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ON THE JOB NEWS EYE ON EDUCATION DISCIPLINE SOCIAL NETWORKING JUST HANDED DOWN Institute for Law Enforcement Administration (ILEA) By Stephenie Slahor Stephenie Slahor, Ph.D., J.D., writes in the fields of law enforcement and security. She can be reached at drss12@msn.com. O www.cailaw.org/ilea ne of the nation's leading learning centers for police executives, managers and supervisors is the Institute for Law Enforcement Administra- tion (ILEA). The Institute is a part of The Center for American and Inter- national Law. In existence since 1957, ILEA provides courses, seminars, conferences and workshops that vary in both subject matter and length of time, to meet the need for advanced professional education for law en- forcement administrators, particularly as that need relates to supervision and current topics and problems in law enforcement. In 1992, a grant from the Meadows Foundation of Dallas, Texas ex- panded the work of ILEA by launching The Center for Law Enforcement Ethics, which focuses attention on the professional obligations, strategies, programs and processes that can strengthen ethical decision making. ILEA educational programs include administration and management of training, advanced ethics, train-the-trainer studies in ethics and other topics, basic police supervision, police and media relations, the ethics of internal affairs and professional standards, a leadership symposium, and a contemporary ethics conference. Other studies include the Fair Labor Standards Act; police conduct; lia- bility; case law updates; protests and public places; best practices in avoid- ing wrongful convictions; using Microsoft Office, Access and Excel in law enforcement; use of force; resource allocation and deployment; diversity; racial profiling; and other studies that provide advanced administrative education programs to managers and supervisors in the law enforcement community. Thus, ILEA serves as a major resource for the advanced seminars, con- ferences and coursework not usually offered by local or regional training academies and facilities. In many ways, the ILEA serves as a forum to bring together theory and practice. For example, a new two-day program helps police administrators navi- gate the "new workplace" with its complexities related to managing mul- tiple generations, managing difficult people, resolving conflict, improving cross-cultural communication, and building mutual respect in the work- place. Offered through ILEA or at agencies choosing to co-host the pro- gram, details are available on ILEA's website. Similarly, a program of corrections ethics authorizes its graduates to present the eight-hour "Ethics in Corrections" pro- gram, the 16-hour "Ethics for Detention Training Officers" and four-hour, in-service ethics courses at their own local or regional training programs. Topics in this "train-the-trainer" course include standards and models in corrections. The course is taught in a blended program of three days of in-class instruction, and one additional day of in- teraction and dialogue through the ILEA "Online Classroom." Students then engage in the course's online material, at their own pace and location, after the three-day program. The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education certifies all courses offered by ILEA, enabling participants to receive available and applicable credit. Universi- ties cooperating with ILEA for college credit or program certificates are Grand Canyon Univer- sity, the University of Texas at Arlington, and the University of North Texas. ILEA is also a source for publications tailored to the needs of police managers in the topics and leadership enhancement they need for improving their professional skills and abilities. Membership in ILEA is available to municipal, county, State and Federal law enforcement agencies, allowing members in good standing to attend most ILEA programs at a reduced tuition rate. Initial mem- bership fees and annual dues are based on a slid- ing scale applied in accordance with the agency's size. The ILEA Alumni Association, supported by membership dues and the sale of ILEA memora- bilia items, can provide an opportunity for out- of-Texas police agencies to obtain scholarships to attend the School of Police Supervision or the Management College. LaO Post your comments on this story by visiting www.lawandordermag.com 10 LAW and ORDER I May 2012