Meet Professor Bursell, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Eureka College!

Meet Professor Jenny Bursell, Assistant professor of Criminal Justice here at Eureka College! She actively looking to improve upon Eureka’s Criminal Justice Program. Professor Bursell is currently putting together a proposal to polish up the program. “The goal is to align it more with my expertise and include sociological aspects since the programs are combined. I am hoping to have it approved and running in the fall."

         Her experience exactly? Well, Professor Bursell’s professorial experience is in both juvenile detention and adult probation, and because of this she is very passionate about classes that cover these areas. For example, CJS 210W Juvenile Delinquency and Justice is one of her favorite classes, and she says, “As a juvenile, I experienced some of the things we discuss, and as a juvenile detention officer, I worked in the depths of those topics as well.” Her own experience has helped her integrate the class material with real life examples, compassion, and assists students in comprehending the content.

         Professor Bursell incorporates both professional expertise and personal knowledge into her classes to influence the coming generations of students pursuing careers in criminal justice. Since starting at Eureka College the campus, she’s had many memorable moments with her students, but something she loves about Eureka as a whole, is the sense of belonging “Moving from a small, yucky office to a nice office made me feel more permanent and able to work productively on campus. Before that, I mostly worked from home, not feeling very welcomed.” Because of Eureka’s small student population, she sees the positive effects it has on her students. “I feel as though we all know each other and the students are very comfortable going to professors for help. The students also build solid relationships with one another.

         Professor Bursell’s path to teaching began unexpectedly. While working for McLean County Court Services, she started teaching part-time to supplement her income. “I found I really enjoyed working with college students,” she explains. And her love for teaching grew overtime. Turns out the timing was ideal when a full-time post at Eureka became available, so she could begin to guide the next generation. Outside of teaching, Professor Bursell enjoys road trips, spending time with her niece and nephews, playing with her two birds, reading, learning new things, and taking well-deserved naps.

         Her advice for students considering careers in criminal justice is “The criminal justice system is not like television. There’s a lot of competition for the sought-after positions, and you likely won’t walk out of college into one of them.” Because of this, she urges students to be adaptable, curious, and open to all parts of the field, including the theories driving criminal behavior, courts, policing, and imprisonment. “The major is about working with and helping others.”

Story written by: Addison Byers, Sophomore, Student Intern