By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
Fort Hays State University is launching two new interdisciplinary degree programs to prepare students for careers in crime investigation and leadership roles within faith-based nonprofits.
FHSU will be offering a new Bachelor of Science in Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation, and a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Education and Community Engagement.
The Kansas Board of Regents recently approved both programs, and they will be offered in person and online this fall.
Financial forensics and fraud investigation program
Jessica Heronemus-Claiborn, an accounting lecturer at FHSU, said the financial forensics and fraud investigation program was developed in response to student interest and workforce demand.
The program combines accounting and criminal justice, with an emphasis on fraud examination rather than traditional forensic accounting.
"You need a very deep understanding of accounting to do fraud examination, which is multidisciplinary. It happens in management, law enforcement, attorneys, accountants and social workers. ... Fraud is in so many fields, so we opted to go in that direction," Heronemus said.
Each year, students switch between accounting and criminal justice because neither major fully aligns with their career goals. Others pursue a double major to bridge the gap, but doing so can extend the time required to earn a degree and increase their course load.
Heronemus said the idea dates back about 20 years but has been delayed several times. It was approved in February following a collaboration between the accounting and criminal justice faculty.
"The whole idea behind the multi-disciplinary program was not to take the same pie, being that group of students, and just divide it into more pieces, but to actually grow the pie and offer students something they're not currently being offered," she said.
The program includes about 24 to 27 hours of free electives within the 120-hour degree. Students will learn how to investigate employee theft, consumer fraud, corporate fraud and insurance fraud, as well as evidence handling and fraud prevention.
The only two new courses being offered in the program are financial statement fraud and interview and interrogation techniques.
"Half the degree is really housed [at the FHSU Criminal Justice Department]. It's a footprint between two departments, which is really unique in academia. Fort Hays has been really good at innovations," Heronemus said.
Heronemus said the program prepares students for careers with agencies such as the KBI, FBI, IRS, FDIC and Homeland Security, as well as roles as prosecutors and cybersecurity investigators.
"There's not another institution in Kansas that offers this. There are very few institutions nationally that offer it," Heronemus said.
The criminal justice program already provides internships and partnerships that allow students to gain experience with law enforcement agencies. Heronemus said the new program aims to offer similar opportunities.
She added that letters of support for the program came from state-level law enforcement and prosecutors. She said there is a nationwide need for financial forensics and fraud investigators, including professionals who can help prevent fraud before it occurs.
"Fraud can be tricky. You have to learn how to think like a criminal," Heronemus said. "People with these degrees go into organizations and help build systems that are resilient to prevent fraud from happening in the first place."
Religious education and community engagement program
FHSU philosophy assistant professor Samuel Byer said the religious education and community engagement program was created to address a gap identified through the Kansas Board of Regents and student interest.
The program is designed to be interdisciplinary and career-focused, combining religious and philosophical studies with coursework in leadership, sociology, nonprofit management, grant writing and marketing.
"Since our [philosophy] faculty, just as a matter of luck, happens to have several people who focus on religion of various sorts, we thought we could put something together in this area," Byer said.
He emphasized the program is not a religious studies degree and does not prepare students to become pastors or priests. Instead, it is designed for practical roles in churches and religious nonprofits, including religious education, youth work, administration and community outreach.
"It's like non-denominational religious work," Byer said.
Byer said philosophy faculty already have expertise in several areas of religion, but need to incorporate other skills required for supporting roles within religious organizations.
This is where Bryer said the program draws on other departments across campus to offer courses, including sociology classes that examine how nonprofits operate and receive funding from the state and federal levels.
"That's not anything I know, but there are two courses that teach how to navigate nonprofits and how they function," he said. "We have other possible sociology courses that are focused on grant writing. ... Those courses would help an individual be equipped to do that."
The program also includes marketing electives, which Byer said can help organizations with advertising and social media.
"Again, in philosophy, we are not equipped to train students how to do that, but the marketing department is entirely focused on that. They have several courses that would be good for it," he said.
Students will complete 27 credit hours of required courses and 39 total major core hours, with flexible electives based on their career interests. Byer said the program is open to students of all faith traditions, though current coursework is somewhat geared toward a Christian background due to regional demand.
Byer said there is a need for professionals in these roles within churches and nonprofits. He said demand is expected to grow based on data and conversations with religious leaders.
"What they told us was they have this issue where if, for example, the youth minister at this church leaves, they fear that it's going to take a long time to get somebody to do this position," Bryer said. "There's a need for this labor, but there is a shortage of individuals who are both qualified and willing to do it."
Depending on their location, students will complete a required internship with a local organization, as the course is also offered online.
Byer said the ideal student for the program is someone passionate about serving their faith community.
"We're excited to try this, and we're open to continuing to find ways to improve it for students and for the communities that they'll be serving," he said.