Itawamba Community College revamps C.O.R.E. program
FULTON, MISS. (WCBI) – The ICC campus may be quiet for the summer, but inside this classroom, big changes are underway.
Doctor Tim Clouse spent nearly 30 years in law enforcement and now leads ICC’s Criminal Justice program. He says CORE gives students real-world experience beyond the classroom.
“I call it a mini academy for certain individuals who want to go into law enforcement, but we are also throwing in a forensic side, CSI, ballistic, blood typing, DNA, things like that,” Dr. Clouse said.
The CORE program originally launched through the Mississippi Highway Patrol, but ICC is now expanding it after that partnership ended.
The Tupelo Police Department and Lee County Sheriff’s Office have stepped in to help grow the program.
New additions include a computer-generated firing range and expanded training opportunities.
Although the CORE program is voluntary, Doctor Clouse says it will give students a competitive edge
‘It is in addition to their criminal justice degree, this is some things they normally wouldn’t get in the classroom. It helps them once they get out into the workforce and try to start looking for a job in the chosen career,” Clouse said.
The revamped CORE program not only impacts students, but it also provides more training opportunities for area law enforcement.
”Agencies that partner with us , will get a free slot in any courses we teach, we bring in other host agencies, we can’t control those prices, but any course we teach, they will get a free slot and it will be at a reduced price if not free,” Dr. Clouse said.
Work on the forensics lab will be complete before the fall semester begins.
For information on the CORE program, contact Tim Clouse at teclouse@iccms.edu or (662)862-8154.
