Although international students at the Academy participated in the same curriculum as American officers, there was concern that no course provided an overview of American society in relation to law enforcement, and foreign students had no time to adjust to the American cultural or academic environment. In the CJ359 course, all the foreign students at the National Academy meet as a group. It explores a variety of American social, political, and cultural institutions and their relationship to the American police system. Students visit historical sites, government facilities, and academic institutions; each participant must prepare a research paper of a comparative nature. Surveys of international participants in three National Academy sessions in 1989 revealed that, while academic and cultural adjustments were difficult, most students found this course to be helpful in contributing to their understanding and knowledge of the American police system.