Mitigating the Dual Identity of Police Students at UWE

Irrespective of whether they are enrolled on the Police Constable Degree ApprenticeshipPolice Constable Degree Apprenticeships (PCDA) (PCDA) or Degree Holders Entry ProgrammeDegree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP) (DHEP) at the University of the West of England (UWE), each student inhabits two different yet symbioticSymbiotic identities: their professional, all are full-time serving police officers and educational, as students undertaking studies required of that role at a Higher Education Institution (HEI). Prior to 2018, from when new constables were mandated to undertake such courses as the cornerstone of their initial development, there was no such discussion about multiple identities; the curriculumCurriculum was delivered only by the police within their own in-force training facilities. This chapter will explore how lecturers, most with experience within the criminal justice system, help PCDAPolice Constable Degree Apprenticeships (PCDA)/DHEPDegree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP) students to navigate their journey at UWE by recognising and mitigating any potential issues that could arise from such potentially diametrically opposed, yet interconnected, identities.