Welcome to Lambda Alpha Epsilon, Lambda Chapter of the American Criminal Justice Association at Florida State University.
Lambda Alpha Epsilon is a co-ed professional criminal justice association dedicated to individuals who are interesting in pursuing a career in law enforcement, law, victim advocacy, investigations, and other related professions.
The Goals of Lambda Alpha Epsilon:
- Foster professionalism in law enforcement personnel and agencies
- Promote professional, academic, and public awareness of criminal justice issues
- Encourage the establishment and expansion of higher education and professional training in criminal justice
- Provide a unified voice for professionals in, and students of, criminal justice
- Promote high standards of ethical conduct, professional training, and higher education within the criminal justice field.
In addition to the national goals of the organization, the Lambda Chapter at Florida State University strives to improve our member’s college experience by supplementing it with social experiences and professional opportunities in the field of criminal justice.
A few of the activities the Lambda Chapter organizes include:
- Professional business meetings each semester, which always include speakers from the field of criminal justice. In the past we have had and continue to have speakers from: FBI, DEA, Diplomatic Security, Department of Corrections, Department of Juvenile Justice, victim services, local law enforcement, legal and court systems, and many more.
- External professional social events in the surrounding area of FSU. In the past these have been tours and demonstrations from criminal justice agencies such as assisting Tallahassee Police Department SWAT with their training, touring Leon County Jail, attending a Florida Supreme Court hearing, watching a K-9 demo, and much more.
- Community service events throughout the City of Tallahassee, which include but are not limited to: road cleanups, animal shelter dog washes, FSUPD car washes, elder day cares, and more.
- In addition to professional socials, there are also fun social opportunities to develop friendships with individuals of similar aspirations. We always have at least 3 events a semester specifically for this; aside from the opportunities members have at every other event! Socials in the past have been camping, days at Sky Zone, Fun Station, and the Rez.
- Big/Little pairings in which new members have the opportunity to meet current members and have a ‘Big’ that works with the new member to attend meetings and events and truly gain as much as possible from their membership in the Lambda Chapter.
- FSU Campus Rec Intramural teams for every sport.
While these are some of the main things the Lambda Chapter continues to organize each year, they are not the only things the chapter does. As we continue to grow, the events we hold each semester do as well.
LAE conferences and competitions:
Each year our chapter attends Regional Conference in the fall and National Conference in the spring. Attending these conferences gives our members the unique opportunity of traveling throughout the country to represent FSU and the Lambda Chapter.
Some of the competitions at conferences include:
- Academic testing on topics learned at school, such as corrections, criminal law, juvenile justice, and crime scene investigation
- A physical agility course
- Crime scene investigation
- A firearms competition
(it is important to note that all of the competitions are OPTIONAL and members can still attend conference even if they choose not to compete in certain competitions, such as firearms).
Conferences also offer the unique opportunity of criminal justice workshops and job fairs, which allow attendees the chance to network and earn jobs/internships.
Want to become a member?
Any student at the Florida State University is welcome to become a member of the Lambda Chapter of Lambda Alpha Epsilon regardless of their academic major!
The requirements of a new member to be initiated are as follows:
- Attend all six of the semester meetings, which are regularly scheduled on Sunday evenings on the FSU campus.
- Have a 2.3 cumulative GPA or a 2.3 GPA in the semester preceding application.
- Reach 17 points by the end-of-semester banquet.
Our chapter uses a point system to measure membership standing, allowing new members and members the flexibility of deciding which events they can attend. New members are required to reach 17 points before the end-of-semester banquet to be initiated. Points are rewarded to members for attending organization events. (For example, fun socials are worth 1 point while fundraisers and professional socials are worth 2 points)
- Payment of $130 for new-member semester dues, which include the Lambda Chapter induction fee, and national Grand Chapter dues. (Payment plans are available)
Questions?
For any questions on how to get involved, please feel free to email: recruitment.lae@gmail.com
For more information about the Lambda Chapter, please check out our website at: http://laelambda.wixsite.com/floridastatelae