UOIT’s Forensic Science program re-launched its crime scene house at the same time they were accredited by the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC).
UOIT is the second school to be accredited in Canada along with Laurentian University.
The accreditation is considered “prestigious,” and comes from the Colorado Springs, Colorado-based commission, according to a press release.
UOIT now owns a house in Windfield Farms. This house is used to set up mock crime scenes, such as hit and runs, suspicious deaths, and blood spatter analyses, says Helene Leblanc, Associate Professor in Forensic Science.
According to Leblanc, the house is also used for the Police Foundations program at Durham College. It is also used to train the CSI’s who work for the Durham Regional Police Services, she says.
Reporters were invited to the house to participate in these mock investigations on Oct. 14.
UOIT’s program was revamped recently to offer specializations in four different areas.
Students can now complete the program with a focus in Forensic Biology, Forensic Psychology, Forensic Chemistry and Forensic Physics.
To be admitted into the program, a student must have a science and math background, according to Leblanc.
“It’s not an easy course,” says Leblanc. “It’s truly a chemistry and biology degree with practicality.”
The UOIT Forensics program is a first choice school, according to students.
“I applied to three schools with the program, but I wanted to come to UOIT because it’s the only school in Ontario with the crime scene house,” says Emily Giguere, a fourth year Forensic Science student. “It’s newer, tech-enriched and smaller. We get more one-on-one teaching.”
For other students, Forensics was not the first choice, but was the best choice.
“I wanted to do architecture all through high school and than when I went to the university fair in grade 12, I talked to the people in that program and I thought, these people are all snobs,” said Auburn Lowe, a fourth year Forensics student. “I am not surrounding myself with these people for the rest of my life, I have to pick something else.”
With months left, Lowe said she picked the course because it matched with her qualifications and she is “so glad” she picked Forensics.
“I cant even imagine what it would be like if I didn’t,” says Lowe.
