Maric College - Bakersfield Launches Criminal Justice Program

Maric College – Bakersfield is now enrolling for its new Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice program. The program is designed to provide students a solid foundation in criminal justice and teach them to understand the civil liabilities of criminal justice agencies and practitioners. Classes begin Sept. 18, 2007. The program is designed to give students the knowledge, technical skills and work habits required to pursue a wide variety of entry-level criminal justice positions, including corporate security, corrections, law enforcement (additional police academy training may be required for law enforcement jobs), juvenile corrections, public security and private sector security or investigation. General education courses are also integrated into the program to help students develop written and oral communications, critical thinking and analysis, decision making and computation. The program aims not only to prepare graduates to seek employment in the field but gives them the opportunity to continue their education to pursue a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Kaplan University. "We are pleased to offer the Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice and look forward to sending our graduates into the Bakersfield-area to help fill the demand for corrections officers and other related occupations,” said John Kolacinski, executive director of Maric College – Bakersfield. "Maric College strives to offer high-quality, postsecondary programs in high-demand fields in Kern County. Our objective is to serve the needs of our students and our community for many years to come.” The 18 month-long program emphasizes hands-on instruction. Students will participate in field trips to local correctional facilities, courts and police departments. Classes will feature guest speakers who work in the criminal justice field. The program concludes with a capstone project in which students will be required to demonstrate their educational experience and knowledge by analyzing and presenting on real-world situations. The capstone project, which demonstrates writing skills and overall comprehension of criminal justice, is intended to help students develop a portfolio to show potential employers. The new criminal justice program will be overseen by Anthony Vleet Hailey. As program director, Hailey will oversee the curriculum, manage hiring of program faculty and serve as instructor for some criminal justice courses. Hailey will also serve as the paralegal studies program director. Hailey has more than 14 years in the criminal justice field and more than 16 years experience as an educator. He has held positions including security police for the United States Air Force, lieutenant for the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department, dean of students at Enola Maxwell Middle School in San Francisco, and criminal justice and sociology instructor at San Joaquin Valley College. Hailey has a bachelor’s degree from the University of the State of New York, a master’s in criminal justice administration from San Jose State University and a master’s in education administration from San Francisco State University. In addition he is currently pursing a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of the Pacific. Maric College – Bakersfield is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). ACICS is listed as a nationally recognized accrediting agency by the Unites States Department of Education and is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The campus currently offers two associate degree programs in paralegal studies and criminal justice and three diploma programs in medical assistant, dental assistant and medical office specialist. About Kaplan Higher Education Maric College is part of Kaplan Higher Education. Kaplan Higher Education serves more than 75,000 students across the country and around the world through 70 campus-based schools as well as online programs through Kaplan Virtual Education, Kaplan University and Concord Law School. Kaplan Higher Education provides a spectrum of academic opportunities, from high school diplomas to professional certificates to Juris Doctorate degrees. Kaplan Higher Education is part of Kaplan, Inc., a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO). For more information about Kaplan, please visit www.mariccollege.edu. Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO)