Building Academic Communities and Careers: Advancing Criminal Justice Education through Conference Engagement

Shenique S. Thomas-Davis, Satenik Margaryan, Brenda K. Vollman[i], Social Sciences, Human Services & Criminal Justice

Introduction

Before dawn on a brisk February morning, thirty BMCC criminal justice (CRJ) majors eagerly gathered at a bus stop in midtown NYC. Despite the early hour and chilly weather, the air was buzzing with excitement and anticipation. The students, ranging from first-year students to those more advanced in their major requirements, were preparing for a five-hour bus ride to Washington, D.C. to participate in the Eastern Sociological Society’s (ESS) annual meeting. Their journey was filled with lively discussions, fueled by the excitement of stepping away from the usual classroom setting and city life.

ESS, a regional academic association known for promoting sociological scholarship and discourse, offers a unique platform for undergraduates and community college students to feature their research and projects. The conference provides an invaluable opportunity to engage with diverse voices, fostering academic growth and professional networking. Students actively participate by attending presentations, engaging in discussions, and connecting with peers and experts on current research.

BMCC Criminal Justice faculty led this fully funded trip to the ESS conference. The experience sought to enrich students’ academic journey in several ways. First, it addressed the common, limited view of criminal justice (often solely associated with law enforcement) by exposing students to the field’s broader scope. Framing the ESS conference as a professional development opportunity emphasized the importance of student participation and the expected professional conduct. Second, the trip fostered a strong sense of community among criminal justice majors, creating lasting bonds that will extend beyond their time at BMCC. Finally, the experience aimed to broaden students’ perspectives on both career and academic trajectories.

The ESS conference theme, “The Social Side of the Climate Crisis,” explored practical implications of climate change on society beyond theoretical discussions. Policymakers, community leaders, researchers, and scholars discussed how environmental issues intersect with urban environments. CRJ students gained significant insights, observing how environmental challenges influence crime creation, crime rates, law enforcement practices, and justice policies in addition to exacerbating existing social problems. More specifically, the conference highlighted the potential ways we can mitigate these societal impacts.

Labor of Love: Organizing Professional Development Opportunities

The BMCC Criminal Justice Program has organized overnight trips to regional conferences for several years, funded initially by a Title V sub-award from John Jay College, and now by Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. CRJ faculty strive to design unique opportunities that extend learning beyond the classroom to challenge traditional perceptions of criminal justice studies. Students engage with criminal justice, criminology, sociology, and other disciplines to experience an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the complex challenges facing our communities. By examining structures that perpetuate injustice, we envision students developing the skills needed to organize, challenge, and transform these systems. Our goal is to equip students to become change agents and advocates for a more inclusive and equitable society.

The planning for these trips begins a year in advance and involves a detailed grant-writing process led by the CRJ program coordinator, Michelle Ronda, Ph.D., in collaboration with other faculty members, and the BMCC Perkins Grant Officer, Antonette McKain. We creatively navigate the grants requirements and constraints to craft rewarding student experiences. Grant funding timing can be challenging, often requiring immediate use of funds awarded in January before the fiscal year ends. It is important to note that faculty do not receive any additional compensation, release time, or financial incentives for supporting, managing, or planning these experiences. This work is truly a labor of love, driven by a deep commitment to student success and professional and personal growth.

To promote inclusivity and ensure that these opportunities are open to all CRJ students, regardless of GPA or online status, recruitment starts in the fall semester to give students ample time to prepare and integrate the trip into their schedules. Once funding is confirmed, we announce the opportunity via mass emails and class announcements. Interest often exceeds capacity, necessitating clear acceptance criteria. Apart from meeting the BMCC standards of conduct, criteria include the ability to stay for the predetermined duration which is usually no more than three nights and a refundable deposit to secure a spot. This deposit ensures student accountability without being financially burdensome. To foster new connections, room assignments based on gender identity are made without accommodating specific roommate requests, encouraging students to step out of their comfort zones and build the CRJ student community. The selection process is transparent and fair, ensuring that all students have an equal opportunity to participate.

Gentle guidance is provided to students about what to pack and wear to the conference, advising them to “think about what your favorite professor wears to class.” We remain committed to promoting self-discovery throughout this process. Regular communication is maintained about what to expect, from local weather to hotel amenities. Students receive virtual introductions to their roommates and detailed travel instructions. Preparation includes a packed schedule, starting from conference registration. To promote inclusivity, hotels and transportation options are chosen that accept BMCC IDs, accommodating students who may be undocumented or lack state-issued identification.

