Alcohol and Highway Safety Course Description
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The Indiana University Alcohol Borkenstein Course is typically a one-week expert-level program of on-campus instruction and interaction, on medico-legal alcohol topics.
The primary emphasis of the program is on alcohol chemistry pharmacology and physiology in relation to traffic safety, covering basic alcohol chemistry and physiology, principles of measurement of alcohol in blood and breath, and presentation of alcohol information in the courtroom. The program is presented twice annually (May and December) on the Indiana University main campus in Bloomington, IN as an activity of the Robert F. Borkenstein Center for Studies of Law in Action in the IU Department of Criminal Justice.
The Course currently consists of 18 elements presented by ten visiting faculty members and the Course Manager over six days. Faculty presentations and other Course elements include lectures, question and answer, panel discussion with faculty-registrants, and tutorial sessions led by individual faculty members. The program also includes an initial Course orientation, welcoming faculty/student dinner, and a wine and cheese reception courtesy of the Criminal Justice Department.
This course, which was originated by Robert F. Borkenstein in the 1950’s, was primarily intended for professionals who administer or perform blood or breath tests to determine blood alcohol content. Enrollment in the course is limited to those technical and scientific personnel who manufacture, operate or maintain instruments, perform tests or manage blood or breath alcohol programs, or who provide expert testimony in alcohol litigation or hearings.
Neither the Center nor the course receives financial support from Indiana University. Both are entirely funded by the revenues generated from course enrollments. Please contact the Center administrator for questions about additional courses for other groups outside our current enrollment.