Archive: Around Town

Aurora, New York—Wells College has received New York State approval for Bachelor of Arts programs in Criminal Justice and Sustainability. Students will have the opportunity to declare either major immediately. Both programs were previously established as minors and are rooted in a multidisciplinary approach that combines theory with practical knowledge.

"The programs were designed in response to a lot of student interest as well as a significant focus on each topic not just in higher education but in our society as a whole," said Provost and Dean of the College Cindy Speaker. "They're not new areas of study, but there are a lot of new and innovative ideas around them. We recognize the importance of Wells graduates being prepared to lead these cultural conversations and developments."

The Criminal Justice program is designed for students who are interested in why people break laws and what happens when they do, and those planning for a career in law enforcement, legal practice, corrections, and governmental or non-profit advocacy work. The program centers on an understanding of social theory that is crucial for discussing and analyzing violence or criminal behavior. In addition to core classes in corrections, criminal justice, and criminology, courses in research methods and statistics require students to spend time with the realities of crime in society and learn to interpret the ways that it is discussed in the media.

The major in Sustainability is a highly interdisciplinary program that draws on psychology, economics, anthropology, environmental science and more. Required courses focus on the challenges and needs facing cultures worldwide and encourage students to take an active role in making necessary changes within their own community. As a result, students become directly involved with a variety of hands-on projects related to agriculture, composting, recycling, water use, administrative policy, renewable energy, sustainable business, and more. The Center for Sustainability and the Environment provides guidance and opportunities for multiple connections with the community.

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