Emeritus Professor Jan Jordan

Professor Jan Jordan is a long-serving member of the Institute of Criminology and was instrumental in building it over the last three decades into NZ’s leading criminology centre for research and teaching.

During her 33 years employment at Victoria University, Professor Jordan moved from being a Research Fellow through to Lecturer and eventually to Professor. She was the first woman lecturer appointed at the Institute of Criminology when it was a small, fledgling department.

In the course of her early academic appointment she insisted on undertaking PhD research alongside a demanding teaching position in a fledgling department, and contributed significantly to the development of the Institute of Criminology’s teaching programme. Her passion for teaching and promoting critical thinking means she has contributed to a range of university courses over the years, pioneering both undergraduate and postgraduate courses addressing gender and crime, in addition to developing specialist offerings informed by her own research in criminology. Professor Jordan played a major role designing a compulsory course for the on-line Victoria/Police Education Programme (VPEP), and pioneered development of a 300-level course on Sexual Violence, still recognised as a unique offering within Australasian criminology.

Outstanding teaching evaluations, and postgraduate successes reflect student recognition of her dedication in this area and saw Professor Jordan receive the Victoria University Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1999. She has developed highly attuned teaching methodologies to make classroom spaces safe and sensitive environments, and mentored younger colleagues in teaching sensitive topics to potentially vulnerable student audiences.

Professor Jordan has been widely recognised internationally for her research, as evidenced in invitations to deliver keynote presentations at international conferences and appointments as a visiting scholar in the UK and Australia. Her research on police responses to sexual violence has received high acclaim and awards, along with invitations to participate in Government-led advisory groups and initiatives. She has sought to disseminate research findings in diverse ways to maximise their traction, including through organising public speaking events and through extensive media engagement, including television documentaries and opinion pieces.

Professor Jordan’s research on sexual violence, sex work and rape prevention has seen her awarded a number of major research grants including a 2014 Marsden Grant, and has resulted in the publication of influential books and reports, and invitations to advise on policy and provide briefings to government agencies such as the Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct 2007. She is currently writing two books for Routledge inspired by her Marsden-funded research projects.

During her career Professor Jordan has held a number of leadership roles within the Institute and consistently promoted recognition of diversity and equity issues. She has also used her influence to lead initiatives aimed at increasing staff and student well-being and collegiality, while also seeking to promote awareness of equity and diversity issues. She has mentored new and early career staff within the Institute and throughout the wider University.