Faculty members actively manage logistics and provide on-site support throughout the trip, facilitating a rewarding and educational experience. Organized midday lunches and mandatory group dinners, led by onsite faculty members, help to reinforce and create a cohesive group dynamic. These gatherings allow for shared reflections on the day’s events and cultivate a supportive academic community among students. Meticulously planning and execution of these trips, deepens students’ connections to the discipline, each other, the CRJ program, and BMCC.

Student Benefits and Professional Development

Our goal in bringing students to the conference were threefold. First, we sought to introduce students to professional academic settings beyond BMCC, aligned with the BMCC motto, “Start here, go anywhere.” The conference featured panel discussions, several of which were presented by BMCC faculty, allowing students to experience faculty as researchers and scholars in a different context. This heuristic approach provided students with practical examples of academic inquiry and problem-solving. Students listened to presenters and interacted with conference participants, asking questions at sessions and meeting students and faculty from other community colleges and universities. This exposure provided students with a glimpse into the broader academic world, which can be challenging to achieve on our commuter campus.

At the Presidential Address and Award Ceremony, students proudly supported our BMCC colleague, Shirley Leyro, Ph.D., who received ESSs 2024 Barbara R. Walters Award for her scholarly work and paper entitled “Exploring Feelings of Belonging and Membership of CUNY Noncitizen Students.” The students made their presence well known, displaying their BMCC pride. Their enthusiastic support, acknowledged by the ESS President, earned us a shoutout on the organization’s social media pages.

Second, our goal was for students to understand the wide range of academic and professional pursuits in the social sciences. While we suggested panels and activities, we also encouraged students to study the program and make selections that interested them. Students were required to attend at least three sessions per day in addition to key parts of the conference, such as the student posters and roundtables. During poster presentations, we encouraged students to envision creating their own research posters like those presented by undergraduate and graduate students. Overall, the expectation was for students to attend multiple sessions, listen to various panelists, and engage with topics relevant to their course of study and personal research interests.

Finally, students who feel they belong to their school perform better academically, demonstrating increased motivation, persistence, and improved mental health (Gopalan & Brady, 2020). Therefore, we are intentional about providing settings and opportunities for students to socialize by hosting lunch and dinner and having students room in pairs and travel together. It was encouraging that many students chose to sightsee in Washington, D.C., during their free time. In post-conference interviews with Public Affairs staff writers for the college newsletter, student reflections revealed the profound impact such extracurricular activities can have on their academic and personal development. Their thoughts were featured in the March 6, 2024, article, “BMCC Students Explore the Social Side of the Climate Crisis at Conference in Washington, D.C.”

Students attending the conference reported myriad benefits. These included increased motivation and inspiration, valuable networking opportunities, and exposure to diverse perspectives. The experience also fostered personal growth, encouraging them to engage with challenging topics, think critically, and express themselves freely. Particularly impactful for CRJ majors was the opportunity to connect with inspiring and motivated individuals. Students gained new knowledge and insights on societal issues, returning with heightened aspirations, increased confidence, and a deeper understanding of societal issues. Their enthusiasm for the conference continued, as evidenced by ongoing discussions with peers and friends (McGee, 2024).

Lessons Learned for Organizing Future Trips

The ESS trip, a comprehensive learning experience that transcended traditional classroom settings, provided valuable academic, personal, and professional development. This off-campus experience reinforced our commitment to integrating such opportunities into the CRJ curriculum, making experiential learning a fundamental component in preparing students for future endeavors. Organizing a successful and safe academic trip that provides a rewarding experience for faculty and students requires careful planning and attention to key details. Here, we share practical lessons and recommendations gleaned from this experience and others.

Program Engagement: Effective program engagement requires the involvement of committed faculty members to share the responsibilities – from recruitment to planning to onsite management. These instrumental faculty should receive administrative and financial support to assure the trips success and continuation of such activities.

• Engage more CRJ faculty in the planning process and rotate faculty involvement to avoid burnout or overcommitment. Ensure all faculty have a role in the planning, even if it is just recruitment, to distribute responsibilities more evenly.
• Ensure administrative support is available to help with logistics, including coordinating travel, accommodations, and scheduling.
• Provide a stipend to faculty who take on roles with significant time commitments to recognize the substantial time and effort they invest in planning and managing the trip.

