SWCC welcomes new full-time instructor, program

Southwestern Community College is offering a new criminal justice program this fall. Unlike the previous coursework, which only a set students up for transfer to a 4-year school, the new program offers an associate of applied science degree.

The new program opens many career prospects for students shortly or right after graduation. For those seeking to enter the police force, this degree offers students the opportunity to enter the police academy on an accelerated track.

“We’re not just educating now,” said Diogenes Ayala, SWCC criminal justice instructor. “We are teaching real life scenarios that someone in law enforcement may encounter.”

This new program will be a cooperative effort between SWCC, local law enforcement and local professionals in the field of criminal justice who will assist in teaching some of the courses.

“The goal is to get qualified applicants entering local law enforcement.” said Paul Vermeer, Creston’s Chief of Police.

The program was designed and driven by newly hired criminal justice program instructor Diogenes Ayala, with regard to baseline criminal justice education requirements and input from local law enforcement professionals.

Ayala

Ayala earned a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Simpson College, followed by a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice. Ayala previously worked as an adjunct criminal justice instructor for SWCC and Simpson. While doing so, he developed and taught the overview of cyber crime class for both institutions. Ayala has also worked as a water patrol officer for the Iowa DNR, as well as working for Verizon using his knowledge of their data systems to testify in high profile criminal cases on Verizon’s behalf.

Ayala spent four years as a Radioman First Class in the Navy, where he encrypted, downloaded, disseminated secret messages from ship to shore and held an active security clearance. He ensured critical network systems were no compromised from outside threats. Ayala also designed, installed, operated and maintained local and wide-area networks, mainframe, mini and macro computer systems and associated peripheral devices.

In his free time, Ayala likes to fish, work out and learn new things.

“You can never stop learning, everyday is an opportunity to improve yourself,” he said.

His office at SWCC paints a picture of his philosophy, displaying links between popular culture, real life and criminal justice. A shelf full of books and memorabilia gives philosophical snapshots of how criminal justice fits into our daily lives and culture. Three mug shots sit on his wall one of Martin Luther King Jr., another of Johnny Cash and the last is Pablo Escobar.

“Each of these faces shows a different side of the criminal justice system.” Said Ayala, “MLK was protesting a part of a system he felt was unjust when he was arrested during the Montgomery bus boycott, Johnny Cash here was just having a bad day. He was arrested seven times over the years all for misdemeanors, spending one night in jail for each. He once got arrested for picking flowers. But Escobar, well he is the godfather of the drug trade. It is estimated under his watch 70 to 80 tons of cocaine were being shipped the United States from Columbia every month. So, you can see the differences here. All of these men were arrested for different reasons, all of them committed crimes and all of them had very different outcomes.”

Criminal Justice at SWCC

The two-year program requires 66 credit hours, consisting of a variety of coursework, encompassing necessary requirements and criminal justice specific classes. The program will meet during the fall, spring and summer sessions.

For more information or to inquire about attending the program contact admissions at admissions@swcciowa.edu and Diogenes Ayala at ayala@swcciowa.edu.