Spanish Minor for Law Enforcement

Department Contact:

Chair: Dr. Robin L. Cadwallader, rcadwallader@francis.edu, 814-472-3342
Coordinator: TBA

Program Description: 

There are almost half a billion Spanish-speakers in 21 countries worldwide and over 55 million in the US. As a Franciscan institution that emphasizes service, Saint Francis University wants its students in the criminal justice program to be prepared to serve their Spanish-speaking communities in any and all circumstances they might encounter in their future jobs in law enforcement. At the same time, it wants to assure that these students be as marketable and competitive as possible when seeking jobs. The main objectives of this minor are to develop effective communication skills in Spanish for public safety and law enforcement at the Intermediate Mid to Intermediate High level of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. Students will also learn about immigration issues and the customs and history of the different Latino populations in the United States. However, the principal focus of the minor is to develop speaking proficiency and cultural understanding through a total immersion study abroad experience in either Costa Rica or another approved study abroad program.

Student Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this minor, students will be able to:

• Conduct interviews in Spanish with Spanish-speaking victims, perpetrators, or witnesses of accidents or criminal acts, using the appropriate law enforcement terminology and vocabulary in order to write up incident reports and/or assist in interrogations for crime-solving;
• Explain the Miranda rights to suspected perpetrators using the appropriate law enforcement terminology;
• Demonstrate knowledge of grammatical aspects in Spanish in order to discuss topics related to law enforcement and public safety and to give instructions and recommendations, especially:  present indicative and subjunctive, present perfect, future idiomatic and simple past tenses, formal commands);
• Express feelings and emotions and exchange opinions in Spanish using socio-cultural nuances;
• Discuss Latin American cultural concepts including the Other, the marginalization of indigenous populations, classism and racism, power and democracy;
• Discuss the cultural backgrounds and diversity of the many Latino cultures in the US, the history of immigration in the United States, and issues pertaining to economic migration and the rights of refugees.

Admission Requirements: 

• A minimum of two years of a foreign language in high school

Total Credits Required:

15 credits