Selection Process: A comprehensive selection process ensures that students are committed and prepared for the trip. Protocols that we plan to implement for future trips include,

• Require a 200–300-word statement from students during the application process, outlining their goals for the experience.
• Implement a pre-orientation guide and a signed contract outlining expectations and emergency procedures.
• Create an online community where students and faculty can post profiles. This platform will centralize information sharing, answer students’ questions, and manage payment profiles for deposits, reducing the need for multiple emails.
• Conduct pre-trip meetings to gauge readiness and commitment and foster a responsible group dynamic.

Schedule: A well-organized schedule is key to maximizing the educational and social benefits of the trip.

• Develop a well-defined schedule, making certain that activities are clearly outlined and emphasize the importance of participation to maximize the educational and social benefits of the trip. In our experience, delineating activities and explaining their importance encourages greater student participation and buy-in. For example, we emphasized the importance and purpose of the mandatory dinner, explaining that these events were designed to facilitate social engagement, meaningful interaction, and relationship building. This approach was intended not only to enhance their learning but also to help build a supportive academic community.
• The schedule should also allow students to explore independently from the larger group, providing a balance between structured activities and personal discovery.

Student Management: Limit the number of students on overnight trips to facilitate effective group management or recruit additional faculty or peer leaders for support. Adjust the student-to-faculty ratio based on the trip’s objectives, complexity, and logistical requirements to ensure adequate supervision and avoid overextending faculty.

Emergency Protocol: A clear emergency protocol is necessary for participants safety and well-being. This includes providing advance notification of travel to BMCC administrators, establishing an emergency protocol agreed upon with BMCC administration, and having the phone numbers of BMCC BART officers on hand.

Transportation: Selecting suitable transportation options can significantly impact the overall trip experience. We recommend considering transportation options such as chartered buses or trains to increase ease, community-building, and supervision/guidance.

Dietary Considerations: Inquire about dietary restrictions and preferences in advance to accommodate students’ needs, ensuring that all students feel included and have a positive, inclusive dining experience.

Public Affairs Collaboration: We have a streamlined process for collaborating with Public Affairs. We inform their team about CRJ student and faculty participation in upcoming conferences or events. Public Affairs then contacts students before the trip and follows up afterward to gather insights for the BMCC newsletter. This collaboration allows students to share their experiences, expanding their portfolios and enriching the newsletters content.

Conclusion

Taking 30 community college students on meaningful trips like our visit to the Eastern Sociological Society annual meeting in Washington, D.C. is an endeavor that requires immense time, work, and dedication. These experiences, which many four-year colleges and universities are unable to offer their students, are instrumental for BMCC criminal justice majors. By engaging in professional academic settings, exploring diverse social science pursuits, and forming connections with peers and faculty, students gain insights and skills that will serve them well into the future.

Exposure matters, and we are passionate about opening doors for students’ success. We are committed to providing transformative experiences that cultivate self-discovery and academic and professional development. The lessons learned from this trip will help us improve future opportunities. We look forward to seeing our students thrive, knowing that exposure and experience are required catalysts for their growth.

References

• Gopalan, M., & Brady, S. T. (2020). College Students Sense of Belonging: A National Perspective. Educational Researcher, 49(2), 134-137. DOI: 10.3102/0013189X19897622
• Leyro, S. Exploring feelings of belonging and membership of CUNY noncitizen students, Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 34(3), 316-336. DOI: 10.1080/10511253.2023.2183228
• McGee, L. (2024, March 6). BMCC students explore the social side of the climate crisis at conference in Washington, D.C. BMCC Newsletter. Retrieved from (https://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/news/bmcc-students-explore-the-social-side-of-the-climate-crisis-at-conference-in-washington-d-c/)

[1] Perkins Career and Technical Education Act awards funding to career and technical education (CTE) programs to expand opportunities for every student to explore, choose, and follow career and technical education programs of study.

[i] Brenda Vollman, Ph.D., led the logistical planning for the trip to the Eastern Sociological Society annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Satenik Margaryan, Ph.D., served as the lead onsite faculty liaison, and Shenique S. Thomas-Davis, Ph.D., served as an onsite faculty liaison.

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