Background

This course has been previously taught as a one-day seminar. Now West Virginia University Extended Learning and WVU's Forensic Science Initiative is pleased to present these learning materials and this course to you on-line. The materials in this course have been gathered to assist you in learning the preliminaries of forensic hair examination.

Computer Requirements

• Internet Explorer
• Adobe Acrobat
• QuickTime Player
• Macromedia Flash Player
• Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 1.4.2 (Do not download JRE 1.5 – newest version).
  
  (Free software plug-ins are available in the Getting Started area of the course.)

Course Structure and Schedule

This is a non-credit course offered for 15 clock hours or 1.5 CEUs. The student can register at any time during the year, and should be able to complete the course within a 10-week period. The instructor should be notified if an extension is required. The course cost is $177 per registration, and a certificate for course completion will be issued to the student.

Public Laboratory Employees are funded by NIJ Award 2001-RC-CX-K003 and 2003-RC-CX-K001. A $30 processing fee will be charged to the Department for any student that doesn't access or finish the class in the time alloted. See below on how to register.

No prerequisites or course materials are required for the course.

Topics to be Studied

Unit 1: Why Conduct Hair Exams?
Unit 2: Recovery and Collection of Hair Evidence
Unit 3: Basic Microscopy
Unit 4: Microscopical Hair Examinations
Unit 5: Is it Human or Animal?
Unit 6: Race, Ancestry, Ethnicity
Unit 7: Body Area (Somatic Origin)
Unit 8: Damage, Disease, Treatment
Unit 9: Suitability
Unit 10: Examinations of Hair and DNA
Unit 11: Legalities of Hair Evidence

Readings and discussions are included in each unit.
A glossary of terms and descriptions relating to this course are also included.

Methods of Student Evaluation

• Pretest
• Posttest
• Course Evaluation

FAQs

Q: What is the scope of this course?
It is an overview and orientation to hair examination for DNA analysts. It is not a full hair course.

Q: Who is this class geared toward?
It serves as a good review for experienced analysts and training for new analysts.

Q: Do I qualify for NIJ funding?
If you are in any type of public sector, you qualify. NIJ provides funds so that forensic scientists can receive proper training. The exceptions are individuals working in the private sector.

Q: Is there a required text?
No. All required readings are provided in PDF format.

Q: Do I need to be technically savvy?
As long as you have basic computer skills (i.e. turning on your computer, navigating to websites, etc) you will be fine. The course is user-friendly but support is available if needed.

Q: Who should I contact for more information?
Forensic Science Initiative at fsi@mail.wvu.edu or 293-6214.

Registration

Public Laboratory Employees are funded by NIJ Award 2001-RC-CX-K003 and 2003-RC-CX-K001. Please fill out the Supervisor Approval Form and fax or mail it. No other form is required to register. Students that submit a Supervisor Approval Form will receive registration confirmation by email showing a charge of $177. Please disregard this charge if you are a public laboratory employee funded by the NIJ Award. When WVU Extended Learning receives the Supervisor Approval Form, you will receive class access information by email within 5 business days.

Others: Register online through our secure server or fill out this form and fax or mail it to Extended Learning. You will be given class access by email within five working days. Call 1-800-2Learn2, or email WVUEnrich@mail.wvu.edu if you have any questions. Major credit cards and electronic checks are accepted.