Welcome to the Department of Criminal Justice
Welcome and thank you for visiting the homepage for the Criminal Justice Department in the College of Business and Organizational Leadership, Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota. My name is Erv Weinkauf and I became the Chair of Concordia's Criminal Justice Department, January 1, 2010. Our department was created by the late Scott Harr in 2001 with working adult learners in mind. Harr, a 25-year veteran in the criminal justice profession, realized that working practitioners have busy schedules, and sometimes find it difficult to manage demanding responsibilities and maintain a balance of self, family, work and school. He created a program continually proves to be effective and accepted.
Our department is comprised of four full time staff who are dedicated to helping students pursue their dreams to earn a degree in our BA and MA programs. We offer BA degrees both in the traditional classroom environment and online. Our MA programs are offered exclusively online and cater to the needs of working practitioners - they're flexible, accredited online degrees designed by and for working practitioners. Our adjunct faculty are veterans from various disciplines of criminal justice and have a vested interest in students' success. Al Cooper, a Concordia alumnus wrote, "I had such a positive experience in the Bachelor's program that I immediately signed up with Concordia to continue on with the Master's program. During that time, I was promoted to Sergeant and was able to directly apply the leadership concepts I was learning."
At Concordia, you're shown respect because of who you are. We understand what you need to learn and the best way to accomplish it. We listen to what our students, the industry, and our exclusive partners tell us and tailor your learning experience so it is a meaningful, personal educational opportunity.
I'm living proof that Concordia's philosophy works! I am a 37-year law enforcement veteran who returned to school to earn a Master's degree so that someday after retirement, I could be a competitive candidate for a full-time position in college academia. I earned my Master's degree from Concordia, became an adjunct faculty member after I graduated and the Department Chair less than one year later. Dreams can come true if you have the desire to make them happen, persistence to pursue them, and a quality education allowing you to be competitive. Concordia can provide you with the quality education.
I encourage you to peruse our department website and see what Concordia has to offer you. Please contact me or our recruiter, Mike Conner, to answer any questions you may have and we'll be happy to help you make your decision to return to school and prepare you for the future. Thank you for considering Concordia University!
Erv Weinkauf, MA
Concordia University Criminal Justice Department Chair
"Vision is seeing the opportunity inside the challenge."
 |
Erv Weinkauf, M.A. |
 |
Laurel Forsgren, M.A. |
 |
Michael Conner, M.A. |
 |
Carolyn Fink, Academic Advisor
|
