Page 50 - February 2018 FOP Newsletter

An article submitted by a Lodge 7 Magazine Sponsor
The path to success
Follow a Saint Xavier MBA to great opportunities on the job...and beyond
n BY MITCHELL KRUGEL
As the Saint Xavier University (SXU) Master of Business Ad- ministration program geared to Chicago Police Officers enters its 20th year, it marks the spot where nearly 2,000 coppers have matriculated through this one-of-a-kind learning opportunity.
One of those is 3rd District Officer Jennifer Maddox, who was honored as a CNN Hero for 2017. Another is Officer John Lucki, who used his degree to become one of the Department’s fore- most experts in financial fraud and a national authority on fi- nancial crimes. Another is former Illinois State Police Director Hiram Grau. And Tom Beyna, the Lodge 7 member who was just elected as a pension trustee, also marks his career progression with a Saint Xavier University (SXU) MBA.
Yet another program success story is Bruce Lipman, who worked 19 of his 30 years with CPD on patrol. Post-retirement, he has ascended to Director of the Graham School of Manage- ment at Saint Xavier and its CPD program this past fall. He can speak loud and clear about the career-expanding, life-enriching gateway that can come with the SXU MBA.
“I really believe that every police officer who went through the program, it has made them better police officers,” explains Lipman, who applied his Saint Xavier learning events to stints working in the Department’s Management Accountability Of- fice, as well as assignments in 008, 006 and the Academy. “Ev- erything I learned in terms of thinking logically, writing, com- munication, what you base your decisions on and managing people, helped me immensely.”
Logical thinking, communication, decision making and man- aging people might be the top lines on every job description in the Department, especially in this accountability-intensive era that all Chicago cops currently must endure. Perhaps that is what Saint Xavier is celebrating in 2018: 20 years of bringing po- lice officers an MBA program that continually innovates curric- ulum and extends beyond criminal justice education to make the degree so valuable in every aspect of the job.
The 20th anniversary also continues the Saint Xavier 25-per- cent reimbursement offer to Chicago Police Officers. With the 75-percent reimbursement that comes from the Department as part of the current collective bargaining agreement, it’s feasible for any officer to get the SXU MBA for free.
The program has become renowned for its focus on business analytics, forensic accounting and other disciplines that apply directly to the business of policing. And SXU’s Graham School of Management has an AACSB accreditation, which is accorded to fewer than 1,000 of the world’s best business schools across 52 countries and territories.
Of course, a unique aspect of the program is that classes are held at the Chicago Police Academy. And courses in team build- ing and leadership feature discussion-centric approaches that often address the topic of the day officers are experiencing on the beat. That’s where the impact of the Saint Xavier MBA be- comes even more profound.
“It opened my eyes to myself,” Lipman testifies. “I learned a lot about myself and my style; how to work on my weaknesses and build up my strengths.”
The SXU MBA can help build upon two of the most formida- ble learning experiences afforded to all CPD officers. The crimi- nal justice education that occurs while going through the Acad- emy immerses officers in so much criminal procedure that they accumulate the knowledge they might get going for a master’s degree in criminal justice.
And when coming on the beat, officers hear from their FTOs about the premium on following the rules and being able to pro- vide a reasonable, logical, written explanation for their actions. So why not pursue a post-graduate degree that puts a premium on showing and explaining why you made a decision, as is the case at Saint Xavier?
“There are some studies out there that show officers with higher education are less likely to get in trouble for excessive use of force or verbal abuse,” Lipman states.
The achievements of officers like Maddox, Lucki and Beyna accentuate how students in the SXU MBA program have built some of the skills the Department certainly can use in its lead- ers. Many of the classes require making presentations formulat- ed through detailed research.
Inspiration for research projects comes from professors from the business world; professional instructors who provide an outside-looking-in perspective that can enhance police best practices.
Essentially, a graduate of the Saint Xavier MBA program at the Graham School of Management comes out with a tool kit to bet- ter manage people, locations and resources every day. These are tools that are deployed every day on the job, from the beat car to the detectives investigating and beyond.
And Lipman emphasizes that a one-day-a-week commit- ment to class can lead to getting that MBA in two years. For free, potentially. And that can create opportunities even beyond the Department.
“Let’s face it, we all are living longer and working 10 or 15 years after the job,” he adds. “And if you are looking to retire as early as you can, you want to have this degree in hand. You will have a skill set that will not just allow you to be a better police officer. It will allow you to have a better career.” d
50 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ FEBRUARY 2018