth College believe it’s very important to continuously innovate dynamic ways to communicate with our student community. Our Ashworth College “Live” Events initiative has proven to be quite a hit and has helped us take our vision in exciting new directions, which is why we continue to exponentially increase the number and frequency of these events every month. These events are terrific opportunities to interact with Instructors on the cutting edge of their field and gain career advancement insights that only a true expert can provide.

In addition to our career training oriented chats, we host weekly student orientation chats that are open to existing students and anyone else simply interested in learning more about what Ashworth College is all about. The orientation chat allows you to get all of your questions answered and issues resolved by an Ashworth Student Advisor via “live” video stream. You don’t even need a web cam to participate—just show up and gain plenty of valuable personal, educational, and career advice to help you get ahead!

We’re adding new events on a daily basis, so please check out the Ashworth College Event Calendar for the latest information. Thanks everyone!

Image courtesy of Cole Rise.

Adult learners enroll in colleges and universities for many reasons. The most common reason is to obtain a credential to assist them in attaining occupational goals. The second most common reason is simply to enhance self respect.

Probably the least likely reason for enrollment is to learn something new. Because of the most likely motivation of the students, learning is incidental to the achievement of the occupational goal or the feeling of personal satisfaction. While the more common goals of occupational advancement and simple self respect are valid and important, the resulting incidental learning is the most valuable since it also helps in attaining the other goals. My experience has been an example of this concept of incidental learning.

Since I had many years of experience in criminal justice and since I taught criminal justice classes at a large traditional university, I felt I needed to earn a graduate degree to keep up with my peers. I enrolled at Ashworth College with the intention of obtaining a masters degree as a credential. Ashworth College seemed to be a logical choice for graduate school since the learning was asynchronous and did not require cohort participation. I wanted to proceed at my own pace while attending to work and family requirements. Both the price and the fact that the college was nationally accredited were pluses.

I was not as concerned with the curriculum, but more with the time it would take me to finish the degree. I was concerned more with obtaining the credential than with learning anything new. After receiving the orientation course I realized that both effort and discipline would be required to complete this program. Since I am just an average computer user and also since I am not of the “computer generation”, the orientation course was a challenge. The curriculum and supporting materials were clearly written and concise. After completing the course, I realized that I had gained a new set of skills which were not only beneficial in the graduate program but which also were valuable in my work. I was now prepared to conduct internet based research and I could effectively use Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. My attitude started to change and I began to understand the concept of learning rather than merely seeking a degree.

After examining first academic course materials I realized the text and supporting material were from the same publishers of the texts I used in teaching college classes. After submitting my first written assignments and receiving feedback from the graders, I began to understand the academic rigor of the course. While the graders were very polite in their comments and were supportive, they did point out areas in which I could improve my work. After finishing the assignments I took the exam with some trepidation. After passing the exam on the first try I felt both relieved and empowered to continue with the next course. As I progressed through the curriculum, my writing and research skills began to improve.

The courses ranged from the expected such as Survey of Criminal Justice and Criminology to the unexpected including Investigating Difference and Organizational Management. While the expected courses were valuable because of the quality of the course content, the unexpected courses were more valuable because they were not just rehashing of material with which I had been familiar but were completely new topics to me. I started looking forward to learning new material rather than merely plodding through the assignments.

By the time I took the mid-course comprehensive exam I had adopted a completely different attitude. I developed a sense of satisfaction from passing tests and assignments on material which was new to me. I made everyone around me crazy by continually discussing these new topics and ideas. I was actually learning while progressing towards the completion of my degree.

I was nervous about a particular course, Research Methods, since it was basically statistics. I had heard several horror stories from colleagues about graduate level statistics courses. I read all of the lessons, submitted all of the material, passed the test, and earned an A in the course. More importantly, I actually learned how to compile and analyze statistical data. (more…)

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Your online course in private investigation covers the subject of undercover investigations pretty well. There are obviously some differences in police undercover operations and those conducted by private investigators. In many cases you will use your own identity and will not assume that of a fictitious person. The main thing that I want to stress to you is that it is of the utmost importance to maintain strict confidentiality in regards to the assignment. It will be hard not to tell others what you are doing, but you must stay quiet. People that you talk to may not understand how important it is to keep your role a secret, and will tell anyone they see about their friend, husband, or son who is working undercover at the local warehouse. They think that it is neat and exciting, but it could blow the case and put you in a very bad position.

Once you are placed in an undercover role, take it easy. Performing the undercover assignment requires great attention to detail. This means not only paying attention to things that are going on around you and remembering them, but also paying close attention to the job you have been hired for and learning it quickly. You will need to be an award winning actor or actress at times in order to pull off what is required in an undercover capacity.

The key to an undercover job is blending in with everyone else so that they begin to trust you, or at best pay little or no attention to you. Do your job at a pace that closely matches your fellow employees. Too high or too low production will only call attention to yourself. Take the same breaks and lunches as the other employees. Stay on the good side of your supervisor, but don’t become a “brown-noser.” Don’t volunteer for additional assignments unless it will put you in contact with a suspect person.

You will have decisions to make and you need to keep the overall objective of your assignment in mind when the decision time comes. Your own personality may draw you to certain co-workers, but if these are not contacts that will help you in the investigation, move on to cultivate those contacts that will. You need to learn active listening techniques that help you to pay attention to anything being said, whether you are involved in the conversation or not.

Do not under any circumstances suggest to an employee that he or she commit a crime or irregularity. This is the entrapment problem that was discussed in your private investigation textbook. Entrapment does not only apply in criminal actions. Stay patient and you will be able to observe infractions as they occur.

Be aware that it is a Federal law that you cannot report any activity that occurs from a lawful union activity or meeting. You may actually be required to join a union as part of your employment, but this does not authorize you to report on any of these activities either verbally or in writing.

The true key to a successful undercover investigation is the personality of the undercover agent. Convincing a group of people that you are who you are claiming to be, keeping a cool head even when things go wrong and the stress is high, and making the quick decisions at crucial times are what will make the assignment a success. Be flexible, stay calm, and above all else, be patient.

Larry Davis
Private Investigation Instructor
Ashworth College