National Police Week honors law enforcement officials who serve or have served to keep citizens safe, day in and day out. In celebration of National Police Week, Major Michael White, Assistant Chief of Staff, Communications and Information Systems with the Indiana State Police, shares his experience as a WGU Indiana graduate and describes how earning his MBA has helped him better serve the Hoosier state.
Major White had nearly twenty years of information technology experience before he decided to pursue his MBA in Information and Technology Management through WGU Indiana. He felt that earning his MBA would add credibility and back up his years of experience. Major White knew what he was looking for when it came to selecting a university for his MBA and WGU Indiana fit all of his criteria. Foremost, he wanted a degree program that offered flexibility to accommodate both a busy work schedule and family life. WGU’s online model offered the advantage of studying whenever and wherever it fit best. “I didn’t want to have to worry about leaving work on time, grabbing a bite to eat and then going to a classroom,” he said.
WGU Indiana’s tech-focused MBA program offered advanced study in Major White’s combined areas of interest, experience and responsibility, in IT and business management.
Information technology plays a key role in many aspects of today’s law enforcement. Data collection, such as crash mapping, helps officers analyze when and where crashes are more likely to occur. Criminal data collection enables them to know where to send officers for civilian protection and safety. Major White says that when the state launched the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) in 2017, it established uniform crime reporting statistics statewide. The goal is to have NIBRS fully implemented by 2020 in order to expand the application of crime data across state agencies. His tech-focused MBA applied directly to projects like these. Major White says his MBA studies also became an asset as his organization went through a restructuring. He implemented business and technology practices that helped enhance his team’s efficiency and operations.
Major White continues to draw on the knowledge gained from his WGU Indiana education and he credits his degree with helping him to become a better public servant. “We deal with multi-million dollar systems and the tax payers in Indiana are our customers. With my WGU Indiana degree and the business acumen that it provided, I know that I am making the best investment decisions for our state.”
Thank you to Major White and to all other law enforcement officials who serve and protect our communities!
