A pilot program to engage high school juniors and seniors in college-level instruction and career preparation will expand into law enforcement training at the Douglas Campus beginning in January.

The Cochise College Running Start Academy in Administration of Justice is an effort to motivate high school students to pursue the academic training necessary to continue on targeted legal and law enforcement career paths. The program, created at the request of area law enforcement agencies seeking assistance recruiting qualified employees, follows on the heels of the college’s successful Running Start Academy in Pre-Engineering, which focuses on science, technology, engineering and math and is offered at the Sierra Vista Campus.

“Students can become well prepared for the college environment and experience the academic rigors of college-level work,” said Ben Berry, director of the Cochise College Center for Teacher Education and K-12 Outreach, which coordinates the Running Start programs. “Plus, this is an early opportunity to understand the expectations of a college student.”

The Running Start Academy in Administration of Justice allows students to earn more than 30 college credits before graduating from high school. It also engages them early in a discipline that offers a broad array of career options in law enforcement, legal and correctional system professions. Demand for these professionals is expected to increase, offering remarkable advancement for students pursuing careers as police officers, state and federal agents, prison guards, investigators, lawyers, paralegals, and legal clerks.

Running Start students attend their high school part of the day, and go to Cochise College to engage in course work aimed at providing a high level of academic challenge. Juniors complete 16 college credit hours – eight hours per semester - including college study skills and criminal law classes. Seniors complete 18 credit hours – nine hours per semester - including classes in criminology, physical training and communication, which local law enforcement agencies indicate is a high priority for their employees.

To ensure a smooth transition from high school and help students meet these advanced challenges, the college has augmented its tutoring, advising, and mentoring capacity, and Running Start students also take an Academic Excellence Seminar, a course that teaches college survival skills and helps students understand who they are as learners and their individual learning style.

“Armed with this, they are better able to maneuver the courses in an effective manner, enhancing their chances of success,” Berry said.

While the Running Start programs are administered through the Center for Teacher Education and K-12 Outreach, they represent a district-wide effort that required planning from many Cochise College departments and personnel, including senior administration, faculty, learning community coordinators, and deans, as well as active participation on the part of local law enforcement agencies.

Berry visualizes every recruit in a successful law enforcement, legal, or correctional career.

“What the Running Start Academy in Administration of Justice is doing is helping students get involved now in their own future,” Berry said. “We are convinced, and initial data suggests, that Running Start students will have the necessary ability and skills to continue their education at any university.” 

Cochise College representatives are visiting with prospective Running Start students and their parents this semester. For more information, contact a high school advisor or the Center for Teacher Education and K-12 Outreach at (520) 515-5439.